Once Upon a Thigh: April 2006

Table of Contents

Notes from the Editor

I am looking forward to seeing you April 5th, at 7pm at the office. Remember the meeting will only be 1 hour and I am going to share "nifty diftys" re: exercise, nutrition and Insulin Resistance. WE WILL NOT HAVE A MEETING IN MAY. The next meeting will be June 7th. Everyone is welcome. We are in this together, getting healthier one day at a time.

I read an interesting article the other night and was sharing my knowledge with my husband. He was so excited when I shared this: "Adopting a healthy lifestyle will probably only extend your life 1-2 years." He was ready to go back to old habits and seemingly enjoy life more. Then I read the next sentence. "But your quality of life will be much better." We are all living longer and that is nice. I think what we want is to be enjoying that life and not having illnesses or problems that limit what we can do." I thought that was good food for thought. By adopting a healthy NOW, we are providing an insurance policy for us later on in life, physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Que Sera, Sera

If you don't remember your high school Spanish, let me translate. Roughly speaking, "what ever will be, will be," that is not true with Insulin Resistance. Our goal is to stop the progression to Type 2 Diabetes. Not all IR patients will become Diabetic, but some will. I don't want you to. Remember I can suggest, prescribe, counsel, but you are the action part of the equation: JUST DO IT. We just need to commit to being active (remember those 10,000 steps a day), staying lean and becoming fit.

If you are Insulin Resistant, your blood sugars are elevated more than normal, but not sufficiently to diagnose you as diabetic. A fasting glucose level of 126 or higher is classified as diabetes. Being Insulin Resistant does bring some potential health problems: high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease and nerve damage.

The entire population should be screened for diabetes every three years beginning at 45 years of age. That just tests for diabetes. Remember you were diagnosed with a different test. One that measured insulin levels (which are elevated with IR). If you or someone you know is overweight, has a family history of diabetes, high blood pressure, low HDL (that is the good cholesterol) or high triglycerides please be tested or encourage them to be tested for Insulin Resistance. Having a baby over 9lbs or having gestational diabetes also puts you at risk as well as being of Latino, Hispanic, African-American, Asian, Pacific Islander or Native American descent.

Pre-diabetes or Insulin Resistance is a term that was coined about 2002. It is a condition that can be altered. Let's do it together to stop the increase in Diabetes.

Diabetes is a vascular disease that affects every organ in the body: including large and small blood vessels. Ultimately 65-70% of people with diabetes die of heart disease. Remember the Quality of Life Issue? Truly, Diabetes is easier to prevent.

Food For Thought

Since 1995 food has been in the headlines. Be careful of your sources, not all will be totally accurate. Not only do you hear about obesity, but also food-borne illness and food-labeling regulations. Excess weight causes or excarberates more than 30 illnesses, including stroke and arthritis. Those who gained 11-22 pounds over several years were three times more likely to develop heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and gallstones. You can protect yourself against food-borne illness a little by getting a Hepatitis A injection at the District 7 Health Department.

Health Woes That Can Impair Independence

  • Stroke: 3 out of 4 Americans who have a stroke are over the age of 65. That is why it's critical to know the warning signs and take preventative measures, such as controlling blood pressure, eating healthfully, exercising regularly, and avoiding smoking.
  • Urinary Incontinence: Urinary incontinence is a common reason why older adults are moved out of home care situations and into care facilities, such as nursing homes. Several measures can help control incontinence, though.
  • Arthritis: Arthritis is a common ailment among older adults, striking about 1 in 6 Americans. Keeping your weight down and exercising moderately every day, or nearly every day, can help prevent arthritis.
  • Memory Loss: Memory loss isn't necessarily a part of growing older. It's true that some dementias, such as Alzheimer's disease, can't be prevented. In other cases, though, challenging your mind, and exercising regularly, getting enough B12, and correcting vision and hearing problems can help keep your mind sharp. Challenge your mind by joining a book group, take classes, or work the crossword puzzle regularly.
  • Osteoporosis: Osteoporosis leaves bones vulnerable to breaks and hip, writs, and spinal fractures are common. Not only are these fractures painful, they may also impair your ability to perform daily activities. Getting enough calcium, vitamin D, and bone building exercise can help shore up bones.
Vaccinations

If you are 65 or older or chronically ill, get a pneumococcal vaccine at least once after age 65. If you received the initial vaccine before age 65, you need a booster every 10 years.

Illness This Winter

I don't know about you, but my family, children, and grandchildren were sicker than usual. What can YOU do to boost your immune system to increase it's vigilance against bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites? However, as we age, our marvelous immune system response is decreased which contributes to more infections, inflammatory diseases, and more cancer. FYI - in the US in 2001, 62,000 people died of influenza or pneumonia. Each year 215,000 people in the US die from a severe bacterial infection known as sepsis. TB, which was once considered under control, now kills 1.7 million every year. (I didn't want to tell you this great information during the flu season.)

Tips to Build Your Immune System
  • don't smoke
  • eat a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and low in saturated fat.
  • exercise regularly
  • maintain a healthy weight
  • control your blood pressure
  • if you drink alcohol, drink in moderation
  • get adequate sleep
  • wash your hands frequently and cook meats thoroughly
  • get regular medical screening tests for your age group and risk category
Did You Know?

You could gain 2 lbs if you eat a salad and drink a glass of water. WHY? Weight fluctuates with the amount of water in your system. But don't quit drinking water. You need 500 calories extra every day to again a pound every week. Once you are at goal weight give yourself a 2-5 pound cushion. Don't worry about your weight. Think about how you feel when you eat healthy and exercise.

Organization Ideas from HGTV

Door Storage - hang clear shoe organizers over the closet doors
  • entryway for hats, gloves, and scarves
  • garage for nails, screwdrivers, and smaller items
  • bathroom for trial size items
  • kitchen for spices and small bags
  • linen closet for washcloths and pillow cases
T is for Toaster
  • use an A-Z accordion file for storing instruction booklets for appliances and electronics

  • staple receipts to the inside of the book and then file it under the letter of the alphabet it fits
Race to the Finish
  • before the kids go to bed, have a 10-minute race to see who can pick up the most stuff
Project Central
  • use photo storage boxes to sort and store buttons, threads, elastic, and trims
  • use plastic sweater-size storage boxes to keep all items of a project together (fabric, pattern, thread, drawings, ideas) then name the project and label the box
It's in the Bag
  • store plastic grocery bags in an empty tissue box
Box It Up
  • use plastic school pencil boxes with lids to organize your medicine cabinet; sort all medicines by type and put them in the boxes; then, label the side of the box and store it on a shelf in the cabinet; you can use the same types of boxes to keep the junk drawer organized as well
Clothes by Occasion
  • four uses for clothes: formal, work, casual, and sport
  • keep clothes in categories in different parts of your closet
  • then when you are trying to decide what to wear it saves time
  • organize clothes by color and style: short and long sleeved shirts or pants and skirts so that it's easier to create outfits and think of different options
Seasonal Shoes
  • store out of season shoes in shoe boxes in top of closet
  • write description of summer shoe on one end of box or take picture of shoes and put on end of shoe box
Dual Purpose Dresser
  • what about using child's dresser to organize toys
  • hang most of child's clothes in her/his closet then use the top two drawers in her dresser for pj's and undergarments
  • the last three drawers which are easy for her to reach and open, store her toys
  • each drawer keeps like toys together so we both know where a specific toy is
The Easy Way to Donate
  • keep cardboard box in laundry room for clothes that need to go to the thrift store
  • when sorting laundry, toss in the clothes that your kids have outgrown if you don't want them; otherwise, add another box and put it in storage
I am excited to do something when it snows, like clean out one drawer or one closet. Come on you can do it. See you in April.

-- Carol
\