Updated 01/17/12 4:50 PM · Posted 01/17/12 4:47 PM by Jenny Sugar

If you work in an office full of people, your chances of coming in contact with germs are that much higher. Arm yourself against colds, the flu, and stomach bugs with these essential tips.

1. Wash hands often and keep hand sanitizer on your desk.

2. Once a week disinfect the things you touch regularly including your keyboard, mouse, phone, pens, stapler, scissors, and even the outside of your reusable water bottle.

3. Avoid touching doorknobs, handles on bathroom stalls and faucets, the water cooler, coffee maker, and other commonly used work items. If you can’t help it, be sure to wash your hands afterward

4. Stay away from anyone at work who is sick. Try your best to avoid contact with anyone who’s blowing their nose, sneezing, or complaining of sinus pain.

5. Don’t share your desk with anyone. If someone insists on checking their email at your computer or using your phone, disinfect what they’ve touched afterward.

6. Don’t touch your face. If you work at a computer, it’s tempting to sit with your head resting in your palm or to rub your weary computer-screen eyes, but refrain from touching your face. As soon as germs make it from your hands to your mouth, nose, or eyes, you might as well call in sick tomorrow.

7. Fuel up on healthy foods. You can’t expect your body to fight the good fight if it’s surviving on a sugary doughnut for a midmorning snack. Keep healthy snacks at work, or better yet, keep them at your desk so you can avoid going to the break room where there’s prone to be more germs. Ensure your lunch is healthy (and save money) by bringing one from home. The more nutritious food you fill up with, the easier your body can defend itself against intruding viruses.

8. Get out at least once a day to exercise. Working out regularly not only strengthens the immune system, but it also gives you a much-needed break from breathing in stale office air.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/this-could-be-big-abc-news/ultimate-example-preventive-medicine-232140727.html

Find out why eating breakfast can lead to a healthier and happier you

Dec 21, 2011 @ 2:48 PM
Posted by Lauren Gordon, Special Contributor

Do you find yourself dipping in and out of consciousness by mid morning? Suddenly, your boss starts to sound like one of the adults from Charles Schulz’s Peanuts and, for the love of God, you can’t seem to keep your eyes open. The funny thing is, you got plenty of sleep last night, so why are you so tired? Well, if you skipped breakfast, you might have set yourself up for a day of failure.

“Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper,” is an old saying that rings true to this day. Often, we ditch the breakfast routine in order to catch an early train or to cut back on the calories. Some even find it hard to will themselves to eat that early in the day. But hear you me, friend: Breakfast is not the enemy.

Slideshow:

10 Reasons to Eat Breakfast Slideshow

Skipping breakfast not only completely ignores your body’s needs, but it also deprives it of so many positive benefits. Eating later in the day can ruin your body’s chances of burning off unnecessary fat, consequently putting yourself at risk for obesity, heart disease, and robbing your brain of intelligence. It really is that serious.

Now, of course, in order to reap all of the benefits of breakfast, which include radiant skin and a better immune system, you can’t go shoving breakfast pastries down your throat whilst running out the door. Even sweetened, sugary cereals aren’t going grant these benefits. To start the day off right, breakfast should be a complete meal with whole grains, protein, and fiber.

Jensen: Snap, crackle, pop kept Jerry Rice crisp

By Sean Jensen

sjensen@suntimes.com
Last Modified: Nov 24, 2011 08:17AM

During his second NFL season, Hall of Fame receiver Jerry Rice noticed his lower back stiffening up.

Then running back Roger Craig offered a solution: regular visits to a chiropractor.

‘‘The things with a receiver, we have to be able to run full-bore and come to an abrupt stop, so I would have problems,’’ Rice recalled. ‘‘I started to get adjustments [from a chiropractor], and I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh! This is really helping me.’ After that, I was addicted.’’

Chiropractic has been criticized by practitioners of more mainstream forms of medicine throughout its history, dating back to the early 1900s. Rice said he visited his sometimes twice a week. He’s now the spokesperson for the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to increasing public understanding of the value of chiropractic.

He developed a strong friendship with his chiropractor, Dr. Nick Athens, who is based in San Carlos, Calif.

‘‘He became a close buddy,” Rice said. ‘‘I would go in and get adjusted, sometimes right before the game.’’

Ranked No. 1 in NFL Network’s list of Top 100 players, Rice was both dominant and durable. A 13-time Pro Bowl receiver, he owns many NFL records. But he said he might not have lasted 20 NFL seasons without Athens’ help.

‘‘I probably would have played at least five years less because you put your body through so much pain,’’ Rice said. ‘‘Then, the thing about professional football, you can’t have an excuse.’’

Even after his career ended, Rice has continued to see Athens.

‘‘Football is a very violent sport, so your body is going to get out of whack,’’ Rice said. ‘‘[Regular adjustments] helped me to be my best. Then, after football, I moved onto ‘Dancing With the Stars.’?’’

Rice, the runner-up in the second season of the popular show, said dancing put his body in ‘‘awkward positions.’’

Since his official retirement in 2006, he has served as a broadcaster. Meanwhile, he’s been a central part of the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress, appearing in advertisements in Sports Illustrated, USA Today and the Wall Street Journal.

Copyright © 2011 — Sun-Times Media, LLC

By Hilary Meyer, Associate Food Editor, EatingWell Magazine

How to make healthier holiday cookies

When the holiday season rolls around I eagerly break out my mixer and rolling pin and pump out tons of cookies. They’re not just for me-I send them all over the country to my friends and relatives as gifts.
Recipes to try: Our Top Prize-Winning Holiday Cookies

But this whole baking extravaganza means that before they hit the post office I have tons of cookies lingering around my house. Since I care about my family’s health (and my own), I’ve gotten savvier about making cookies that are better for you. Here are some tricks of the trade for making healthier Christmas cookies:

Tip 1: Cut Back on Butter
Butter is a popular ingredient when it comes to cookies, but we all know by now that it’s loaded with saturated fat. There’s no need to get rid of it entirely, but it is a good idea to keep it in check. Try substituting canola oil for at least some of the butter in your recipe or try recipes that call for fat replacements which can be anything from fruit purees to reduced-fat dairy products like low-fat milk or buttermilk.
Related: Butter, Margarine or “Buttery Spreads”: Which Is Healthier?

Tip 2: Use Some Whole-Wheat Flour
I used to think whole-wheat flour made baked goods taste like cardboard, but thankfully this isn’t the case. If a recipe calls for all-purpose flour, I swap out half of it for white whole-wheat flour. White whole-wheat flour for baking looks and tastes similar to all-purpose, but it’s higher in fiber (about 12 grams per cup vs. 3 grams for white flour). Look for it in well-stocked supermarkets next to the other flours or in the baking section of your local natural food store.
Related: 5 Simple Swaps for Healthier Cookies

Tip 3: Keep Size in Check
There are so many cookies to try around the holidays. If they’re big and you want to try them all, you’re suddenly consuming tons of extra calories. I try to make my cookies small-no more than 2 or 3 bites’ worth. It’s a great way to keep calories in check and satisfy your craving for something sweet. Plus if you ship them like I do, the smaller cookies are less likely to break!
Recipes to Try: Irresistible Cookies for 100 Calories or Less

Tip 4: Avoid Artificial Ingredients
Until recently, I dressed my cookies up with frosting every color of the rainbow. But now I try to avoid artificial colors in my cookies and decorate them creatively with white frosting, melted chocolate, nuts and jams instead. Get More Ideas for How to Decorate Cookies Naturally

What are your tricks for healthier holiday cookies?

By Hilary Meyer

EatingWell Associate Food Editor Hilary Meyer spends much of her time in the EatingWell Test Kitchen, testing and developing healthy recipes. She is a graduate of New England Culinary Institute.

As reported on ABC News, “A 12-year-old boy told Congress today that he was medicated into a near-stupor with mind-altering drugs during the four years he bounced among foster care homes.”

A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found that the federal government had not done enough to oversee the treatment of foster children with powerful drugs. The report, whose contents were revealed by ABC News on November 30, coincided with a nationwide ABC investigation on the overuse of the most potent mind-altering drugs on many of the country’s nearly 425,000 foster children.

The report found that drug amounts exceeding maximum doses for a child’s age were many times more likely to be prescribed to foster children than to other children in the federal-state program for lower-income people. The GAO, which submitted its findings as part of a Senate hearing, also found that foster children were several times more likely than other Medicaid youngsters to be taking five or more psychotropic drugs at the same time. Among the drugs analyzed were antipsychotics such as Abilify and Risperdal, antidepressants such as Cymbalta and Paxil, and attention-deficit hyperactivity-disorder drugs such as Ritalin and Strattera. [Fox News]

Quoting from the GAO report, “no evidence supports the concomitant use of five or more psychotropic drugs in adults or children, yet hundreds of both foster and nonfoster children in the five states had such a drug regimen. Similarly, thousands of foster and nonfoster children were prescribed doses higher than the maximum levels cited in guidelines developed by Texas based on FDA-approved labels, which GAO’s experts said increases the risk of adverse side effects and does not typically increase the efficacy of the drugs to any significant extent. Further, foster and nonfoster children under 1 year old were prescribed psychotropic drugs, which GAO’s experts said have no established use for mental health conditions in infants; providing them these drugs could result in serious adverse effects.”

ABC News 20/20 aired three episodes exposing the fact that doctors are putting foster children on harmful, mind-altering drugs at rates up to 13 times that of children in the general population.

Watch all the 20/20 episodes on PsychSearch.Net.

Illinois Public Act 097-0245, signed into law on 4 August 2011, creates the Administration of Psychotropic Medications to Children Act, requiring the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) to create and publish rules establishing and maintaining standards and procedures to govern the administration of psychotropic medications to children in its care.

Recognizing that drugging children under state care has been problematic, one of the provisions of this law prohibits the administration of psychotropic medications to persons for whom the Department is legally responsible as punishment for bad behavior, for the convenience of staff or caregivers, or as a substitute for adequate mental health care or other services.

Furthermore, DCFS must identify the name and dosage of psychotropic drugs administered to children along with any negative side effects.

This is a positive step forward for Illinois. Other states should seriously consider implementing safeguards against harmful child drugging by their respective Children and Family Services departments.

We also suggest supporting the federal Parental Consent Act introduced by Congressman Ron Paul, a bill which prohibits federal funds from being used to establish or implement any universal or mandatory mental health, psychiatric, or socioemotional screening program.

Model Legislation to prevent a range of psychiatric abuses should also be distributed to your state representatives, urging them to incorporate these safeguards against psychiatric fraud and abuse into your state laws.

Picking The Perfect Pillow
By Lisa Collier Cool
Nov 01, 2011

Most of us are sleeping (or not) on pillows that are too old and too dirty. Sleep experts advise buying a new pillow every 12 to 18 months. If your pillow is more than two years old, it’s definitely time for a replacement. Not only does an old pillow not provide the support you need, but one that’s past its prime can also be packed with allergens, including mold, fungus, and dust mites, which can make up half the weight of an older pillow.

Sleeping on the wrong pillow can also take a toll on your health, by worsening head and body aches, shoulder and arm numbness, and wheezing. To prevent back and neck pain, elevate your head only one pillow high. The perfect pillow is firm enough to keep your head and neck in alignment with your spine, just as they would be if you’re standing up, Jeffrey Goldstein, MD, director of the spine service at NYU Hospital for Joint Disease told me. Here’s what else you need to know to find the pillow of your dreams:

Follow these 10 tips to relieve stress before you hit the sheets.
Firm or Soft? Consider Your Sleep Style.

Back Sleeper: A medium firm pillow bolsters your neck without flexing your head forward. Also, look for a pillow with extra loft in the bottom third of the pillow to cradle your neck.

Side Sleeper: A thick, firm pillow offers the best support, by filling the space between your ear and shoulder.

Stomach Sleeper: A softer, flatter pillow helps prevent neck strain. However, you should try to train yourself to sleep on your side or back, since the prone position can contribute to back and spine problems.

10 Natural Ways to Sleep Better.
Feathers, Foam or Fiberfill?

Feathers. Down, the fluffy undercoat of a goose or duck, is the softest and most expensive filling. For more support, choose a mix of down and feathers, or all feathers (firmest). Goose feathers are almost as fluffy as down, with curved quills that add spring, while duck feathers cost less, but aren’t as buoyant.

Fiberfill. This polyester product is soft, pliant, and moderately priced, but may lump during laundering.

Foam. This material makes the firmest pillows and comes in a variety of shapes, including contours to cradle your head and neck. “Memory” foam is supposed to mold itself to the shape of your head, but when I tested several of these pillows, which tend to be pricier, I didn’t notice any significant increase in comfort.
Pillows for Special Situations.

Many pillows are designed to address specific needs. Here’s a look at some of the options:

Allergies. A “hypoallergenic” synthetic pillow may not be your best choice, unless you are allergic to feathers. Several studies show that feather pillows offer notably better protection against dust mites and pet dander than synthetics do.

Hot Flashes/Night Sweats. Choose a pillow that dispels heat: These brands usually have the words “cool” or “chill” in the name, and typically contain a filling of tiny beads that absorb heat, leaving the surface that your face rests on cool. That way, you don’t have to keep flipping the pillow to find the cold side.

Learn to mange the symptoms of menopause.

Neck Pain. Available in various sizes and shapes, cervical pillows are contoured to provide extra cushioning to support the neck. While there’s not much research to show they work, I’ve noticed great improvement personally after switching from a traditional pillow to a contour design.

Heartburn/GERD. Wedge-shaped slanted pillows raise the esophagus higher than the stomach to prevent the upward flow of stomach acid that ignites heartburn when you’re lying flat. However, some people find that they tend to slide down on a slanted pillow.

Pregnancy. Once you reach the second trimester, you’re likely to notice that it’s hard to find a comfortable sleep position—the problem that maternity pillows aim to solve. There are several designs, ranging from small wedges to support the belly to U-shaped whole-body pillows that support the head, hips, back and legs in the side sleeping position that is usually advised during pregnancy.

Audio Pillows. If music helps lull you to sleep, snuggle up and listen to your favorite sounds with an audio pillow. These products typically plug into any audio source with a standard headphone jack and have well-padded built-in speakers that play at a gentle volume only you can hear. Some audio pillows can also be used as alarm clocks.

Get Desk SMART!

The average worker sits 6 hours daily and 80% of the population will suffer from back pain – What can you do?

1 – Uncross your legs -Crossing your legs can lead to lower back pain and herniated disc issues. It can also decrease the circulation that can contribute to vericose veins.

2 – Feet in Front – Extend your feet in front of your knees while sitting to keep pelvis and hips balanced on your seat.

3 – Add a Lift – By placing one foot on a phonebook or box, you can take the pressure off the lumbar spine. (Hint if you are right side dominant, lift the left leg.)

4 – Reach Down -Reach down the sides of your chair to open the obliques and bring blood flow to the spine.

5 – Stretch Your Chest – Take your hands out to the sides and with thumbs pointing up, squeeze your shoulder blades together. This stretch opens the tight chest muscles from the rounding forward over your workspace.

6 – Adjust Your Workspace – Ergonomics is key in the office: adjust your monitors to eye height, lower your key board so wrists have support, try not to lean while talking on the phone but rather use headsets or blue tooth instead.

7 – Pace Your Calls – Get up! Walking during most conference calls is possible.

8 – Stand Up for Yourself – No one else can do it for you. Stand up at least once every 30 minutes to improve circulation and reach for the sky and stretch.

9 – Gut Check – When you are seated practice good posture and pull in your belly to tone those abdominals.

10 – Breathe – Breathing deeply with focus can reduce blood pressure, stress and give you more energy.

10. You’ve become quite attached to your stiff neck and shoulder pain. Parting with it now would be upsetting.

9. Tylenol keeps you feeling good and your liver might be bleeding but it doesn’t hurt.????????

8. By the time your spine breaks down and wears out you’ ll be able to get a replacement.

7. You love taking risks. The side effects from your medications, like seizures, suicidal thoughts and death, keep life interesting.

6. Why drive to see a chiropractor three times a week when you can make a trip to the pharmacy once a month? Gas prices are outrageous these days.

5. A few headaches a week actually help distract you from the stress of work.

4. Your cousins, best friend’s sister tried chiropractic once and didn’t get any better.

3. The tingling in your fingers feels kind of neat and if they go numb you won’t need gloves next winter.

2. You’re worried the chiropractor might take the wallet from your back pocket while you’re lying on the table.

And the number one reason NOT to see a Chiropractor.

1. You’re the only living human without a spine.

Have a great week! If you are truly skeptical about chiropractic please talk to us.