Blood Clot Crying

I don't think any of my readers are Jamaican. That's not the point, though. Harvard researchers have concluded that travel, during which a person is seated for 2 hours at a time or more, at least doubles the risk of blood clot. The article was on Drudge Report, so you've probably read it already, but it seems important enough to get the story out to as many as possible.

From Reuters -

"Women who are pregnant or take birth control pills and the obese have an especially high risk, they found."

It's still only 1 in every 4,600 trips, but as the researchers point out, there are 2.5 billion passengers that will fly in 2010. So, every 2 hours, you should stop the car or get up from your seat on the plane and stretch your legs.

Stuff From All Over

I'm making up for my hiatus with a bunch of interesting stuff -

From ThirdAge -

Zicam can cause you to lose your sense of smell. I have a terrible one to begin with, so I'd better avoid that stuff.

One doctor has this to say about homeopathic remedies -

"Very often, the only active ingredient is alcohol, and patients don't know that, and they get a buzz-on. The therapeutic effect is no greater or less than a martini," -Dr. Jerry Avorn, expert in pharmaceutical safety at Harvard Medical School

Postmenopausal women (like Sotomayor and Clinton) have a pretty high risk of bone loss and weakness. ThirdAge lists some ways to counteract the effects of aging on bone strength, courtesy of Dr. Rachel Rohde, and orthopedic surgeon -

• Eat right. Be sure your diet is rich in calcium and vitamin D
• Expose yourself. Sunlight activates vitamin D, so spending 20 minutes either before 10 am or after 2 pm, several times a week in the sun with your arms and legs exposed (and without sunscreen), should be sufficient.
• Supplement with D. If you aren't exposed to sunlight on a regular basis, consider taking a vitamin D supplement
• Get Fit. Engage in a regular fitness program including weightbearing activity three to four hours per week
• Quit smoking. Here's one more reason to quit. Smoking cigarettes can be hazardous to your bone health
• Limit alcohol. If you do drink, do it in moderation. Too much can weaken your bones.
  
  

On happiness - "To be happy and content independent of events is not something that just happiness, it is something we must work at every day." - Dr. Lynn (I don't know who that is, but she has a PhD and she's on ThirdAge). This reminds me of my favorite Dalai Lama (whose birth name is Tenzin Gyatso) quote -

"Every day, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it. I am going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand my heart out to others; to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. I am going to have kind thoughts towards others, I am not going to get angry or think badly about others. I am going to benefit others as much as I can."

From the New York Times. What the?

"Being overweight won’t kill you — it may even help you live longer. That’s the latest from a study that analyzed data on 11,326 Canadian adults, ages 25 and older, who were followed over a 12-year period."

I Was Going to Make the Title of This "That's What Friends Are For" But That's Already Implied by the Title of the Article

From the New York Times -

What Are Friends For? A Longer Life

"Researchers are only now starting to pay attention to the importance of friendship and social networks in overall health. A 10-year Australian study found that older people with a large circle of friends were 22 percent less likely to die during the study period than those with fewer friends. A large 2007 study showed an increase of nearly 60 percent in the risk for obesity among people whose friends gained weight. And last year, Harvard researchers reported that strong social ties could promote brain health as we age. "

I think it says something that I haven't posted anything with "friendship" as a blog label.



God, I miss ensembles likes that.

Here We Go...

From the New York Times -

Health Insurers Agree to End Higher Premiums for Women

AHIP (America's Health Insurance Plans) has basically said to the federal government "if you make everyone buy health insurance then we'll stop charging more to women and sick people".
guarantee

Makes sense. There are civil libertarians that are going to be bothered by this, but if we all have to pay for the uninsured to go and clog up the emergency rooms, then we have a pretty big incentive to fix the mess in which we now find ourselves.

People who can afford it will buy private insurance, and those who cannot will be subsidized by the government. This will do very little to control cost, but it's a small step towards addressing the health care crisis in this country. Hopefully people will at least get a little healthier.

Health & Fitness Expo

This looks pretty sweet. Thanks to Vivian for the heads-up -

"We hope to see you April 25th and 26th at the Miami Beach Convention Center for this year’s largest Health & Fitness Expo in South Florida! The Health & Fitness Expo takes place at The Miami Beach Convention Center in the Main Hall. Doors open at 10 AM."

Quinoa

I've been hearing about quinoa for some time and tried it at a buffet once but was not crazy about the experience. Well, I guess I have to decide to like it because it's so good for you. Check out this article from Men's Health.

"'Quinoa is a true wonder food,' says Daniel Fairbanks, Ph.D., a professor of plant and animal science at Brigham Young University. 'It has about twice the protein of regular cereal grains, fewer carbohydrates, and even a dose of healthy fats.' Plus, it's considered a 'complete' protein, which means that, like meat, eggs, and dairy, it packs all of the essential amino acids your body needs to build muscle."

Manly Meals

Men's Health's website is simply fantastic. They have a great new gimmick on the site for making quick, simple, healthy meals (Guy Meals Made Easy). You pick a protein, like pork, then a style in which to cook it, "Japanese," for example, a side starch, and its style, oh, let's try "Spicy Sesame Noodles", and a vegetable. We'll go with "Coconut Ginger Zucchini". This is what pops up for each -

Japanese Style Pork Chops

1.5 pounds of pork chops
3 Tbsp any miso paste
1 Tbsp each sesame oil and peanut oil
Black pepper
Chopped walnuts or soy sauce (or both)

1. Start with 1.5 pounds of pork chops.

2. Combine the ingredients for Japanese flavor—3 Tbsp any miso paste, 1 Tbsp each sesame oil, and peanut oil, lots of black pepper—and rub or smear it all over your protein. Let it marinate if you have time.

3. Light up the grill, heat the broiler, or fire up a cast-iron skillet and cook the pork chops on both sides until they're done the way you like it. Use a small, sharp knife to take a peek inside if you're not sure.

4. Sprinkle on chopped walnuts or a drizzle of soy sauce (or both), and serve it hot or at room temperature.

Serves 4

Spicy Sesame Pasta/Noodles

1 pound of pasta or noodles
1 part sesame oil and 1 parts peanut oil
1 or 2 chopped fresh hot chilies or dried chili flakes
Chopped scallions

1. Start with about a pound of pasta or noodles. Boil them as simply as possible, using nothing more than salt. Undercook pasta a bit so it still has some bite; drain it as needed.

2. Five minutes before you're ready to eat, put the spicy sesame flavor ingredients—1 part sesame oil and 2 parts peanut oil, plus one or two chopped fresh hot chilies or dried chili flakes—into the appropriate size pan with some salt and pepper.

3. Set the pan over medium heat, and cook, stirring once in a while until fragrant; if the mixture is boiling too much, lower the heat.

4. Drizzle the flavorings over the warm noodles, and toss.

5. Add chopped scallions.

6. Taste and adjust the seasoning, and toss again.

Serves 4

Coconut Ginger Zucchini

1 pound of zucchini
Peanut oil
Chopped ginger, garlic, and chilies
Coconut milk
Chopped pistachios, almonds, or peanuts
Chopped cilantro

1. Start with about a pound of zucchini or a combination of vegetables.

2. Slice, chop, or grate them as you like; leave small or thin whole.

3. Put a film of peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

4. Once it’s hot, add chopped ginger, garlic, and chilies. Stir as needed.

5. Add the vegetable(s) and a good sprinkling of salt and pepper. If you’re using a combination of vegetables, begin with the ones that will take the longest to cook and build up to those that wilt the fastest.

6. Stir once in a while, searing the vegetables a bit. Adjust the temperature and add oil as needed to keep things moving in the pan.

7. When everything is cooked through, splash in some coconut milk, scraping up any brown bits from the pan.

8. Add chopped pistachios, almonds, or peanuts, and chopped cilantro and toss, then taste and adjust the seasoning.

9. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Serves 4

"The Greatest Abs Workout Ever"!!!!!!

I really think it would sound better to say "greatest ab workout ever" but what do I know? I did add those exclamation points in the title to make this post really eye catching. Incidentally, at David Barton Gym they have a class called "ASSolutely ABBulous". Why must they capitalize the letters they do and why does "ABBulous" have two b's? These are questions to which no one will ever know the answer. Kind of like the square root of a million.

Anyway, click on this photo I snapped of my own abs to read the article at Men's Health.com -

It's intense. Many people do not realize that the only way you're ever going to see your abs is to get rid of the fat that covers them. This must be done with aerobic exercise. You can do lots of crunches and even buy some gimmicky ab roller thingy and never obtain a six pack. This is a particularly noteworthy component of the workout -

Burn Off Your Belly

This interval routine is designed to strip away the excess flab that’s hiding your six-pack. Do it 3 days a week, after your weight session or on the days in between. Use your mode of choice—a treadmill, stationary bike, or rowing machine.

Step 1 Warm up for 3 to 5 minutes at an easy pace, about 30 to 40 percent of your best effort.

Step 2 Run, cycle, or row at 95 percent of your highest effort for 30 seconds.

Step 3 Perform active rest, slowing back down to your warmup speed for 90 seconds.

Step 4 Repeat five to seven times.

Step 5 Once you can complete eight intervals, reduce the length of your active rest periods by 5 to 10 seconds each workout, until they’re only 30 seconds long.

Brain Food

Mmm, Mayo Clinic -

"'This study is exciting because it demonstrates that aging does not need to be a passive process. By simply engaging in cognitive exercise, you can protect against future memory loss,' said the study author Yonas Geda, a neuropsychiatrist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota."

Try out Text Twist. It's a great brain workout. There's a free online version (of course).

I Guess Laughter Truly Is the Best Medicine (ugh, that's sappy)

ThirdAge has an article about a former nurse and nursing home manager who uses laughter therapy. She doesn't even tell jokes. It's funny that laughter is so powerful that it doesn't even need to be real to be healthful.

Please note that the last 3 are not benefits, but simply statements, and maybe facts, I don't know -

The Health Benefits of Laughter

• Laughing reduces the hormones and chemicals produced by stress cortisol and adrenaline.
• It releases dopamine and endorphins, our feel good chemicals.
• Relieves and relaxes muscle discomfort.
• Reduces inflammation, excellent for arthritis sufferers.
• Reduces blood pressure 30 minutes of laughter per day reduces the risk of a second heart attack.
• Burns calories -- 50 laughs is equivalent to 15 minutes on a bike or 10 minutes on a rowing machine.
• Humans are the only animals capable of laughter.
• Adults laugh or smile approximately 17 times a day on average.
• We use 72 muscles to frown and only 14 to smile.

I feel like I should tell a joke now. I've got it! I'll post the video of Louis C.K. from Late Night that everyone's been posting to Facebook -

This Is Why You're Fat

Did you know this??? I was shocked and I'm not being sarcastic for once. From the New York Times -

How sweet it is! The American diet, that is. While the current recommendation is a maximum intake of eight teaspoons of sugars a day, one 12-ounce can of regular soda (or a 20-ounce bottle of VitaminWater) delivers eight or nine teaspoons. That means you are at or over the limit before you’ve eaten a single cookie or container of fruit-flavored yogurt, or even some commercial tomato soups or salad dressings with added sugars. The result is an average daily intake of more than 20 teaspoons of sweet calories.

That first paragraph says basically all you need to know, but you may read the entire article here, though there is something worth noting in that a Dr. Bray who was contacted during the research for the article recommends drinking diet soda instead of the sugarful kind and asserts that aspartame "has none of the once-feared health effects".

By the way, "This is why you're fat" is a lovely snapshot of Americana that you may find here. I'm still hoping they'll post the Classic Sextuple with cheese that I got for Boden at Wendy's, but it just might not be sickeningly glutenous enough to make it onto such a discriminating website.

Here We Go Towards Nationalization...

From The Buffalo News -

[New York] State Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo on Tuesday threatened to sue Excellus BlueCross and BlueShield and Univera Healthcare for fraud, accusing them of fraudulently using nine-year-old rate information from an already faulty database to reimburse out-of-network doctors and hospitals.

If you have a dispute with an insurer for something like an out-of-network charge, be aware that insurance companies are not acting in your best interest. They use these opportunities to squeeze every dime they can out of people whom they figure are too small to fight back. Do your best to fight it yourself, but if you can't handle it, try a medical billing advocate.

Save

I saw two billboards over the weekend that I thought were worth repeating:

"There is no such thing as saver's remorse"

"Better save than sorry"

Clever aren't they? I think they are good to think about considering the economic situation. On a brighter note, the national savings rate went from 0% in the first 9 months of 2008 to 2.9% in the last 3 months of 2008.

The Butt Stops Here

"The Butt Stops Here!" I've done it again. Thank you. Oh, thank you so much. I'd like to thank my Irish heritage and my parents' having 4 sons for the development of my exceptional sense of humor. Moving along...

It seems that monetary incentives work for just about everything but long-term risk management of a publicly traded financial services corporation. A new study shows that smokers who are given financial incentives to quit smoking are about 3 times as likely to stay smoke-free.

This is the gist of the article from MSN Health & Fitness -

All of the employees were given information about available smoking-cessation programs in their areas. Members of the financial incentive group were also told they would be given $100 for the completion of a smoking cessation program. Then, they would receive an additional $250 if they successfully quit smoking within six months from the start of the study, and they were promised another $400 if they stayed smoke-free for another six months. Smoke-free status was assessed using either a hair or urine sample to test for a substance known as cotinine, which is present when someone has smoked.

Nine to 12 months after the study began, 14.7 percent of the incentive group had kicked tobacco, compared to just 5 percent in the information-only group. Between 15 and 18 months after the study's start, 9.4 percent of those in the incentive group had stayed off cigarettes, compared to just 3.6 percent in the control group.

TMQ Sign-off

Some words of wisdom from a pretty smart guy -

TMQ Season Sign-Off: Tuesday Morning Quarterback folds its tent and steals off into the desert till August, though will resurface briefly around the NFL draft. As usual, I recommend you employ the offseason to engage in spiritual growth. Take long walks. Perform volunteer work in your community. Exercise more and eat less. Attend worship services of any faith. Drink less coffee, more green tea. Appreciate the beauty of nature -- God did not make nature by accident. Read one of the great books you've always meant to read. Be with your family and friends. As Barbara Bush said to the graduating class of Wellesley College in 1990, "At the end of your life, you will never regret not having passed one more test, not winning one more verdict or not closing one more deal. You will regret time not spent with a husband, a child, a friend or a parent."

Of newly released works, in political books, I recommend "The Party Faithful" by Amy Sullivan; in science, "Why Evolution Is True" by Jerry Coyne; in psychology, "Beyond Revenge" by Michael McCullough (explains why the desire for retribution is an evolutionary proclivity we must overcome); in general nonfiction, "Traffic" by Tom Vanderbilt (hilariously shows that traffic jams have plagued society at least since the days of the Caesars); in economics, "Good Capitalism Bad Capitalism" by William Baumol, Robert Litan and Carl Schramm; in history, "A Nation on Fire" by Clay Risen (about the murder of Martin Luther King Jr. -- the night before King died, he said, "Only when it's dark can you see the stars"); in self-published books, "The Losing Game" by T.E. Scott, which argues Wall Street is a giant hustle designed to separate investors from their money; in sports, "Positive Sports Parenting" by Jim Thompson, a book every youth-league and high-school coach and parent should read; in humor, "Our Dumb World" by the writers of The Onion; in fiction, "Bridge of Sighs" by Richard Russo and "Lark and Termite" by Jayne Anne Phillips.

Read, mediate, serve others: Do these things, and you will feel justified in racing back to the remote, the swimsuit calendars and the microbrews when the football artificial universe resumes anew in the autumn.

You may find Gregg Easterbrook's final TMQ column of the season here.

Scraping By On 500K/Year

Even though it's more than the president himself gets paid (though he has lots of perks like Air Force One), this article in the New York Times shows how tough it can be to live on such a meager pittance. I think it probably qualifies as "cruel and unusual punishment".

Steve and Gandhi

My father recently handed me a transcript of Steve Jobs' 2005 commencement speech at Stanford. You may read it here or watch a video of it here.

These are some of the most powerful words I have ever read -

When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

Then today I received my "Motivational Quote of the Day" from Nightingale-Conant and it was one of Gandhi's -

"Live as if you were going to die tomorrow."

And here's a great tune from Tim McGraw called "Live Like You Were Dying" -



Yeah, a little heavy today. Poop is a funny word. That lightened things up a bit. Hee hee, poop.

Dog Whisperer

I found this piece on dog training very interesting. I love my dog, but have trouble controlling him. I think the dog whisperer has some good tips. Click here for the article.

It's a Start

This is a great article from the Washington Post. A study of 21,000 doctors over a period of 20 years has revealed that even minimal "vigorous" exercise (1-3 times/month!) makes heart disease less likely (18%). The study's results also find that being a little bit overweight (BMI of 25-29.9) makes one significantly more likely to develop heart disease (49% more likely).

So, the point is that, even if you think you don't have time to exercise, or you hate exercising, or you think there's no hope, even a slight change in your behavior can yield you health benefits.

Getting Your Zs

A new study points to the importance of getting at least 7 hours of sleep each night. If you get less, you could be increasing your risk of heart disease -

"On average, those in the study got about six hours of sleep a night.

"However, only 6 percent of those who got at least seven hours of sleep had calcification, compared with 11 percent who got five to seven hours and 27 percent who got less than five hours, said the senior author, Diane Lauderdale, an associate professor of health studies at the University of Chicago.

"The study took into account other known risk factors for heart disease, including sleep apnea, cholesterol, blood pressure, body weight, diabetes and depression.

"In fact, getting an extra hour of sleep had the same effect on heart disease risk as lowering one's systolic blood pressure (the upper reading) by 16.5 points"