SMARTHEALTHYOUR GUIDE TO HEALTHY LIVING

HIGH ONCYCLINGLOW-FATAPPETIZERSACNEANSWERS

FEBRUARY 16, 2011

HIGH ONCYCLING

SMARTHEALTH

8

ACNEANSWERS6

4 GETTING TOTHE HEARTOMEGA-3S

The information in this publication does notconstitute medical advice and is not intendedto be a substitute for proper medical careprovided by a physician. Entire publication ©Digital Access 2009. All rights reserved. Anyreference to other organizations or companies,including their Internet sites, is not an endorse-ment or warranty of the services, informationor products provided by them.

10TEENS STILLTURN TO PARENTS(FOR NOW)

14LOW-FATAPPETIZERS

12MEASURE ITTO ACHIEVE ITIPHONE APPS

HIGH ON CYCLING

“Cycling is one of the most effective

treatments for stress and in many

cases has been proven to be as

effective as medication – if not more

so,” says Neil Shah, psychotherapist

and director of the Stress Manage-

ment Society. While you may have

heard of the “runner’s high” —

a sense of well-being experienced

by endurance athletes as stress-

reducing hormones are released —

this phenomenon is also true for

bicycle riders. In fact, some experts

believe that this feeling actually

kicks in faster for cyclists than the

full hour or so it takes for runners

to gain the benefit.

In addition, researchers have found

that relatively small increases in

cardio respiratory fitness as the

result of aerobic exercise can lead to

large improvements in the ability to

deal with stress. This is thought to

result from the increased blood flow

and oxygen to the brain. Cycling can

generate those improvements quickly.

There is additional benefit from

breathing regularly and rhythmically.

Cycling has no equal when it comes

to forcing an athlete to regulate

breathing. More rhythmic and deeper

breathing keeps your heart from

racing and expels CO2 from the

body — two important practices

known to alleviate stress.

Add to all of this the sense of well-

being and self-esteem that comes

from a achieving a good ride — and

being one with nature — and it is

easy to understand why more cycling

can mean less stress.

Most people think of cycling as a fun way to get around or agood physical workout. It is, of course, both. However, it maysurprise you to know, however, that a vigorous ride can be as

good for your state of mind as it is for your body.

SMARTHEALTH 5

50 GOOD REASONSTO BICYCLE

ACNEANSWERS

Though it’s a common skincondition with understand-able causes, especiallyamong adolescents, acneis surrounded by a set ofmyths. Let’s take a quicklook at how many of themstand up to the light of day.

SMARTHEALTH 7

1. GREASY FOODS CAUSE ACNEStudies show that no specific food,not even fries or chocolate, has beenproven to cause acne. Every individualis different; some people notice theirbreakouts are worse after eatingcertain foods — and these foods aredifferent depending on the person.It could be chocolate, it could becoffee. Make your own adjustments.

2. MORE WASHING MEANSLESS BREAKOUTSAlthough washing helps to removedirt and oil from your pores, washingtoo much can lead to dryness andirritation, causing more breakouts.And scrubbing can irritate the skin.As a general rule, wash your facetwice a day with mild soap and water,and gently pat dry when you're done.

3. PIMPLE POPPING PRODUCESPopping a pimple may make it seemless noticeable temporarily, butpopping can cause it to stay aroundlonger. By squeezing, you can actuallypush bacteria, dead skin cells, andoil further into the skin last for manymonths and true scars (dents and pits)will last forever.

4. DON'T WEAR MAKEUPNot true. As long as you choosecosmetics that are non-acnegenic ornon-comedogenic, which don’t clogpores, they shouldn't cause breakouts.In fact, some concealers now containingredients that help to fight acne.Tinted benzoyl peroxide creams hidepimples while treating them.

5. THE SUN DRIES IT UPA tan may temporarily mask acne,but the sun can make skin dry andirritated, leading to more future break-outs. There is no known link betweensun exposure and acne prevention,but the sun's rays can cause lots ofdamage. Always protect your skin bychoosing a non-comedogenic or non-acnegenic sun screen.

6. MORE MEDICATION MAKES IT STOPBecause acne medication containsdrying agent, using too much medica-tion may cause over drying, leadingto irritation and more blemishes. Ifover-the-counter acne medicationdoesn't seem to work, it's a good ideato talk to your doctor or dermatologist.Also, if you're taking a prescriptionacne medication, make sure youfollow your doctor's advice.

LEARN ABOUT REAL ACNE PREVENTION METHODS AND TREATMENTS

8 SMARTHEALTH

GETTING TO THE HEART OF

OMEGA-3S

SMARTHEALTH 9

LEARN HOW TO GET MOREOMEGA-3 FOODS IN YOUR DIET

A healthy dose of Omega-3 fatty acids such as DHA and EPA canreduce the risk of heart disease in healthy people, as well as decreasethe risk of heart attack in people with existing heart disease, accordingto a new study. Based on a review of several large research projectsinvolving more than 40,000 people, researchers say the benefits ofOmega-3 fatty acids to heart health are increasingly clear, even if

they are not absolutely sure as to why.

The study, published in the Journal ofthe American College of Cardiology,reviewed the findings of four studiescomparing the benefits of Omega-3 fattyacids in heart disease prevention over thepast 30 years. It turns out that Omega-3fatty acids’ have an extremely strongprotective effect in people with estab-lished heart disease after a heart attack.In these people, a daily dose of DHA andEPA fatty acids is associated with a 30%reduction in the risk of heart-related death.

Researchers also say healthy people canalso benefit from including Omega-3s intheir diet. The benefits here includingreducing the risks of hardening of thearteries, irregular heartbeat, heart attack,sudden cardiac death, and heart failure.

DHA and EPA are long-chain fatty acidsin the Omega-3 family. Dr. Carl Lavie,medical director of Cardiac Rehabilitationand Prevention at the Ochsner MedicalCenter in New Orleans, and lead authorof the article says these fatty acids workby getting into the membranes of cells

and by doing so may help improve theheart’s electrical activity, muscle tone,plaque stabilization, blood pressure, andother aspects of heart health.

Among the recommended foods high inDHA and EPA are fatty fish, such asmackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines,albacore tuna and salmon. Plant foodsrich in these acids also include soybeans,canola, walnut and flaxseed, and theiroils. There are many supplement optionsas well.

The American Heart Association notesthat the ideal amount of DHA and EPAto be taken still needs to be established,but that taking EPA and DHA rangingfrom .5 to 1.8 grams per day, from foodsor supplements, appears to reduce thecardio vascular risks. The Associationnotes that more studies are needed withregard to supplements as opposed toingesting Omega-3 directly through foods.

TEENS STILL TURN TOPARENTS (FOR NOW)

“The S.K.I.P. study shows that

despite the digital age which we

live in, teens still turn to parents for

advice,” says Steve Seaita, Executive

Vice President, of the market

research firm. On the other hand, a

strong runner up in terms of health

advice is not the doctor, the nurse,

the friend, the teacher, the coach —

but the internet.

The study found differences among

teens in different age groups. For

example, the 13-15 year set are

more likely than 16-17 year olds to

rely on the advice of their parents.

Beyond the age of 16, the internet

starts to trump parents as an

information source. The survey also

found that more than nine-in-ten

teens consider health and a healthy

lifestyle “extremely or somewhat

important” to them. Overall, boys

considered themselves healthier than

girls, and younger teens perceived

themselves to be healthier than

older teens. For athletes, the Coach

was an influencer as well.

As for the role of the internet, the

surveyed teens said they value

“informative product websites” more

than other sites when making

decisions about purchasing health-

related products such as vitamins or

nutritional supplements. Teens also

reported relying on medical website

recommendations from the likes of

WebMD and MayoClinic.com.

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Teens turn to parents and guardians when they need health-related advice. According to a new study from the ScarboroughKids Internet Panel, a well-known marketing research firm,nearly two-thirds of teens say that they go to their parents or

guardians for health or nutritional questions.

A wise man once said, “You have to measure somethingto achieve it.” Not always true, but mostly the case for straight-forward health, fitness and safety issues such as calorie intake

and burn, heart rate and metabolism, and the like. In ourirregular series presenting key iPhone apps, here are ten of

our favorites for helping you set goals and reach them.

CALORIES BURNED CALCULATORHow many calories might you burn if you jogged

for 30 minutes? Choose a category of activities,

then enter your weight and the number of min-

utes to estimate how many calories you’ll burn.

DAILY CALORIE CALCULATORA simple interface to calculate the amount of

calories you are supposed to consume in a

given day. It also provides suggestions of how

many calories that you must consume to lose

weight while still remaining healthy.

IPHONE CALCULATORThis app will help you calculate your calories

and find out how much exercise you need to

burn them.

MEASURE ITTO ACHIEVE IT

HEART RATE CALCULATORThis is an app that monitorsyour heartbeat by using theiPhone’s built-in microphone.

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DOWNLOAD OTHER TYPES OFHEALTH AND FITNESS APPS

IPOINT CALCULATORA Weight Watchers Point Calculator

where you enter in the calories, fats,

and fiber of a particular food and iPoint

Calculator will tell you the number of

Points that food costs.

THE WHEELA gestational age calculator, The Wheel

determines the estimated delivery date,

or due date, of a pregnancy based

on the first day of the woman's last

menstrual period.

POINTSCALCAnother app that will help you to quickly

estimate the number of points in a given

food by entering Calories, Fat, and Fiber

without requiring access to the Web.

2FATThis calculator gives you your BMI (body

mass index) by calculating your height,

weight and waste size.

BMR CALCULATORAn easy-to-use basal metabolic ratecalculator, this calculator figures it allout depending on your lifestyle andlevel of activity, and presents the data

in a handy summary screen.

BLOOD ALCOHOLCONCENTRATION CALCULATORAre you too drunk to drive? Estimateyour current blood alcohol level is onyour iPhone or iPod touch based onthe number of drinks during a certain

time frame, and your weight.

APPETIZER TIPS

PEOPLE LOVE APPETIZERS.

Tasty, diverse, fun, and you’re usually allowed to eat themwith your hands. Many of our friends would rather munch onthem all night than sit down to an entree. Unfortunately,they are often fattening, salty, greasy and, in our health-

obsessed society, are seldom served any more.

HERE ARE SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT HOW KEEPAPPETIZERS ON THE MENU AS PART OF A HEALTHY MEAL.

1. Instead of crackers or chips asthe base for spreads, find lighteralternatives. Pita, tortilla chips,lettuce leaves, and sliced squashor cucumber do the job nicely.

2. Use fat free yogurt instead ofsour cream as the basis for dipsor when making finger foods suchas deviled eggs.

3. Homemade fresh salsa is a bigfavorite; again, team up with low fattortilla chips.

4. Be creative with a tray of rawveggies. Mix and match in colors,and use a variety of shapes andsizes such as cherry tomatoes, longcut cucumbers, bell paper squares.

5. For quiches and similar dishes,skip the crust. There are plenty ofcrustless recipes.

6. Serve cold shrimp ora variety of sushi rolls;they’re light, easy,portable and everyoneloves them.

Almost every popular appetizer,from veggie pizzas to pigs-in-blankets, can be prepared in a lowcall way; check out recipes in booksor online. While you’re thinkinghealthy, why not pair the appetizerswith low calorie drinks like unsweet-ened ice tea, bubbly water or evendiet soda or wine — instead ofsugary drinks, beer or calorie-packed hard liquor and cocktails.

HEALTHY APPETIZER RECIPES

SMARTHEALTH 15

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