Pregnancy Concerns: When pregnant, anything a woman does or consumes will impact the child she is carrying. Of course, many positive acts on the mother’s part will promote a healthy pregnancy and safe outcomes. While research this week cautioned on caffeine and pregnancy, a far greater threat to a child is cigarette smoke both active and passive via the mother. In a 2003 study the national prevalence of “smoking pregnant women” was about 12 percent with a drastic variation by state. Cigarette smoking while pregnant has serious consequences. The US Surgeon General reported in 2004 that there is sufficient evidence to say that cigarette smoking causes Sudden Infant Death, Low Birth Weight, placenta previa, placenta abruption and premature rupture of membrane. Second hand smoke is causally linked to SIDS, LBW, respiratory infections, acute and chronic ear infections and decreased lung function in children who breathe it. If you are pregnant the best thing to do for your baby is to stop smoking. People in your life would receive a great health benefit if they quit smoking as well. All persons should commit to not smoking in the presence of others, especially children – ever.
http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/
In re: Your Mental Health: Though I’d like to take this time to rail against the drug companies who market directly to consumers, I should give that a rest. Instead, I want to share a thought with you, a little psychotherapy if you will, as life is short and mental health is an integral part of total wellness. Here it is then: “There is no path back. (Dean Koontz writes that in his latest novel). When you try to find this path back you stand still instead. You stagnate. It is also possible that in trying to go back you may lose all that you were able to take with you that is good. Choose to go forward.” An effective therapist, in my opinion, validates your past but does not have you relive it or worse, reinvent it. A good therapist helps you live your life to its fullest right NOW. Live for this day lest the past rob you of a future.
Yogurt: As recently pointed out with another product remember that containing an ingredient that has been found to be health promoting does not necessarily a health promoting product make. Dannon is being sued for its claim that its yogurt has health promoting probiotic benefits. I am not positive what that means and only bring this to your attention to iterate that product labels and marketing can mislead you.
HMO v Big Pharma: Medical groups and consumer organizations are vocalizing discontent with the practice taken by some health insurers to monetarily reward doctors when they switch a patient from a brand name drug to a generic. This act can save millions of dollars for the health insurance company but ALSO for employers and plan holders. In my opinion it is a good move. A better move than doctor’s prescribing a brand name because they were treated to dinner and educated about the med by the company selling it. Paying the doctors to switch however, that does feel a little smarmy. Worse, at least one doc said he deserved the 100 bucks for taking the time to tell the patient about the drug change. Hey, isn’t that part of the visit anyway?
Diabesity Stocks: I first heard the term diabesity about a year ago to explain the drastic rise in type two diabetes and its relation to the explosion of obesity. This past week, my favorite financial educator, Jim Cramer of Mad Money on CNBC spoke to the lay investors about taking advantage of this incredible market because profit was to be made. I still like Jim. I find this hard to take as a public health educator but maybe people who are overweight and being diagnosed with diabetes will stop hearing “accept your body size” and start hearing, “address your body size” and in that your HEALTH. Listen, the companies that make the devices for treating diabetes, for dialysis and for bariatric surgery are poised to make profits, big profits and their stocks were recommended as BUY BUY BUY.
Krispy Kreme: I don’t suppose I have anything against donuts. They are bad for you but a donut here and there in an otherwise healthy and active life should be okay. A donut I said. Here instead is a race in NC at NC State. The participant will run two miles to KK eat a DOZEN, yup 12, donuts and run back. They raise money for children. For children’s health. Fine example there. No delusions are offered though. The race website offers the nutritional content of the dozen donuts. This includes 2400 calories and 144g of fat. Let us say that a 150 pound guy runs a 9 minute pace for four miles. He will burn 446 calories. Did you see that, not even 500 cals. http://pcvrc.com/calculator/calorie.php Now I get it. It is for fun and it’s once a year, what’s the big deal …etc etc. I can live with that but here is what is going to happen. When a person eats that kind of meal it significantly increase the risk of an adverse event. The heart and pancreas are absolutely traumatized by the sugar (120g) and fat. While the body tries to deal with this, the person goes and RUNS some more. When someone has a heart attack after or during this little race, some damn fool is going to say “running causes heart attacks.” That is what I have a problem with.
I have added to the files at the Media Mix site to include some recipes if you are interested. There are none for donuts.
Wishing you Wellness
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