Running May Protect Your Eyesight

Posted on May 29, 2013 by admin

You know that pumping up your mileage can help keep your heart and lungs healthy, but new research indicates your vision may benefit as well: Running might lower your risk for developing cataracts, or clouding of the eye lens, according to a new article in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.

Study author Paul Williams, PhD, came to this conclusion based on his large, long-term National Runners Health Study. In 2009, Williams had reported that cataract risk decreased significantly among men runners with increased mileage. For this study, he broadened the participant pool to include women runners, as well as regular walkers of both sexes.

Williams found that his latest data analysis supported his earlier finding. In more than 32,000 runners and 14,000 walkers, the more they walked or ran, the less likely they were to be diagnosed with cataracts during the study’s six-year follow-up period. The risk reduction was equal between men and women.

Like other exercise-science types, Williams describes activity level in terms of METs (for “metabolic equivalent”), which gives activities a value in relation to how much energy you expend doing that activity compared to sitting still. Walking at a good pace, for example, is usually given a MET value of around 3, while running at 10:00 mile pace is usually given a MET value of around 10 (that is, it takes roughly 10 times as much energy to run at that pace as it does to sit on your couch thinking about running at that pace).

Williams found that, when overall energy expenditure was the same, walking and running provided similar risk reductions for developing cataracts. And again, Williams found that more energy expenditure was associated with less risk of developing cataracts.

The runners in the study, however, had less risk of developing cataracts than the walkers for the simple reason that it’s easier to amass a given amount of METs running than walking. That being the case, the most active runners in the study were the ones with the least incidence of cataracts. Compared to what would be expected for people of their age, those whose energy expenditure from running was the equivalent of averaging more than five miles a day had a 41 percent lower risk of developing cataracts.

Williams says that several mechanisms might explain why the more active people had the lowest risk of developing cataracts. One possibility is that many lifestyle-related conditions, such as Type 2 diabetes, hypertension and obesity, have been linked to developing cataracts, and being highly active can forestall those conditions.

photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

javahut healthy feed

7 Ways to Protect Yourself From Cancer

Posted on April 24, 2013 by admin

If there were a way to prevent cancer, you’d definitely try it, right? Turns out, there are plenty of ways to reduce your risk of developing the disease, which affects 1.6 million new Americans every year. The thing is, many people just don’t use them.

Researchers estimate that lifestyle factors—like smoking, eating poorly, not getting enough exercise, and being overweight—will contribute to nearly a third of the new cancer cases expected in 2013, according to an annual report recently released by the American Cancer Society (ACS). In other words, healthier choices could keep as many as 553,000 people cancer-free this year.

Changing your behavior sounds pretty simple compared to, say, finding a cure for cancer. And yet, Americans continue to make poor health decisions year after year.

“We pick up these behaviors during our younger years, when we aren’t really thinking about the consequences,” says Suzanne O’Neill, PhD, assistant professor and health psychologist at the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at Georgetown University. “It’s difficult to connect them with outcomes that may or may not happen decades from now. And it’s easy to convince yourself that you can quit later.”

Worse yet, a lot of unhealthy behaviors–like smoking a cigarette or lying out in the sun—provide immediate rewards that reinforce the bad habit, says O’Neill. But healthy behaviors don’t always feel as great right away.

It might not be easy to end unhealthy tendencies, but it’s certainly worth the effort. Make these lifestyle tweaks ASAP to cut your cancer risk:

Stop smoking
Researchers estimate that 174,100 people will die from cancers related to smoking in 2013. If you currently light up, quit as soon as possible, suggests Vilma Cokkinides, PhD, strategic director of risk factors and screening for the American Cancer Society. The earlier you nix the habit, the longer you’ll live, she says. And don’t worry about ballooning as soon as you quit. Here’s how to stomp out the habit without gaining weight.

Manage your weight—starting NOW
Weight is a factor in as many as 20 percent of cancer-related deaths, according to ACS report. Of course, shedding pounds is easier said than done. Find out what your healthy weight is, then take action with these weight loss tips that don’t suck.

Wear SPF 15 or higher every day
It’s also a good idea to wear sun-protective clothing when you’re outside for extended periods of time—especially in the summer, says Cokkinides. And of course, never, ever visit a tanning salon. Thirty-three states now regulate the indoor tanning industry, and with good reason: Skin cancer is almost a sure thing for people who fake bake and burn, according to a 2010 University of Minnesota study. Find the best sunscreen for your skin type.

Cut way back on processed foods
Cokkinides suggests eating like your life depends on it because, well, it does. The fewer processed foods and fatty meats you consume, the less likely you’ll be to develop cancer. Load up on plants and lean proteins instead. You can get started with these seven ways to sneak more produce into your diet.

Move more
While researchers don’t know exactly how much exercise is necessary to ward off cancer, they recommend shooting for 150 minutes of hard-core exercise per week, or up to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity movement. Physical activity can reduce your risk of breast, colon, endometrial, and prostate cancer—and help fend off weight-related cancers, too, according to the ACS report.

Get the HPV vaccine
If you’re 26 or younger (the age until which the HPV vaccine has been proven effective), ask your doc about getting this. Since HPV contributes to 70 percent of cervical cancer cases, according to the ACS report, taking this step to protect yourself is a no-brainer.

Get regular health screenings
Unfortunately, even the healthiest lifestyle won’t make you totally immune to cancer. Early detection helps people maximize their odds of survival. The thing is, between breast exams, skin exams, pap smears, STD tests, mammograms, and colonoscopies, it can be hard to stay on top of the screenings you need. Bookmark this fool-proof guide to remember what needs to be checked when.

photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

javahut healthy feed

Giada: “Protect Yourself From Skin Cancer”

Posted on April 11, 2013 by admin

Food Network chef (and former Women’s Health cover star) Giada De Laurentiis has given plenty tips on how to make the perfect pasta and how to whip up a mean chicken Florentine. But now she’s suggesting something totally different: She wants you to protect yourself and your loved ones from skin cancer.

Today, De Laurentiis announced that she has teamed up with Stand Up 2 Cancer, the Melanoma Research Alliance, and the “Protect Your Skin” campaign to make a new television and radio public service announcement about how to stay safe and prevent skin cancer.

“I don’t really do PSAs very often,” says De Laurentiis. “The real reason I did this one is truly because my brother passed away nine years ago now of melanoma, and I was very, very heartbroken.”

De Laurentiis’ brother, Dino, never checked his skin and didn’t go to the doctor regularly. He only discovered his melanoma while working on a movie in Slovakia, when a coworker told him that his sweater looked bloody. A mole on his back had started bleeding, and it wouldn’t stop. He visited a hospital in Vienna—”honestly he only went because he couldn’t keep the bleeding from going all over his clothes,” says De Laurentiis—and was diagnosed with stage nine melanoma at the age of 29.

“He immediately went into surgery, and from there it was all downhill,” she says. Dino’s cancer spread, and he died of liver failure at the age of 31.

“That experience woke me up,” says De Laurentiis. “I realized we ‘re all at risk.”

She urges everyone to wear sunscreen daily, avoid tanning beds, and check out their skin regularly.

“If you see any changes in your moles, go to the doctor and get it checked out,” she says. “You can protect yourself from skin cancer, and you can survive if you get it.”

Check out the PSA:

photo: courtesy of Stand Up 2 Cancer and the Melanoma Research Alliance

javahut healthy feed

How to Protect Your Online Security

Posted on March 13, 2013 by admin

The one thing celebrities hope will never, ever be made public? Not talking about sex tapes here, but social security numbers. According to TMZ, an unnamed website posted SSNs, mortgage amounts, credit card info, car loans, banking account numbers, and more for as many as 12 celebrities and political figures, including Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, Beyonce, Jay-Z, and Ashton Kutcher.

Of course, you don’t have to be a star or a politician to have your personal information hijacked. In 2012, identity theft topped the list of complaints received by the Federal Trade Commission—and it was the 13th year that identity theft nabbed the No. 1 spot. Lisa Schifferle, an attorney in the Federal Trade Commission’s division of privacy and identity protection, offers these tips to help you keep your private info under wraps:

Watch where you shop
Small online retailers may have cute goods, but be careful where you whip out your credit card online. You should only transfer personal or financial details over secure sites, which you can identify by a lock symbol that appears to the left or right of the URL, or by the fact that its address starts with “https” (as opposed to just “http”). The same goes for sites that ask you to give out bank or medical info (since health insurance can be stolen, too, says Schifferle). If the site isn’t secure, don’t give out your deets.

Beware of wifi
It’s not enough for the site to have a secure connection—you have to have one, too. Never share private information while using a public wireless network, like at a coffee shop or hotel (even if you have to log in to use it). When you’re at home, it’s safer to plug into a wall than to use wifi. If you are hooked up wirelessly, make sure to use a router with WPA2 encryption (the highest level available), to password protect your network, and to name your router (hackers can find routers more easily when they still have their default names). That said, it shouldn’t be your last name, either. “Change it to something unique that only you would know,” says Schifferle.

Avoid mobile banking
Many banks have smartphone apps now, but it’s not a good idea to use them for more than finding the closest ATM. While logging into your account through a mobile network is safer than through a public wifi network, Schifferle says it’s even more secure to log on through an internet connection you know is protected.

Update your anti-virus and anti-malware software
If you can’t remember the last time you checked out your security programs, open them up to make sure everything’s in order. “Even if you have a secure connection, someone could get in if these aren’t up-to-date,” says Schifferle. If you’re installing new software onto your computer, set it to update regularly or to alert you when it needs to be manually updated.

Become a password pro
You probably already know that passwords should be fairly long (the FTC recommends 10 to 12 characters); a mix of letters, numbers and special characters; different for every account; hard to guess; and changed regularly (about every 60 to 90 days). What you may not: Using any kind of program to store or keep track of your passwords is a bad idea. “Keep your passwords in a secure place out of plain sight, and don’t share them on the phone or by text or email,” says Schifferle. Don’t prompt your computer to save them on each site, either. While it may be annoying to type in your password every time you log onto Facebook or your credit card account, it’s not nearly as annoying as dealing with identity theft if your laptop gets stolen.

Keep an eye out for phishers
Even an e-mail that seems like it’s coming from a close friend or family member could be a scam. “A lot of us have probably gotten e-mails saying that a friend is stuck in London and needs money in order to get back or they’re in the hospital and they need money or they were robbed and everything was taken so they need money,” says Schifferle. “It’s really just an identity thief who’s hacked into their e-mail account and sent it out to all their contacts.” Delete the message and try to call the person before you fork over any info.

Be careful what you post on Facebook
Without even realizing it, many people put up information that could be used to answer their security questions and get into their accounts, says Schifferle. Is your mother’s maiden name, the name of your high school, or the name of your childhood pet on your profile? Anything that could be used to gain access to your personal information should only be given out on a need-to-know basis.

photo: Comstock/Thinkstock

Slim down in 15 days! Expert Harley Pasternak offers a proven program to shed pounds without sacrificing health or convenience in The Body Reset. Order now!

javahut healthy feed

8 Ways to Protect Your Ticker

Posted on January 31, 2013 by admin

Before you blow off heart disease as something health-savvy younger women don’t have to worry about, read the stats. It’s the number one killer of men and women over age 20, and one in three women have already racked up damage without having a clue. To spotlight the facts, the American Heart Association has made February Go Red for Women month, and they want you to know the easy moves that’ll help keep your ticker in top shape.

Learn your family history
Like so many other conditions, your genes influence your heart disease risk. If a first-degree female relative (your mom or your sister) was diagnosed with heart disease before age 65, or a first-degree male relative received a diagnosis before age 55, your odds of having a heart attack one day increase threefold. Luckily, making lifestyle changes now can dramatically lower your likelihood of following in their footsteps, says Nieca Goldberg, MD, cardiologist and Director of the Joan H. Tisch Center for Women’s Health at NYU Langone Medical Center.
RELATED: Outsmart Your DNA Destiny

Stop smoking—for good
As if you need another reason to ditch the habit, women who smoke more than double their risk of sudden cardiac death, according to a December 2012 American Heart Association study, because nicotine can alter heart functioning and cigarette smoke scars heart tissue. We’re not just talking about pack-a-day puffers here. Any amount of smoking boosts your risk, the study explains, even an occasional cigarette at a party. The upside: As soon as you go cold turkey, your heart will start rebounding, Goldberg says.
RELATED: How to Quit Smoking Without Gaining Weight

Get a cholesterol test
It’s simple screening that can clue you in to your future heart disease risk, says Goldberg. Get tested in your 20s so you have a baseline, and if it’s in a healthy range, you won’t need to be retested for another five years. If the numbers aren’t optimal, your doc can help bring them in line by recommending diet changes or prescribing medication.
RELATED: 6 Low-Cholesterol Recipes

Move around
Your heart is a muscle, and like all muscles, working it out keeps it healthy by strengthening tissue and improving circulation. Aim for about 30 minutes a day of light to moderate cardio. That doesn’t mean hightailing it to Crossfit every night: you can reap the benefits with activities such as dancing, cleaning your house, or even walking your dog, says Goldberg.
RELATED: How Sitting Too Much Can Kill You

Reel in stress
When you’re anxious, your body pumps out higher amounts of the hormone cortisol, and consistently high cortisol levels cranks your cardiovascular disease risk, says Dr. Goldberg. Also, a small 2012 study from Penn State University found that when women were stressed, their hearts pumped less blood than stressed-out men, putting more of a strain on the female heart. We know it’s easier said than done, but try to carve out time every day to unwind, even if it’s just chilling with your iPod or popping in a yoga DVD.
RELATED: 31 Ways to Relax and Stress Less

Fill your plate with healthy food
Unprocessed, plant-based foods have a positive effect on your heart, so load up on plenty of salad, whole grains, and cereals. Keep sugar and salt to a minimum; simple sugars (the kind found in processed foods and snacks) have been linked to higher levels of triglycerides, says Goldberg, which contributes to heart disease. Excess salt also poses a threat; too much can boost blood pressure, which stresses the heart. Of course, just as important as what you eat is how much you consume. Controlling portion sizes keeps you from packing on pounds, and obesity is a cardiovascular disease risk factor.
RELATED: The Truth About Serving Sizes

Score regular restful sleep
“Sleeping less than an average of seven hours a night has been shown to cause high blood pressure,” says Goldberg. Poor sleep is also linked to the accumulation of abdominal fat—and muffin top is another heart attack offender.
RELATED: Natural Ways to Get Better Sleep

Strengthen your social network
Whether it’s in real time or on Facebook, people who maintain positive relationships with friends and family have lower heart disease odds, Goldberg says. One reason has to do with the fact that a strong social network makes it easier to handle life’s challenges. But also, people who are socially isolated tend skip workouts and eat poorly, she adds.
RELATED: 6 Ways to Strengthen Your Friendships

photo: ankudi/Shutterstock.com

More from Women’s Health:
Tips to Make Your Heart Healthier
5 Steps to a Healthy Heart
Crank Up the Cardio

Transform your body forever with The New Rules of Lifting for Women, a breakthrough fitness and diet plan for women. Order now!

javahut healthy feed

The Best Shades to Protect Your Eyes

Posted on December 11, 2012 by admin

If you’ve ever left the beach looking like a lobster, you know that sun exposure can seriously harm unprotected skin. But as it happens, the sun’s rays can also burn your eyes—and you might not even notice until after the damage is done.

Just ask Anderson Cooper: Last week, the host of Anderson Live temporarily lost his vision after he filmed for several hours on the coast of Portugal. The culprit, he said, was UV light, which bounced off the water and into his peepers. The diagnosis? Eye sunburn, also known as UV keratitis or photokeratitis.

Eye sunburn may sound strange, but it’s not uncommon, according to David Sendrowski, O.D., chief of the ocular disease and chronic care service at Southern California College of Optometry. Whenever visible areas of the eye are exposed to the sun for more than 30 minutes, UVA and UVB light can damage the cells on the top layer of the eye. The highest-risk locations for trouble are in warmer climates, and near snow or water, where sunrays enter the eyes from both the sky and the reflective surface, says Sendrowski. The result: pain and burning, the feeling that something is stuck in your eye, light sensitivity, and blurry vision. According to Sendrowski, these symptoms generally develop 24 to 36 hours after outdoor exposure, and can last anywhere from a few days to two weeks in more severe cases.

The good news: You can keep your sight safe with a good pair of shades. Here’s what to look for:

Protection
Any sunglasses that provide 99 to 100 percent UVA and UVB protection will effectively shield your eyes, according to recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you’re not sure whether your shades qualify, check the label, or bring them to your eye doctor to test the lens.

Size
The lens should be on the bigger side, and the specs should come with thick plastic temples. They should sit close to your face so sunrays can’t sneak between the glasses and your eye. And don’t worry about the color or thickness of the lens: while dark lenses might protect your identity, they won’t necessarily do the same for your eyes, says Sendrowski.

Material
Glass lenses are your best bet, because the material is a natural UV protector, but coated plastic lenses are more common and can be just as effective. Sendrowski says a good coating should last for the life of the lens, unless you leave them in nail salon where acetone in nail polish remover can peel the coating, or on the beach where salt water can cause erode it.

Too much to think about? We did the hard work for you. Grab one of these eye-protective specs, hand-selected by Women’s Health senior fashion editor Thea Palad:

Dior Taffeta sunglasses, $ 310, Polyvore
100% UV protection
“I love the simple, architectural update on the oversize style. It’s very stoic, like a vault for your peepers,” says Palad.

Ray-Ban 4186 sunglasses, $ 130, lenscrafters.com for stores
100% UV protection; prescription friendly
This mod take on the classic Wayfarer has rosy lenses (good for overcast days) which can take on prescriptions, so you can give your eyes a break.

Nike Miler sunglasses, $ 110, marchon.com for stores
100% UVA/UVB protection
The cutout at the bridge makes this shield style fresh, all the while protecting the sensitive skin around the eyes.

Oakley Break Point sunglasses, $ 130, oakley.com
100% UVA/UVB/UVC protection; polarized and prescription options available
Oakley offers the option of iridium-coated lenses, so no one can see your eyes. “I love that these look like fashion sunglasses, but they’re totally technical,” says Palad.

Chanel CH5233 sunglasses, $ 380, iloristyle.com for stores
100% UV protection
The thicker stems of these acetate aviators offer more coverage at the temples than traditional metal aviator styles.

photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

Find easy ways to look and feel good fast in Dr. Oz’s book You Being Beautiful

javahut healthy feed

New Tanning Bed Ban Aims to Protect Minors

Posted on April 17, 2012 by admin

Photo: Stockbyte/Thinkstock

Tanning beds, which the International Agency for Research on Cancer lists as one of the most dangerous cancer-causing substances, will be illegal for California minors to use come January 1.

Yesterday, California Governor Jerry Brown signed California bill SB 746 into law, making it the very first ban in the country on indoor tanning for persons younger than 18.

"Tanning is like smoking, we know what the cause is. We protect our minors from cigarettes. This is the same thing. As many as 40 percent of 17-year-old girls are exposed to tanning beds, and we need to protect them," says Darrell Rigel, M.D., skin cancer expert and member of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery Association (ASDSA).
"We hope this will help girls form healthy habits and decrease the rates of melanoma in women especially."

Melanoma is the number-one form of cancer in people ages 25 through 29, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. Rates for melanoma in this age group are seven times higher for women, the primary factor being the use of tanning beds, says Rigel.

The American Academy of Dermatology expressed support for the law in a statement, noting that use of tanning beds sharply increases the risk of melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer. A recent study from the University of Minnesota’s Masonic Cancer Center and School of Public Health shows that people who use any type of tanning bed for any length of time are 74-percent more likely to develop melanoma, and frequent users of indoor tanning beds are 2.5 to 3 times more likely to develop melanoma, than those who never use tanning devices.

WH Blogs

Athens Java Hut

Serving Jittery Joe's Coffee, Cecilia Villaveces, Cakes and Italian Gelato

Tag Archives: Protect

Running May Protect Your Eyesight

7 Ways to Protect Yourself From Cancer

Giada: “Protect Yourself From Skin Cancer”

How to Protect Your Online Security

8 Ways to Protect Your Ticker

The Best Shades to Protect Your Eyes

New Tanning Bed Ban Aims to Protect Minors