Healthy Tips from HealthyLife

Beth Cooney offers tips to keep you healthy
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Archive for 2012

Say it Isn’t Soy

Monday, September 3, 2012 by:Beth Cooney
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Although many women consider soy products a natural alternative to estrogen, post-menopausal women who take daily powder supplements don’t get a boost to their overall critical-thinking ability, according to new research. The conclusion comes from the Women’s Isoflavone Soy Health Trial, a study founded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health. Researchers evaluated a large sample of postmenopausal women given soy or milk protein (as a placebo) in soy or bar form. The soy testers were given 25 grams of the protein daily.

At the start of the study and again, two and a half years later, the subjects were given a variety of cognitive tests to determine if the soy supplements had an effect. Among functions studied were verbal memory (such as names), visual memory (such as faces) and other cognitive benchmarks.

Overall, researchers found no significant differences between the two groups and determined that soy had little impact on memory, although they did note some improvements for soy takers in the area of visual memory.

Dining on Filth? Geuss Where Lunch is Dirty Business

Wednesday, August 29, 2012 by:Beth Cooney
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Eating lunch in the corporate cafeteria? You may want to plop a bottle of hand sanitizer on your tray. Turns out the workplace lunchroom can be as germ-infested as your average public restroom.

Grossed out yet? We were when we read the results of a new study conducted by a University of Arizona professor and funded by Kimberly Clark, which manufactures items such as tissues, cleaning wipes and paper towels. As part of its “Healthy Workplaces Project,” researchers swabbed common office lunchroom objects in search of animal, yeast, mold and other bacteria. The researchers reported the worst threats in your typical office breakroom lurked on the handles of the microwave and sink. Other hot spots: computer keyboards, vending and water machine buttons and fridge handles.

“People are aware of the risks of germs in restrooms, but areas like breakrooms have not received the same degree of attention,” says Dr. Charles Gerba, a professor of microbiology at the University of Arizona. “This study demonstrates the contamination that can be spread throughout the workplace when office workers heat up lunch, make coffee or simply type on their keyboards.”

Before you call in sick over this news take heed: The researchers suggested simple solutions such as providing access to hand sanitizers and cleansing wipes — as well as education on hand and surface hygiene — may help diminish the germy threats that lurk in the office lunch room.

Sugar Subsitute Consumption Skyrocketing. And You Won’t Believe Who is Consuming More of It.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012 by:Beth Cooney
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In news that may not be so sweet, researchers recently reported that our appetite for artificial sugar substitutes is getting insatiable.

What’s perhaps most disturbing about this news  is that in the last decade the amount of low-calorie sweeteners has doubled amongst children.

No specific explanation for the spike in artificial sweetener usage was offered for the increase in a study reported recently in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. But researchers, who were affiliated with Emory University as well as Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, noted the consumption of such low-calorie sugar substitutes increased in every demographic subgroup they studied.

The authors concluded further research is necessary to understand the long-term health implications of this trend, particularly when it comes to the health and wellness of the next generation.

‘Excergames’ Are a Workout. Sort of….

Monday, August 27, 2012 by:Beth Cooney
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For those sedentary sorts who limit their workouts to Wii aerobics or  Xbox soccer matches; herein comes a moderately healthy excuse for their hobbies.

Researchers at Michigan State University have concluded the “light to moderate” workouts active gaming provide can be beneficial;  especially when used as part of a structured exercise program (such as at a senior center or recreation facility.)

“For those not engaging in real-life exercise, this may be a good step towards this,” study author Wei Peng, an assistant professor of telecommunications at MSU  says in a news release. “Eventually the goal is to get them somewhat active and maybe move to real-life exercise.”

The study findings were recently published in the journal Health Education & Behavior.

Kids Cholesterol Levels Improving: But The Good News May Not Last

Thursday, August 23, 2012 by:Beth Cooney
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After years of headlines and statistics that have made it perfectly clear there’s an obesity crisis facing American children (and grownups) there is finally some good– and surprising– news in this epidemic. The federal Centers for Disease Control are reporting that cholesterol levels have improved in children in recent years.

But eight percent of kids in a comprehensive study of 16,000 American kids ages six to 19 still had elevated cholesterol levels.

The findings were drawn from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Surveys were reported in the Aug. 8 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Researchers are not sure what contributed to the fact that their survey subjects had lower cholesterol levels than in any other period the three-year survey was conducted, beginning in 1988. And,many childrens health experts have responded to the report with a cautionary tone since some 17 percent of America’s yough ages two to 18 is estimated to be obese. There’s still plenty of reason for moms and dads and try to keep their children’s diets healthy and keep them active.

Weight Loss Success: How to Get it Write

Tuesday, August 21, 2012 by:Beth Cooney
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Want the secret to shedding excess pounds? Well, it turns out it’s not really a secret.(And not all that difficult.)

Researchers have found three keys to successful weight loss in postmenopausal women  that you’ve probably heard a thousand times already.  Here they are: Keep a journal. Don’t skip meals. And eat or prepare more of your meals at home–especially lunch.

The study looked at 100 women trying to lose weight over a 12 month period to determine lifestyle factors that supported weight loss. Regular meal times, home cooking or meal preparation and jotting down what they consumed during the course of the day were identified by researchers as three key strategies used by the most successful dieters.

The good news here? No drastic changes required.

The findings were reported in the July issue of the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Social Drinking: It’s a Real Ice Breaker

Monday, August 20, 2012 by:Beth Cooney
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Say cheers and clink your glasses to the latest research on our social animal instincts: A little booze makes us legal drinking age grownups friendlier, helps us  bond and and even minimizes our negative emotions.

We can almost hear you saying, “I’ll drink to that,”  but in all seriousness a comprehensive University of Pittsburgh study reported in the journal Psychological Science found that when strangers gather, alcohol can function as a true social lubricant.

The researchers studied 720 people –all strangers–whom they separated into 20 different groups who were then gathered for social meetings. Some of the groups were  vodka cranberry cocktails to drink;  non-alcoholic placebo beverages and  non-alcoholic soft drinks.

After videotaping and studying these gatherings, the researchers noted more genuine “smiles” in the groups served liquor. They also noted less negative behavior such as eye rolling.

Of course, if you struggle with alcohol addiction or dependency,this study is not an excuse to imbibe. But it does offer some insight into why people often turn to alcohol when they feel stressed, want to celebrate or feel nervous amongst strangers.

They study was funded by U.S. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

Just Grin and Bear It! Why a Smile Makes You Feel Better.

Thursday, August 16, 2012 by:Beth Cooney
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There really is something to that sage old advice to suck up the tough times and just grin and bear it. It turns out that smiling–even a reluctant, forced smile–can make people feel better about their circumstances.

Researchers at the University of Kansas, have been studying how smiles and even the awareness of smiling can help people recover from periods of stress.

Working with 169 study subjects, scientists looked at factors such as heart rates and reported stress levels on their test subjects as they were asked to smile, hold neutral expressions and even force smiles by using chopsticks to push at the smile muscles in their faces to create a forced expression.

Researchers found the smiling subjects  had reduced stress levels as noted by markers such as blood pressure.

Their stress-busting advice?  “The next time you are stuck in traffic or experiencing some kind of stress you might want to hold your face in a smile for a moment,” suggests Sarah Pressman. a lead researcher on the study and a psychological scientist at the University of Kansas.  “Not only may it help you grin and bear it psychologically but it may be good for your health as well.”

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