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Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Badge: A Healthier You

1. Healthy Bones
Calcium Rich Foods
Dairy
* Yogurt, plain
* Yogurt, fruit
* Milk, low fat or nonfat
* Milk, whole
* Cheese, including American, ricotta, cheddar cheese and mozzarella cheese
* Milk shakes
* Eggnog
Non-Dairy
* Salmon
* Tofu
* Rhubarb
* Sardines
* Collard greens
* Spinach
* Turnip greens
* Okra
* White beans
* Baked beans
* Broccoli
* Peas
* Brussel sprouts
* Sesame seeds
* Bok choy
* Almonds
Calcium Enriched
* Calcium-fortified breakfast cereal, including General Mills Whole Grain Total, Total Raisin Bran, Total Cranberry Crunch, and Total Honey Clusters, all of which have 100% DV of calcium per serving!
* Calcium-fortified orange juice
* Calcium-fortified soy milk
* SunnyD with Calcium (most SunnyD products don't have calcium, so look for the one that does if your child needs extra calcium in his diet)
* Instant oatmeal
* Calcium-fortified bread or English muffins
* Calcium-fortified drink mixes such as Pediasure or Carnation Instant Breakfast
* Other calcium-fortified breakfast cereals, including General Mills Golden Grahams (350 mg)

2. Strong Bones
Walking, Bike Riding, Running, jump rope, hiking, push ups, are all of the activities I have done.

3. Talk to Me
Info found at www.helpguide.org
I actually cut and pasted this in for Jayda...I thought this was important info to include!!!
If you or a loved one has anorexia or bulimia, call the National Eating Disorders Association’s toll-free hotline at 1-800-931-2237 or click here for free referrals, information, and advice.

Eating Disorders:

Symptoms of Anorexia:

* Refuse to keep a normal body weight
* Intense fear of gaining weight, despite being underweight
* Distorted view of one’s body or weight,
* Denial of the dangers of one’s low weight

Eating and food behavior signs and symptoms of Anorexia:

* Dieting despite being thin – Follows a severely restricted diet. Eats only certain low-calorie foods. Bans “bad” foods such as carbohydrates and fats.
* Obsession with calories, fat grams, and nutrition – Reads food labels, measures and weighs portions, keeps a food diary, reads diet books.
* Pretending to eat or lying about eating – Hides, plays with, or throws away food to avoid eating. Makes excuses to get out of meals (“I had a huge lunch” or “My stomach isn’t feeling good.”).
* Preoccupation with food – Eats very little, but constantly thinks about food. May cook for others, collect recipes, read food magazines, or make meal plans.
* Strange or secretive food rituals – Often refuses to eat around others or in public places. May eat in rigid, ritualistic ways (e.g. cutting food “just so”, chewing food and spitting it out, using a specific plate).

Appearance and body image signs and symptoms:

* Dramatic weight loss – Rapid, drastic weight loss with no medical cause.
* Feeling fat, despite being underweight – May complain about being overweight in general or just “too fat” in certain places such as the stomach, hips, or thighs.
* Fixation on body image – Obsessed with weight, body shape, or clothing size. Frequent weigh-ins and concern over tiny fluctuations in weight.
* Harshly critical of appearance – Spends a lot of time in front of the mirror checking for flaws. There’s always something to criticize. They’re never thin enough.
* Denies being too thin – Refuses to believe that his or her low body weight is a problem, but may try to conceal it (drinking a lot of water before being weighed, wearing baggy or oversized clothes).

Purging signs and symptoms:

* Using diet pills, laxatives, or diuretics – Abuses water pills, herbal appetite suppressants, prescription stimulants, ipecac syrup, and other drugs for weight loss.
* Throwing up after eating – Frequently disappears after meals or goes to the bathroom. May run the water to disguise sounds of vomiting or reappear smelling like mouthwash or mints.
* Compulsive exercising – Follows a punishing exercise regimen aimed at burning calories. Will exercise through injuries, illness, and bad weather. Works out extra hard after bingeing or eating something “bad.”

Helping a person who has Anorexia:
Encouraging an anorexic friend or family member to get treatment is the most caring and supportive thing you can do. You can’t force a person with an eating disorder to change and you can’t do the work of recovery for them. But you can help by offering your compassion, encouragement, and support throughout the treatment process.

Health Problems Anorexia:
Side effects of anorexia are:
* Loss of menstrual periods
* Lack of energy and weakness
* Feeling cold all the time
* Dry, yellowish skin
* Constipation and abdominal pain
* Restlessness and insomnia
* Dizziness, fainting, and headaches
* Growth of fine hair all over the body and face


Symptoms of Bulimia:
* Out-of-control binge eating
* Inappropriate behavior to prevent weight gain
* Self-worth is excessively influenced by weight and physical appearance

Binge eating signs and symptoms

* Lack of control over eating. Inability to stop eating. Eating until the point of physical discomfort and pain.
* Secrecy surrounding eating. Going to the kitchen after everyone else has gone to bed. Going out alone on unexpected food runs. Wanting to eat in privacy.
* Eating unusually large amounts of food with no obvious change in weight.
* Disappearance of food, numerous empty wrappers or food containers in the garbage, or hidden stashes of junk food.
* Alternating between overeating and fasting. Rarely eats normal meals. It’s all-or-nothing when it comes to eating.

Purging signs and symptoms
* Going to the bathroom after meals – Frequently disappears after meals or takes a trip to the bathroom to throw up. May run the water to disguise sounds of vomiting.
* Using laxatives, diuretics, or enemas after eating. May also take diet pills to curb appetite or use the sauna to “sweat out” water weight.
* Smell of vomit. The bathroom or the person may smell like vomit. They may try to cover up the smell with mouthwash, perfume, air freshener, gum, or mints.
* Excessive exercising – Works out strenuously, especially after eating. Typical activities include high-intensity calorie burners such as running or aerobics.



Side effects of bulimia include:
* Weight gain
* Abdominal pain, bloating
* Swelling of the hands and feet
* Chronic sore throat, hoarseness
* Broken blood vessels in the eyes
* Swollen cheeks and salivary glands
* Weakness and dizziness
* Tooth decay and mouth sores
* Acid reflux or ulcers
* Ruptured stomach or esophagus
* Loss of menstrual periods
* Chronic constipation from laxative abuse

Questions to ask about Bulimia:
Ask yourself the following questions. The more “yes” answers, the more likely you’re suffering from bulimia or another eating disorder.

* Are you obsessed with your body and your weight?
* Does food and dieting dominate your life?
* Are you afraid that when you start eating, you won’t be able to stop?
* Do you ever eat until you feel sick?
* Do you feel guilty, ashamed, or depressed after you eat?
* Do you vomit or take laxatives to control your weight?

How to help someone with Bulimia:
If you suspect that your friend or family member has bulimia, talk to the person about your concerns. Your loved one may deny bingeing and purging, but there’s a chance that he or she will welcome the opportunity to open up about the struggle. Either way, bulimia should never be ignored. The person’s physical and emotional health is at stake. You can’t force a person with an eating disorder to change and you can’t do the work of recovery for your loved one. But you can help by offering your compassion, encouragement, and support throughout the treatment process.

4. Tell me what you think!
See survey on right side of the blog!!! Fill it out!!!

6. Preventable or Inevitable?
Copied from medicinenet.com directly.
SKIN CANCER:

How is basal cell carcinoma prevented?Avoiding sun exposure in susceptible individuals is the best way to lower the risk for all types of skin cancer. Regular surveillance of susceptible individuals, both by self-examination and regular physical examination, is also a good idea for people at higher risk. People who have already had any form of skin cancer should have regular medical checkups.

Common sense preventive techniques include

  • limiting recreational sun exposure;
  • avoiding unprotected exposure to the sun during peak radiation times (the hours surrounding noon);
  • wearing broad-brimmed hats and tightly-woven protective clothing while outdoors in the sun;
  • regularly using a waterproof or water resistant sunscreen with UVA protection and SPF 30 or higher;
  • undergoing regular checkups and bringing any suspicious-looking or changing lesions to the attention of the doctor; and
  • avoiding the use of tanning beds and using a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 and protection against UVA (long waves of ultraviolet light.). Many people go out of their way to get an artificial tan before they leave for a sunny vacation, because they want to get a "base coat" to prevent sun damage. Even those who are capable of getting a tan, however, only get protection to the level of SPF 6, whereas the desired level is an SPF of 30. Those who only freckle get little or no protection at all from attempting to tan; they just increase sun damage. Sunscreen must be applied liberally and reapplied every two to three hours, especially after swimming or physical activity that promotes perspiration, which can weaken even sunscreens labeled as "waterproof."
INEVITABLE:

What are risk factors for developing basal cell carcinoma?

Light-colored skin, sun exposure, and age are all important factors in the development of basal cell carcinomas. People who have fair skin and are older have higher rates of basal cell carcinoma. About 20% of these skin cancers, however, occur in areas that are not sun-exposed, such as the chest, back, arms, legs, and scalp. The face, however, remains the most common location for basal cell lesions. Weakening of the immune system, whether by disease or medication, can also promote the risk of developing basal cell carcinoma. Other risk factors include

  • exposure to sun. There is evidence that, in contrast to squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma is promoted not by accumulated sun exposure but by intermittent sun exposure like that received during vacations, especially early in life. According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun is the main cause of skin cancer. The risk of developing skin cancer is also affected by where a person lives. People who live in areas that receive high levels of UV radiation from the sun are more likely to develop skin cancer. In the United States, for example, skin cancer is more common in Texas than it is in Minnesota, where the sun is not as strong. Worldwide, the highest rates of skin cancer are found in South Africa and Australia, which are areas that receive high amounts of UV radiation.
  • age. Most skin cancers appear after age 50, but the sun's damaging effects begin at an early age. Therefore, protection should start in childhood in order to prevent skin cancer later in life.
  • exposure to ultraviolet radiation in tanning booths. Tanning booths are very popular, especially among adolescents, and they even let people who live in cold climates radiate their skin year-round.
  • therapeutic radiation, such as that given for treating other forms of cancer.
9. Keeping Track
One month to a healthier me!
Brush and floss my teeth twice a day.
Skin care
Hair care
Exercise
Healthy food choices
Volunteer
Relax
Play
Get lots of sleep.

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