Now is a great time to get your cholesterol numbers in tip-top shape. But just what is cholesterol? Cholesterol is a fat that circulates in your blood, used to build cells and certain hormones. It cannot dissolve in blood. HDL (high-density lipoprotein) is considered good because it clears one’s arteries of excess fats. LDL (low-density lipoprotein), on the other hand, clogs the arteries and can lead to stroke or heart attack.
And did you know that your cholesterol can be too high ( above 240 mg/dL) or too low (under 160 mg/d)?
What contributes to high cholesterol? Poor diet and lack of exercise certainly can. Genetics can also play a role - familial hypercholesterolemia (high LDL levels) effects 1 in 500 people and can lead to heart attacks at an early age. As women age, the decrease in estrogen levels can also lead to a drop in HDL levels and a rise in LDL levels.
How do you keep cholesterol in check? Lose weight, quit smoking and drink in moderation. Daily exercise is also important - it’s been found to raise the levels of HDL in a person’s bloodstream. Avoid trans fats, limit cholesterol intake - under 300 mg per day, choose lean meats and skim milk, and eat whole grains, fruits, vegetables and foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon, walnuts, almonds and ground flaxseed.
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is one of the more difficult medical conditions to diagnose. It has a long list of symptoms that are common to other diseases or illnesses and those symptoms may wane or get progressively worse in no particular pattern.
While no root cause has yet been identified for CFS, recent research indicates CFS may be caused by a rare mouse-related virus - murine leukemia virus (MLV). MLV, which causes cancer in mice, was found in the blood of 86 percent of tested CFS patients. In comparison, only seven percent of healthy blood donors had MLV in their samples. Scientists admit these findings are just the beginning - further research is needed to determine if an actual link between MLV and CFS exists.
Currently there is no one diagnostic test or cure for CFS. Doctors diagnose CFS by ruling out other medical issues. In general, to be diagnosed with CFS you have to experience persistent and extreme fatigue for at least six months and have at least four of the following eight symptoms:
- Memory or concentration difficulties
- Sore throat
- Unexplained muscle pain
- Pain in the joints
- Headaches
- Sleep disturbances
- Sore and enlarged lymph nodes in your neck or armpits
- Extreme exhaustion lasting more than 24 hours after physical or mental exercise
Women are most often diagnosed with CFS but research has not proven that sex is a risk factor. Instead, women may be more likely to report CFS symptoms to a doctor. People of all ages can get CFS but it is most common in people in their 40s and 50s.
If you are diagnosed with CFS your doctor’s chosen treatment will depend on the relieving the symptoms you are experiencing. Treatments generally consist of a combination of steps that help patients moderate their daily activity and exercise, address sleep problems and persistent pain, reduce stress, treat depression, relieve allergy-like symptoms and address low blood pressure or nervous system disorders.
In general, see your doctor if you are experiencing persistent or excessive fatigue.
Thirsty? Don’t ignore the urge. Take a big drink of water - not soda, juice, tea or coffee. These drinks are loaded with sugars, calories and some even have caffeine, a diuretic that makes you expel water and does the opposite of why you’re hoping to do: hydrate.
People continually underestimate the importance of water but it is essential to good health. I am constantly amazed when I see children attending sports practices and games without a water bottle - it’s important that both parents and children understand how important it is to keep your body hydrated. To start with, 70% of your body is water. Your bones are 25% water, your brain is 75% water and your blood is 83% water. Now consider this, water is a primary component of every single cell in your body and involved in every bodily function - making repairs, increasing immunity, helping your muscles contract, eliminating waste, regulating body temperature, lubricating joints, metabolizing fats and carrying oxygen and nutrients to your cells. When you’re dehydrated you’re depriving yourself of the ability to perform at your best.
And it’s not just sweating that causes you to lose water - you lose water when exhaling or going to the bathroom and when you have a fever, vomit or have diarrhea.
Dehydration means you’re losing more water than you’re taking in. Common signs of dehydration include feeling thirsty, dizzy or weak; dark-colored urine; dry mouth; confusion; heart palpitations; feeling sluggish; having swollen hands or feet; or being unable to sweat. If you do not drink enough water on a daily basis (whether you’re exercising or not) you may
- feel groggy
- not maintain its muscle tone
- have kidneys that underperform
- be more likely to get kidney stones or bladder infections
- become constipated
- have more frequent bladder infections
- suffer more headaches
- have dry and itchy skin
- not metabolize fats as well
- have trouble regulating your body temperature.
If you become severely dehydrated your blood pressure can fall, you can suffer seizures, coma or swelling of the brain.
Just how much water do you need? A good way to estimate is take your weight in pounds and divide it by two. That indicates how many ounces of water you should shoot for each day. If you want 120 pounds, that’s 60 ounces.
Finally, consider hydrating before exercise and outdoor activity. Your body has a bit of a delayed reaction - you don’t get thirsty when your body first needs water. That means by the time you’re feeling thirsty, your body is already suffering.
To parents — get your kids of the couch at an early age and promote a lifestyle that includes some sort of exercise every day (be it biking, a walk around the block, hitting baseballs, swimming, gardening…). To kids — get active, get outdoors.
Why? Well, besides the long-established benefits — cardiovascular health, lower rates of obesity and diabetes, healthier proportions of muscle mass — a new study shows a connection between exercise and GPA. According to the study, “Twenty minutes of daily vigorous physical activity among college students may lead them to have grade point averages about .4 higher, on a scale of 4.0, compared with students who do not exercise.”
Now think of what 40 minutes of exercise could do! I’m kidding, of course, but the study did indicate that while daily exercise is not necessary — the research did indicate that more exercise is better.
The latest research indicates the link between tanning beds and melanoma may be greater than previously suspected. While only 4 percent of skin cancers are melanomas, 75 percent of skin cancer deaths are from melanoma. According to this article, the more time you spend in the tanning bed, the greater the risk. The World Health Organization has labeled tanning beds as carcinogenic and recommends banning them for children under the age of 18.
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