Tattoos

I know several co-workers who like and have tattoos on their bodies.  The practice of getting tattoos has become popular in our country and around the world.  People have many reasons for getting tattoos which include putting a tattoo on their bodies to remember someone, something or some place that holds special meaning to them.  Some people just like to decorate their bodies with tattoo artwork.

If you decide to have a tattoo, be knowledgeable about the dangers of tattoos.

An August 22, 2012 study published by the New England Journal of Medicine discussed an outbreak of infections at tattoo sites.  The germ involved was Mycobacterium chelonae.  The 19 people who developed skin infections at their tattoo sites all received tattoos from the same tattoo artist (who had worn gloves) and the culprit for the infection turned out to be pre-mixed ink. This information can be found at http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1205114?query=featured_home

How can a person protect himself from the dangers of infection from tattoos?  More information can be found at CDC website, http://blogs.cdc.gov/publichealthmatters/2012/08/the-hidden-dangers-of-getting-inked/

Wheat Belly part 3

My husband and I decided to work at decreasing/eliminating wheat from our diet.  That’s not an easy task; wheat flour is in many products we routinely eat.  You can find “gluten free” alternatives.  However Dr Davis cautions in his book to not go overboard in substituting other high glycemic index grains (such as rice and oats).  Use these grains sparingly and enjoy them. 

How are we doing?  My husband is very pleased with this way of eating; he was having some vague gastrointestinal symptoms which have stopped.  I find that I am not hungry as often and am snacking less.  We are eating more lean proteins and cheese, fresh vegetables and fruits, raw nuts and non-wheat grain products in limited quantities as we see fit. I am not suggesting you change your eating habits; I am just sharing this information. Before you try eating like this, read this book and talk to your doctor.   This way of eating may not be right for everyone. 

Wheat Belly part 2

Dr Davis, a cardiologist, believes that the genetically modified wheat we eat was never tested to see if it’s healthy for us.  The change to genetically modified wheat happened in the latter part of the 20^th century (approximately 40-50 years ago) when wheat was changed in an effort to make it more productive for the commercial wheat industry. 

Dr Davis takes the reader step-by-step through his reasoning that genetically modified wheat causes many of our modern day chronic illnesses such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.  He says wheat has a glycemic index of 72 (higher than table sugar which has a glycemic index of 59).  He suggests that due to the rise in our blood sugar when we eat wheat and then the fall in our blood sugar level a couple hours later, we are on a cycle of every couple hours of hunger and then eating.  This causes us to overeat and gain weight while contributing to diabetes.  He believes that genetically modified wheat contributes to heart disease due to increased amounts of LDL (low density lipoprotein) cholesterol.

We found Dr Davis’ book interesting and decided to decrease the amount of wheat we are eating.  How are we doing?  Good.  More details next time.   

Wheat Belly

Have you heard of the New York Times bestseller book called Wheat Belly by William Davis, MD?  Our journey into decreasing wheat in our diet began when my niece and her husband mentioned they were decreasing the amount of wheat products they eat.  I knew a few months ago her husband was having some vague symptoms which sent him to his family doctor.  All medical tests came back normal and we were glad to hear those results.  However, he continued having some symptoms which included vague GI symptoms.  They read the book Wheat Belly and decided to try the author’s plan and decrease/eliminate wheat from their diet.  They have been pleased with their results and shared that with us.  Then one of my co-workers shared her experience with eliminating wheat from her diet and her good results.

I want you to know I (and my family) do not chase after diets.  I believe we need a balanced diet.  Diets which eliminate an entire food group are restrictive and often fail because people need variety in their diets.  When I began to read Wheat Belly, I was intrigued with the author’s information. More about the Wheat Belly theory next time. 

Drs Oz and Roizen give advice about the flu season

Drs Oz and Roizen have an excellent article about how to beat the flu season.  Their 5 beat-the-flu suggestions include

1.       Get a flu shot.  According to their article, only 37% of Americans got a flu shot last year.  Talk to your doctor about any concerns you may have.

2.      “Wash your hands…and your keyboard. And your phone. And doorknobs, faucets, the door to the fridge—any surface you use a lot and share with others.”  (Dr Oz, Dr Roizen, Five Ways to Beat the Flu Season) 

3.      Exercise helps keep your immune system strong. 

4.      Put a good night’s sleep into your schedule.  It helps keep your immune system strong.

5.      Eat a healthy diet. Dr Oz and Dr Roizen recommends adding supplements such as vitamins C and D to your diet to help protect yourself from the flu. 

This entire article, Five Ways to Beat Flu Season, can be found at http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/five-ways-beat-flu-season-dr-oz-38-140700070.html