FitSugar -- Healthy, happy you.

Why You Need to Exercise, Sleep Well, and Brush Your Teeth

FitSugar — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 03:00:00 -0800

There is a lot of health advice out there, and boy do I have plenty to spare. As Thanksgiving rolls around, we can all, hopefully, be thankful for our good health. To remain happy and healthy there are three things you need to do: exercise, sleep well, and take care of your teeth.

We have known for a while now that vigorous exercise can help prevent breast cancer, but new research performed by the National Cancer Institute shows that getting enough shut-eye is necessary for the benefits of all your hard work to stick. Not getting adequate sleep can practically negate the benefits of exercise in lowering your breast cancer risk. I knew that not sleeping well increased breast cancer risk, but am a little surprised that it can negate exercise. Hopefully, exercising vigorously will help us all sleep solidly through the night. One thing that has helped me is getting rid of my digital alarm clock with its bright blue display.

To get the skinny on brushing your teeth,

Will Smoking Make Obama a Better President?

LibertySugar — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 02:00:17 -0800

Barack Obama may like to work out, but that doesn't mean he's snuffed out all unhealthy habits. Barack promised first-lady-to-be Michelle that he would quit smoking back in 2007 — that much we know. Yet it still remains unclear whether Barack successfully quit, and the president-elect hasn't given a direct answer, nor has the media demanded one.

While the country, not to mention Malia and Sasha, would probably rather Obama stop his unhealthy and life-shortening habit, Washington Post columnist Michael Kinsley thinks the country might be better off if he doesn't stress himself out with quitting. Yesterday Kinsley wrote:

Another question is what effect a president desperate for a cigarette and trying to quit might have on your life expectancy and mine. Obama's steely calm is now one of our country's major assets. If he needs an occasional cigarette to preserve it, let's hand him an ashtray, offer him a light and look the other way.

If Obama smokes while he's in the White House, I bet he'll keep it under wraps. Do you think a picture of the president smoking would shock modern Americans, even if presidential lighting up is in the country's best interest?

Obese Air Travelers in Canada Have Right to Free Seat

LibertySugar — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:30:34 -0800

As a tall woman, I am relieved when the seat next to me on a flight ends up empty, since the space I paid for is painfully too small. As of today, obese people flying Canadian airlines officially have a right to that extra seat, at no extra cost.

The Supreme Court of Canada declined to hear airline objections to the Canadian Transportation Agency's regulation that states that people "functionally disabled by obesity" do not have to pay for an extra seat.

Earlier this year the agency implemented the nondiscrimination "one-person-one-fare" policy because those with severe disabilities had limited traveling opportunities due to the doubled price of travel. Do you think the decision is a blow against discrimination, or the beginning of a slippery slope for troubled airlines?

Source

Could a Mandated Fast Food Ad Ban Cut Child Obesity?

lilsugar — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 10:45:17 -0800

Could a Mandated Fast Food Ad Ban Cut Child Obesity? Experts have gone back and forth on whether the pause in kids' weight gains is permanent, but a new study shows a ban on fast food television ads could help reduce the number of overweight children in the US by 18 percent.

To the Rescue: Bloat

PetSugar — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 04:15:51 -0800

While bloat is a fairly common (even deadly) ailment, it is not another way to say a pup is overweight! Much like pharyngeal gag reflexes (aka, reverse sneezes), it has a serious scientific name: gastric torsion. This occurs when a deep-chested dog has a full tum (of food or water) and then engages in vigorous activity or exercise. Pups like this Great Dane have stomachs that are not attached to their ribcages, so when it's heavy and full (the "before"), it can flip around and block the intestinal track (the "after").

What other breeds are commonly bothered and how can you prevent this? Find out when you

Could a Mandated Fast Food Ad Ban Cut Child Obesity?

CitizenSugar — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 09:30:58 -0800

Experts have gone back and forth on whether the pause in kids' weight gains is permanent, but a new study shows a ban on fast food television ads could help reduce the number of overweight children in the US by 18 percent.

The study, which was compiled by the National Bureau of Economic Research, questioned whether government regulation (something that's been done in Sweden, Norway and Finland) could help the US trim the unhealthy fat off children.

Estimates suggest 13.9 percent of children aged two to five are overweight and 18.8 percent of those aged six to 11 are as well. Exposure to TV is known to raise obesity rates and the Institute of Medicine put together evidence linking food advertising on television and increased childhood obesity.

Fifty-six percent of CitizenSugar readers believe the lull in childhood obesity is one thing, but kids are still too far from having healthy habits. Do you think government regulation of fast food ads help tip the scales in the right direction?

Source

DrSugar on Working Out With a Cold

DrSugar — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 05:30:00 -0800

DrSugar knows this is a season of stuffy noses, and that cold and flu season brings with it concerns about exercising when we don't quite feel 100 percent. He has a few things to say on the matter, which should help you decide if you should skip the gym and head to the couch or if the treadmill is the remedy you need. Here's what he has to say:

As Winter creeps in and cold and flu season begins, it is tempting to stay indoors and put away those running shoes for a few months. However, studies show that maintaining a moderate exercise routine can actually boost the immune system and prevent infections. The best way to prevent colds this Winter is to eat a nutritious and well-rounded diet, exercise, avoid stress, get plenty of sleep, and wash your hands regularly. While mild to moderate exercise routines boost the immune system, it is also known that extreme regimens can cause stress by elevating cortisol levels and actually weaken the immune system. This explains why it is common to come down with a cold following a big athletic event, such as that once-a-year marathon or triathlon.

To see how exercise can affect you once you're beginning to feel under the weather, please

Healthy To-Do: Just Say No to TV

FitSugar — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:00:00 -0800

I will admit after a long day of working and mothering, sitting on the couch, remote in hand, always sounds like the perfect way to wind down and decompress. But I am here to say, don't give into the new opiate of the masses, turn off the boob tube and do something else — it could make you happy.

Watching TV is pleasurable, I am not arguing with that, but a newly released long-term study from the University of Maryland found that those who watch more TV are less happy. The 34-year-long study, involving over 45,000 participants, found that watching TV made viewers happy in the short term, but had no long-term benefits, leaving people a little dissatisfied with their choice to veg on the coach. Watching TV interferes with activities that might be less enjoyable in the moment, but provide long-term satisfaction. The study cited socializing, reading book, and sex as activities happy people did about 30 percent more than the unhappy TV watchers.

We all know that there are surprising health benefits associated with getting it on, but another activity that leaves folks feeling relaxed and pleased with themselves is exercise. Hey, I am FitSugar; so of course I am going to argue the benefits of choosing working out over TV.

So instead of watching an hour of television tonight, try just a 30 minutes. Then do so some yoga, call a friend, get it on with your partner, or read a book. It just might help you become the healthy, happy you.

Source

How Money Are You: The Cost of Smoking

SavvySugar — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 07:30:59 -0800

If you're someone who prefers to have something to show for your hard work, buying cigarettes isn't exactly the best way to showcase your well-deserved paycheck. Smoking is expensive, taking a toll on your health and wallet, and Forbes researched just how much money residents across the US pour into their nicotine habit each year. Take the quiz to see how much you know about the cost of smoking.

Source

Home Remedies: Cold and Flu

FitSugar — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 08:00:00 -0800

The colors of Autumn might be lovely, but a few things about the season actually bring me down. I am talking about cold and flu season. If you're unlucky enough to have come down with some bug, you might be able to soothe some of your ailments with ingredients you have in your pantry. Prevention has listed some home remedies for common cold symptoms, and here are the highlights.

Soothe that sore throat: Mix six pressed garlic cloves with hot water, and gargle with this garlic tea twice a day, for three days. The warm liquid soothes inflamed tissues, while the garlic has antimicrobial properties that fight pain-causing bacteria.

Bring down a fever: Try drinking linden flower tea. It controls your body temperature by stimulating the hypothalamus, and also dilates your blood vessels and induces sweating. Pick up the dried herb at a health food store or herb shop. Steep one tablespoon of dried linden flower in a cup of hot water for 15 minutes. Stash makes a linden flower tea, too. Drink this tea three to four times a day. If your fever is over 102° F, take a tepid bath to cool off the body.

To see how you can dull your hacking cough with a few sweet things, just