Get Your 5-A-Day in Delicious Fruit Smoothie

Fruits and vegetables are packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber and all kinds of good stuff. Doctors say you should eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. That may seem like a lot, but you can get 3 or more servings under your belt at breakfast with a delicious fruit smoothie. Dump a few handfuls of fruit into the blender, add milk, juice or yogurt, push the button and -- voila! -- instant breakfast!

Smoothies make a great mid-day snack too. Add extra ice or ice cream this summer for a cool, refreshing treat on a hot day. The smoothie recipe below furnishes 70% of your daily vitamin A, 90% of your vitamin C, and 20% of your calcium. Don't be afraid to experiment with the ingredients. Mix pineapple and coconut with pineapple juice and a little sherbet for a fancy pina cola smoothie. Or try strawberries and blueberries with raspberry yogurt for a very berry smoothie. Be creative! The combinations are endless -- and healthy!

Refreshing Fruit Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 cup fat-free milk

1 cup orange juice

1 cup fat-free vanilla yogurt

2 cups mango, sliced

2 bananas, sliced

1 tablespoon orange juice concentrate

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups ice

Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

Nutrition information per serving: 240 calories, 1 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 85 mg sodium.

Many Sleep Problems Are Correctable

Those naps you sneak in front of the TV don't make up for a good night's sleep. To recharge and stay healthy, most people need a good 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night. Few adults say they sleep that much, and 69% of those over 60 have at least one sleep complaint. Many people have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or being able to sleep according to a recent study of 1,500 patients age 60 and older.

Many sleep disturbances are correctable with meditation, exercise, light therapy or evening activities. But few adults -- less than 19% -- ever mention their sleep problems to their doctor. Many assume that sleep problems are normal as you age. While sleep changes are a normal part of aging, sleep problems are not. Studies have found that only 1% of older people who report sleep difficulties are in good health. Lack of sleep has been proven to adversely affect health and decrease the body's immunity to disease.

If you are experiencing problems sleeping, talk to your doctor. Sleep disorders, particularly in the elderly, can be a sign of metabolic disfunction, cardiovascular problems, cancer, increased sensitivity to pain, poor mental health, and diminished quality of life.

Link Between Hormones and Cancer Risk Confirmed

Two new studies have confirmed the link between menopause hormones and an increased risk of breast and ovarian cancers.

Newly released U.S. government figures show a significant decline in breast cancer rates in 2003 and 2004 after millions of women stopped taking hormones linked to higher heart attack, stroke and breast cancer risks. From 2001 to 2004, the overall drop in breast cancer rates was 9%, but the most common form of the disease fell an amazing 15% among women aged 50 to 69, the group most likely to use hormone supplements. During the same time frame, a study of one million women in the United Kingdom showed that women who took hormone pills were 20% more likely to develop ovarian cancer than women who had never used them.

The newly released studies prove to researches that initial drops in cancer rates were no fluke. And they confirm current advice to women who take hormone pills to combat the hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms: take the lowest dose possible for the shortest possible time.

Women Need to Protect Themselves Against Heart Attack and Stroke

Women need to be more aggressive in protecting themselves against heart attack and stroke, the American Heart Association says. For the first time, new guidelines for women 65 and older recommend taking a daily aspirin to prevent stroke. Because aspirin can cause ulcers and dangerous bleeding, aspirin therapy is not recommended for young women with no health problems.

"We do not want women to go to the drugstore and just start taking this themselves. It is critical that every woman talk to her doctor," said Dr. Lori Mosca, director of preventive cardiology at New York-Presbyterian Hospital and chair of the medical team that wrote the guidelines.

High blood pressure, smoking, lack of exercise and being overweight can significantly increase a woman's risk for heart attack and stroke. Ninety percent of American women exhibit at least one of these risk factors. Even a single risk factor at age 50 greatly increases the chance of developing heart disease or stroke later in life. "We do not want women to wait until they develop symptoms to begin to take action," Dr. Mosca said.

To lower your risk of heart attack and stroke, the new guidelines recommend that women:

• Exercise. Get at least 30 minutes of moderately intense exercise nearly every day, 60 to 90 minutes if you need to lose weight.
• Diet. Most of your daily calories should come from fruits and vegetables whole grain and high-fiber foods. Eat fish at least twice a week. Limit salt and saturated and trans fats. Limit alcohol to no more than one class a day.
• Don't smoke. Use nicotine-replacement products if necessary to stop.
• Weight. Keep your body-mass index under 25.
• Supplements. Add omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) to your diet if you already have heart disease. Contrary to popular belief, vitamins C and E, beta carotene and folic acid do nothing to prevent heart disease and are an unnecessary addition to your diet.
• Blood pressure, cholesterol. Keep your blood pressure and cholesterol under control with medication if necessary.
• Aspirin. If you are 65 or older, take a daily dose of 81 mg "baby" aspirin.

Stem Cell Treatment for Type 1 Diabetes Is Promising

In a historic trial, 13 out of 15 young people with Type 1 diabetes have been able to give up insulin for 6 months to 3 years after undergoing stem-cell transplants from their own blood, the Associated Press reported today. The small but promising trial is ongoing in Brazil where tracking of the participants, aged 14 to 31, will continue to monitor long-lasting results. While risky and potentially life-threatening, none of the patients has died or suffered lasting side effects, raising hope that this ground-breaking treatment may lead to a "cure" for juvenile diabetes.

"It's the first time in the history of Type 1 diabetes where people have gone with no treatment whatsoever ... no medications at all, with normal blood sugars," said study co-author Dr. Richard Burt of Northwestern University's medical school in Chicago.

Should larger, more rigorous studies confirm the initial results, stem cell transplants could become standard treatment for people with Type 1 diabetes and could open new avenues for the treatment of the more common Type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes affects 1 to 2 million young adults in the U.S.; 12 to 24 million, worldwide. Type 2 diabetes affects 17 million people in the U.S. and is the fifth leading cause of death and the leading cause of new blindness. It often strikes adults in their 50s and is associated with excess weight and high blood pressure.

In the Brazilian study, all 15 patients were newly diagnosed Type 1 diabetics who were treated before the disease destroyed their insulin-producing cells. Dr. Burt said that timing was key to the success of the treatment. "If you wait too long, you've exceeded the body's ability to repair itself," he said.

Diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the body attacks the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Insulin regulates the body's blood-sugar levels, which when too high can lead to heart disease, blindness, nerve problems and kidney damage. In the study, patients were given several days of high-dose chemotherapy to shut down their immune systems. Stem cells harvested from their own blood were then introduced to build a healthier immune system that would not attack their insulin-producing cells.

If you have diabetes, make sure you see your doctor regularly, watch your diet and exercise regularly. The future holds increasing hope for new treatments.

Eat More Fruits and Veggies to Fight Cancer

What you put on your plate could help you beat cancer many health experts believe. Eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables every day could decrease overall cancer rates by 20%, claims the American Institute for Cancer Research.

Five servings may sound like a lot, but it isn't really. Here are some tips for getting them all in.

• Wake up healthy. Add some fruit to your breakfast. Have a glass of 100% fruit juice or add some fruit to your cereal or yogurt. In a hurry? Toss the juice, yogurt and fruit into the blender and drink a delicious, nutritious smoothie on your way to work.
• Snack on fruit. Deep six the vending machine candy bars and chips. Take an apple or a baggie of dried fruit with you when you go out. Grapes, baby carrots and cherry tomatoes make great healthy snacks too.
• Pile on the veggies. At lunch, load up on veggies. Toss them onto your salad, layer them on your sandwich, pile them on top of your pizza, or add them to your pasta.
• Fruit for dessert. Sweet and juicy, fruit makes a healthy and satisfying dessert. Add sliced strawberries to plain or frozen yogurt, try a baked apple with cinnamon, or dress up a bowl of sliced fresh fruit with a dollop of low-fat whipped topping.
• Keep it interesting. Try something new like papaya or kiwi or those cute little melons. Add radicchio or yellow bell peppers to your salad. Don't be afraid to experiment.

I clean and prep my fruits and veggies when I get home from the grocery. It makes it easy to grab a quick, healthy snack or throw together a great salad in nothing flat. Without much effort you can pump up your daily fruit and vegetable intake and fight cancer at the same time.

What? What Did You Say?

My dad is hard of hearing. Every conversation has to be repeated, often more than once and at ever increasing decibels. Sometimes we just give up in frustration and tell him, "Oh, never mind." He has hearing aids but doesn't like to wear them; says they hurt his ears. It's annoying and frustrating for all of us, especially dad. But it doesn't have to be. We just need to make a few changes in the way we communicate with dad to make it more pleasant for everyone.

There are 28 million Americans who suffer from hearing loss and you probably know at least one of them. A natural sign of aging, hearing loss is caused by changes in the structure of the ear. One in three Americans over the age of 65 are affected, and someday you may be one of them.

According to the online magazine Caregiver.com, there are additional conditions that can cause or exacerbate hearing loss, including:

• Build-up of earwax
• Chronic middle or inner ear infections
• Medical conditions like diabetes or a brain tumor
• High blood pressure
• Exposure to excessive noise like heavy machinery
• A blood clot in the nerves of the ear
• Tinnitus (ringing sensation in the ear)
• Meniere's disease (excess fluid in the inner ear canals)

Your doctor can determine the cause of hearing loss and possible treatment. Hearing aids may help. But there are some simple things you can do in the mean time to make communicating easier.

• Touch the person to gain his attention before you start speaking.
• Look at the person when you are talking to them.
• Stand or sit closer to the person.
• Sit in the front row during church, meetings or in an auditorium.
• Limit background noise.
• In a group, take turns talking.
• Many churches, theaters and movie theaters have special ear phones for the hearing impaired. Call ahead to make sure they'll be available and are charged up.
• Get a high quality headphone for the TV or radio. My dad likes the Bose model that completely surrounds the ear. It allows him to hear the TV without jacking the volume level into the blast zone.

Most of all, be patient and understanding. People who suffer a hearing loss feel isolated and frustrated when they can't communicate. It's likely you'll be in their shoes some day, so think about how you would like to be treated and act accordingly. For help and information on coping with hearing loss, visit the Hearing Loss Association of America website.

Why Men Get Skin Cancer More Often Than Women

Mother Nature is off the hook! For years doctors have thought that a more outdoor lifestyle is the reason that men are two to three times more likely than women to contract skin cancer. Turns out they're wrong. Ohio State University researchers say the real reason may be biochemical differences between men and women.

In studies on mice, OSU researchers found that female mice have four times as many cancer-fighting antioxidants in their skin as males. Now, of course, men are not mice, but we share enough genetic similarities with our furry friends to make slathering on the sunscreen, even in the winter, a good idea.

"If you have lower defense mechanisms in the skin to begin with, that contributes to more damage in the skin and over time to more tumor development," said Tatiana Oberyszyn, cancer specialist and lead researcher on the project. "If you think of antioxidants as a protective force, then males have a lot less ammunition to protect themselves."

Men should use a skin cream or gel that contains antioxidant vitamins, preferably A, C and E, recommends Dr. Jennifer Linder, a skin cancer surgeon. "Applying antioxidants topically does decrease damage done by the sun," she said. Sunscreen of at least strength level 15 should also be used when outdoors.

In addition to lower antioxidant levels, male mice showed greater DNA damage in skin cells when exposed to UVB light, the wavelength that causes most skin damage. They also exhibited a weaker inflammatory response to sun damage which, if it carries over to humans, means men might not receive body cues (sunburn, pain) to get out of the sun.

While research continues, it's safe to say, better safe than sorry. So next time you go outside for a walk, slather on the sunscreen and start using an antioxidant body cream daily.

Have You Had Your Mammogram This Year?

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death for women in the United States. Affecting one in nine American women, your risk increases with age. Making sure you get your yearly mammogram is the best way to find breast cancer early while it is most treatable. Clinical exams by your health care provider are equally important. Women 40 years and older should have a yearly mammogram and clinical breast exam.

While breast cancer can strike any woman, white women are more at risk than Hispanic, African American, Asian or Native American women. And African American women are more likely to die from the disease than those in other groups, although medical researchers don't yet know why.

Breast cancer is highly curable if discovered early. You can find more information on breast cancer on the American Cancer Society website; just click the post title. Protect yourself! See your physician for an annual physical that includes a breast exam and mammogram. You're worth it!