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If you have high blood pressure, your doctor has probably already warned you to cut back on salt; but a new study indicates you should also decrease your sugar intake. Researchers at the University of Colorado in Denver found that people who consumed 74 or more grams of fructose daily had higher blood pressure than those who cut back on sugary foods and drinks. Researchers believe that a high-sugar diet activates hormones that cause blood vessels to constrict which can lead to hypertension and increase your risk of heart attack or stroke.
Seventy-four grams of fructose (sugar) are approximately equivalent to each of the following:
- 2 cans of Coke
- 2 regular-size Snickers bars
- 24-ounce can of Arizona Lemon Ice Tea
- 4 Twinkies
- 3 chocolate peanut butter Power bars
- 4 frosted cherry Pop Tarts
- 2 1/2 containers of Yoplait strawberry yogurt
- 3/4 pint Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia ice cream
- 3 oranges
- 3 apples
- 3 pounds of raw carrots!
We all have bad habits we’d like to break, but it’s not easy to stop doing something you’ve been doing for years, even if you know it’s bad for you. Most of us include breaking a bad habit on our list of New Year’s Resolutions, but few of us are successful in accomplishing our goal. If the same bad habit keeps cropping up on your list of New Year’s Resolutions year after year, give these habit-breaking tips a try:
- Pick your rewards first. Before you start on a program to break a bad habit, choose a series of graduated rewards. Pick out a small reward that you can give yourself every time you engage in positive behavior with increasingly bigger rewards to encourage long-term success. For example, if your goal is to tone up your body and get rid of excess flab, reward yourself with a relaxing bubble bath after every gym workout. Treat yourself to a massage after every 30 workouts. For that magical moment when you reach your goal, start planning a weekend getaway to a warm, sunny beach resort and start looking for a new bikini to wear while you’re there. Planning and shopping for your ultimate reward will help you maintain enthusiasm and steel your resolve to achieve your goal when the going gets tough.
- Change your routine. Making even minor changes in your daily routine helps build self-discipline. Self-control is the key to breaking any bad habit. Making small changes in your life gives you the confidence to make larger changes.
- Plan for setbacks. Changing a bad habit is tough. You have to expect the occasional setback. Advance planning can help you avoid setbacks or at least navigate them quickly and get back on track. For example, if you’re trying to drop a few pounds, avoid the cookie aisle when you shop and stock up on healthy fruits and veggies. If it’s not in the house, you can’t eat it. Pick up some low-fat yogurt and sugar-free popsicles for those moments when you crave something sweet. If you have supplies on hand and have already decided how you’re going to handle potential problems, you’re more apt to stick with your program.
- Forgive yourself and try again. Nobody’s perfect. Don’t let one tiny failure doom your plans. If you fall off the wagon, don’t give up. Forgive yourself and get back on the horse! Every day is a new day and a new opportunity to succeed! If you keep at it; you’ll succeed.
There’s a song Bing Crosby sings in the classic movie White Christmas that goes:
If you’re worried and you can’t sleep; just count your blessings instead of sleep and you’ll fall asleep counting your blessings.
That’s good advice during the holidays or anytime. Christmas is a joyful time of year, but it is also a very emotional time. Many people get a little teary-eyed or feel a bit melancholy during the holidays. Counting your blessings is a nice way to boost your spirits and refocus your mind on what you have instead of what you miss.
Drinking 2 to 3 cups of coffee a day is another way to fight the blues. In a Mayo Clinic study, coffee drinkers were 15% less likely to become depressed.
Our favorite cure for the blues is baby pictures. A baby’s gummy grin is contagious. You can’t help but smile at the photo of a cute baby and there’s a reason for that. A University of Wisconsin-Madison study showed that looking at baby pictures turns on the part of the brain associated with positive emotions. Now you have a reason to haul out those cute photos of your grandson and pass them around. You’re not bragging; you’re spreading holiday cheer!
All of us here at A.M. Warner Insurance wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas. When we count our blessings, we count each of you among them.
There always seems to be too much to do during the holidays and never enough time to get everything done. There is shopping to finish, presents to wrap, baking to do, Christmas cards to get out, packages to ship, children’s concerts to attend, relatives to visit, and on and on and on. It’s no wonder that most people don’t get enough sleep during the holidays. Who has time to sleep?!
Unfortunately, studies have found that when we lose sleep our health and ability to function suffer. Lack of sleep can reduce our ability to focus our attention and remember things by as much as 50%. Sleep loss also increases insulin resistance which can lead to diabetes. Inability to get the 7 to 8 hours of sleep we need each night can cause increased weight gain and exacerbate depression.
Most people have occasional trouble sleeping but nearly 50% of older adults battle insomnia 2 to 3 nights a week or more. Chronic disease, medication and changes in sleep habits as we age are usually to blame when seniors lose sleep.
Dr. Oz recommends weight loss and increased exercise if sleep loss is caused by chronic disease. When medications interfere with sleep, talk to your doctor to see if a medication change is possible. Changes in sleep habits are best addressed by sticking to a firm sleep schedule, eliminating daytime naps and removing all light sources from your bedroom. Even small amounts of light can interfere with your body’s production of melatonin, the hormone that helps us stay asleep so we can get the recuperative sleep we need.
Chilly winter winds are already blowing and the worst is yet to come. When the temperature drops, our skin requires a little tender loving care. Outdoor cold and indoor heat leach the natural moisture out of our skin, causing it to itch and flake. If you want you skin to remain soft and supple during the winter months, follow these tips:
- When you get out of the tub or shower, pat yourself dry and moisturize immediately. Skin absorbs more moisture when it is still damp.
- Keep shower and bath water lukewarm. Hot water dissolves natural oils.
- During the winter, skin suffers as much from dry indoor heat as it does from outdoor cold. Use a moisturizer that contains niacinamide (vitamin B3) which helps to thicken and protect the skin. Dermatologists recommend Olay and CeraVe moisturizers.
- Use a lip balm that contains glycerin or shea butter with at least a SFP 15 rating. It will soak into the skin, unlike waxed-based lip balms that merely sit on the surface or flavored balms that actually dry the lips. Moisturizing lip balms also don’t need to be applied as frequently as popular flavored wax-based balms. Dermatologists recommend Blistex 5 Star Lip Protection and Aveeno Essential Moisture Lip Conditioner.
- Glycerin and hyaluronic acid are the two ingredients that lock in moisture and plump the skin and (bonus!) won’t clog pores. Look for these ingredients when you purchase moisturizer and lip balm products. Dermatologists suggest Cetaphil Daily Moisturizer and Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisturizer.
- Sunscreen is still important in the winter to protect your skin from harmful UVB and UVA rays. Dermatologists recommend sunscreens with a minimum 30 SPF rating.
Avoiding cavities isn’t the only reason to see your dentist at least once a year. Oral health is a strong indicator of overall health. Not only do regular dental visits protect you against cavities and gingivitis, but your dentist may discover symptoms of cardiovascular disease or diabetes or he may notice cancerous lesions in your mouth or on your face. Dire outcomes can result when such problems go unnoticed and untreated. Early detection by your dentist can allow prompt treatment of cancerous spots and chronic diseases, nipping these problems in the bud and ensuring more positive outcomes.
Research by the American Heart Association has shown that people who regularly have their teeth cleaned by a dentist or dental hygienist have a 24% lower risk of heart attack and a 13% lower risk of stroke. Other studies have shown a direct connection between tooth and gum disease and a higher risk of heart attack, congestive heart failure and stroke. Inflammation in the mouth can be especially dangerous for diabetes and congestive heart failure patients. When oral inflammation is present, the poor circulation associated with these chronic diseases prevents the body from cleansing itself of toxins that enter the blood stream from the mouth. As toxins build up, they can cause damage to the body’s organs and systems.
If you haven’t contacted A.M. Warner Insurance about your Medicare Supplement Insurance, don’t delay. Open enrollment for Medicare Supplement Insurance, including Medicare Part D prescription drug insurance, is just 5 days away. Medicare open enrollment ends early this year at midnight on Wednesday, December 7. If you procrastinate, you could be stuck with your current policy for 12 more months. If your current policy no longer covers some of the drugs you take, dragging your feet could wind up costing you thousands of dollars at the pharmacy counter next year.
Insurance companies are forever tweaking their coverage which means that your insurance plan, particularly Part D coverage, is likely to change every year. Most consumers find wading through the many plan options available a long and frustrating experience. At A.M. Warner Insurance, we do the heavy lifting for you. Let us know what drugs you’re taking, and we’ll find the Medicare Part D drug plan that saves you the most money. Save time and money; contact A.M. Warner Insurance today at 502-742-4979 or info@AMWarnerInsurance.com to schedule your free insurance consultation. We’ll be happy to help you. Just don’t wait; the clock is ticking!
Probiotics are being heavily promoted these days as an aid to digestion, but do they work? And do they help the body absorb vitamins and minerals as some people claim?
The answer to those questions are: “it depends” and” no.”
Let’s get the second question out of the way first. According to Dr. Glen Aukerman, family medicine medical director at Ohio State University’s Center for Integrative Medicine and Dr. Stephen Hersey of Nationwide’s Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio who write a medical Q&A column for the Columbus Dispatch, probiotics do not help the body absorb vitamins and minerals either from food or supplements.
Probiotics can aid digestion and improve bowel function; but only if ingested in dairy products that contain live cultures. Taken as a supplement in pill or other form, probiotics have no effect on digestion. Live acidophilus is the probiotic that restores the natural germs to the bowel that help our bodies process food. The beneficial ingredient in yogurt, acidophilus also helps the body process the nutrients in pastries and baked goods that contain preservatives.
But for probiotics to work, they must first be restored to life (i.e., become active cultures) by being immersed in dairy products for 4 to 24 hours. If you want to benefit from probiotics, look for yogurt, milk and other dairy products that list “live acidophilus” in the ingredients.
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