August 2009

Swine flu is everywhere — in the world and in the headlines.  But while we’re all watching the pandemic carefully and weighing whether to get the swine flu shot or not, there’s another, less exotic germ out there — seasonal flu.

Kristi Yamaguchi has teamed up with the American Lung Association’s Faces of Influenza campaign to encourage Americans to get their seasonal flu shot this year.  “As a mom of two children 5 and under, I want to protect my kids. One simple way to do that is to vaccinate myself and everyone around my kids,” Yamaguchi told HealthDay.  Yamaguchi has been protecting herself with flu vaccines for 20 years.

Health experts are encouraging Americans to get their flu shots early this year.  The campaign typically starts in October, but the shot should be available at doctors offices and health departments soon.  Since the H1N1 vaccine will likely require two shots, authorities don’t want people to get confused about their immunity to the different flu viruses.

Yamaguchi reminds people that flu is an annual event.  “With 30,000 deaths and 200,000 hospitalizations from the seasonal flu, those numbers are certainly higher than what we’ve seen of the swine flu. Protecting yourself from both viruses is very important.”

Photo: kristiyamaguchi.com

Garlic has long been a kitchen staple, revered for it’s strong flavor.  But there’s good reason to include it in your favorite dishes that have nothing to do with taste.  Recent research reveals that garlic is also great for your heart.

Garlic is rich in antioxidants, but it’s the hydrogen sulfide in garlic that relaxes blood vessels and improves circulation.  But there is a catch:  Garlic that’s been cooked or processed loses some of it’s ability to benefit the body.  Instead, it’s better eaten raw and freshly crushed.

So go ahead and include garlic in your favorite recipes, but to protect your heart, you might want to try eating it raw, too.  Here’s a suggestion:  Crush a clove (a day’s dose), let it sit for several minutes, then mix with applesauce or yogurt.  Then grab yourself some mint gum — you’re going to need it!

Photo: sxc.hu

Back-t0-school is just around the corner — or in some states, already here.  Getting organized for those early mornings is top on everyone’s list, and one way to make the morning go a little faster is with a smoothie.

Smoothies with simple ingredients are quick and easy enough to make that older kids can even handle them on their own.  A few quick gulps and they’ve had a breakfast that’s chockful of essential vitamins and minerals, as well as a little protein and fat to carry them over until lunch time.

Here are some kid-friendly smoothie recipes:

Breakfast smoothie (though I like at least 2% fat yogurt for kids, rather than fat-free)

Peanut Butter Banana

Oatmeal-to-Go

Hidden Spinach Smoothie

What’s your favorite smoothie recipe?

Photo: sxc.hu

Want to get more out of your daily workout?  Then turn to the great motivator — music.  A study out of the University of Western Ontario in Canada found that when women played their favorite tunes — and played them loudly — they had a more efficient workout.

In both cardio and strength training exercises, women were less likely to fatigue and were more motivated to push through the pain of the workout.  Though music at lower decibels had a motivating effect, louder music worked even better.

So what kinds of songs should you be adding to your iPod?  It’s up to you — just pick something with an upbeat tempo and that makes you feel good.  One warning, however:  Though loud music motivated women, those higher decibels can also cause permanent hearing damage.  Here are some prevention tips:

• Trade in your earbuds for over the ear type headphones.
• Try noise-cancelling headphones, so you don’t have to turn the music up so high.
• Keep the music under 85 decibels, or roughly the level of busy street noise.  If you can’t hear nearby conversation, it’s too loud.

For inspiration, check out some of these fitness playlists and see if you can’t inspire your next workout.

Photo: sxc.hu

At age 107, Olive Riley started a blog (or a blob, as she called it), a great example of the “new adventures” that help keep a mind young.  Embracing technology was recently listed as one marker of people who live to be 100 by the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden.

It’s not the only “surprising sign,” either.  Others include:

• being social and outgoing
• being a runner
• eating a fiber-rich diet
• feeling younger than your years
• entering menopause after age 52

Some of these things are under our control, some aren’t.  But looking at this list, it seems that in addition to regular exercise and a balanced diet, living a life of of optimism and fun might add years to our lives.

Need a little more levity? Here are simple tips to lead a more optimistic life.

Photo: djenan, Flickr

Thirsty?  Rather than reach for a lemonade or soft drink, pour yourself a tall, cold glass of iced tea instead.  Why?  As the You Docs point out, tea isn’t just a great thirst quencher, it’s good for you too.

If you need a few reasons to make the switch, take a closer look at what’s inside that cup of tea:

• the amino acid L-theanine — which helps you feel alert, but calm.
• flavonoids, which protect the cardiovascular system.
• fluoride, for strong teeth
• ECGC, found in green tea, can help prevent weight gain

Add variety to your tea by mixing in fruit flavored tea bags, adding fruit juices for sweetness, or trying flavored syrups.  Here are simple steps for making iced tea at home, as well as creative ways to make your next glass of tea more interesting.

Photo: sxc.hu

August means tomatoes,  plants heavy with their round, red, ripe fruits.  This luscious gift from the garden doesn’t just inspire tasty recipes, it’s chock full of nutrients too.

The tomato’s most important nutrient, according to The World’s Healthiest Foods, is lycopene.  This carotenoid is credited with all sorts of cancer-fighting properties.  Tomatoes are also rich in vitamins A and C, and potassium.

There are plenty of ways to enjoy a tomato.  Choose one fresh from the garden or farmer’s market for more flavor.  Slice and enjoy raw or with a bit of mozzerella cheese.  Chop and put into a spicy salsa, or freeze batches of spaghetti sauce for winter.

Get ready for the taste of summer with tomato cooking tips, as well as some excellent recipe ideas from the New York Times.

Photo: sxc.hu

Boredom — it’s a common culprit in the downfall of a good fitness routine.  Unless you’re committed to a sport — running or swimming, for instance — doing the same old thing can get tiresome day after day.

That’s why fitness centers are using creativity to bring their customers in.  Cropping up in popular New York gyms are classes like Jukari Fit to Fly — based on Cirque Du Soliel — and Antigravity Yoga Wings, which takes place on a trapeze.  There’s even a karaoke spinning class.  How do you sing when you can’t even catch your breath, I wonder?

While all this is good fun, what if you don’t live in New York City or another large metro area?  Keeping your workout interesting is up to you.  Here are some ideas:

• Rent or buy fitness videos from the library.  Look for new activities you’ve never tried before.
• Hire a personal trainer to teach you new and more effective workouts.
• Find an enthusiastic workout buddy and commit to two or more workouts a week.
• Learn a new skill — rock climbing or dancing, for instance.

Your body and your mind will fall into a rut if you don’t change things up, so keep challenging yourself to try new things.  And if you’re interested in reading more about those funky NYC exercise classes, here’s a slideshow.

How do you spice up your fitness routine?

Stop what you’re doing right now and pay attention to how you’re breathing.  Chances are — if you’re busy and stressed (and who isn’t?) — you’re breathing too high up in your chest.  It’s a common problem.  When we’re on the go, we hold our bellies in and breathe into our “shoulders” instead.  But this kind of breathing can create even more tension, especially in your neck and upper back.

Instead, practice breathing into your belly.  Here’s an easy way to learn:

Lie on your back with your legs extended, arms at your side.  Place one hand on your belly and breathe in.  When you inhale, the hand on your belly should rise.  Practice focusing your breath into your belly, until it feels comfortable to breathe that way.

It’s not a habit you’ll change all at once, but in time it will feel more natural … and you’ll feel calmer, too.

Interested in more breathing techniques?  Visit Dr. Weil to learn about three more breathing exercises to calm and energize.

Photo by creativedc on Flickr.