Author: Jennifer Purdie

Categories
Health x Body Wellbeing

7 Unsanitary Things People Do Each Day

Even the most extreme germaphobes—ones who sanitize every nook and cranny of their homes and avoid shaking hands like the plague—still participate in activities in which germs thrive on every surface. Despite all efforts to keep themselves as healthy and microbe-free as possible, they will still encounter these icky microorganisms on a daily basis.
Heck, anyone will. No sense in worrying.

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In fact, before we get into it, let’s get one thing straight: Germs are not inherently bad. And as one of our experts points out, it’s irrational to think a germ-free life is possible.
But there are a few common places where the make-you-sick kind of microscopic visitors can thrive. The following are just a few of the dirty things we do each day (and ways to clean them up):

Checking Your Mobile Phone

Standing in line, waiting at the doctor’s office, taking a break at work—your cellphone constantly calls to you even when you don’t hear the text notification or feel the vibration. There’s a nagging need to look at it all the time.
On average, we check our phones 47 times a day, according to a study by Deloitte, a professional services network. Eighty nine percent of people check their phones within an hour of waking up, and 81 percent look at their phones in the hour before they fall asleep. In short, we’re smartphone addicts.

Well, a study at University of Arizona found that our cellphones have 10 times more germs than a public toilet. And because everyone knows toilets are dirty, they get cleaned often. Cellphones? Not so much.
“We need to wipe our phones with [disinfectant] solutions at least once in two days,” says Lokesh Sharoff, MBBS, a doctor at P.D Hinduja National Hospital & Medical Research Centre. To remind yourself to clean your phone, keep a bottle near the charger.

Biting Pens

“People also have a habit of biting or licking the opposite side of the pen, which do carry a lot of germs,” says Sharoff. A nervous habit for many, gnawing on a pen can not only serve as an unsanitary action, but it can also damage your teeth.

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Health resource Health Guidance for Better Health offers the following suggestions for curbing the habit:

  • Coat your pens with nail varnish to make them taste bad
  • Wrap the pen with tape
  • Choose a non-tempting type of pen (a metal pen won’t look as tasty)
  • Let others know you’re trying to stop chewing on pens and ask them to hold you accountable

Using a Shopping Cart

With all the people who touch shopping carts on a daily basis, all the food that moves in and out of them, and all the employees who rarely clean them, the fact that shopping carts offer some of the dirtiest public surfaces should come as no surprise.
In study published in Food Protection Trends, researchers sampled 85 shopping carts throughout the West Coast and found that the cart surfaces contained more bacteria than 100 public restrooms—even including the filthiest parts of a toilet: the seat and the handle.

On top of that, researchers discovered half of the carts contained E. coli, and 72 percent contained coliform bacteria. The elevated level of coliform meant that fecal matter was involved in the contamination.
Before you start shopping, carry wipes into the store with you and wipe down the cart before you use it. After your grocery trip and before you put away your purchases, be sure to wash your hands.
Tsippora Shainhouse, a dermatologist and pediatrician, says to wash for 15 seconds and sing the ABCs in your head to ensure you get everything.

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“To make sure that your hands don’t take the brunt of this washing,” she adds, “use a moisturizing cream afterwards, preferably one with ceramides that help maintain the skin barrier.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Keeping hands clean through improved hand hygiene is one of the most important steps we can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others.”

Visiting Your Office Break Room

You probably hit the office break room a couple of times a day to fill up your cup of coffee and pick up your lunch bag. Beware: The break room and kitchen are the worst places for office germs.
In “one of the most detailed and comprehensive studies ever conducted on identifying workplace hot spots where germs can lurk,” microbiologist Charles Gerba, in concert with Kimberly-Clark Professional, found that the break room, especially the sink and microwave handles, were “the dirtiest surfaces touched by office workers on a daily basis.”

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In this study, hygienists from Kimberly-Clark Professional, a subsidiary of personal care item producer Kimberly-Clark, collected almost 5,000 swabs from office buildings with more than 3,000 staff members. The office buildings included organizations from a range of industries, including law firms, insurance companies, healthcare, and call centers. Some of the dirtiest parts of the break room, their test results showed, were the handles of the sink faucets, microwave, and refrigerator doors.
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To work toward a cleaner workplace, management should offer easy access to cleaning solutions, like keeping hand and cleaning wipes next to areas that people often touch.
Christopher Calapai, DO, a board-certified osteopathic physician, also advises routinely washing your hands and using Lysol sprays in the office.

Driving

You have enough to worry about a lot when you’re driving—distracted, impaired, or lead-footed drivers, for instance—and now you can add germs to the list.
“Typically, things that we have our hands on all the time are risks, including money, telephones in offices, [and] some surfaces at home and in the workplace,” says Calapai. And all those germs make it onto your steering wheel.

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In a study out of Queen Mary University in London, researchers found that car steering wheels contained about nine times as many germs as a public toilet seat.
One of the germs researchers found was Bacillus cereus, which can bring on food poisoning, according to CBS News’ report on the study.
To avoid tracking germs back to your steering wheel, carry an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with you. “I always have one in the side bucket of my car. I rub it into my hands as I get into my car to make sure that I do not transfer any outside germs onto my steering wheel,” says Shainhouse.

Pumping Gas

According to a study out of the University of Arizona (as reported on by CleanTechnica), pumping gas is the most germ-filled everyday activity you can do.
The trusty team of microbiologist Charles Gerba and researchers from Kimberly-Clark Professional found that 71 percent of gas pump handles are highly contaminated “with sorts of microbes most highly associated with illness and disease.”

To prevent adding to the germ pile, you should wash your hands before using the gas pump. Also, keep a bottle of hand sanitizer in your glove compartment to use after you fill up.

Typing

Office workers, take note: Your keyboard, like many things on this list, is dirtier than a public toilet.
A consumer group called Which? tested 33 keyboards in their London offices and found that they housed germs that could cause food poisoning, according to the BBC. Of those tested, “four were regarded as a potential health hazard,” and another contained five times more germs than one of the office’s toilet seats. It was so dirty (with 150 times the recommended bacteria limit) that the tester had the keyboard removed and quarantined.

The less grime on your keyboard, the less material there is for bacteria to consume. According to Intel, to keep your keyboard clean, you should:

  • Spray it with a can of compressed air, which you can pick up at any office supply store
  • Vacuum it with a dust attachment
  • Turn it upside down and lightly tap the keyboard to knock away loose crumbs
  • Use the sticky part of a Post-it note for the hard-to-remove crumbs
  • Use cotton swabs around the keys
  • Use a screen wipe on the stubborn sections
  • Avoid eating over your keyboard

Keeping Yourself Healthy

Overall, you can take additional steps to keep yourself as germ-free as possible. Most of them are fairly elementary.
“The best hygiene tip is to just exercise common sense and practice good hand hygiene when in situations such as public transportation, restroom use, and prior to eating,” says Amesh A. Adalja, MD, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.

Ian Tong, MD, chief medical officer at Doctor On Demand, points out that brushing your teeth often when you are sick can help clear your mouth of germs.


Oh, and don’t forget to take your vitamins. “Consider taking vitamin D supplements—2000 IU—daily,” Shainhouse says. “The theory is that vitamin D is necessary for the body to make cathelicidins, part of the innate immune system that helps fight off infections.”

If it isn’t clear by now, you cannot live germ free.

Adalja is sure to note that the planet teems with microbes, the majority of which do no harm and are necessary for normal human functioning. “It is misguided to think that one can—or would want to—avoid germs altogether.”
Even spraying down your house, your car, and your clothes will not rid your life of microbes. To avoid the nasty ones, all you can do is keep yourself as healthy as possible by frequently washing your hands, keeping sanitizer (hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes, the like) in the proper places, and making sure you’re getting all of the necessary vitamins and minerals to strengthen your immune system.

Categories
Wellbeing

Symptoms Of Skin Cancer Women Should Know About

Melanie Wilson spent her younger years as many people do: lounging on the beach and tanning herself to achieve an attractive golden hue. On Jones Beach in New York, Wilson would rub herself with body oil while soaking up the rays and even sunbathed in the driveway of her home and at school using sun reflectors.
She ended up paying the price for a temporarily bronzed body with multiple skin cancer surgeries. “The biopsies they did on me were so very deep and large that I felt for sure they must have gotten all the cancers. I have had the surgery on my right arm and both of my lower legs,” Wilson says.

Despite the many surgeries, she still gets skin cancer symptoms. She often notices spots “of interest” all throughout her arms, legs, and face. Fortunately, most require little work to remove.
“The ones that I can identify always turn out to be ‘pre-basal cell,’ (superficial benign lesions) and they can be addressed either with a simple excision or by using Aldara cream,” she says. But they pop up every few months, even though the sun damage happened decades ago.

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Wilson, with fair skin, light eyes, and a history of sun worshipping, is the perfect storm for skin cancer.

Skin Cancer Facts

“Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer worldwide, more than lung, breast, cervix, colon, and prostate,” says dermatologist Alberto de la Fuente, MD. But the good news, he notes, is that skin cancer is the easiest to cure.


To demonstrate how common it is, the Skin Cancer Foundation provides compelling statistics:

  • In the U.S., each year, more than 3.3 million people receive treatment for non-melanoma, a less serious type of skin cancer.
  • More than 5.4 million cases of non-melanoma skin cancer are treated each year (some people receive multiple diagnoses).
  • One in five Americans will develop skin cancer at some point in their life.
  • One person with melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer, passes away every 54 minutes.
  • Women ages 49 and younger have a higher probability of developing melanoma than breast or thyroid cancer.
  • The cost of treating melanoma in the U.S. is $8.1 billion each year.


“When caught early, skin cancer is highly treatable,” says David Lortscher, MD, dermatologist and founder of Curology. “Although the vast majority of skin cancer deaths are from melanoma, the five-year survival rate for people whose melanoma is detected and treated before it spreads to the lymph nodes is 98 percent.”
So, what can you do to not become a statistic? De la Fuente says the most important advice he can give is to get any new or changing lesions examined by a medical professional.

Symptoms to Watch

Staying hyper-vigilant on skin awareness is your best defense, as is staying away from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays. Symptoms you should look out for include:

A Growth on the Skin Found by Touching It

These growths are often overlooked and, if left untreated they can become cancerous. “[They] often form very small in shape and can really only be detected through touch, as they are often rough and/or raised,” explains dermatologist Gary Goldfaden, MD. He says you find them in areas often exposed to the sun, and some can disappear and then reappear bigger in shape. One of the more common versions of this is a small, slightly red spot, particularly on the forehead or nose.

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“If this spot feels quite rough, almost like sandpaper, there could be cause for concern,” says Lorna Thomas, MD, dermatologist at Detroit Medical Center and Detroit Receiving Hospital. She says that patients often treat these lesions with moisturizer, assuming they are just dry skin.

Lumps and Bumps in Places Unseen by the Sun

Skin cancers like mucosal melanoma can occur in places such as the nasal cavity or genital region, says Brenda Busby, program coordinator of pediatric and mucosal melanoma at the Melanoma Research Foundation. (Busby works for the organization but is not a medical professional).


Mucosal melanoma is rare, making up 1 percent of skin cancer cases. But incidence rates are higher among women due to genital tract melanomas, according to research published in the International Journal of Clinical & Experimental Pathology.
Despite its overall rarity, Busby says, mucosal melanoma “is one of most aggressive forms of the disease because it is often caught late. People do not know to check for it and doctors may even misdiagnose it.”

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JB Ward was diagnosed with vaginal mucosal melanoma in 2016 and says that mucosal melanoma primary tumors “are more of the lump and bump nature and can be painful or not painful at all, and frequently don’t have a discoloration or tint to them.” In short, it is hard to find.

Reoccurring Shiny Spots That Almost Heal

These are commonly found on the face and upper body, says Tsippora Shainhouse, MD. These persistent patches or bumps are typically pink or translucent. Occasionally, they may bleed before appearing to heal. Before they totally heal, however, they bleed again, in a process that can take place over months or years.

“If you have a sore that won’t completely heal up after a few months,” Shainhouse says, “get it checked out by your dermatologist.”

Moles That Change Shape and Color

“The most obvious change is enlargement over time,” says dermatologist Mark Gray, MBChB. The change can even happen slowly and subtly—so keep your eye on them.
Malignant moles “tend to be asymmetric and are varying shades of brown, black, gray, and sometimes pink,” he says. He recommends looking with a critical eye at any lesions greater than six millimeters.

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Of course, not all moles are easy to see. You need to check more than just your arms and neck. According to dermatologist Sam Hetz, MD, the deadliest type of skin cancer is most common in women on their back and legs. “I always make sure that patients keep an eye out for odd looking moles in these areas,” he says.

Skin Cancer Treatments

If a doctor finds squamous cell carcinomas (a non-melanoma skin cancer) at an early stage, you are in luck. Most medical professionals can conduct treatments on an outpatient basis at their office. A few such treatments include:

  • Moh’s micrographic surgery—Considered one of the most effective techniques to treat basal cell carcinomas (with a 99 percent success rate), the surgery removes skin cancer layer by layer. Doctors examine the tissue under a microscope until they get to the healthy skin around a tumor.
  • Radiation—For large tumors or tumors in locations more challenging for doctors to reach, radiation therapy might become a suitable alternative. In this treatment, doctors use a type of radiation called “electron beam radiation.” According to the American Cancer Society, “It uses a beam of electrons that don’t go any deeper than the skin.”
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  • Topical therapy—Ointments and creams are rubbed on the skin to treat visible and invisible lesions. Wilson uses topical therapy with Aldara cream, but she finds the experience less than pleasant.
  • Photodynamic therapy—Drugs called photosensitizing agents are used with light to kill cancer cells. Wilson had this done approximately five times throughout years; she even has an upcoming appointment for it on her chest. “It is a good way to treat pre-basals when you don’t want surgery or to go through the horrible Aldara cream, particularly when there are many in an area.”
  • Excisional surgery—A doctor uses a scalpel or a sharp razor to remove all the growth by cutting or shaving it off the skin. The wound is then closed up with stitches.

Stay proactive.

To take a hands-on approach to skin cancer, you should always get a yearly wellness check by your primary care physician. A good way to remember to do so is to schedule it around your birthday or the first of the year. This way the doctor can check out any potential moles/lesions you might miss.

In addition, you should perform monthly self-checkups. “Once every month or so, look at your entire body and check your moles for any new lesions and any changes in shape, border, size, color,” says Shainhouse. She suggests doing this before you get in the shower.
“Examine all of your skin, including your face, ears, neck, chest, under and on breasts, abdomen, back, armpits, arms, legs, hands, feet, nails, and genitals; use a hand mirror, if necessary.” For the harder to see places, she recommends enlisting the help of a friend to check the scalp and back of your ears and neck.

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And always, follow sun care best practices.
Find shade, stay covered up, and apply sunscreen that’s SPF 15 or higher 30 minutes before you head outdoors and again every two hours.
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Hearing the word “cancer” can make you feel scared and powerless at best. Fortunately, when detected early, skin cancer is highly treatable and curable. You cannot change the sun damage you experienced in the past, but you can always change the quality of the future by practicing conscious, preventive sun care, and examining your body for any changes.

Categories
Nosh Nutrition x Advice

The Rise Of Ramen (And How To Make It Good For You)

A staple of dorm rooms around the world, ramen noodles remain the go-to food of choice for those living on tight budgets. In fact, ask any college student if they eat prepackaged ramen and they’ll likely skip right to their favorite flavors. Why so popular? You can pick up a week’s worth of meals for a few measly dollars.

On top of their affordability, the noodle bricks are good for those with limited access to kitchens. See, you only need to add one ingredient to ramen: hot water. This makes ramen noodles accessible to those with the most limited of cooking resources.
But as of late, the ramen tide is shifting. Upscale versions of ramen dishes have soared their way into restaurants, ranging from small pop-ups to five-star dining experiences. According to Fast Company, New York and Los Angeles are “saturated with gourmet ramen shops,” and their ramen supplier, Sun Noodle, produces about 90,000 servings of ramen per day.

Chefs at Ippudo, a ramen restaurant in New York (Robert Wright/The New York Times)

This uptick in gourmet ramen consumption is due to restaurant owners following a longstanding Japanese marketing strategy, according to the Fast Company piece: Restaurateurs manufactured a food craze by using the media to their advantage and securing coverage on food blogs.
Now, with ramen noodles consumed by anyone from wallet-conscious students to gourmet diners, enthusiasts of this food should familiarize themselves with its (lack of) nutritional value.

Serving up Sodium

This might surprise you, but a package of ramen noodles’ serving size is only half a block. This means you ingest about 830-850 milligrams of sodium per serving—twice that if you eat the entire package.

 
According to the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, you should consume less than 2,300 mg of sodium per day. “To do the math, by consuming one pack of ramen, you are consuming 72-73 percent of your daily sodium allowance,” says Jennifer Kanikula, a registered dietitian and blogger at The SoFull Traveler.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that your body does need sodium to function properly, but too much of it is bad for your health. Sodium can increase blood pressure and boost your risk for stroke and heart disease.
 

Even children are not immune to sodium issues. Almost nine out of 10 children eat more sodium than recommended, and one in nine has elevated blood pressure.

Ramen Research

A study published in the Journal of Nutrition shows that eating instant noodles is linked to heart risk, especially in women. Researchers in South Korea (a country with a high consumption rate of instant noodles) used 10,700 participants (54.5 percent women) ranging in age from 19 to 64.
They assessed the people’s diets using a 63-item food-frequency questionnaire and identified two major dietary patterns: a traditional dietary pattern that was rich in rice, fish, vegetables, fruit, and potatoes, and a meat- and fast-food dietary pattern that had less rice intake but was rich in meat, soda, and fast food, including instant noodles.
 

Researchers found that those who followed the second dietary pattern had a higher prevalence of abdominal obesity. Further, the women who ate instant noodles at least twice a week had higher incidence of metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome includes health risk factors such as obesity, high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar, and high cholesterol—basically anything that can increase your risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. It did not even matter what type of dietary pattern they followed—sixty eight percent off women who ate ramen twice or more per week had metabolic syndrome.
In a study conducted by Stefani Bardin, a teacher at Parsons School of Design, and Braden Kuo, MD, director of the gastrointestinal motility laboratory at Massachusetts General Hospital at Harvard University, it was found that instant ramen is difficult to digest.

In their study, Bardin and Kuo asked two volunteers to eat different meals: One had a meal of processed food, instant ramen being the main course, and the other ate a meal consisting of handmade noodles. After eating, the participants swallowed tiny camera capsules that recorded the inside of their gastrointestinal tracts. Results showed significant differences in the processes; the instant ramen did not break down into the tiny matter necessary for proper digestion, and the other meal did.
Although this is not positive news, ramen noodle lovers do not need to fret. According to an article published in The New York Times, you can still eat instant noodles, just in moderation. Frank Hu, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at Harvard University, said in the article, “Once or twice a month is not a problem. But a few times a week really is.”

Instant comfort?

Under duress, people often turn to eating ramen noodles as a way to make themselves feel better. Stressed college women are likely to experience an increased appetite and propensity to consume unhealthy foods, according to a study in Nutrition Research.
It’s not just women who indulge in comfort eating, either—a study in Physiology & Behavior shows that while women are more likely to increase food consumption while stressed, stressed women and men increase their intakes of unhealthy (particularly fatty) foods.

In terms of ramen, it seems men may be more likely to eat it when stressed: Men more often report seeking out “hearty, meal-related comfort foods,” whereas women often prefer “snack-related” comfort foods like chocolate and ice cream.
But research indicates stress eating is a short-lived, and short-sighted, stress solution. While “comfort eaters may experience reduced perceived stress compared to those who do not engage in this behavior,” per research in the journal Appetite, another study shows that combining food with stress “promotes the compulsive nature of overeating.” The mood-improving effects of tasty (as opposed to “unpalatable”) chocolate only last for three minutes, a third study finds.
In a sense, people use food they enjoy as a form of self-medication when they experience bad days. Ramen noodles, for some, is that medication. And when you pair those noodles with healthy trimmings, it can become a wiser choice than a piece of chocolate cake.

How to Make It Healthier

If you limit the amount of noodles to keep the sodium down but beef up the dish with healthy options, you can create a hearty, tasty meal fit for one—or your entire family.

Here are a few options:

Add in protein.

“The best way to up the health factor of ramen dishes is to choose lean protein sources to go with it,” says Emily Braaten, a registered dietitian. She notes that numerous restaurant entrees feature fatty meats. “These kinds of protein make the dishes richer, but also are high in saturated fat.” She says instead, when cooking at home, you can add shredded chicken (or other lean meats) and a soft- or hard-boiled egg.

Ditch the flavor pack and augment the dish with your own savory seasonings.

“Add more flavor with herbs and less sodium,” says registered dietitian nutritionist Rebecca Scritchfield. “Try steeping fresh mint and cilantro in the hot broth and use your own salt plus red pepper flakes for spice instead of [using] the instant sodium packets.”

Mix in your favorite vegetables.

Any veggies you have in your refrigerator or freezer will work, says Scritchfield. “Or leftover roasted veggies can be added to ramen to make it more colorful and more balanced.”

Women should consume 130 grams of carbohydrates per day. Carbohydrate equivalents: One cup of fresh cooked, no-salt-added broccoli and spinach = 11 grams. One cup of frozen spinach = 8 grams. One cup of yellow and white canned corn = 30 grams.

Give soba a try.

Rather than cook with high-sodium ramen noodles, try switching to soba noodles, a healthier alternative.
“Soba is actually made of buckwheat, which contains no wheat or gluten,” says Monica Auslander Moreno, a registered dietitian. “Buckwheat has much more protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals than wheat noodles—13 grams of protein per 100 grams, 10 grams of fiber per 100 grams, and 57 percent of the daily value of magnesium.”

Bonus: soba noodles have a “nuttier taste and are not as bland as the regular wheat noodles.” She does note that you will still consume a lot of starch, but, she emphasizes, it is healthier starch.

Cook Like a Ramen Master

So, you’ve decided you can’t give up your ramen noodles. That is no problem—up your ramen prowess and cook healthier versions of the dish by simply following the sage cooking advice of celebrated chef Tracy Chang, a ramen noodles master. Her award-winning Guchi’s Midnight Ramen dish, available at her restaurant PAGU, won Best Ramen by Boston Magazine.

Chang (Paige Ninivaggi/Boston Herald)

Here are Chang’s ramen cooking tips:

  • You can amplify the flavor of the dish by adding in dried shiitake mushrooms. This vegetable has vitamins D, B, and C. It also contains essential minerals like zinc, iron, and potassium.
  • For protein, dried seafood contains calcium, iron, and omega 3s for skin and hair.
  • When making your own stock, you should cook the bones at a boil, and then at a simmer. You can choose either a pork or chicken bone, depending on your taste preference. Doing this releases essential minerals from the marrow and bone.
  • Adding gelatin helps boost the immune system. “Gelatin comes from the skin and fat (for example, chicken backs, chicken feet and pork belly),” she says.

The Final Slurp

Ramen noodles do contain excessive amounts of sodium, and too much of it can lead to significant health issues in the future. However, if you simply limit the noodles and amplify your dish with tasty vegetables, lean proteins, and bone broth, you can satisfy your noodle love while still getting the necessary nutrients to keep you focused and strong.

Categories
Fitness Advice x Motivation Sweat

Is It Time To Ditch Your Ear Bud? The Benefits And Drawbacks Of Music During Exercise

Natasha LaBeaud Anzures forgoes listening to music during exercise. “Running without music allows me to be completely disconnected from technology and completely engaged in the terrain around me and my inner-most thoughts.”
Semena Morgan also opts for silence during her outdoor runs, as she considers it the only time of day she does not face distractions. “I’ve solved many problems out on the pavement. Music would take away from my serenity.”
But not everyone shuns music. In fact, the majority do not. According to a survey of runners around the world by Brooks Running Company, 53 percent of runners choose music as their prize accessory.
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Naomi Jayne is one of them. She turns to music for more than just a pump-up—she uses it to create art in her head, which she then goes on to paint. “When I am running, I always see colors in my mind that go along with the music, or each note has a certain personality to me. When I hear the note in the music, the color forms, and as I am listening to the music, I will decide upon a color palette as a result of the music that I am listening to,” she says.
Even medical professionals recommend music. Jasmine Marcus, doctor of physical therapy, says that she advises patients to listen to music when exercising to make working out more enjoyable. “I pick fast-paced songs to listen to when doing cardio on the bike or elliptical, and I encourage my patients to do the same.”
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These examples show the two ends of the music-while-running spectrum—but you never find many people in the middle. Since headphones popped up on heads, it has seemed that runners fall into two categories: those who must listen to music and those who consider it too much of a distraction/safety issue. Whichever group describes you, chances are you are pretty adamant about it.
So, we won’t try to sway you. Let’s just look at the benefits and drawbacks of music during exercise.

Music, the Motivator

“There is a reason why there are exercise playlists,” says Caleb Backe, a certified personal trainer. “There is a reason why … songs are formatted (or reformatted) to fit certain types of beats-per-minute patterns.”
The reason is that appropriate music increases endurance. In a study published in the Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, researchers found that carefully selected music can significantly increase a person’s endurance by 15 percent, as well as improve positive thinking “even when they are working out at a very high intensity—close to physical exhaustion,” according to Science Daily‘s roundup of the study.
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Costas I. Karageorghis, a researcher from the study, even took these findings and applied them to a race. The 2008 Sony Ericsson Run to the Beat half marathon was the first race to provide scientifically selected music along the course to keep runners’ endurance levels up. The race became popular and attracted around 19,000 runners in 2013, according to News Shopper.
Other research shows similar results. In a study published in the peer-review journal Chest, researchers put 19 participants through two “endurance walk tests, one with and one without listening to self-selected music throughout the test.” They measured, among other things, the participants’ endurance times and levels of labored breathing—”the primary symptom limiting exercise tolerance,” the study says—upon completion. The results showed that self-selected music “increased tolerance of high-intensity exercise” and reduced labored breathing at the finish line.
“Practically, the effect was modest but may represent an aid for exercise training of these patients,” they concluded.
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Aditi G. Jha, MD, agrees that music choice matters. “Most gym-goers prefer R&B to work out to, which is okay. But hard metal and too-loud music can defeat the purpose, which is to give your body a mental push and to feel good,” she says.

Watch the noise level.

You need to stay cognizant of your music noise level. Bryan Pollard, president of the nonprofit Hyperacusis Research, which funds scientific research into noise-induced pain, says any loud music can cause health issues.
“[Loud music], whether it is coming from earbuds while jogging or speakers in spin class, contributes to assorted hearing dysfunction,” he says.
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Hearing loss is a widespread health condition. Approximately 36 million Americans have it, and one in three developed their hearing loss as a result of exposure to noise, according to the American Academy of Audiology. In Europe, the number is higher—52 million people self-report hearing loss, says The European Coalition on Hearing Loss and Disability. The World Health Organization estimates that it costs Europe €178 billion each year for untreated hearing impairments, according to the coalition’s report.
How loud should you go when listening to music to not become part of these statistics? Not very high, according to the American Academy of Audiology. Noise-induced hearing loss can occur from any continued exposure to noise more than 85 decibels. To put this into perspective:

  • Normal conversations = 60 decibels
  • Dishwashers = 60 decibels
  • Alarm clocks = 80 decibels
  • MP3 players =  100 decibels at full volume—which is probably where you have the volume during a hard exercise session or during a race, where your music competes with lots of background noise

You also need to exercise caution in group fitness classes, as research shows these classes play music too loud as well. In a paper published in the Archives of Environment & Occupational Health, Australian researchers studied noise levels during 35 low-intensity and 65 high-intensity classes in 1997 to 1998, and again in 2009 to 2011. In high-intensity classes in the later time frame, decibels averaged 93.1—a level in which hearing loss can occur. In low-intensity classes, decibels dropped to 85.6, but that is still too high.
Oddly enough, the 2009–2011 teachers preferred the music for high-intensity classes to be much louder than their clients did. So beyond ear plugs, you might not have much of a say.
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Further, a study from Australia’s National Acoustic Laboratories found that the music in fitness classes reaches almost as high a level as a jet engine.
Oliver F. Adunka, MD, professor of otolaryngology and neurosurgery in the Department of Otolaryngology, Head, and Neck Surgery at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, does not provide any better news. He says hearing loss is a hidden disability; most people do not even notice it is happening—and you cannot turn it back once it begins. Hearing loss occurs when hair cells start to die in your ear, and “these hair cells do not regenerate. Once they are gone, they are gone.”
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So, what preventive measures can you take? Adunka recommends keeping a lower volume in your headphones—no matter if you wear big Beats by Dre headsets or small earbuds. “Even small headsets can produce high levels of sound,” he says, noting that people who exercise for more than an hour should definitely hit the down button. He also recommends only listening to one or two songs at a high volume before taking a listening break.
Most importantly, he emphasizes, get a hearing test frequently.
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For group classes, Pollard advises wearing protective earmuffs or earplugs. “The problem with earplugs is that people do not wear them properly and are afforded little protection. It is best to find instructions online and practice till you get it right. If earplugs fall out, you are doing it wrong,” he says. Pollard also suggests wearing noise-canceling headphones that let you still hear the music.

The Flip Side of the Cassette

Runners who loathe music and enjoy the sound of their footsteps instead, as well as the added safety benefits, can also make their exercise experiences better.

Use the time to think.

In a Washington Post interview, Chris Friesen, director of Friesen Sport & Performance Psychology, said that running keeps your brain semi-activated and frees up lots of cognitive space.
You don’t need to listen to anything to access the extra brain availability created by your run—”Even without music,” said Friesen, “running can put you in a state of mind to solve problems and think creatively.” Without music, you can spend your runs thinking through problems you are facing, brainstorming ideas for a work project, or setting new goals—it truly is the perfect time to do so.
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While Friesen did note benefits of listening to some form of media during runs, he also suggested that runners forgo music and opt for mindfulness: “When your negative thoughts or worries inevitably come up when running, you can practice acknowledging them for what they are—just thoughts and feelings that our brains are programmed to generate—and train your brain to not get hooked by or fused to them and to stay longer in the present moment.”

Appreciate the sport.

In a study published in the Journal of Sport and Health Science, researchers found that listening to music and watching videos during high-intensity exercise resulted in significantly less “perceived exertion” and significantly more “dissociative focus,” or thoughts about other things. This may be good for endurance, as we’ve seen, but it also detaches you from your body’s signals.
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The Finish Line

If you prefer to jam out to your Spotify playlist, ensure you choose the appropriate music to keep your endurance level up; yet all the while, keep the noise level down.
On the flip side, if you choose to listen to nothing but the sweet sounds of nature, use the time to contemplate, create, or listen to your body—your brain has the space.
But whatever side you fall—pro-music or anti-music—you are working out and keeping yourself healthy. That should make you proud.

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Sweat

As Seen On TV Fitness Products: Are They Worth It?

A recent break up left you heartbroken. You haven’t seen the inside of a gym for a few months, and you’re not sleeping well. Instead of tossing in bed, you click on the television and flip to a late-night infomercial. It showcases trim, upbeat supermodels working out with some kind of enticing fitness contraption. They look happy.
Minutes later, you pop out your credit card to buy what they’re selling. During the call, the customer service representative starts an upsell speech, and suddenly, you agree to buy two of these products. But, they come with free shipping and a DVD—so it’s totally worth it.
In your mind, you know you do not need these products; but in your heart, you do need these products. How is it possible to feel polar opposite ways at the same time?

Mind Games

This tension between real and emotional need arises when basic body dissatisfaction overwhelms your mind. Research has shown that when people, particularly women, see images of models, anxiety about their own self-image escalates.
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In a review published in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology, researchers wrote that women frequently make appearance-related social comparisons, which can lead to body dissatisfaction, and they continue to make these comparisons even with “detrimental consequences.”
In short, if you see an image that makes you feel bad about your body, you’ll keep looking at it. Naturally, you’ll do what it takes to look like the image. The producers of the fitness product commercials capitalize on this.
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“Humans are hardwired to avoid anxiety,” says Eamonn Leaver, registered psychologist and writer at fitness resource The Home Fit Freak. “Attractive models are using the very product—Shake Weight, ab shaker, et cetera—that can help people get that ideal body and alleviate the anxiety they’re experiencing. As such, they feel compelled to purchase it.”
In addition, trendy fitness products appear to solve the major excuses people list for eschewing exercise. Consider two examples:

  1. I have no time to work out. That common thought, Weaver says, is exactly why As Seen on TV products claim to work very quickly.
  2. Exercising is hard. It’s a chore. “That is why those attractive models with the desirable physiques always have smiles on their faces when demonstrating the product,” says Leaver. This perception that a product will bring you joy compels you to bring out your credit card.

Ultimately, explains Leaver, As Seen On TV products create unrealistic expectations in consumers’ minds. “The advertisements make them seem like they definitely will work.”

But will As Seen On TV products work outside of the shiny studio?

Well, sometimes.
As a standalone replacement of a workout routine, very seldom do they work, says Jon Santangelo, a former personal trainer. He does not recommend most of these products as a gym replacement; some, however, are worth it in a bind. He advises staying selective in what you choose: “Do not go for the fad products. Go for simplicity and functionality.”
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Lynda Lippin, a Pilates instructor and ACE-certified personal trainer, expresses positive feelings toward most of the products. “In my opinion, anything that gets a previously immobile person moving, and is pretty safe, is a success.” But she does say some are downright dangerous. Do your homework.

Ready to go shopping?

If you’re going to purchase a fitness product in the middle a midnight stupor, you should at least be an educated consumer. To help, knowledgeable health and fitness professionals will provide their thoughts on popular TV fitness products.

Say no to spot reducers.

The fitness product that spurred an infomercial phenomenon, the ThighMaster was hawked by television star Suzanne Somers to shape and tone your inner thighs. She began as its spokesperson back in 1990, and she said she stopped counting how many were sold after 10 million units, according to NBC News.

The ThighMaster is touted as an exercise you can do while watching television—all you need to do is simply put the mechanism between your thighs and squeeze. But Jeff Deal, a certified corrective exercise specialist and owner of iDEAL Fitness, says products that focus on training a body part to make it smaller do not work.
“This concept of spot reduction is impossible. In fact, if someone were to change nothing else in their life, with the exception of one of these products, they would more likely increase the size of the body part.”
In a study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, researchers investigated the effects of abdominal exercises on abdominal fat. Results showed no significant effects of such spot-reduction/toning exercises on body weight, body fat percentage, and abdominal circumference. Spot reduction, it seems, is a myth. Dieting and exercise will burn fat, but not in targeted areas.

Like the ThighMaster, the Ab Roller is based on spot reduction. Invented in 1994, the ab contraption promised to “sculpt abdominals faster than you’ve ever dreamed possible.” Trainers have been shaking their heads ever since.
“All Pilates and fitness pros are on board with the need for people to learn to stabilize their spines, and this product works against that,” says Lippin. “I had one male client give himself some hernias with the Ab Roller.”

Don’t replace your meal just yet.

Meal replacement shakes populate late-night television and dominate nutrition store shelves. You always see your coworker bring one for lunch. But should you really drink your meal instead of eat it?

Research in the journal Diabetes Spectrum says that meal replacement shakes do offer benefits in weight management: They provide individuals with pre-measured amounts of food with known amounts of nutrients. But to maintain healthy weight loss, meal replacement therapy must be responsible and sustained. It’s imperative that you speak with a health care professional to determine whether these shakes, and which shakes, can serve as a useful weight management tool.
Donna Benjamin, owner and head coach at Crossfit Homeward, says she’s heard plenty of weight loss success stories surrounding meal replacement shakes. But she also says that this bland, ultra-regimented type of nutrition isn’t sustainable.
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“Shakes might help an athlete get started on the path to a healthier lifestyle,” she says, “but the joy of gathering at a table and eating a flavorful meal will motivate the athlete to stay on track.”

Weigh the benefits of the Shake Weight.

Taking the infomercial timeslot by storm in mid-2009, the Shake Weight promised to tone your upper body using daily, six-minute workouts—for only $19.95! One ad for the product claimed that it increased muscle activation by 300 percent.

The direction of response of a body function to any agent depends to a large degree on the initial level of that function.

Such an illustrious claim had people running to the phone to buy; by August 2010, Shake Weight’s manufacturer was $40 million richer. By December of the following year, they’d sold 4.5 million units.
Due to its wonky motion, the Shake Weight went viral, with everyone from YouTubers to the folks at Saturday Night Live parodying it—buying a Shake Weight to do so, of course.

To find out if the Shake Weight was truly worth its hype, the American Council on Exercise conducted a study evaluating the degree of muscle activation in Shake Weight exercises versus identical exercises with an equally weighted dumbbell. The women’s dumbbell was 2.5 pounds, and the men’s was 5 pounds.
The results showed that the average muscle activation was 66 percent greater for the Shake Weight exercises compared to the dumbbell exercises. Not quite 300 percent, but still an increase.
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The low weight of the dumbbells, though, made some question the practical uses of the Shake Weight for more experienced lifters: “For a person who has experience with resistance training … it’s probably going to have, at most, a modest effect,” said Cedric X. Bryant, ACE’s chief science officer, in a roundup of the 2011 study.
More in the doubt category: A 2012 study published in the Journal of Sports Science & Medicine found no significant increase in muscle activation for Shake Weight exercises compared to normal weights.

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Actress Emma Stone using a Shake Weight on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon in September 2010 (NBC Universal via Wall Devil)

That said, the Shake Weight could be a good way for a “previously immobile person,” as Lippin said, to get moving. Bryant cited Wilder’s law of initial value: “the direction of response of a body function to any agent depends to a large degree on the initial level of that function.”
“If you put forth effort,” Bryant said, “the Shake Weight, because it provides some level of resistance will produce an exercise response, particularly for individuals at the low end of the fitness spectrum.”

Take a hack at the Ab Carver.

The ab wheel, dressed up below as the Ab Carver, is a wheel connected to two handles for you to roll out your body into a plank position. Its popularity lies in its simplistic design, low price, and small size. You can slip it under your bed or throw it in your luggage.

“The ab wheel is actually a pretty cool device,” says Rui Li, a NASM-certified personal trainer and CEO of New York Personal Training. “It works essentially like a plank, except instead of staying in the same position, you roll your way out into the plank position.”
Li finds the ab wheel effective in building strength in the rectus abdominis, the muscles that you can see on people with washboard abs. “These muscles are important because they allow you to sit up easily and push heavy weight over your head,” she says.

A Fitness Shopper’s First Step

Don’t just take these experts’ words for it, either. If you decide to move forward with buying one of these fitness products, Danielle Girdano, president of D’fine Sculpting & Nutrition, recommends speaking to a professional first. Any of these fitness products should be discussed with a health care professional who uses them, personally or in their practice.
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“Also, remember that online reviews can be skewed or even advertisements in disguise, so be sure that any information gathered comes from a trusted, unbiased source,” she says.
In addition, you should always seek the approval of a medical professional before starting any fitness program, especially if you have not worked out for a long period of time.
Now that you understand how infomercials play off of poor self-image, this might help you make wiser choices at 2 a.m. You can still purchase these products, as we can see they are not all a waste of money—just be sure you really know what you’re getting.

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Lifestyle

Have You Outgrown Your Food Allergies? There's A Test For That

[People] should be hopeful, but they should not be in denial.

As a child, Allison Constantino of Winter Springs, Florida, experienced a shellfish allergy so significant it sent her to the emergency room.
The artist and nature lover described her childhood shellfish allergy as “HUGE.” As an adult, however, her allergy went away and never returned. She figures that as she aged, her immune system got stronger and kept the shellfish allergy at bay.
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Sandra Hinchliffe, a writer and webmaster from northern California, tells a similar story. As a toddler, she endured her first anaphylaxis event—a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction—with eggs. As a child, she took allergy shots, but as she grew up, her allergies simply disappeared. But unlike Constantino, when Hinchliffe reached middle age, the allergies came roaring back, and she now follows her doctor’s strict orders to avoid egg and yeast. She carries EpiPens with her wherever she goes.

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“[People] should be hopeful, but they should not be in denial. These allergies can and do return in some of us as our immune system ages,” she says.
Both of these women’s experiences are not unique, but they showcase the uniqueness of individual allergy patients. Some children eventually grow out of their allergies, others never do, whereas others grow out of them and have them return. The overall likelihood of outgrowing an allergy depends on a range of factors, such as the type of allergy and how severe it is in each child.

What is a food allergy?

A food allergy is a medical condition in which exposure to a specific food triggers an allergic reaction. In short, the body identifies a food as dangerous, and when it gets exposed to it, the body reacts.
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Symptoms of food allergies range from mild, such as a skin rash, hives, wheezing, and repetitive cough, to life-threatening, such as an inability to breathe, swallowing difficulties, and weak pulse.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that food allergy prevalence has become a public health issue. The U.S. saw a 50 percent increase in food allergies between 1997 and 2011, and between 1997 and 2008, the prevalence of a peanut or tree allergy more than tripled in U.S. children. Overall, an estimated 15 million Americans have food allergies, according to the CDC, which includes 5.9 million children. This is approximately two children per classroom.

The Odds of Outgrowing a Food Allergy

According to Mayo Clinic, food allergies affect six to eight percent of children under the age of 5, but approximately 60 to 80 percent of youths with a type of dairy allergy (milk or egg) can eat these foods without any reaction by the time they reach age 16. Young children who can eat these foods in baked form, like in a cake, are extremely likely to be able to eat plain eggs or milk at an older age.
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They also might outgrow other food allergies, like nut and shellfish allergies, though this isn’t as likely. For example, only about 20 percent of young children outgrow peanut allergies, and 14 percent lose a tree nut allergy. The number is even lower with shellfish allergies, as only four to five percent of children with any fish or crustacean allergy go on to adulthood and experience no reaction—Constantino got lucky and bucked the odds.

Types of Food Allergies

There is really only one type of food allergy: “true allergy.” These are IgE-mediated food allergies in which a severe allergic reaction can occur.
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Stacey Galowitz, DO, a board-certified allergist with ENT and Allergy Associates in Somerset, New Jersey, says, “IgE-mediated food allergies are the reactions to food everyone is familiar with: you eat a peanut and break out in hives, have swelling, experience shortness of breath and vomiting, etcetera. The more severe form of this is called anaphylaxis.” She says anaphylactics are those who need to carry epinephrine devices.
According to The American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, eight types of food account for about 90 percent of all reactions: eggs, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, wheat, and soy.
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People who are not diagnosed with a food allergy, but still experience some form of pain when eating certain foods, usually have a food sensitivity. Such sensitivities are IgG mediated, and “IgG-mediated food allergies are not actually allergies in the true sense,” says Dr. Galowitz. She says the difference between intolerance/sensitivity and IgE-mediated food allergies is that one might be uncomfortable (IgG) and the other might be fatal (IgE).

On Gluten

Gluten allergy—which is also called celiac disease, and is the allergy to the proteins in wheat, barley, and rye—is a bit different. According to the Food Allergy Research and Resource Program and the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, celiac disease differs from IgE-mediated food allergies, in part, because its symptoms take 48–72 hours to show up, whereas IgE-mediated allergy symptoms appear rather quickly.
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Celiac disease, though, affects about one percent of the world’s population, according to the Celiac Disease Foundation. “Gluten sensitive” is a way to describe those who cannot tolerate gluten and experience symptoms similar to those with celiac disease, but do not experience the same intestinal damage.
This sensitivity type is a widespread condition. According to Beyond Celiac, an organization that helps people with celiac disease live healthy lives, researchers estimate that 18 million Americans have gluten sensitivity.
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However, for those of you with gluten sensitivities, you might be okay eating gluten. A recent study published in the journal Digestion found that 86 percent of those who believed they were gluten sensitive could tolerate gluten with no issue.

Tests for Food Allergies

To determine if you have outgrown your food allergy, you can take a couple of tests:

  • A blood or skin test. For IgE-mediated food allergies, “You need a skin test or a blood [test] plus a clinical history of reaction,” says Dr. Galowitz. If a test reveals a high level of IgE, you are more likely to experience an allergic reaction; if the level is low, you might tolerate the food. The American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology says the test is not very invasive and produces quick results.
  • A food challenge. According to Food Allergy Research and Education, in a food challenge test, someone with (or with a previous) food allergy digests a small amount of the food they are allergic to in a controlled setting. The tester starts by giving a person a minimal amount of the food and then gradually raises the dosage. The tester will stop the food challenge immediately if the person experiences any reactions, and anyone taking the test gets closely monitored by a medical professional throughout the entire test.

The food challenge takes a number of hours. Most tests last from four to six hours, but it can go longer if someone experiences a reaction.
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Feeling a little nervous to try a food challenge? You shouldn’t. Researchers conducted the largest national survey of allergic reactions in a U.S. non-research setting and published their results in the Annuals of Allergy Asthma & Immunology. The results showed that the food challenge is a safe method, as it resulted in very few allergic reactions—86 percent of the challenges had no reactions and 98 percent had no anaphylaxis. This means that adults can take the test to determine if they are still have their childhood food allergies, and they shouldn’t feel worried about doing so.

Getting Ready for the Food Challenge

If you feel the food challenge might help you determine if you can eat the foods you couldn’t as a child, you should speak to your doctor. If a medical professional decides this test could benefit you, here are some test tips to follow (provided by National Jewish Health):

  • Do not eat any other food during the challenge. Only eat what the medical professional says you can eat.
  • If you feel sick, you should cancel the test. This includes feeling any type of illness, such as a headache, stomachache, allergic reaction of any type, or fever. Your results could present false positives, or worse, the test could make you sicker. If you have any concerns, you should always speak with your doctor ahead of time.
  • If you do experience any type of reaction during the test, you might be given medication that makes you drowsy. Because of this, you should arrive to the food challenge with another individual who can drive you home, if necessary.
  • You should notify your doctor if you take any antihistamines, as they could affect the results. Most of the time, the doctor will instruct you to stop taking any oral antihistamines anywhere from three to five days before the test, depending on what brand of medication you take.

It is also best practice to tell your doctor of any medications you are currently taking prior to the test.
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Oh, and you might get asked to bring specific food to the test. The doctor might even ask you to bring your favorite food with you “in which to place the food to be challenged,” per National Jewish Health.

If you had a food allergy in the past, it is possible you have outgrown it.

In fact, the odds are in your favor if you experienced a milk or egg allergy as a child, though less so with other food allergies.
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With the safety of the food challenge and skin or blood tests, they’re likely worth it—afterwards, you’ll know if you can begin adding shrimp back to your barbeques or peanut butter to your sandwiches. As always, consult with a doctor and tell him or her your own personal history and family history with food allergies. From there, they can make an educated decision on if a blood test or food challenge is right for you.

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Lifestyle

Calcium Deficiency: What You Need To Know

“Got milk?”
Milk got a boost with this popular and clever marketing campaign 20 years ago, and the question soon became part of the everyday lexicon. Children and adults asked, “Got milk?” every time they took a drink of it. And this question still rings true today…although, “Got calcium?” is perhaps more appropriate.
With the range of calcium-fortified products on the market, you can find a variety of milk substitutes that can give you a suitable dose.
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But even with all these products on your kitchen shelf and in your fridge, do you get enough calcium?

What is calcium?

Calcium is one of the most bountiful minerals found in the human body, with almost 100 percent of it positioned in our bones and teeth. The small remaining amount is located in our blood, in our muscles, and within our cell liquids.

Some research suggests that calcium aids in reducing cardiovascular disease risk, lowering blood pressure, and reducing risk of hypertension.

Almost every body tissue uses calcium, making it an essential part in living a healthy, flourishing life.
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“Calcium is required for muscle function and hormone secretion,” Becky Kerkenbush, registered dietitian and member of the Wisconsin Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, says. “Some research suggests that calcium aids in reducing cardiovascular disease risk, lowering blood pressure, and reducing risk of hypertension.”

How do you know you have a calcium deficiency?

Calcium-deficient individuals might not show any signs or symptoms, especially if it is mild, says Jennifer Wider, MD. But if the deficiency is more severe, she notes that symptoms can include muscle weakness, fatigue, and irritability.
Wider recommends scheduling a visit with your health care provider to take a blood test that will check your total calcium levels. This test is the most common diagnostic test to evaluate if you are calcium deficient. It’s usually quite accurate because the balance between free and bound calcium in your bloodstream is generally stable.
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If your results show an atypical total calcium level, your doctor might order additional tests to measure levels of phosophorus, magnesium, vitamin D, and other hormones to determine if you have any type of underlying health issue.

What does calcium affect?

Osteoporosis is a condition in which the bones lose minerals faster than the body can replace them. Most common in older women, osteoporosis makes the bones fragile and brittle. A lack of calcium, according to health resource WebMD, can lead to this condition.
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Consuming calcium, and following a diet rich in calcium-fortified foods, can reduce your risk of high blood pressure. Calcium is “one of the key minerals involved in blood pressure control,” according to Harvard’s Heart Letter, a newsletter about heart health. As far as cancer goes, the National Cancer Institute indicated that calcium can reduce the number of opportunities for colorectal cancer to occur, as well as improving cell-to-cell signaling and possibly causing cancer cells to die off.
Cramps and muscle spasms from a lack of calcium typically occur around the thighs, arms, and underarms, typically at night. Calcium is a key part of operating muscle fibers, and a calcium deficiency can result in muscle irregularity.
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Low calcium levels can result in dry skin and weak, brittle nails. As mentioned before, teeth have a high percentage of calcium, so low levels can result in tooth discoloration and weakness. A lack of calcium can also cause insomnia, and even if you can sleep, your body might fail to fall into a deep sleep.

Who does a calcium deficiency most often affect?

According to Julie Upton, a registered dietician, Appetite for Health co-founder, and co-author of 101 Fat Habits & Slim Solutions, those particularly at risk for consuming insufficient calcium intake include the following:
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Anyone who eschews dairy in their diet, like vegans and certain vegetarians, might have a challenging time getting adequate calcium intake, as dairy foods are the best source of calcium. Although it is possible to get adequate calcium on dairy-free and vegan diets, it does take careful planning and generally requires adding some calcium-fortified foods, like a calcium-fortified soy or almond milk, to your diet.
Women are often deficient in calcium because of their lower energy requirements, as well as their frequent low dairy intake. This holds especially true with menopausal women and pregnant women.
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Older adults are in similar boat due to their lower total energy intake, and they often consume fewer dairy foods than younger or middle-aged adults. Whenever your energy needs decline, every calorie counts to get all the nutrients you need.
In addition, people that are lactose intolerant are also at risk for a calcium deficiency. These individuals cannot completely digest lactose, the natural sugar in milk, avoid dairy products—and therefore miss the calcium they provide.

How much calcium do you need?

The National Institutes of Health provides a table of recommended daily allowances of calcium.
A newborn, according to NIH, requires 200 milligrams a day. By the age of 5, they require 1,000 milligrams. Puberty causes the need to ramp up to 1,300 milligrams, but young adults fall back down to 1,000 milligrams by the age of 19. Middle-aged women and elderly men require a bit more, needing 1,200 milligrams.
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To give you an idea of the calcium content typical in most foods, one cup of yogurt contains 450 milligrams, one cup of skim milk has 300 milligrams, and one cup of soy milk has 200 to 400 milligrams. You will also find milk in fruits and vegetables: one cup of raw kiwi has 50 milligrams, one cup of cooked broccoli has 180 milligrams, and one cup of raw kale has 55 milligrams. Additionally, grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, fish, and other foods like molasses have built-in calcium.
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For those looking for other calcium sources, you can purchase calcium-fortified cereals, fruit juices, and oatmeal on the market.

How can we avoid a calcium deficiency?

To maintain a proper calcium balance in your body, Thomas recommends eating a plant-based diet, as well as getting plenty of vitamin D from reasonable exposure to sunshine.
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Vanessa Rissetto, RD, believes you should look to food sources outside of dairy products, as other foods are even more rich in calcium. Examples include salmon and sardines canned with bones, kale, collards, broccoli, mustard greens, turnip greens, bok choy, and sesame seeds.
For calcium supplements, she suggests choosing calcium citrate or calcium citrate malate, taking it in at least two divided doses with meals for the best absorption.

Recent Developments in Calcium Deficiency Research

The phosphorus phenomenon: The more phosphorus you have in your diet, the more your need for calcium increases.
“As the amount of phosphorus you eat rises, so does the need for calcium,” reads the University of Maryland Medical Center’s overview on phosphorus.
“The delicate balance between calcium and phosphorus is necessary for proper bone density and prevention of osteoporosis.”

To increase calcium, lactose-free dairy products are an inexpensive source.

“Phosphorus is indeed found in meat and dairy, but there is also ‘hidden’ phosphorus, which manufacturers add to food and beverages, usually as a preservative or flavor enhancer,” says Priscilla Blevins, RD and dietitian for EduPlated. “It is typically your convenient, ready-to-eat, and processed foods that actually contain a large amount of hidden phosphorus.”
She recommends sticking to eating fresh and unprocessed foods instead and watching for words with “phos” or “phosphate” on the food labels.
Magnesium relevancy: The calcium and magnesium balance is key, too. As noted in the medical journal BMJ Open, “Magnesium … and calcium … antagonise each other in (re)absorption, inflammation and many other physiological activities.”
Barry Sears, PhD, author of the Zone Diet book series and president of the Inflammation Research Foundation, says most Americans are deficient in magnesium. To increase magnesium, he suggests we eat leafy green vegetables and nuts. “To increase calcium,” he says, “lactose-free dairy products are an inexpensive source.”
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“If you use a calcium supplement, then make sure the ratio of calcium to magnesium is always in a 2:1 ratio for optimal results.”
The amount of the parathyroid hormone: This hormone makes sure you have the right amount of calcium and phosphorus in your body by helping balance them both out. Without adequate vitamin D, parathyroid hormone levels rise to unhealthy levels.
“[Increased intake of] vitamin D—which most Americans are deficient in—helps control the amount of parathyroid hormone in the body,” Blevins says, “thus allowing it to successfully balance calcium and phosphorus.”
Like calcium, vitamin D is associated with healthier bones, according to research in the Journal of Nutrition.
Nixing calcium supplements: Blevins suggests sticking to eating fresh foods the majority of the time, eating dairy and legumes (also high in calcium), limiting processed foods in your diet, and taking a D3 vitamin with 2000 IU a day.
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As one of the most vital minerals in the body, calcium is necessary for survival, but you do not need to do it with dairy products alone. You can receive a healthy dose of calcium from eating foods outside of cheeses and milk. However, you must stay vigilant in knowing how much calcium is within the foods you consume to ensure you meet the recommended daily allowance for your age group.

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Why Do We Get Side Stitches? (And 8 Other Health And Fitness Mysteries Solved)

We all have a natural curiosity about life’s strange health and questions. Do bananas really prevent muscle cramps? What the heck are hiccups? Sometimes, we turn to the internet for responses, but with that, we often find a mix of information. It would be nice to know the real answers.

To end the mystery for at least a few of these enigmatic health and fitness questions, we found experts to supply authoritative answers.

Are there really such things as aphrodisiac foods?

According to the University of California, Berkeley’s evidence based wellness publication Berkeley Wellness, the idea of specific foods making you feel extra tingly inside dates back centuries. Newly married couples used to drink fermented honey in water during the first month of marriage, which they believed upped their libido.

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The thing is, this brew’s intoxicating effect is likely what led to this uptick in passion.

The Berkeley Wellness entry, citing a scientific literature review published in the journal Sexual Medicine Reviews, reported that “there’s limited or no good research to indicate that any food (or supplement) acts as an aphrodisiac.”

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But Jeanette Kimszal, a registered dietitian nutritionist for EduPlated, an online nutrition coaching platform, says not to discount the mind, as it is a powerful thing.

“If you think these foods may boost your sex drive, they may actually work,” she says. She lists foods that people do say get them going: oysters, chili peppers, chocolate, avocado, watermelon, asparagus, pumpkin seeds and celery.

Hey, why not go ahead and see if they work?

Why am I told to eat a banana when my muscles cramp?

In a study published in the journal Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology, researchers found that eating bananas helped reduce exercise-induced muscle cramps. But why?

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It’s due to bananas’ potassium level, which is an important electrolyte found in this fruit.

“Muscle cramping can be triggered by electrolyte imbalances,” says Alix Turoff, a registered dietitian nutritionist and certified personal trainer. “When potassium levels are low, it can cause the muscle to spasm.”

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She does stress that eating a banana when you cramp will not automatically alleviate the pain, so you should use them on a preventive level.

Why do I urinate so much at night?

According to the National Association for Continence (NAFC), one in three adults over the age of 30 need to go to the bathroom at least twice each night. The majority of these adults are over age 60, but it can happen to anyone at any age.

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According to Sasha M. Davidson, MD, this is called nocturia and can happen for a multitude of reasons, including “age; gender; men can have benign prostatic hyperplasia, which is an enlarged prostate gland, and women can have an overactive bladder; medication; diabetes, [because] when you have too much glucose, your body draws excess water; congestive heart failure, [because] when you lie down, you have fluid sitting in your blood vessels, causing your bladder to fill quickly; and sleep disturbances such as sleep apnea or restless leg syndrome.”

If you do face an excessive amount of trips to the bathroom every night, the NAFC recommends addressing the issue now rather than waiting until you get older, because the problem is undoubtedly going to get worse.

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You should make a doctor’s appointment and show up armed with information, the NAFC urges. Keep a hydration diary and know what medications you take. Even bringing in the medi
cation bottles can help make the appointment run smoothly, especially if the doctor is not your primary care physician.

Why do my joints hurt before it rains?

No one is truly sure why some people feel joint pain before a rainstorm—and yes, this actually happens—but an accepted theory is that their discomfort is due to low barometric pressure that occurs when it rains.

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“The lower atmospheric pressure results in relative higher pressure inside one’s joint space. The joint space is a closed compartment, so it is responsive to changes in the surrounding pressure,” says Edna Ma, MD. She says that people with arthritis are especially sensitive to this pressure change because of the exposed nerve endings inside their joint space.

Why do we get hiccups?

When we take a regular breath, our diaphragm contracts and pulls air into our lungs, and when we breathe out, the diaphragm relaxes and air gets pushed out.

But sometimes, according to Samuel Hetz, MD, the diaphragm becomes irritated and contracts very quickly, “often due to drinking or eating too much or too quickly,” he says.

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“This spasm,” reads the WebMD overview of hiccups, “causes an intake of breath that is suddenly stopped by the closure of the vocal cords (glottis). This closure causes the characteristic “hiccup” sound.

But in the vast majority of cases, you shouldn’t worry about them: “Hiccups are usually nothing more than an annoyance, and usually resolve within minutes,” says Hetz.

“However, if hiccups last for a longer period of time or become more frequent, it may be a sign of any underlying serious condition,” he says, which can range from problems of the central nervous system to issues of mental health.

Why does my urine smell after I eat asparagus?

Asparagus: the food that comes back to haunt you. You spend the effort cooking it and relishing in how it is both healthy and delicious, but then you pay for the food consumption come bathroom time. Why?

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“Asparagus makes our urine smell due to the asparagusic acid found in this vegetable,” says Kimszal, our trusty dietitian. “When we digest asparagus, it breaks down into sulfur-containing chemicals that produce the pungent, weird smelling odor.”

You might want to tough it out, however. Asparagus is a versatile, low-calorie, nutrient packed food that reduces the risk of obesity, heart disease, and some cancers, reports Medical News Today.

What are the differences between bottled water brands?

Per the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), bottled water is water sealed in bottles that contains no added ingredients. It can, however, “contain a safe and suitable antimicrobial agent” like fluoride, the administration says. The differences between bottle water brands, it turns out, relate to how the water is acquired.

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The FDA classifies bottled water as follows:

  • Well water, which comes from a hole drilled or bored in the ground that taps into an aquifer, which is a body of saturated rock in which water can easily move.
  • Artesian well water. This water is collected from a well that taps an aquifer—and that aquifer is under pressure from layers of rock above it. Brands include Voss, Fiji Water, and Hawaii.
  • Mineral water. This water comes from an underground source containing at least 250 parts-per-million total dissolved solids. No minerals can be added later. Brands include Indigo H20 and Gerolsteiner.
  • Spring water. Collected at the spring or through a borehole, this water comes from an underground that carries water to the surface naturally. Brands include Evian and Crystal Geyers.

You will also find other types of water on the market such as SmartWater, which has added electrolytes (remember what bananas do for you?), and sparkling water, which “typically starts as spring water which is then carbonated by adding carbon dioxide. Many sparkling waters come in flavored varieties which can be either natural or artificial,” says Turoff, our other trusty dietitian.

Why do you feel pain in your side when running or cycling?

“Side stitches” are common among runners and cyclists alike. They hurt like crazy, and they most often occur on the left side or center of the chest.

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Rushi Shahiwala, personal trainer and orthopedic clinical specialist of the NY Sports Science Lab, says side stitches stem from improper breathing. Most cyclists “use a shallow breathing technique to move quickly, which not only harms themselves for the long term, but also allows less oxygen into their body.”

Side stitches also occur when fatigue sets in and cyclists begin slouching, putting them “in a closed rib position and does not allow the diaphragm to move properly,” Shahiwala says.

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In addition, Shahiwala states that side stitches can come from a poor warm ups, dehydration, eating and drinking too much, and eating gaseous
foods.

What is a runner’s high?

“Experienced runners often revel in a euphoric state called the runner’s high,” says Brady Irwin, owner and coach at Science of Speed, a professional endurance coaching organization. “It is a feeling that often makes us feel super human and even unstoppable. It is also a feeling that, once you experience it, you want to be able to replicate it over and over again.”

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For decades, researchers always thought a runner’s high was related to endorphin releases, but it turns out that the release of endocannabinoids might play a roll as well. A 2015 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, suggests a runner’s high mirrors the same system involved in, well, an actual, physical high.

If you are not a runner, you might want to think again: “With these chemicals in the body, runners often feel that they are outside of their own bodies, and can run faster and farther than what they are typically capable,” says Irwin.

Categories
Sweat

Franchise Gyms Want Their Members To Fail. Here's How To Fight Back.

The “Grand Opening” sign lures you inside, and the fit, effervescent membership specialist appears eager to speak with you about joining this gym. She touts the group classes inclusive of the fee, and she recommends the gym’s state-of-the-art cardio equipment.

“You can watch television while you work out,” she says, and she gestures behind her to the rows of treadmills with small screens attached.

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It all sounds enticing: You could burn calories while you watch HGTV? This is multitasking at its finest—a triumphant life win-win. Spending the money for the gym membership will feel worth it because you’re investing in your health, AND you can finally quit cable. This makes the gym cost a wash, really.

You happily sign the dotted line and start coming to the gym a few times a week after work, but soon you notice that customer service falls flat. Broken machines never get fixed, and the ones that do work are always in use. On top of that, the bathroom never has any paper towels to dry your hands. Your once-enthused, gym-loving spirit dies out, and you stop going. Sound familiar?

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You are not alone. According to Statistic Brain, an organization providing statistics to business markets, 67 percent of people with gym memberships never use them, and the average individual amount of gym membership money each month that goes to waste due to underutilization is $39.

Franchise gyms actually want it this way—they want to keep you out of the gym. In fact, this remains a heavy part of their well-established business model: Gyms set up locations near cities with their target demographic, they accept everyone who enters through the door, and they push hard sales. Most require a membership fee—certain gyms ask for a 12-month contract and others accept month-to-month contracts—but usually at a premium price.

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Once you join, they rarely speak to you again, expect you to reach gym boredom and stop going, and seldom bother keeping equipment up to date. They desire your money, but do not desire you to walk through the front door.

“Emptiness equals success,” reads the description an episode of NPR’s Planet Money podcast. In the episode, reporters found a gym with a 300-person capacity and a 6,000-person-long list of members. Half of those members never showed up.

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You should not let this traditional franchise gym model turn you off. Although gym owners might actively work against you, you can combat such maneuvers by following the helpful advice of experts.

Get yourself to the gym.

Rather than paying for a gym you do not attend, you can push yourself to go.

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Wyatt Fisher, PsyD, a licensed psychologist from Boulder, Colorado, offers the following tips, most of which deal with accountability:

  • Get a trainer. It can feel intimidating to not know how to work out, but hiring a trainer can be motivating. In addition, a personal trainer makes you liable; as someone expects you to show up at a specific time. Plus, you’re spending extra money you do not want to waste, on top of the gym membership fee.
  • Find a workout buddy. Developing a workout routine with a friend can hold both of you responsible and provide nice encouragement as well.
  • Join a workout class. If you sign up for a class, you might feel more likely to go, especially if you develop relationships with other people attending.

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You can also look for organizations that work toward lessening gym stagnation. For example, TaskTwins helps people change habits by harnessing the power of accountability partners.

The company pairs two accountability partners that share the same goal, e.g., losing we
ight, and sends e-mails with valuable information on how to optimize their workout experience. They also provide motivation along the way by sending pictures and videos.

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How to Change Your Habits

Gyms expect you to fall back into your old habits of never going. According to the International Health, Racquet & Sports Association, only 44 percent of members use the gym at least 100 times a year—people tend to lose interest over time. To fall into that 44 percent, you need to change old habits, or you risk throwing your gym fee away.

Psychologist and sports/exercise enthusiast Eamonn Leaver says all habits form around a basic neurological loop: cue —> routine —> reward.

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“Some cue triggers a set of behaviors (a routine), which leads to some reward,” he says. “When this loop is completed enough times, eventually the routine is done without thinking whenever the cue is encountered (whether the reward is present or not), and thus a habit is formed. Forming or changing any habit is about conscious awareness of, and purposeful action around, these three elements.”

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He recommends following these steps to reverse habits:

  1. Define your routine. This could sound like “put on my gym clothes and travel to the gym.” This is a specific routine to form a habit around, and it will actually make it easier to complete the most important behavior in all of this: working out.
  2. Choose a reward. Rewards come in two varieties: Intrinsic, which come from within you and provide a sense of personal satisfaction, and extrinsic, which do not, but still have value to you—for those, though, you might need to experiment with them to see what is right for the habit you are trying to form. The thinking behind rewards is that if a behavior produces a sense of accomplishment or some other form of satisfaction, then it will feel relatively easy to turn it into a habit.
  3. Choose the cue. As it happens, time of day and preceding action tend to provide the most appropriate cues around which to base fitness-related habits. This is why most habitual exercisers (not just gym-goers) tend to exercise at a specific time of day or immediately after some specific action (e.g., eating breakfast, getting home from work, etc.). You need to ensure consistent behavior; cues do not work without consistency.

Set goals.

A main reason people stop going to the gym is due to lack of results. Gym owners expect this; they anticipate people feeling frustrated and giving up on their fitness goals. It is important to know that you can control those goals.

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David Ezell, LPC, a clinical psychologist and director of counseling and wellness group Darien Wellness in Darien, Connecticut, provides valuable tips to achieving what you want in a gym:

  • Set small and reasonable exercise goals. Most people join the gym and hit said gym hard with weights, aerobics, and then some more weights. They return the second day and hit it hard again. A few days more of that, though, and the aches and pains from inexperience start to affect their performance, and they “take a day off” (or even worse, they sustain an injury and the doctor makes that decision for them). Flash forward a few months later, and it is all a distant memory.
  • Go to the gym two days a week, first thing in the morning, and walk on the treadmill for 10 minutes. If you cannot, examine what thoughts are getting in your way. By applying this incremental approach, you normalize gym-going gradually, making it an enduring habit.

Over time, as one success leads to another, you can expand and identify what is a reasonable next step in gaining mastery over your exercise plan.

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Jason Eckerman, PsyD, a licensed psychologist for ImpactPsych, also recommends:

  • Making a plan. You need to put yourself in a position to succeed from the beginning and build a plan that will last.
  • Knowing the details. You need to be more specific than saying “I want to work out more.” Make a plan for how many days you will work out and what you will do each day, and establish your long-term goals.
  • Anticipating the obstacles. Plan for the most common problems, like waking up late, and figure out what you will do when they happen.
  • Link it to what you already do. We have behaviors we do every day, like watching television, drinking a glass of water, or brushing our teeth. Start your habit by linking exercise to the things you already do.
  • Know that tomorrow’s not magically different. The most common thing we go to when we do not feel like going to the gym is “I’ll do it tomorrow.” In saying that, you expect to be a stronger and more motivated person tomorrow than today. How will that happen if you don’t go to the gym?

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Know that not all gyms are the same.

Not all gyms follow a pushy sales model. If you feel uneasy about listening to an aggressive salesperson, certain franchise gyms like 24 Hour Fitness allow you to join online.

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Often, local boutique gyms focus more on the welcoming, inclusive feel. They believe that sells the gym—not a fancy sales spiel.

You do not need to fall into the predatory schemes of gyms.

By following the expert tips, you can avoid another wallet-draining gym membership—you simply need a healthy dose of motivation to transform your old habits. Set small but attainable fitness goals, remember the tips above…and keep walking through your gym’s front door.