If you’ve jumped on the detox bandwagon, it may be time to turn that sauna dial down a notch. According to an article by Health Day, spending too much time in the sweatbox may cause more harm than good.

The sauna’s claim to fame has been its ability to rid the body of impurities through sweat. A body’s organs supposedly become blocked, causing them fill with toxins. When a person sweats excessively in a sauna or steam room, he or she supposedly is able to get rid of these toxins.

Dr. Rachel Vreeman of Indiana University’s school of Medicine debunks this detoxification myth in her book, Don't Swallow Your Gum! Myths, Half-Truths and Outright Lies About Your Body and Health.

"The term 'detoxify' is used so often that it makes people think that special steps need to be taken so 'detoxifying' happens. Your body, however, does not need special cleansing efforts,” Vreeman told Health Day.

Too much heat exposure can lead to a slew of health problems including fatigue, nausea and stroke, not to mention extreme dehydration and an inability for the body to cool itself—the real purpose for sweating. Some might misread these symptoms for detoxification.

"Vomiting, thirst, dizziness, being uncoordinated or clumsy are all signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke,” Vreeman told Health Day. “Heat illness can kill you and should be treated as an emergency."

While there may be other benefits to spending time in the sauna, Vreeman says detoxification just isn’t one of them. “What it does need,” she says, “is for you to get enough fluids and to eat a healthy, balanced diet."

When it comes to cleansing the body of toxins, it’s best to leave it to itself.

Find more health myths in Don't Swallow Your Gum!, co-written by Drs. Rachel Vreeman and Aaron Carroll.

Here’s a new tip for people who want to lose weight: work out in the morning and eat a good breakfast to lose more weight.

People who work out in the morning reap a ton of benefits. Many report better moods, more energy throughout the day and greater alertness. Thy also appear to have better, longer workouts.

A study from the U.K. found that morning exercisers work out harder. Translation? They burn more calories, which means they’re more likely to lose more weight.

Another study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that exercisers who ate breakfast were more satisfied by this meal. Some reported lower appetite throughout the day. Researchers asked 58 obese men and women to expend 500 calories daily and eat a regular breakfast of toast, tea and cereal to shed pounds.

“The effect of exercise on appetite regulation involves at least two processes,” authors write, “an increase in the overall drive to eat, and a concomitant increase in the satiating efficiency of a fixed meal.” Authors say it is the strength of this effect that determines weight loss.

All 58 participants reported being hungrier after exercise, but those who lost less weight reported feeling less satisfied by other meals.  Although they were satisfied by breakfast, they actually remained hungrier throughout the day. Their counterparts had less of an appetite.

“These data confirm that exercise has the capacity to alter the sensitivity of the appetite regulatory system via the compensatory response to consumed foods or preloads,” authors explain.

Despite the differences, all participants lost some weight. Researchers attribute differences in the amount of weight lost may be due to the lack of regulation for other meals. In any case, eating a regular breakfast appears to increase morning meal satisfaction.

“The exercise regimen apparently raised the sensitivity of the physiologic signaling system,” authors write, “which allowed the same amount of food to realize a greater suppression of hunger.”

Spending more than a few hours per week on the computer surfing the Internet may be adding inches to your waistline. Adults who spend three or more hours per week online are more likely to be overweight or obese, according to a study in the Journal of Medical Internet Research.

More than 2,500 adults from Adelaide, Australia, participated in a study correlating leisure-time computer use with body weight. Participants filled out a questionnaire, reporting web usage (excluding work-time computer use) and other low-energy leisure activities.

Participants were divided into sub-groups based on how much time they spent on the Internet—no use, low use (less than 3 hours per week), or high use (greater than 3 hours per week).

“Adults with high leisure-time Internet and computer use were more likely to be overweight or obese even if they were highly active in their leisure time, as compared to participants who did not use the Internet or computer,” study authors write.

The average time spent on the Internet was 125.3 minutes per week. Participants with high use were 1.46 times more likely to be overweight and 2.52 times as likely to be obese. They were also 2.5 times more likely to do other low-energy activities, such as watching television, for five or more hours per day.

“These findings suggest that, apart from nutritional and physical activity interventions, it may also be necessary to decrease time spent in sedentary behaviors, such as leisure-time Internet and computer use, in order to reduce the prevalence of overweight and obesity,” the authors write.

Although the results of the study are suggestive, study authors explain that there were limitations that may have affected the outcomes.

“The strong associations of leisure-time Internet and computer use with overweight and obesity may in part be explained by the association of leisure-time Internet and computer use with other leisure-time sedentary behaviors."

Further investigation on leisure-time computer use will provide more information on the effects of internet usage on health and weight.

A certain type of unsaturated fatty acid, CLA, and safflower oil may be key ingredients in helping postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes drop pounds and improve blood sugar, or blood glucose, levels, according to research from Ohio State University (OSU).

After menopause, many women experience weight gain, which increases the risk of developing metabolic conditions. For women with type 2 diabetes, weight loss and glucose management can become extremely difficult to manage. Researchers found that both CLA and safflower oil proved particularly beneficial to postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes.

CLA, conjugated linoleic acid, is an unsaturated fatty acid found primarily in meat and dairy products of cows, goats and sheep. CLA has been known to help people wishing to build muscle, lose weight and prevent heart disease.

Safflower oil is a plant-based oil similar to sunflower oil that is used in cooking oils, salad dressings and some margarines. Safflower oil, SAF, is a colorless and flavorless source of omega-6 fatty acids, and has been known to promote healthier skin and hair, reduce cholesterol and boost the immune system.

Thirty-five women completed a 36-week study comparing the effects of CLA and safflower oil on weight and body mass. Each supplement was consumed for sixteen weeks. Participants took roughly two teaspoons of either oil daily.

CLA began to cut body fat and reduce BMI after just eight weeks. “This magnitude of reduction has not been reported in an intervention that used a linoleic acid-rich oil,” wrote lead authors Martha Belury and Leigh Norris, both from the Department of Human Nutrition at OSU.

Safflower oil, originally meant for baseline comparison, yielded exciting changes of its own. Safflower oil reduced trunk mass and increased lean muscle mass, resulting in an average loss of 6.3 percent of body fat. It also reduced insulin resistance and fasting blood glucose levels.

“I never would have imagined such a finding,” Belury says. “This study is the first to show that such a modest amount of linoleic acid-rich oil may have a profound effect on body composition in women."

Belury and associates are pleased with the results of their study, and hope to explore the effects further. They believe that CLA and safflower oil show great promise in weight and glucose management for women with type 2 diabetes.

“It is possible that further reductions in BMI are achievable with a longer length of supplementation,” the authors wrote. “The use of lower doses of CLA over longer durations of intervention may prove to be an effective weight-loss aid."

The study appears online in The Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

It’s not always easy to find time to eat together, but a study published in the May issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health found that frequent family meals improve the eating habits and attitudes of middle school-aged children. Students who dined with their families six or seven times a week consumed fewer soft drinks, ate breakfast more often, ate more healthfully, and exhibited less concern about undue weight gain.

Researchers at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada surveyed more than 3,000 Canadian sixth, seventh, and eighth graders during the 2004-2005 school year. The students completed the web-based Food Behaviour Questionnaire, which included questions about dining frequency, 24-hour food intake, and family meals.

The results showed that family meals became less common as children grew older, and families in rural areas were more likely to eat together than families in urban locales. Children who frequently dined with their families had significantly higher-quality diets than children who rarely ate with their parents and siblings. Diet quality declined when meals were purchased outside of the home or when meals were skipped.

The study also showed that most of the students surveyed had suboptimal diets. The researchers encourage dining as a family to promote healthful eating habits.

Share your healthy family dining tips on the Healia Diet and Nutrition Community and Support Group. Try testing your nutrition knowledge by taking the Healia Diet and Nutrition Quiz. Need more information on healthy eating? Visit the Diet and Nutrition Health Guide.

_{Photo: S Baker, Flickr, Creative Commons}

While obesity prevention has long been the focus of figure-conscious adults, a new Harvard Medical School study suggests that parents should also monitor the weight of their infant children. The study, released Monday and published in the April issue of Pediatrics, found that rapid weight gain during the first six months of life may put children at risk for obesity by the age of three.

"At first it may seem implausible that weight gain over just a few months early in infancy could have long-term health consequences, but it makes sense because so much of human development takes place during that period - and even before birth," says Matthew Gillman, M.D., S.M., the study’s senior author, and director of the Harvard Medical School Department of Ambulatory Care and Prevention’s Obesity Prevention Program.

Researchers documented the weights of 559 infants at birth, at six months and at three years of age. They then studied the correlation between the children’s initial weight gains during the first six months of life and the children’s weights at age three. The study showed that the children heaviest at birth and those who gained the most weight by six months together were 40 percent more likely to be obese by their third year.

"There is increasing evidence that rapid changes in weight during infancy increase children's risk of later obesity," says the study’s lead author, Elsie Taveras, M.D., M.P.H., assistant professor in the Harvard Medical School Department of Ambulatory Care and Prevention and co-director of the One Step Ahead clinic, a pediatric overweight prevention program at Children's Hospital Boston. "The mounting evidence suggests that infancy may be a critical period during which to prevent childhood obesity and its related consequences.”

According to a study released in the April 2007 issue of Acta Paediactrica, roughly 20 percent of four year-olds were considered overweight or obese in 2002, compared to just 10 percent in 1982. With such a startling rise in childhood obesity, proper nutrition must be emphasized at an increasingly younger age.

“[The Harvard Medical School study] data clearly shows how the earliest interventions might actually have very long-term benefits," Taveras says.

To learn more about infant and toddler health, join Healia’s Infant and Toddler Health Community Support Group. For more information about obesity, visit the Healia Obesity/Overweight Health Guide.


Sources: HarvardScience Medicine&Health, “Infant weight gain linked to childhood obesity: Early interventions may have long-term benefits.” Web release, 3/30/2009. By: David Cameron, Harvard Medical School. (http://www.harvardscience.harvard.edu/medicine-health/articles/infant-weight-gain-linked-childhood-obesity)

    “Weight Status in the First 6 Months of Life and Obesity at 3 Years of Age.” Elsie M. Taveras, Sheryl L. Rifas-Shiman, Mandy B. Belfort, Ken P. Kleinman, Emily Oken, and Matthew W. Gillman. Pediatrics 2009; 123: 1177-1183.  (http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/current.shtml)



_{Photo: iwantBDphotography, Flickr, Creative Commons}

It’s NCAA college basketball tournament time again and the "March Madness" can make your heart rate and blood pressure rise. This is especially true if you are watching your favorite team in a close game or sitting there helpless as a bracket-busting mid-major team ousts your championship pick in the first round. While this elevation in blood pressure is temporary, for sports fans there may be no better time to think about the lasting effects that chronic high blood pressure can have on your health, effects that may include kidney failure, heart disease, stroke, and early death.

The American Heart Association (AHA) has come up with a series of tips for ways to help control your high blood pressure at any time of the year. Follow these 10 tips and the AHA says you may be able to lower your high blood pressure to a healthier level:

• Know your blood pressure. Have it checked regularly or buy a reliable monitor to check it yourself at home.
  
• Know your ideal weight. Maintain your body weight in healthy range that is near the ideal.
  
• Skip the salt. Don't add extra salt salt to your meals and avoid foods with high sodium levels. Many processed and prepared foods contain large amounts of sodium so your sodium intake can be sky high without ever adding extra salt to anything. Check the packaging on prepared foods for the sodium levels and try to limit your sodium intake to between 1,500 mg and 2,400 mg per day.
  
• Eat nutrient-rich foods. Eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole-grain high-fiber foods according to American Heart Association recommendations.
  
• Limit alcohol intake. Don’t exceed one drink per day if you are a woman or two drinks a day if you are a man.
  
• Take your medicine properly. Your blood pressure medications should be taken exactly as the doctor prescribed. Be careful not to run out of pills, not even for a single day as it can have serious repercussions for your blood pressure.
  
• Keep appointments with the doctor. Make sure to see your doctor regularly and go to all your follow-up appointments.
  
• Get physical. Increase your physical activity level, but be sure to follow your doctor's advice about the type and amount of exercise that is right for you.
  
• Have your family checked. Make certain your parents, brothers, sisters and children have their blood pressure checked regularly. If you have high blood pressure, they are more likely to have it, and the reverse is also true.
  
• Live a normal life in every other way. Don’t let high blood pressure restrict your enjoyment of life. Constantly worrying about your health may actually make your high blood pressure worse.

Talk to your doctor to find out more information on lowering your blood pressure and keeping it low. To learn about preventing high blood pressure before it occurs, see "How can I Prevent High Blood Pressure" in the Healia Health Guide to High Blood Pressure.

_{Source: American Heart Association, 10 Ways to Control Your High Blood Pressure, Reviewed 01/08. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=578}

_{Photo: KitAy, Flickr, Creative Commons}

Many of us will soon be making New Year’s resolutions about improving our health or losing weight. Resolving to be healthier is one thing, but how do you actually achieve that goal. Below are some quick tips from the Department of Health and Human Services to help you eat healthy.

To stay healthy, your body needs a balance of the right vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. A healthy diet means that you are eating:

• fruits and vegetables
• whole grains
• low-fat milk products
• fish
• poultry and other lean meats
• eggs
• beans
• nuts

Eating healthy also means staying away from foods that have a high calorie content or low nutritive value. A healthy diet means staying away from foods that contain:

• cholesterol
• sodium (salt)
• added sugars
• trans fats
• saturated fats

You can use the USDA’s MyPyramid Menu Planner to help you choose healthy snacks and meals. Visit the Healia Health Community on Diet and Nutrition to connect with other people who are interested in eating healthy.

Related Blog Post: FDA Warns Consumers to Stay Away from Diet Pills Sold Online.


_{Source: Department of Health and Human Services, .}

_{Photo: Sauri, Flickr, Creative Commons} 

Many common winter holiday activities can help you burn off the extra calories you consume by eating big meals and holiday treats. Below is a list of winter holiday activities and the number of calories you will burn if you engage in them for one hour. The number of calories burned is based on a person weighing 150 lbs. If you weigh more, you will burn more calories, and if you weigh less you will burn fewer calories.

 

Cross-country skiing	612 calories
Snowshoeing	544 calories
Ice skating	476 calories
Sledding	476 calories
Shoveling snow	408 calories
Splitting firewood	408 calories
Dancing	306 calories
Decking the halls and tree	247 calories
Building a snowman	238 calories
Baking cookies	170 calories
Holiday shopping	157 calories
Caroling	129 calories
Writing holiday cards	123 calories

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For more information about physical activity, join the Healia Health Community on Exercise and Fitness.

_{Source: Indiana State Department of Health www.in.gov/isdh/}

_{Photo: Derek Faulkner, Flickr, Creative Commons}

This year, several states in the South rank as the least healthy states in the United States. Every year, America’s Health Rankings, a collaborative partnership between United Health Foundation, the American Public Health Association, and Partnership for Prevention, provides an annual analysis of national health on a state-by-state basis, ranking them from the most to the least healthy. Researchers analyzed 22 different health measures, which are a combination of health determinants and health outcomes, to compile the rankings. Health determinants are factors that can affect the future health of a population. Health outcomes measure what has already occurred, either through death or missed days due to illness.

This year’s top 10 least healthy states are:

1. Louisiana
   Louisiana tops this year’s list of least healthy states, the same spot it occupied in the first rankings done in 1990. While the state does not rate worst on any single measure, it has the second highest number of cancer deaths and premature deaths as well as the second highest level of infant mortality. In addition, it makes the top 5 in obesity rate, violent crime, child poverty, rate of people uninsured, infectious diseases, and preventable hospitalizations. Bright spots are low levels of binge drinking and low numbers or poor mental health days.


2. Mississippi
   Louisiana’s neighbor Mississippi is runner up for least healthy state, as it was 19 years ago, although that is one spot better than last year when it topped the list. Having these two states top the list is not surprising because the Mississippi River delta is one of the poorest regions in America. Mississippi is worst in obesity rate, child poverty, and rate of cardiovascular –related deaths, second worst in number of poor mental days, infant mortality, and premature deaths. On the good side, the state is actually fourth best for low binge drinking rates and ranks in the top 15 for low levels of violent crime.


3. South Carolina
   Up six spots from last year, South Carolina is another Southern state with serious health issues. The state ranks worst in violent crime rate and second worst in high school graduation rate, and it is in the top ten for obesity rates, occupational fatalities, child poverty, infant mortality, and premature deaths. However, public health funding and immunization coverage are above average along with a low rate of binge drinking.


4. Tennessee
   Up one spot from last year, Tennessee is third worst on the list for violent crime and infant mortality, fourth worst in obesity and cancer deaths, and fifth worst for smoking, preventable hospitalizations, and cardiovascular deaths. On the plus side, Tennessee is tied for the lowest rate of binge drinking.


5. Texas
   Nine spots worse than last year, Texas has the second highest rate of child poverty in the nation and ranks worst in health insurance coverage. Bright spots include above average rankings in smoking, binge drinking, infant mortality rate, and cancer deaths.


6. Florida
   Florida ranks second worst for geographic disparity (differences in mortality rates among counties), third worst in infectious disease and health insurance coverage rates, and has the fifth highest rate of violent crime. Some positives include top ten rankings in obesity rates, air pollution, and immunization coverage.


7. Oklahoma
   Improving four spots from last year (but still 12 spots worse than the initial survey in 1990), Oklahoma has the second lowest number of primary care physicians per capita, the second highest rate of cardiovascular-related deaths, and the third highest smoking rate. The State is average in several areas including high school graduation rate, infectious disease rates, and air pollution. It ranks in the top 15 for lowest binge drinking rate and highest per capita public health funding.


8. Arkansas
   A success story on the list, Arkansas improved five spots this year and ranks 2 spots above its 1990 placement. Fifth worst in immunization coverage, Arkansas also has the sixth highest rate of obesity, occupational fatalities, poor physical health days, and premature deaths. The state is average in public health funding and geographic disparity and has the seventh lowest binge drinking rate of any state.


9. Nevada
   The lone Western state on the list is also the only state outside of the southern region to make the list. Nevada has the worst high school graduation rate in the nation, the only state with a rate below 60%, and also the worst immunization coverage. Nevada has the third most violent crime and the third lowest public health funding. On the other hand, it ranks in the top 15 for low air pollution, obesity rates, and preventable hospitalizations.


10. Georgia
    The Peach State is the worst for air pollution and also has the third lowest high school graduation rate in the nation and the fourth highest rate of infectious disease. The State dose rank above average in low smoking rates, high immunization coverage, and public health funding and boasts the nation’s ninth lowest rate of binge drinking.

Related blog post: The Top 10 Healthiest States in America

_{Source: America’s Health Rankings, 2008. http://www.americashealthrankings.org/2008}

_{Photo: colros, Flickr, Creative Commons}