Herbal Health Remedies

5 Small Herbs with Big Benefits

1. Rosemary: protects against breast cancer when added to foods before cooking
2. Oregano: slows cell damage caused by free radicals
3. Basil: fights cancer & may inhibit the growth of tumors
4. Parsley: strengthens your immune system
5. Cilantro: neutralizes food-borne bacteria (e.g., salmonella)

New Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans

The U.S Department of Health & Human Services (HSS) recently released the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. This is the FIRST time the government has published thorough recommendations for the nation. However, people need to understand that these are the minimums...as "research shows that adults can achieve greater health benefits by increasing their aerobic physical activity to five hours a week of moderate-intensity or two and one half hours a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity".

Here's an overview of the guidelines (remember that these are minimums):

1. Children & Adolescents: 1 hour or more of moderate to vigorous aerobic activity per day (3 days per week should include vigorous intensity physical activity).
2. Adults: 2.5 hours per week of moderate intensity aerobic activity or 1.25 hours of vigorous intensity physical activity.
3. Older Adults: Follow the adult guidelines unless a chronic condition prohibits you from achieving this. If that is the case, be as physically active as possible.
4. Women During Pregnancy: 2.5 hours per week of moderate intensity physical activity throughout the pregnancy.
5. Adults with Disabilities: If able to, follow the guidelines for adults above.
6. People with Chronic Medical Conditions: Perform regular physical activity under the guidance of your physician.

For more information about the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, visit www.hhs.gov or www.health.gov/paguidelines.

Source: American Council on Exercise

Breast Cancer Awareness

As Breast Cancer Awareness Month comes to a close, we'd like to remind you of a few important things about breast cancer.

As you age, your risk of getting breast cancer increases. For example, at age 20 your chance is 1 in 1837, while at age 40 it increases to 1 in 70, and at age 70 it increases to 1 in 26.

Here are some risk factors for developing breast cancer:

• being a woman
• aging
• family history of breast or ovarian cancer
• having first period before the age of 12
• starting menopause after the age of 55
• never giving birth
• having first child after age 30
• high bone density
• drinking more than 1 alcoholic beverage per day
• gaining weight as an adult
• being overweight after menopause
• using birth control pills currently or recently
• using hormone replacement therapy (HRT) currently or recently

Your best defense:

• Routine mammograms - all women over 40 should have a mamm0gram every year; women with a family history should talk to their physician about when and how often to have mammograms
• Clinical breast exams - women should have a clinical breast exam every 3 years fromages 20-39 and every year after 40
• Breast self-exam (BSE) - by age 20, all women should perform monthly breast self-exams a few days after the last day of their period
• Healthy lifestyle - eat healthy foods, exercise regularly, and limit your intake of alcohol

Visit Susan G. Komen for the Cure at http://www.komen.org/ for more information.

Skip the Recumbent Bike

Trinity College Study: Tough bike workout? Skip the recumbent. "Women pedaling at a high intensity (84% of VO2 max) were able to go 8 min longer when they were seated upright." The legs don't tire as quickly because it's easier for blood to reach the legs.

Tips for Goal Setting

The next time you set a goal for yourself, make sure it's a SMART goal. A SMART goal is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-based. And remember to set short AND long term goals for yourself!

Check out http://personaldevelopment.suite101.com/article.cfm/smart_goal_setting for more information.

Is Wii As Good as the Real Thing?

A study at the University of Wisconsin (La Crosse) found playing Wii sports is better than sitting around. However, participating in the actual sport will burn more calories and provide better strength and cardiovascular benefits.

The 6 Healthiest Cuts of Meat

Here are 6 lean cuts of meat with under 170 calories (most with only 3-5g of fat) for a 3 ounce serving:

1. Pork tenderloin (120 cal, 3g fat, 22g protein)



2. Skinless chicken breast (128 cal, 3g fat, 25g protein)
   
   
3. Eye round beef (143 cal, 4g fat, 25g protein)



4. Boneless pork chop (147 cal, 5g fat, 23g protein)



5. Top round beef (158 cal, 5g fat, 27g protein)



6. Chicken thigh (166 cal, 8g fat, 21g protein)

How to Find Valid Health Info on the Web

Look for a primary source of info (ex. published resource paper). Google Scholar is better than Google (from Google, click 'more' and choose Scholar). PubMed is your best bet: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed. Also check out government sources (CDC, FDA, NIH).

How Much Should I Eat?

Check out http://www.mypyramid.gov/ and click on the MyPyramid Plan to find out exactly how many calories you should be eating each day and where they should come from. If you are trying to lose weight, look at a slightly lower (200-400 calories) eating plan.

Milk for Recovery?

A study in the British Journal of Nutrition found that milk "is more effective than water or a popular sports drink at replacing the sodium, potassium & vital salts lost through sweat." Milk left athletes hydrated for 4 hours. Other drinks lasted only 1 hour.

What Does a Serving Size Look Like?

With mega-size portions, it's hard to decipher what a real portion size is. You can use the visual references below to find a portion size.

• 1 serving of a grain product looks like:
  1 cup of cereal = size of your fist
  1 pancake = size of a CD
  1/2 cup cooked rice, pasta, or potato = half of a baseball
  1 slice of bread = a cassette tape (if you can remember back that far!)
  1 piece of cornbread = bar of soap



• 1 serving of fruits and vegetables looks like:
  1 cup of salad = baseball
  1 baked potato = size of your fist
  1 medium size fruit = baseball
  1/2 cup fresh fruit = 1/2 baseball
  1/4 cup of raisins = large egg



• 1 serving of dairy and cheese products look like:
  1.5 oz. cheese = 4 stacked dice or 2 cheese 'singles' slices
  1/2 cup ice cream = 1/2 baseball



• 1 serving of meat and beans looks like:
  3 oz. meat = deck of cards
  3 oz. fish or deli meat = checkbook
  2 Tbsp. peanut butter = ping pong ball



• 1 serving of fats look like:
  1 tsp. butter/margarine = 1 dice

Reference: http://www.apexfitness.com/