Sugar

Consumption

• The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports that the average American consumes anywhere between 150 to 170 pounds of sugar each year.
• Equivalent to consuming 1/4 to 1/2 pounds of sugar each day
• 120 teaspoons in one pound of sugar
• 1/4 pound of sugar = 30 teaspoons
• 1/2 pound of sugar = 60 teaspoons
• An average 12-ounce can of soda contains about 8 teaspoons of simple sugar.
• This means that just four 12-ounce soda cans will equal 1/4 pound of sugar!
• For some, drinking this amount of soda in one day is not a difficult task.

What is Sugar in?

• Almost everything
• Sweet foods such as doughnuts, cookies, cake, and ice cream
• Food with high fructose corn syrup such as salad dressings, hot dogs, canned fruits and vegetables, ketchup, canned soups, crackers, cookies, and several other processed foods
• Also found naturally in a lot of fruits

Some Comparisons

•  16 oz Rockstar Energy Drinks
• Contains 62 grams of sugar and 280 calories
• Sugar equivalent to 7-1/2 chocolate drizzle rice krispy treats
• Exercise equivalent: Dancing the Macarena 17 times
• 20 oz Mountain Dew
• Contains 77 grams of sugar and 290 calories
• Sugar equivalent to 13 Chewy Chips Ahoy! Cookies
• Exercise equivalent: Leisurely riding your bike 6 miles
• 16 oz Nesquik Chocolate Milk
• Contains 60 grams of sugar and 400 calories
• Sugar equivalent to 4 Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pies
• Exercise equivalent: Making beds for 190 minutes straight
• 15.2 oz Naked Juice ("Protein Zone" Chocolate Banana)
• Contains 70 grams of sugar and 480 calories
• Sugar equivalent to 5 Breyers Oreo Ice Cream Sandwiches
• Exercise equivalent: 135 minutes lifting weights

What Happens When You Consume Too Much Sugar

•  Increase risk of diabetes
• Increase risk of obesity
• Increase risk of cardiovascular disease
• Increase risk of high blood pressure

What's Up With Rocker Shoes?

Over the last decade, rocker shoes have been introduced to the world. They were developed to help with many podiatrist diagnosed issues. They can be beneficial for some, but you need to be concerned if you are using them for specific aliments or issues.

Rocker shoes are NOT helpful for....

Stability: If you have balance issues or experience vertigo rocker shoes can increase these issues. These shoes are very dangerous on ladders and other unstable surfaces and may increase the risk of injuries.

Excessive Pronation: If your ankles and feel roll in a lot and you're not wearing good orthodics you're asking for BIG trouble. This will cause more stress on your feet, knees, and hips and increase the risk of injury.

Heavy Lifting: If you lift heavy objects on a regular basis rocker shoes decrease the stable surface and increase your risk of injury.

Workout Shoes: These are NOT workout shoes. Rocker shoes are made to help you walk in a straight line. Any side-to-side movement should be avoided.

Foot Wear

At work I did a huge display on proper footwear. It included brochures to hand out to all of the employees. Proper footwear is so important. Your body is a kinetic chain (it functions in interconnected segments. Movement of one part affects the others via a chain reaction) and your feet need proper support so they can support the rest of your body. Here are some main tips from that display that can help you with your shoes.

How to Check if Your Shoes are Worn Out

• Inspect the shoes to see if any glued or stitched areas are pulling away from the seams. If this occurs it is time for a change.
• Place the shoe on a hard, flat surface and look at it from the rear. The entire upper part of the shoe should be centered and not leaning to the side or bowed to the side (inside or outside).
• When looking at the rear of the shoe, the sole should rest level to the surface. If the shoe rocks side to side, replace it. 
• Grab the shoe at the ball and heel. Bend the shoe from front to back. The shoe should bend right near the ball of the foot.
• Grab the shoe at the ball and heel. Twist the shoe side to side. The shoe should twist near the ball of the foot and not at the arch, and should feel firm. A shoe that twists easily is ready to be replaced.
• Push on the heel counter to see if it is still rigid. If not, the shoe will not support your foot. 

* It is important to be aware of when your shoes need to be replaced because, if they are no longer absorbing the pounding and jarring action of your activity, you are more likely to sustain knee and ankle injuries.

When to Replace Athletic Shoes

• A good rule of thumb is to replace your running shoes every 300-500 miles, depending on your running style, body weight, and the surface on which you run. 
• Smaller runners can get new shoes at the upper end of the recommendation while heavier runners should consider replacement shoes closer to 300 miles. 
• If you run on rough roads, you'll need to replace your shoes sooner than if you do primarily treadmill running. 
• If you take good care of your running shoes, you may be able to get away with the higher end of that range.

Tips on Shoe Selection

• Walk around the store
• Don't just try them on; try them out!
• Shop at the end of the day
• your feet swell as the day goes on, and you don't want shoes that are too small.
• Sizes may change
• As you get older, your foot may get longer and wider. Also, different brands may vary in sizes. Try them on!
• Don't count on stretch
• If a shoe feels tight, it probably is. Don't buy a shoe expecting it to stretch, especially lengthwise. A shoe should be comfortable when you first try it on. 
• The shoes bend with your foot
• The crease across the front of the shoes should match with where your foot bends (the place your toes meet your foot.)

How should your shoes fit?

• They should be comfortable in length, arch, and heel.
• *IMPORTANT* If your second toe is longer than your great toe, then you should fit your shoe to the length of your second toe.
• The heel should fit snugly with little or no slippage.
•  The mid-foot should fit comfortable; snug, but not too tight. 
• The toe-box should have enough room to wiggle your toes.

Help for your feet

• Stretch the muscles of the ankle often by pointing and flexing the toes/ankles and doing ankle rolls several times a day.
• Do NOT buy poorly made shoes. Invest in your feet!
• If you have work boots, wear gel inserts to absorb some of the shock of stepping down on your foot. Bring them with you if buying new shoes. 
• Keep your feet warm, but not sweaty.
• Massage the bottom of your feet each day by hand or with a golf ball.
• Soak your feet in warm water at the end of a long day.
•  Be conscious of the position of your hips, knees, ankles, and feet while you sleep.

*NOTE* If you are primarily engaging in physical activity, it would be a good idea to get your feet tested to see what your gait is like while running. Athletic shoes are fitted to help those who overly supinate and pronate. Although most of the population still have "normal" gait, pronation can put you more at risk for ligament injuries, shin splints, etc. while supination can put you more at risk for stress fractures. So, getting a shoe that helps properly support your gait can help reduce your risk of injury as well. Many running stores will perform this test for free, and you are not obligated to buy their shoes. 

Healthy Grocery Shopping Tips

Plan Ahead

• Make a list before heading to the store. This will help eliminate impulse buys.
• Plan your meals for the week and add all the foods and ingredients for meals to the list. This will help reduce trips to fast food restaurants.
• Go grocery shopping when you are not hungry. This will also reduce impulse buying. 

 Read labels

•  Labels that have fewer ingredients are more likely to be easily processed and digested by the body. 
• Labels with a lot of artificial ingredients that are hard to pronounce are more likely to be processed and have chemicals in them that make their shelf life longer.
• Try to avoid foods that have one of their top listed ingredients as high fructose corn syrup.
• Look for foods with about 1-2 grams of fat for every 100 calories, and no more than 3. 

Shop Along the Perimeter of the Grocery Store

• The more natural/whole foods are found on the perimeter of the store. These include: fruits and vegetables, meats, dairy, and whole grains. 
• The processed foods with high fructose corn syrup are usually found in the middle aisles.

Sleep

Benefits of Sleep

• Body releases hormones in deep sleep that are used to regenerate and repair itself. This rarely occurs with less than 4 hours of sleep per night.
• Helps to repair and rejuvenate the body from stresses placed on it during the day.
• Helps to increase mental awareness, metabolism, memory, focus, emotional balance.

Consequences of Poor Sleep

• Not enough sleep can release a stress hormone called cortisol
• 4 hours or less of sleep per night is shown to cause a 70% increase in overeating and becoming overweight
• Poor sleep can also lead to high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease

How Much Sleep is Enough?

• Adults: 7-9 hours
• School age children: 10-11 hours
• Toddlers: 12-14 hours
• Infants: 14-15 hours

Set the Stage for Sleep

• Adjust the temperature. Most people get a better night's sleep in a cooler space with good ventilation.
• Reserve your bedroom for sleep. It should be a place where you go to relax. It is not a good place to work or make your errand list. You may have more trouble getting to sleep if you associate your bed with anything stressful or busy.
• Rid the room of TVs and computers. Many people think of television as relaxing, but it actually stimulates your brain - not a good thing if you are trying to get to sleep. Even the light that comes from the television or from a computer screen can interfere with your body clock.
• Keep it quiet. Find ways to block out noise. Try using earplugs. Or use a fan or "white noise" device to create sift, soothing sounds.
• Block out light. You want your sleeping space to be as dark as possible. Try blackout curtains or an eye mask. This may be especially important for night-shift workers. 
• Buy a comfortable bed. Your bed should be large enough for you to roll and stretch. Experiment with different bedding to find what works for you. 

Shape Up Your Habits

• Keep a regular sleep schedule. Go to bed and get up at about the same time, everyday, even on weekends. This will help set your body's sleep-wake cycle.
• Limit caffeine. Caffeine can disrupt sleep many hours after you take it in. Caffeine is not just in coffee and tea, but also in some soft drinks, medications, and foods. Read labels carefully. Avoid caffeine after lunch, and cut down your daily use if you need to. 
• Don't smoke near bedtime. Nicotine is a stimulant that can make it hard to sleep.
• Don't drink alcoholic beverages within 6 hours of bedtime. Alcohol may help you feel relaxed, but it can disturb sleep later in the night. Avoid heavy meals close to bedtime. Eat dinner early in the evening, and avoid rich or spicy foods that may be hard to digest. 
• Get regular exercise, but not within 6 hours of bedtime. Exercise is essential for good health and may help you sleep better. But exercising late in the day can make it harder to get to sleep. 
• Avoid naps late in the day. If you really need to get a nap in, do it early in the afternoon, and don't sleep for more than 30 minutes. 

Tips for Successful New Year's Resolutions

Why is it so hard to stick to New Year's Resolutions? Daniel Hall-Flavin, M.D., says, "Truly bettering yourself is a lifestyle change, not a spur-of-the-moment type of decision."

So, here are some tips to make your New Year's Resolutions successful, and achieve that lifestyle change you are hoping for:

1) Start slow. Start where you're at and build up from it and progress.
2) Have a specific goal. For example, you may say "I would like to lose some weight this year," but it would better if you said, "I want to lose 20 pounds this year."
3) Talk to others, experts if needed. A strong support system is key. Whether it is quitting smoking, losing weight, or being more organized find someone who is or has been successful in that same goal and talk to them. See what advice works for you, and use it.
4) Set a target date. It doesn't have to be the magical date of "January 1." Look ahead to see which date or plan will support you the most -- and be realistic.
5) Stay Positive. Behavior only changes from the positive. Remember there are programs to help you accomplish your goal. Also look ahead into the future, make a list of the "real" reasons you want to accomplish your goal. When you lack reasons to change, it is easy to fall back into old habits.
6) Avoid temptations. Don't be afraid to change your environment to help with your goals.
7) Tell your loved ones. Changing your habits for good may affect your inner circle of friends. Let them know what you're trying to do, and enlist their support in helping you achieve your goal.
8) Don't give up. Give yourself another chance. Most people slip up at some point. The people who are successful are the ones who get back on track. Look at how many days you still have left in the calendar year and see what you can accomplish before the year is up. Keeping your goals is all about commitment.
9) Reward yourself. Come up with rewards when you reach milestones and then when you accomplish your goal - just make sure that your rewards are not counter-intuitive to the process! 

Blood Pressure

Definition of Blood Pressure Terminology

• Systolic (top number): pressure against the blood vessels during the contraction phase of heartbeat
• Diastolic (bottom number): pressure against the blood during a relaxation phase of heartbeat
• Risk Factor: a circumstance or trait that increases a person's chance of developing a disease or condition
• Activities of Daily Living (ADL): things that we do commonly (work, feed ourselves, go places)

Healthy ("normal") Increase in Blood Pressure

• During heavy lifts
• During and temporarily following aerobic exercise
• This includes activities of daily living (ADL)
• Examples
• Climbing Stairs
• Hurrying to a meeting

Risk Factors for Long-Term, Unhealthy High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)

• Independent (non-controllable) Risk Factors
• Age: over 45 for men, 55 for women
• Gender: Hypertension occurs among men more often than women
• Race: African American people are more prone to having hypertension than Caucasian people
• Family History: If an immediate relative has high blood pressure, you are more likely to have it.
• Dependent (controllable) Risk Factors
• Being overweight or obese
• Not being physically active (sedentary)
• Using tobacco
• Too much salt (sodium) in your diet
• Drinking too much alcohol
• Stress

Ranges of Blood Pressure

• Normal
• 115-120/75-80mm Hg
• Consult your doctor if or when your BP is in the below categories
• Pre-hypertension
• 121-139/81-89mm Hg
• Stage 1 Hypertension
• 140-159/90-99mm Hg
• Stage 2 Hypertension
•  Greater than or equal to 160/100

Hypotension

• Abnormally low blood pressure
• Hypotension is generally considered as systolic blood pressure less than 90mm HG or diastolic less than 60mm Hg
• Blood pressure is generally considered too low only if noticeable symptoms are present
• Symptoms may include:
• Blurry vision
• Confusion
• Dizziness
• Fainting (syncope)
• Light-headedness
• Sleepiness
• Weakness
• Low blood pressure is commonly caused by drugs such as:
• Alcohol
• Anti-anxiety medications
• Certain antidepressants
• Diuretics
• Heart medicines, including those used to treat high blood pressure and coronary heart disease
• Medications used for surgery
• Painkillers

• Other causes of low blood pressure include:
• Advanced diabetes 
• Anaphylaxis (a life-threatening allergic response)
• Changes in heart rhythm (arrhythmias) 
• Dehydration 
• Fainting 
• Heart attack 
• Heart failure 
• Shock (from severe infection, stroke, anaphylaxis, blood loss, or heart attack. 

•  Prevention: If you have low blood pressure, your doctor may recommend certain steps to prevent or reduce your symptoms. This may include:

• Avoiding alcohol
• Avoiding standing for a long time (if you have NMH)
• Drinking plenty of fluids
• Getting up slowly after sitting or lying down
• Using compression stockings to increase blood pressure in the legs