Posts Tagged ‘Health’

Today’s pulse on 542542: Fitness Trends for 2010

Tuesday, November 10th, 2009
Personal trainer showing a client how to exerc...
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kgb_ Special Agents are energetic and aerobic in their search for the answers to America’s questions.  And what does America want to know, you ask?  Well, today’s buzz centers on getting fit:

What’s a good way to get fit?

Know more:

The American College of Sports Medicine recently announced their list of the Top 10 Worldwide Fitness Trends for 2010.  Here we go:

1. Educated and Experienced Fitness Professionals

It has become increasingly clear that as the market for fitness professionals becomes even more crowded and more competitive, workers in the fitness field will be better trained and certified in their field than in previous years.

2. Strength Training

Look for both men and women to incorporate more strength training into their exercise routines.

3. Children and Obesity

If childhood obesity trends continue, the next generation of young people may not live as long as their parents or grandparents. The health and fitness industry has recognized this problem and will be providing more programming for obese youth.

4. Personal Training

As more professional personal trainers are educated and certified, they become more accessible to the general public, not just the rich and famous.

5. Core Training

This is a trend that emphasizes strength and conditioning of the stabilizing muscles of the abdomen and back. Core training uses stability balls, BOSU balls, wobble boards, and foam rollers, among many other pieces of equipment.

6. Special Fitness Programs for Older Adults

This is a trend that emphasizes and caters to the older adult. As the baby boom generation ages into retirement and because they may have more discretionary money than their younger counterparts, fitness clubs will capitalize on this growing market.

7. Functional Fitness

This is a trend toward using strength training to improve balance, coordination, strength, and endurance to improve one’s ability to do activities of daily living. Exercise programs reflect actual activities someone might do during the day.

8. Sport-Specific Training

This is a trend that incorporates sport-specific training especially for young athletes. For example, a high school athlete might join a commercial- or community-based fitness organization to help develop skills during the off-season and to increase strength and endurance.

9. Pilates

Pilates is a form of exercise that targets the core of the body (i.e., the abdomen, back, and hips) while using the entire body during a training session. It also increases flexibility and improves posture. The exercises are typically done lying down on a mat and involve a series of controlled movements of the arms and legs that strengthen the abdominal muscles, hips, and back.

10. Group Personal Training

This trend expands the personal trainer’s role from strictly one on-one training to small-group training. The personal trainer works with two or more people (but in a small group) and offers discounts for the group.

Other popular trends that did not make the Top 10 include:  Exercise and Weight Loss, Wellness Coaching, Yoga, Spinning, Boot Camp, Stability Ball and Balance Training among others.

How do you BOSU?

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Source:  WORLDWIDE SURVEY REVEALS FITNESS TRENDS FOR 2010

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Today’s pulse on 542542: Raw Milk

Monday, October 19th, 2009
A cow [15/365]
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kgb_ Special Agents are tireless and relentless in their search for the answers to America’s questions.  And what does America want to know, you ask?  Well, today’s buzz centers on a moo-ving subject, raw milk:

Why do people want to drink raw milk?

Know more:

Controversy is heating up between raw milk supporters and food safety advocates like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Raw milk lovers say they drink it for the health benefits such as improving digestion and boosting immunity.  Some suggest the health benefits are nothing short of miraculous. They say the raw, unpasteurized milk tastes better too.

The FDA warns that drinking raw milk is “inherently dangerous” and a breeding ground for potentially harmful germs.

Of interest:  The sale of raw milk is legal in 28 states with 5 additional states legalizing it as pet food.  Several states including Maryland, Texas, Connecticut and Wisconsin are legislating to either tighten or loosen the sale of raw milk.

Advocates of raw milk insist more consumers want the choice and demand for raw milk is growing rapidly. Some raw milk fans suggest that it is a skyrocketing grass roots movement in the United States.

The FDA disagrees. The Feds have not seen an appreciable growth in the production of raw milk and warn consumers not to get caught up in the fad.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says raw milk can host evil doers such as E. coli and salmonella. The CDC and FDA have implicated raw milk in 45 outbreaks from 1998 to 2005 in which people became sick from various bacteria.

Still, drinkers of raw milk are willing to pay up to $10.00 a gallon for it.

Is raw milk for you?

Raw Milk Ninja

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Source:   Debate grows over raw milk

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kgb_ Text of the Day: How tall is Jared from the SUBWAY® commercials?

Wednesday, September 16th, 2009
Jared Fogle
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Often, our Special Agents answer questions that are so fresh, they are inclined to do further research. So here is our Agents choice for question of the day:

Q:  How tall is Jared from the SUBWAY® commercials?
A:  Jared Fogle, best known for his SUBWAY® commercials, is six feet two inches tall. He started at 425 pounds, and is currently 190 pounds!

Know more:

When Jared Fogle was a student at Indiana University, he tipped the scales at 425 pounds.  After numerous unsuccessful diets, he snatched a nutritional information handout at his local SUBWAY® and started reducing his caloric intake by consuming two SUBWAY® submarine sandwiches a day.

Along with incorporating exercise into his daily routine, Jared lost 245 pounds in a year’s time.  In addition to appearing in numerous SUBWAY® commercials, he travels the world espousing the virtues of proper diet and exercise.  Just earlier this year, Jared started his “Jared & Friends School Tour,” designed to teach children the benefits of healthy living. Since starting this newest venture, he has addressed over 31,000 students.

The SUBWAY® Corporation reports that they receive thousands of emails, photos, etc. from folks who are inspired by Jared to shape up.  All in all, these Jared “groupies” have lost a total of 160,000 pounds.

His iconic size 60-inch waist pants were retired in 2008 and are headed off to an Advertising Icon Museum, opening in Kansas City in 2010.

kgb_   Text your question to 542542. We answer to you.

Source:   All About Jared

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kgb_ Text of the Day: What kind of nutritional value do bell peppers have?

Tuesday, September 8th, 2009
Three bellpeppers (Capsicum annuum) from three...
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Often, our Special Agents answer questions that are so crunchy, they are inclined to do further research. So here is our Agents choice for question of the day:

Q:  What kind of nutritional value do bell peppers have?
A:  Bell peppers are an excellent source of Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Vitamin B6 and Fiber. They also have Vitamin K, Folate, Potassium, Vitamin B1 and E.

Know more:

With their tangy taste and crunchy texture, bell peppers are referred to as the “Christmas ornaments” of the vegetable world.  Their glossy exterior and vivid color make them especially appealing.  While abundant during August and September, they are available throughout the year.

Bell peppers are not “hot.”  They contain a recessive gene that eliminates the compound capsaicin, which is responsible for the heat in other varieties of peppers.

Bell peppers, regardless of color, deliver one of the best nutritional wallops around.  They are loaded with important antioxidants, which attack free radicals, a major player in cholesterol buildup, arthritis, cataracts and asthma.

The beauteous bells pack a mean one-two to homocysteine, a nasty substance shown to increase risk of heart attack and stroke and the peppers also provide essential fiber that can lower high cholesterol levels.

Red peppers are rich in lycopene, a substance known to fight prostate cancer and cancers of the cervix, bladder and pancreas.  The vitamin C, beta-carotene, and folic acid, all found in bell peppers, is associated with a significantly reduced risk of colon cancer.

Love a smoker…toss them a bell pepper to munch on.

Cigarette smoke causes vitamin A deficiency, but a diet rich in vitamin A-rich foods like bell peppers can help counter this effect, thus greatly reducing the risk of emphysema.

Bell peppers originated in South America with seeds of a wild variety dating back to 5000 BC. They belong to the nightshade (Solanaceae) family, which includes eggplant, tomatoes and white potatoes. Unwashed sweet peppers stored in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator will keep for up to one week. They can also be frozen, preferably whole, to reduce exposure to air.

How To Cut a Bell Pepper

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Source:   Bell peppers

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kgb_ Text of the Day: What is restless leg syndrome?

Wednesday, August 5th, 2009
Day 56: Growing Pains aka Restless Leg Syndrom...
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Often, our Special Agents answer questions that are so perplexing, they are inclined to do further research. So here is our Agents choice for question of the day:

Q:  What is restless leg syndrome?
A:  Not Medical Advice: It’s a neurological disorder characterized by unpleasant sensations in the legs and an uncontrollable urge to move when at rest.

Know more:

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) sensations are described by sufferers as burning, tugging, creeping, or like insects crawling inside the legs.  These abnormal and unpleasant sensations vary from uncomfortable to irritating to downright painful.

The most maddening aspect of the condition is the very act of lying down to rest and relax activates the symptoms, resulting in an uncontrollable urge to move to attempt to relieve the symptoms.

Difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep is a common side effect of the disorder and can result in exhaustion and daytime fatigue.  As a result, people with RLS report that their jobs, relationships and activities of daily living are negatively impacted.

Researchers estimate that 12 million Americans are affected, however some estimate many more due to misdiagnosis.  Some people with RLS don’t seek treatment because they believe they will not be taken seriously or that their symptoms are too mild.

Experts believe RLS can run in families.  Caffeine, alcohol and tobacco can aggravate and trigger symptoms in people that are predisposed to develop RLS.

RLS is generally a lifelong condition for which there is no cure. However, many patients manage symptoms through lifestyle changes and medication.

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) is studying the disorder and seeking a cure.

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Source:  Restless Legs Syndrome Fact Sheet

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kgb_ Fact of the Day: Is laughter really the best medicine?

Thursday, June 11th, 2009
Laughter
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Often, our Special Agents answer questions that are so jolly that they are inclined to do further research. So here is our Agents choice for question of the day:

Q:  Is laughter really the best medicine?
A:  It may very well be. Laughing lowers levels of stress hormones and strengthens the immune system.

Know more:

Six-year-olds laugh an average of 300 times a day. By comparison, adults only laugh 15 to 100 times a day.

Laughing 100 times roughly equals 15 minutes on an exercise bike. Vigorous laughter increases the heart rate, deepens the breathing rate, and exercises muscles in the face, stomach, and diaphragm.

Laughing all the way to the brain bank

Aside from improving our moods, laughter can reduce stress, help fight infection, and reduce pain. The levels of two stress hormones, cortisol and epinephrine, which suppress the body’s immune system, will actually drop after a dose of laughter. Laughter causes positive changes in brain chemistry by releasing endorphins, and it brings more oxygen into the body with the deeper inhalations. It also releases negative emotions, such as anger, fear, guilt, anxiety and tension and encourages concentration on positive attitudes rather than pessimistic ones.

The Three Stooges fight cancer?

In an experiment testing the saliva of people who watched humorous videos or experienced good moods, higher levels of the antibody immunoglobulin A, which fights infectious organisms entering the respiratory tract, were found. Furthermore, researchers found after watching an hour-long video of slapstick comedy that the ‘natural killer cells‘, which seek out and destroy malignant cells, more actively attacked tumor cells. The effects lasted up to twelve hours.

Even if there is nothing to laugh about, laugh on credit. ~Author Unknown

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Source:  Is Laughter The Best Medicine?

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kgb_ Fact of the Day: How often does a typical kid text?

Wednesday, June 10th, 2009
Texting on a keyboard phone
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Often, our Special Agents answer questions that are so thought-provoking that they are inclined to do further research. So here is our Agents choice for question of the day:

Q:  How often does a typical kid text?
A:  American teenagers send and receive an average of 2,272 text messages per month, almost 80 a day.  Some adults think it’s too much.

Know more:

According to the Nielsen Company, American teens send and receive around 2,272 text messages a month.  This statistic from the fourth quarter of 2008 is actually more than double the average from the same period in 2007.

Some physicians and psychologists suggest that too much texting among kids can lead to anxiety and distraction, struggling grades, repetitive stress injury and significant loss of sleep.

Psychologists wonder if too much texting can change the course of natural child development as we know it.  However, data is too recent to be conclusive on any potential health effects, particularly the painful thumbs that some teens can experience.

For many kids who perpetually text, they miss out on important “down time” so essential to peace of mind. The pressure to constantly communicate can be taxing for some.

While the companionship and connectedness of texting can be positive, kids may feel anxiety about potentially being “out of the loop” if they take a breather.

Some experts believe that the onslaught of unlimited texting plans is leaving parents less aware of the amount of texting actually taking place, since they no longer have the need to monitor the texting from a financial perspective.

“Only actions give life strength; only moderation gives it charm.” – Jean Paul Richter

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Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/26/health/26teen.html?_r=1&8dpc

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kgb_ fact of the day: In what year was penicillin discovered?

Thursday, April 9th, 2009
Alexander Fleming - Head and shoulders, full f...
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Often, our Special Agents answer questions that are so intriguing that they are inclined to do further research. So here is our Agents choice for question of the day:

Q:  In what year was penicillin discovered?
A:  Sir Alexander Fleming is credited with the discovery of penicillin‘s antimicrobial properties in 1928.

Created from the Penicillium mold, penicillin is one of the oldest and commonly  used antibiotics.  Sir Alexander Fleming (1881-1955), is credited with the discovery.  In 1928, Fleming observed that bacteria colonies could be destroyed by the mold and proved that antibacterial properties were present.

Unfortunately, nothing took off with the discovery until the 1940′s.  It was then that Howard Florey and Ernst Chain isolated the mold into a powdery substance that became penicillin in its earliest medicinal form.

When scientists searched for the most productive way to grow the mold for medicine, their exhaustive search ended with the discovery of a moldy cantaloupe in a Peoria, Illinois grocery store!  The cantaloupe initiated the first mass production of the antibiotic.

An examination of the x-rays of the penicillin structure led scientists to discover other antibiotics to treat infection.

kgb_   Text your question to 542542. We answer to you.

Source: http://inventors.about.com/od/pstartinventions/a/Penicillin.htm

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kgb_ fact of the day: Why do people sleepwalk?

Tuesday, April 7th, 2009
115/365:Sleepwalking...
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Often, our Special Agents answer questions that are so intriguing that they are inclined to do further research. So here is our Agents choice for question of the day:

Q:  Why do people sleepwalk?
A:  There is a strong genetic and family link to sleepwalkingSleep deprivation and some medications are causes, among others.

The medical term for sleepwalking is “somnambulism.”  It is known as a parasomnia, which is an undesirable event that occurs while sleeping.

Sleepwalking happens when a person gets up out of bed and start walking around while they are still asleep.  Sometimes sleepwalkers ease into the behavior by sitting on the bed and looking confused.  Others make a clean exit by bolting from the bed and walking or running away.  They may be trying to escape from some threat that they imagined or dreamed.

Most of the time, sleepwalking behavior is strange or inappropriate.  Sleepwalkers might move furniture around or climb out a window.  It can be hard to wake a sleep walker up and sometimes they can become violent during the episode.  They may have no memory of the event at all or remember every detail clearly.

Sleepwalking is more common in children, and only about 4% of adults have the disorder.  Children who sleepwalk tend to naturally lose the problem when they become teens. When sleepwalking becomes troublesome, those affected are advised to keep a sleep diary for a two-week period to share with a physician.

Sleepwalking is often affected by other sleep problems such as sleep apnea.  Treatment is available.

kgb_   Text your question to 542542. We answer to you.

Source: http://www.sleepeducation.com/Disorder.aspx?id=14

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