41 million American workers don't get enough sleep, CDC says

Reblogged from The Loszach Blog:

(Credit: istockphoto)

If you happen to be at work right now and you’re feeling tired, you’ve got a lot of company. A new CDC study finds more than 40 million workers get fewer than six hours of sleep per night – that’s about 30 percent of the country’s civilian workforce.

And by not getting the National Sleep Foundation’s recommended seven to nine hours of shut-eye per night, the CDC says these workers pose a serious and potentially fatal risk to themselves and coworkers.The CDC’s study is published in the April 26 issue of its journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

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TRX Bands Offers Portable, Total-Body Workout

Reblogged from CBS Minnesota:

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — When you think of total body workouts, you probably think of all that big, bulky gear you find in a gym — equipment you couldn’t possibly cart along with you when headed outdoors or out of town.

But there are a few things you can try that would fit inside a gym bag and still leave room for your workout clothes.

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Are you up for a CHALLENGE this Summer?

 It’s spring time!  Summer is right around the corner.  The weather is improving and more and more people are venturing outdoors after a long winter hibernation.  What else comes with summer time?  Almost every philanthropy group has some type of 5k run/walk nearly every weekend. 

Along with the 5k’s, 10k’s, half and full marathons, and  triathalons are a growing trend of new, and more adventurous ways to torture yourself all while raising money for a good cause.  They have names like: The Tough Mudder, The Warrior Dash, The Spartan Race, GR 5k Mud Run, Muddy Buddy, and The Down and Dirty 5k just to name a few.

Last weekend, I completed (and survived) the MI/OH Tough Mudder, which was a 12-mile obstacle-course through an old Quarry in Amherst, OH.  Participants from across the country were hit with everything from treacherous terrain, lots of mud, freezing cold water, fire, and even electric shocks while crawling through muddy water.  Let’s just say it was challenging and I have the video and bruises to prove it.

People were spraining ankles, breaking ribs, and wrists, and running on the verge of hypothermia, all to benefit the Wounded Warrior project, which aids wounded Veterans.  One thing that I didn’t expect to see was all of the smiles and fun that people were having in the dreadful conditions that we were running in.

About half way through the race, as I was pulling a fellow mudder over an obstacle, I noticed something peculiar as he came out of the muddy water.  The guy only had one leg!  Just as soon as I pulled him up, he turned around, lowered his artificial limb to the guy behind him and pulled the guy up! 

There I was, freezing cold, sore everything, only half way through this hellacious race, thinking about the pain I was feeling and how far I had left to go and here is one of our Veterans, who gave his leg for our country, completely covered in mud, running this crazy race right next to me on ONE LEG!  That was a turning point for me…  I had a different feeling wash over me.  I no longer felt the pain, I couldn’t complain anymore, I just started smiling and continued on my muddy way.

Later in the course, I encountered a guy with one arm.  He sprinted up a 20 foot quarter-pipe and was able to latch onto someone’s hand and pulled himself up with ONE ARM onto the platform!  Not only was it an amazing feat of strength, but for the people watching, it was motivation for them to get to the top of that obstacle. 

One of my own teammates lost her grip on an obstacle, fell, and broke 2 of her ribs as she hit the platform on her way down.  Guess what…she ran over 5 miles afterwards and still completed the race. (She’s one Tough Mudder)

At one point, my teammates and I, encountered 3 grandmothers trying to navigate a 12 foot wall, so myself and two of my teammates helped push the sweet old ladies over the wall.   They were voiced their thanks and went on their merry way, smiling the whole time.  I couldn’t believe the variety of people that we saw along the course, from 18 years old to people well into their sixties!

The bottom line is, there are a TON of challenges waiting for you out there.  It doesn’t matter your age, athletic ability, or motivation, just pick one, or two, or three this summer and challenge yourself to do something proactive with your health and help out a great cause.  Even if you just walk, you are still moving in the right direction.  You may amaze yourself with what your body and mind can actually do!

Check out the local events list in your area to see what’s available.  You’ll feel better about yourself and also lend a hand to a cause that can always use more support.  If you can’t run or walk, volunteer to help out with whatever you can do.  Either way, you will be helping others as well as helping yourself take a more proactive role in leading a healthier lifestyle.

See you in the Mud!

Dr. Mik

Health Care Crisis- It’s up to YOU!

When asked, most people think of the current health care crisis in the United States as a health insurance crisis. Although the lack of health care insurance is a problem, it pales in comparison to the real crisis – overall health. This crisis is not discriminatory. All segments of the population are affected.

Fingers have been pointed at many for this health crisis:

• Government: The lack of universal and affordable insurance
• Pharmaceutical Companies: The price of prescription drugs
• Health Care Industry: Current managed health care practices
• Food Industry: Unhealthy food choices for lower income individuals

 Although each of these has a hand in perpetuating the crisis, none are the true cause. The real reason behind the health care crisis is an individual’s poor choices and lifestyle, mostly in the areas of food, exercise and stress. This leads to health related issues such as cancer, depression, high blood pressure, strokes, heart attacks, and most other health issues.

 Whether we like it or not, we need to take personal responsibility for our health. This means taking personal responsibility to educate ourselves on the choices that will make a positive change for us and for those we love.

 Here is a little reality check for you:

• 66% of adults are overweight or obese
• 34% of adults are obese
• 16% of youth are overweight or obese

 Millions of dollars are spent to find the causes and solutions for obesity. The answer, however, doesn’t take millions of dollars to discover. All you have to do is look in homes across America, specifically in the kitchens and on the couches.

 To understand this further, let’s look at a few statistics. In the last 100 years:

• Sugar consumption has increased from 5 pounds to 158 pounds per year.
• Processed grains consumption, such as chips and crackers, has increased by 62 pounds per year.
• Meat consumption increased by 60 pounds per year.
• Cheese consumption increased by 28 pounds per year.
• Soft drink consumption increased by 53 gallons per year.
• 500 calories per day have been added to our diets.
• TV watching has increased to 4 hours per day.

 The answer to the obesity crisis, and the health care crisis in general, is simple – returning to a more natural diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, while avoiding processed foods, and being active every day.

The SAD Facts

Stat Fact  In March 2004, a study co-authored by CDC director Dr. Julie Gerberding claimed that, in 2000, obesity and physical inactivity killed 400,000 Americans; that is, obesity caused more than 16 percent of all deaths in the U.S. 4

Early in the 20^th century, the American diet was quite different from what it is today. If you could peek onto the shelves at the local store you would find produce, living plants, seeds and grains. You might also find some home canned products. You would not find what is typical on shelves today:

•  Hormone injected meat
• Processed foods
• Fast foods
• Junk foods

With these different food choices comes, of course, a completely different diet – the SAD diet (Standard American Diet). The foods found in the SAD diet have many imbalances.

1.  An excessive amount of certain foods such as meat, fats and sugar.
2. Too little fruits and vegetables.
3. Lack of nutrients in the food due to overcooking and processing.

 Basically, when talking about your diet:

 Lose: Refined flour, Refined cooking oil, soft drinks, coffee, margarine, and less or no booze is better.                                       

Add: non-processed foods including: vegetables (fresh and lots of leafy greens), fruits, meat in moderation, and fish (not Long John Silvers).

 In the end, don’t fall for all of the hype that you see on tv commercials and hear in the media.  Here are 10 things that junk food makers don’t want you to know about their products and how they promote them. 

Studies Show Fast Food TV Advertising Has Direct Link to Childhood Obesity  A study by the National Bureau of Economic Research has shown that a ban on fast food advertisements could reduce the number of obese 3 to 11 year olds by 18 percent and the number of obese 12 to 18 year olds by 14 percent. The study is the largest of its kind to directly tie childhood obesity to fast food advertising on television.

Junk food makers spend billions advertising unhealthy foods to kids. (Promotions to entice children include the use of cartoon characters and free giveaways, as well as fun websites)

1. 2.      Food studies minimize health concerns associated with their products (In other words, a food company’s research is not really scientific. It is just another avenue of advertising to prove the value of their product)
2. 3.      Large food industry leaders give money to professional nutrition associations. (the American Dietetic Association accepts money from large food companies)
3. 4.      More processing equals more profits equals less-healthy food. (Big profits come from turning government-subsidized commodity crops like corn, wheat and soybeans, into processed foods and beverages)
4. 5.      Natural foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables are more filling than their highly processed counterparts (Fresh fruits and vegetables have an abundance of fiber and nutrients that satisfy hunger easily)
5. 6.      Foods touted as healthy replacements for unhealthy foods are not as healthy as you would think. (a food company that sells both soda and sports drinks can keep their profits by “helping” you switch from one product to the other while making you believe you are doing more for your body)
6. 7.      Labels don’t mean a thing. (label claims are meant to distract you from reading the entire label and the contents)
7. 8.      Nutritional guidelines are confusing due to food industry pressure. (“Choose meats, poultry and fish that will reduce saturated fat intake?”  What?)
8. 9.      Food lobbyists are often funded by large food companies. (the Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF) is a group that lobbies against obesity-related campaigns)
9. 10.  The food industry doesn’t like critics. check out (Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health)

 In this country, modern medicine is used routinely for major surgeries such as bypasses and transplants. However, there is little attention paid to prevention. Seventy-five percent of health care costs are due to chronic diseases and only two percent are spent on prevention. To get healthy again, this will have to change and the change must start with you.

 By taking care of your body now, learning everything you can to make good choices, and finding health practitioners that promote the prevention of disease, you will be well on your way to a healthier you.

 These are just some of the facts and suggestions found in the first chapter of my newly released book : The Healthy Life Project.  If you want to learn more, check out:

http://www.amazon.com/Healthy-Life-Project-Steven-Mikulak/dp/0985126701/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335131130&sr=8-1 

Health and Happiness,

 Dr. Mik

Not Bacon!- Good Fats in Your Diet

Oh Bacon, how I wish your nutritional properties matched your magnificent taste. 

Sadly, and as much as it pains me to say, bacon is not a “Good” fat in your diet.  Research, fortunately, has shown us some healthier alternatives.

Recent research has shown:

Many still believe that saturated fats like coconut oil are “fattening” and bad for your heart, but indeed some are GOOD! – some may even help you attain your weight loss goals as well.

For cooking: Tropical oils such as palm and coconut oils (and even animal fats such as butter) are best for cooking… they have very little polyunsaturates and are mostly composed of natural saturated fats which are the least reactive to heat/light and therefore the least inflammatory in your body from cooking use.

Consuming lots of olive oil lowers your risk for stroke, according to a recent analysis of more than 7,600 people conducted by French researchers. People who used olive oil lowered their risk of stroke by 41 percent when compared to those who never used olive oil, according to the study.

Remember, however, olive oil has 120 calories per tablespoon, which people tend to forget when drizzling it over salads or dabbing it with a chunk of bread. Realize that could turn your 50-calorie salad into a 350-calorie salad, and that’s no good.

As you already know, your waist size is not only a matter of your outward reflection on the world (the way you look), but also an indicator of the build-of fat around your internal organs which is strongly linked to 2 of America’s Top Health Concerns: Diabetes and heart disease.  It’s actually more accurate than your body mass index (BMI). The greater the waist circumference, the higher the chances are for diabetes.

If you want to determine if your waist size is in a healthy range, use a tape measure to figure the distance around the smallest area of your abdomen below your rib cage and above your belly button. Then compare your measurements to this general guide:

• For men, between 37 and 40 inches is overweight and more than 40 inches is obese
• For women, 31.5-34.6 inches is overweight and more than 34.6 inches is obese

In other words, if you can’t see your toes, get to Meijer and start cooking with Coconut Oil…It’s a good first step.           

Many of coconut oil’s benefits may be due to its content of medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs), rather than the long chain fatty acids (LCFAs) found in vegetable oils like soybean oil and animal fats (bacon…damn) and lard.

Additionally, many LCFAs are from genetically engineered vegetable oils that are loaded with omega-6 fats.  Not only do you want to avoid the genetically engineered foods, but even if they were organic these vegetable oils should be avoided as they are high processed and also distort you fragile omega 6/3 ratio.

Vegetable Oils (including soybean oil) and lard:

-are difficult for your body to break down

-cause more strain on your pancreas, your liver and your entire digestive system.

-are predominantly stored in your body as fat.

-when oxidized, can deposit within arteries, contributing to both blood vessel inflammation and plaque build-up.

Coconut Oil, Palm Oil, REAL Butter (not margarine):

-are smaller and more easily broken down

-are easily digested, thus putting less strain on your digestive system. This is especially important for those of you with digestive or metabolic concerns.

-are sent directly to your liver, where they are immediately converted into energy rather than being stored as fat.

-can actually help stimulate your body’s metabolism, leading to weight loss.

Additionally, a very exciting discovery is that coconut oil may even serve as a natural treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.

Whether you’re trying to lose weight or not, using coconut oil as your primary cooking oil is important because it is the only one that is stable enough to resist heat-induced damage. Extra-virgin olive oil, while great as a salad dressing or for other non-heated uses, should not be used for cooking. Due to its chemical structure, heat makes it susceptible to oxidative damage.

And polyunsaturated fats, which include common vegetable oils such as corn, soy, safflower, sunflower and canola, are absolutely the worst oils to use in cooking. These omega-6 oils are highly susceptible to heat damage because of their multiple double bonds.

Coconut oil is far superior to any other cooking oil and is loaded with health benefits, not to mention flavor. Make sure you choose an organic coconut oil that is unrefined, unbleached, made without heat processing or chemicals, and does not contain genetically engineered ingredients.

I still think bacon should be one of the four basic food groups, but I have to go with the research on this one, try to maintain my girlish figure, and stick with the coconut oil for cooking and olive oil for my salads.  Though, I will be dreaming of bacon tonight.

Health & Happiness,

Dr. Mik

Occupy Survival Guide

 

Here in West Michigan we see slight flurries to road-covering, knee-high, drifting, blowing lake-effect snow but snow doesn’t have to be the enemy.

Latitudinally-challenged people like the Eskimos build their places of residence (igloos) from the fluffy white nectar of the sky. But likely, you’re no Eskimo– 20,000 folks in a small area sure can cause a lot of problems… so how do you survive?  For those Occupy Wall Street/Grand Rapids/Lansing protesters about to embrace their first lake-effect, ice-ridden winter the way a hedge fund manager embraces his bonus check, here are a few tips to keep you and your fellow freedom-fighters from sickness and freezing to death.

The bacteria swimming around all those people is pretty much like the cantina scene in Star Wars… you never know when a green alien is going to jump out and blast you.  So? What do you do? Let’s face it, most of us are not MacGyver, and if you went through Med School, you probably wouldn’t be sleeping in a tent in the middle of a city.

There are a few things you’re going to need to defend yourself.

Let’s start with occupying some clothes: Remember, cotton kills-it pulls heat from the body and doesn’t insulate well and is highly absorbent.  If you’re looking for natural fibers, wool is a much better option.  Wool can insulate you – even when wet – up to 1/3 saturation.  Obviously, go inside and warm up when possible but be aware that if you’re sweating when you leave and return to the frozen tundra, you run the risk of hypothermia and even death. Some wool has the ability to take moisture away from the skin, leaving you drier and better protected. 

Occupy your head, hands, feet and ears. Your extremities are the first to feel the pain.  Your body naturally will divert blood flow away from the limbs in order to keep protect your brain and internal organs.  As for the proper foot attire, stick with something waterproof and unventilated. And allow for some “wiggle room.”  If you lace up too tight, you restrict even more blood flow to the toes and the feet stay cold.  Blood flow keeps you warm. 

Remember, when you’re not awake, you’re asleep.  When winter occupying, you must beware if snow completely envelopes your tent because breathing eats up all the oxygen and replaces it with carbon monoxide, a poison. Yes, breathing can kill you. Take shifts dusting snow off of the tent (perhaps using a tire boot and parking tickets) and make sure to keep it ventilated.

Also, remember the earth sucks…the body heat out of you through conduction, so protect yourself by using a raised cot, sleeping pads, 3-liters of moon mist, pizza boxes – whatever you can find. You need to occupy yourself a good sleeping bag: -20 degrees is fitting for this side of the state.

 

Hand Sanitizer… you’re going to need to occupy a lot. Don’t stock up on that cruddy alcohol based sanitizer like Purell. You need something hardcore with what they call, “persistence.” Look for Triclosan or PCMX in the active ingredients. Persistence doesn’t just mean you’re going to occupy some space until people listen to you, or hitting on someone in a bar until they give up their digits. It means the good guys in the sanitizer are going to kill the bad guys… for a lot longer than the alcohol could.

Speaking of persistence… let’s talk about that odor issue that’s going to be occupying YOU! Don’t be the homeless guy who walks around, talking to himself, regarding his own personal hygiene.  You want people to see you when you’re out protesting, not run away from the rank stench that could knock a turkey vulture off a telephone poll at 100 yards. What do you do?  One of the ways is with a shower wipe. This can help you get the dirt, gunk, and stank off in absence of running water. I’d recommend going with something delicate, like a cucumber and aloe… which can also double for toilet paper… if you can actually find a toilet someone is going to let you use.  And, look after your mouth!  Save yourself a trip to the dentist and go out to buy some Wisps. No water needed, brush, pick, toss… and SHARE.

Money… you’re going to need at to occupy least $1000 cash for a couple of reasons. You’re probably going to need to post bail when you get arrested for continually using the Starbucks toilet without buying coffee… or… you’re just going to have to buy a LOT of coffee. Yeah, I know, $1k is a lot of dough, and you may have issues putting all that money in your skinny jeans, but people that take bribes? Well… they don’t take American Express.

If you’re not tweakin’ for the weekend on triple skinny carmel macchiato with 4 shots of espresso, you’re going to need to occupy some hydration. Protesting is a tough job, so you don’t want to go passing out and end up handcuffed to a hospital bed, or falling over when they turn the fire-hose on you. I’d say go get a Camel-Bak and fill it up with some cold water; it’s like a backpack and a water-bottle all in one.

Nutritionally? Okay, so you’ve survived the night and now it’s time for breakfast. Dunkin Donuts, for example, are high in calories, which are good, but they lack complex carbohydrates, which break down slowly, keeping you warmer longer. Staple junk foods like donuts and bagels (mmm…bagels) are loaded with simple sugars (mmm, simple) so the energy burns up quickly, leaving you like a low-blood sugar, mush-brain, with little to no mental capacity for decision making.  So stick to the complex-carbs.

What about booze?  Alcohol makes you feel warm, but in reality it makes you colder.  Cigarettes are equally unhelpful at providing warmth.  Both alcohol and cigarettes cause constriction of the blood vessels, especially to the hands and feet, limiting the blood flow to those areas=COLD. 

You’ll probably want to occupy an acoustic guitar. It’s not that “Stairway to Heaven” and every Pearl Jam song ever made get old after hearing them 100 times… but you can also smash the guitar and use it for firewood. Depending on how you play, you might actually make more friends that way.

 

Bring a tent big enough for 2 to occupy. You never know when you’re going to meet that special protester that dots their “i’s” with a heart on their placards. In that case, you had better occupy some condoms as well. Sharing body heat to keep from getting hypothermia has been a long standing way to stay warm in harsh times. If you don’t smell like butt-crack and tacos, there’s probably a higher possibility of that.

Occupy some duct tape. It’s got 1001 uses, right? When your shoes and clothes become raggedy tatters flapping in the wind like Donald Trump’s hair piece on a speed boat, your faith in your cause isn’t going to hold them together… duct tape is!

Move it or lose it!  Sedation is the enemy.  Sitting around will make you more susceptible to cold.  Break up the day with jumping jacks, push-ups, free-style running or cold yoga.  Blood is your body’s thermoregulator, so it’s essential to keep it flowing.  I’ve personally never seen a hippy do a push-up, but I am confident in their ability to do so (even if it’s hard to do push-ups in skinny jeans).

Following these simple and brief tips in this article may be the difference between life and death for many of the protesters out there this winter.  Otherwise, toilet paper is always an option.

If you ever have any health questions or concerns/comments please email me at dr.mik@healthylife4me.com

 

Health & Happiness,

Dr. Mik