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Recent Health Concerns

Food Portion Distortion?
Kaylan Eudy May 5, 2015                                                                                                                                                                          

 

Have you ever hear of that saying, my eyes were bigger than my stomach? For me I always tend to fill my plate with all the delicious-looking foods and then gorge myself and get overstuffed and end up a being miserable afterwards.

 

According to a CNN article, "When people overeat, it leads to irregularity in blood sugar. It also leads to obesity, which is a contributing factor to heart disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, inflammation and certain cancers," says Brigitte Zeitlin, M.P.H., R.D., C.D.N, dietitian at B-Nutritious.

 

This article discusses portion control no as just limiting your portion size and watching the things you eat, but give some helpful tip on different methods you can try to help find what works best with you.

 

Below are some of the tips:

  • Serve yourself some bad foods.

 

The article recommends doing this because it can prevent those junk binge eating cycles.

 

  • Ask yourself if you are really hungry.

 

"I always recommend the 5 S's of mindful eating: sit down, smell, savor, slowly chew and smile," says Susan Albers, Psy.D., a psychologist and New York Times bestselling author of Eat Q: Unlock the Weight-Loss Power of Emotional Intelligence. "

 

  • Try eating with your non-dominant hand.

 

The CNN article suggest that this takes more concentration and makes you come out of “auto-pilot”.

 

“The key to success: Don't follow every tip about portion control that you hear. It's really about finding the select techniques that fit your personality, sticking with them and enjoying the benefits,” according to the CNN article. 

Age increase to purchase tobacco?
Kaylan Eudy April 28, 2015                                                                                                                                                                          

Smoking isn’t anything new to East Texans, or for that matter the world; however, a recent bill waiting to be approved might raise the purchase age in Hawaii from 18-21.

 

My big question is, could this happen here in Texas?

 

I know for me personally, I did experience the whole trying smoking thing as a youngster and I’m thankful I quit. Now that I’m 21, I can make more informed decisions, and there isn’t all that peer pressure around me and the weight of trying to fit in anymore.

 

I know that legalization of marijuana is slowly making its way from state to state, so I think the concern that the age of purchasing tobacco could be raised in Texas is valid.

 

According to a CNN article, “Forty-six U.S. states permit the sale of tobacco to anyone 18 or older, while Alabama, Alaska, New Jersey and Utah require customers to be at least 19. Dozens of cities and towns, including New York, have already raised the minimum legal age for tobacco purchases to 21."

 

It is really not a secret that smoking increases your risk of cancer and that it isn’t healthy for you.  

 

“The legislation [in Hawaii} comes after a report last month from the Institute of Medicine that said barring people under age 21 from buying cigarettes would have significant public health benefits. Setting the minimum age at 21 nationwide would result in nearly a quarter-million fewer premature deaths and 50,000 fewer deaths from lung cancer among people born between 2000 and 2019, the report estimated,” according to a CNN article.

 

Will the age increase happen in Texas? We will have to wait and see. 

Essential oils, natural choice?
Kaylan Eudy April 21, 2015                                                                                                                                                                          

It’s not a secret that as a whole, human beings have made different advancements in our world over many years. As a race, we have made great leaps in technology, science, and many other fields. Looking back at the first vehicle that Ford made and looking at what we can make now, from the Ferari to the minivan we have so many optioins in vehicles.

 

This principle is the same with medicine. We have made great leaps in medicine, we have so many different kinds out there and many that help the same symptom. For example, Tylenol, Advil, and Aleve you can take as a pain reliever. They each come with their own warning of possible side effects though, but they can help in relieving pain.

 

Is there anything else out there that is a more natural way of dealing with all the different problems that arise?

 

Essential oils are becoming a hot topic and more popular now; people want to know more about them and how you use them.

 

What are essential oils?

 

 According to takingcharge.edu, “An essential oil is a natural product extracted from a single plant species. Not all plants produce essential oils, and in the plants that do, the essential oil may be found in the roots, stems, leaves, flowers, or fruits.”

 

 Essential oils can be used for anything from medicinal uses to household cleaning agents. They can be diffused in the air, placed on the body, and some can be taken internally.

 

Sarie Cox, an SFA student who sells a brand of essential oils called, Young Living Essential Oils, said, “Peppermint, lavender, clover; you can make scents out of those but there is actually a different pocket within the plant that is called the aromatic sac within the plant which is where the essential oils come from.”

 

When looking for essential oil brands to use, researching the brand and how they process their oils can help ensure you get the quality oil you desire.

 

According to an article on the National Center for Biotechnology Information website,” Essential oils are volatile liquid substances extracted from aromatic plant material by steam distillation or mechanical expression; oils produced with the aid of chemical solvents are not considered true essential oils.”

 

Cox said that essential oils are not regulated by the FDA, so it looks like the consumer has to educate themselves on oils and do their research.

 

According to a blog on naturallyhelathyconcepts.com, “The FDA still works to enforce guidelines and restrictions concerning how essential oil products are marketed – specifically the health claims made in connection to the product.”

 

If you really want to know more, you can look up doctors that use essential oils as a part of their practice in your area on google.

 

Cox said, “I would say, do your research, I mean that is something I always tell people. First do your research, I want you to come up with the answers and questions that you need to understand about them first ,and then I would just encourage making sure that the essential oils do go through the seed to seal process because there are some other essential oils out there that don’t go through it and those can be dangerous because they are not pure.”

 

What are some Essential oils and their uses?

 

“Peppermint deals with stomach issues, in case you struggle with

just stomach ache or you’re are very sensitive to different kinds of

food, it actual helps calm the stomach. You can either take it orally

or you can just put it on your stomach to help,” said Cox.

 

Click on the image to the right for a list of different essential oils and their uses.

 

 

“I’m just a firm believer that things that are naturally grown, naturally fed, just

naturally just given should be what’s going in my body, not altered chemicals

or anything like that. So that’s the reason I wanted to sell Young Living because

I am a passionate believer, in that, and they go through so many standards and

so many different things to make sure they have the purest form of essential oils

out there," said Cox.

 

Essential Oils are Nothing New.

 

According to an article on the National Center for Biotechnology Information website,

 

“Proponents of aromatherapy report that aromatic or essential oils have been used for

thousands of years as stimulants or sedatives of the nervous system and as treatments

for a wide range of other disorders.[1] They link it historically to the use of infused oils

and unguents in the Bible and ancient Egypt,[1] remedies used throughout the Middle

Ages and the Renaissance,[2] and the burning of aromatic plants in various religious rites”

 

In today’s time, one has to be careful of claiming that something is a treatment or remedy for something because the FDA regulates companies for the public’s benefit.

 

While essential oils may not be regulated, one only needs to google essential oil testimonials to see for oneself how essential oils have impacted individual’s lives.

 

An article on the National Center for Biotechnology Information website said,

 

          A large body of literature has been published on the effects of odors on the human brain and emotions. Some studies have tested the effects of                         essential oils on mood, alertness, and mental stress in healthy subjects. Other studies investigated the effects of various (usually synthetic) odors on                 task performance, reaction time, and autonomic parameters or evaluated the direct effects of odors on the brain via electroencephalogram patterns                   and functional imaging studies.[7] Such studies have consistently shown that odors can produce specific effects on human neuropsychological and                 autonomic function and that odors can influence mood, perceived health, and arousal. These studies suggest that odors may have therapeutic                

          applications in the context of stressful and adverse psychological conditions.

 

             

     

        SFA Student, Rachel Gee discusses essential oils.                                                          Infogram on Essential oil use in Nacogdoches, Texas

Being Healthy in Nac
Kaylan Eudy April 10, 2015                                                                                                                                                                          v

Food is an important part of everyday life because it affects our present and long-term health. Pretty soon after you wake up, your stomach begs for sustenance. It’s not a surprise that some of the foods we eat aren’t healthy for us. If one wanted to be healthy, in a small town like Nacogdoches, Texas, what would that look like? 

 

First off, the options are few but if you’re aware of them you have made your first step toward a healthy lifestyle. 

 

In Nacogdoches, there is a Farmers Market open on Saturdays and, starting in April, on Wednesdays as well.  Nacogdoches also offers a Granary that has healthy options other than just organic food.

 

According to SFA Nutrition and Dietetics major, Shannon Josephson, who works at the Granary, the granary has “healthy options including: organic products, organic produce, natural herbs and supplements, homeopathic, essential oils, and gluten free products.” 

 

                                                                                         Photos from the Nacogdoches Granary 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is also a slim section of organic food at grocery stores that one can make a selection from as well. 

 

Andreza Owens, a Nacogdoches Spanish teacher, said 

I just learned this like you can go to your grocery store and ask them, well can you get more of this, and granted they don’t always do it but the more they hear from their consumers saying like we want more organic options, we want more of this or more of that, we need more gluten free and stuff like that-- I think the more the company responds to the consumers. Because if there are not consumers then they have no money so they have to cater essentially to what the people want.

 

You can also get other healthy foods at the Farmer’s market other than some fruits and vegetables.

 

Cindy Pruett, owner of Appleby Community Farm, an organic farm in Nacogdoches, said that you can also buy grass fed beef, pastured and organic eggs, and goat’s milk at the farmers market as well as going to the farm’s themselves to purchase these things.

 

Pruett said, “Don’t be naïve about farmer’s markets. Not all local food is organic. Don’t be afraid to ask the farmer about their practices.  And don’t be naïve about labels on products at grocery stores. There is little control (or honesty) in labeling in the food industry. (e.g. “all natural”). “ 

 

Being organic is expensive, so if you don’t have the money or ability to be all-organic, eating more fruits and vegetables can help your health.

 

SFA dietitian, Sarah Drake, said, 

 

 I see a little bit of concern with an obsession with it has to be organic, it has to be non-gmo, that kind of thing. I think that is probably best for us; in the long run it probably is, but if we are eating food that is not processed or has limited processing, let’s start there. Eat more fruits and vegetables, meat, real dairy, and real whole grains that haven’t been milled and refined/ enriched-- real food, and then from there we can focus more on organic and non-gmo.

 

What is the big deal about eating organic anyways?

 

Drake said, “The main concern of eating non-organic for people who are concerned about it is that you are putting possibly potentially those pesticides into your body, which how is our body going to react to a foreign substance, you know, we don’t know probably negatively” 

The big idea here is to start off small, maybe starting to eat more fruits and vegetables, and then going to organic beef, then maybe organic cleaning products, etc. 

                                                                                   Interview with SFA dietition, Sarah Drake

 

 

 

 

 

 

While it is more difficult to be healthy in Nacogdoches, according to Josephson, “To live a naturally healthy lifestyle one would have no toxins and chemicals in their life. This ranges from toothpaste to the food they consume. It is easiest to progress into this lifestyle change, by slowly replacing old products with more sustainable ones. “ 

 

In a small place like Nacogdoches, this task can seem a bit harder than in a big city that has many options. 

 

Owens said, “So thinking about a big city there is a Wholefoods, Kroger, H-E-B, Randal’s, Sprouts, Fresh, Trader Joe’s and the little Mexican store at the corner. They have so many options and it’s like ugh, it’s kind of frustrating hearing about these are the things I need to do but when you really get down to it you just need to be thinking like what is it that I can do now to make my health better.”

 

Being holistically healthy is more than just what you are putting into your body, it involves how much you exercise, the amount of nutrients you are getting, the lotion you’re putting on and many more other things. 

 

According to Pruett, “A friend of mine, Professor Cyndra Mortan teaches a class at SFA, Core Concepts in Health ,that emphasizes the Seven Dimensions of Wellness: physical, intellectual, environmental, socio-cultural, career/financial, emotional and spiritual.  I really love that!  Having those things in balance is how we can be holistically healthy (and happy)!”

 

 

Benefits to less excercise?
Kaylan Eudy April 6, 2015                                                                                                                                                                          

It’ s not news that exercise is healthy for you, but it is perplexing that even exercising less than recommended will decrease likeliness of death. One would think that in order for healthy results to occur, you would need to at least exercise the recommended amount.

 

According to a Fox News article, “During many years of follow-up, people who did less than the minimum recommended amount of physical activity still had a considerable decrease in risk of death compared to people who did no activity at all, in a new analysis of six studies.”

 

As an East Texan myself, I must confess, this article really got to me because I don’t really exercise at all. Mostly I make excuses that I’m too busy but I’m wanting to start at least walking or jogging two to three times a week.

 

Lead author Hannah Arem of the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland said, “Our findings support the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, which recommend a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity per week for “substantial” health benefit, and suggest “additional” benefit with more than double the exercise minimum. “

 

If exercising even less than the minimum amount can possibly reduce my risk of death, as these studies suggest, then I am ready to try.

 

“The new results largely reinforce existing guidelines, which already state that some activity is better than no activity”, according to Todd M. Manini of the University of Florida in Gainesville.

 

So what do we need to do to decrease our likelihood of death?

 

 “Just one hour of brisk walking or 30 minutes of jogging or biking per week is enough to move into that first category and out of the “inactive” group, he noted. Doing more than the recommended amount didn’t seem to decrease mortality risk much further, but may have many other health benefits beyond just decreasing the risk of death, Manini said.

Should we stop drinking soda?
Kaylan Eudy March 29, 2015                                                                                                                                                                          

When I first came to college, I had stopped drinking DrPepper altogether but I still indulged in my Coca-Cola cravings. After my freshman year I stopped drinking them as much, and I noticed that my taste buds changed so I stopped drinking them altogether.

 

If you’re an East Texan and you enjoy a nice cold soda, the fact that sodas affect health so much might make you stop and take notice. I know it made me take notice.

 

According to a CNN article,

 

The biggest risk for regular soda drinkers is the excess calories, says Lona Sandon, RD, assistant professor of clinical nutrition at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. "The calories in regular soda are coming entirely from added sugar, and you're not getting any value in terms of vitamins or minerals, or even good quality carbohydrates," she says.

 

Soda has also been linked to tooth decay and diabetes.

 

 If I’m being honest, I still indulge in a Coke every once in a while, but I don’t consume a soda multiple times a day. I limit the amount of soda I intake by balancing it with water, milk, and other healthier options.

 

Sandon says switching to diet sodas might be a good first step, but its best to wean yourself off of those as well.

 

A few helpful tips on decreasing your soda consumption are:

  • Wean yourself off slowly

  • Drink a glass of water first

  • Do the exercise math

“In a 2014 Johns Hopkins University study, researchers placed signs in corner stores stating that a 20-ounce bottle of soda would take 5 miles of walking or 50 minutes of jogging to burn off.”

 

That would make me think twice about purchasing a soda, what about you?

 

A new drug for Alzheimer's disease?
Kaylan Eudy March 22, 2015                                                                                                                                                       

Imagine going through life and then, all of a sudden, you start forgetting things. You  then make a trip to the doctor and get a few tests run, and the next thing you know the doctor is telling you that you have Alzheimer’s.

 

That’s just the thing though, I can’t imagine that. I am just in college and I often think about what I will be doing upon graduation, not what is going to happen to me when I get older. The fact is though that I am only getting older day-by-day.

 

So my fellow Nacogdochans, I am excited about  any advance in medicine that can help my grandparents, other family members, or even me one day. 

 I don't know about you, ,but I am excieted to even slow Alzheimer's disease down. 

 

Biogen Idec. is a company that has developed a drug, aducanumab, to slow, not get rid of, the process of Alzheimer’s disease, which causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior.

 

Overall, the dose given to patients of the small trial done ranged from small, medium, and large doses.

 

The group that seemed to do well, even with the side effects of the drug was the medium dose group.

 

                         According to a New York Times article,

 

“Alzheimer’s specialists were impressed, but they cautioned that it was difficult to read much from a small early-stage, or Phase 1, trial that was designed to look safety, not the effect on cognition. Also, other Alzheimer’s drugs that had looked promising in early studies ended up not working in larger trials.”

 

If the results from this small trial can be replicated in larger trials that the company Biogen will begin this year, then this drug would be in high demand.

Is over-the-counter birth control in the future?
Kaylan Eudy March 9, 2015                                                                                                                                                       

What if I told you that talk is happening about birth control possibly becoming over the counter? So the costly doctor’s visits and lines at the pharmacy would be all but a memory? Would you consider buying over the counter birth control?

 

According to a fox news article, researchers are suggesting that there would be many positives to the over the counter birth control as well as tons of the publics’ money being saved.

 

Prescription birth control pills cost the public sector nearly $400 per woman each year. A pregnancy costs the public sector almost $3,000 from conception to the child’s second birthday, according to a 2010 study. The authors of the new study project that 21 percent of low-income women at risk for unplanned pregnancies are very likely to use over-the-counter birth control pills, if available.

 

I don’t know about you but the idea seems promising but lacking in the present in information. I personally like the fact that people wouldn’t need to go to the doctor just to get on birth control, unless medical advice is needed based on certain personal conditions. I also enjoy the aspect of not waiting in lines at the pharmacy.

 

On the other hand, living in a small college town it isn't unrealistic to see how this could

be of benefit to college students and low-income families alike. 

 

 “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says about half of U.S. pregnancies are unplanned. Most occur among younger, poorer women. The primary cause is lack of access to contraception.”

 

Overall, the idea of making birth control more available to women is interesting, especially considering the amount of money that goes into having a child and that about half of pregnancies in the U.S. are unplanned for.

 

The decision remains yours. Do your research. If in the future, over-the-counter birth control was available, would you recommend or even choose to take it.

Drinking for Heart Health a Myth?
Kaylan Eudy February 17, 2015

 

Have you ever heard that drinking alcohol is good for your heart?

 

It appears that in a recent study, it has been found that any proof of this is not conclusive. I have always heard that drinking a glass of wine a day or just having one beer is good for your health, but researchers in a USA Today article say there is no solid evidence to be found.

 

 "I cannot prove and I don't think anyone can prove that alcohol consumption can prevent anyone from dying or prevent heart attacks," says Kenneth Mukamal, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, Boston.  ‘But he says some studies show moderate drinking can boost levels of "good" HDL cholesterol and a hormone key to blood sugar control.’

 

In today’s world, one turns 21 and can then buy alcohol; however, drinking alcohol every day doesn’t make you healthy. Again, studies on this myth are inconclusive and evidence that drinking moderately helps health is on the decline according to researchers.

 

A few of the drinking tips the article suggests are:

 

  • Women shouldn’t drink as much as men not only because we are smaller, but  to Lori Mosca, a professor of medicine at Columbia University Medical Center and a spokesperson for the American Heart Association, there are other reasons women shouldn't                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 "Our blood vessels have a different hormonal milieu," she says and women are more vulnerable to the anti-clotting effects of alcohol – something that could raise the risk of bleeding strokes.”

 

  • I’ve always heard that a glass of wine a day will keep the doctor away, but that isn’t necessarily this case.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                "I don't want to be a killjoy," Mosca says. "But I would never recommend alcohol as a preventative intervention."

What is the best option to sanitize?
Kaylan Eudy March 2, 2015                                                                                                                                                                          

How do you disinfect your hands? Do you turn on the water, put soap on your hands, scrub-a-dub-dub, and then rinse thoroughly? On the other hand, you can just use sanitizer, right?

 

Well, what is the best sanitizer to use, something that will really kill the germs?

 

Just to give you a few sanitizing 411's found in a NPR article, an alcohol-based sanitizer causes bacteria to die, but the alcohol evaporates soon after putting it on. Also, not all bacteria’s are killed by the alcohol-based sanitizers, it doesn’t protect you from a virus that causes stomach and intestinal issues.

 

The next way to sanitize is with chlorine, but even that, as soap, stops working soon after it dries. It has been used to help at Ebola treatment centers for hand-washing.

 

Both the alcohol-based and chlorine ways to sanitize aren’t good for your skin.

 

So if you're going to use these, make sure you're doing it frequently and also moisturizing your hands afterwards.

 

One sanitizer stands above others and is being used to help fight Ebola as well as is sold to schools, consumers, and hospitals.

 

Zylast was introduced two years ago by Innovative BioDefense Inc., in Lake Forest, Calif. In studies it has killed a wide variety of bacteria and viruses, says CEO Colette Cozean, including viruses similar to Ebola.

 

Zylast claims to start killing bacteria and viruses within 15 seconds, and claims to work up to 6 hours. It comes in several forms as well, including a lotion form.

 

So my fellow Nacogdochans, with the outbreak of many different viruses and other forms of sickness, what sanitizer will you use? 

 

I mean as a college student I don’t have time to get sick and if you work and have kids, you don’t want them or you getting sick either. 

 

Whether its Zylast, Purell, or plain washing your hands well, cleaning germs is a must to prevent spreading illness and getting sick yourself. 

Financial Stress Impacting Health
Kaylan Eudy February 10, 2015
What do money, stress, and health have in common?

 

In a recent study on how stress over finances can impact health, the list of things involving money that people stress about is endless: mortgage payments, loans, car payments, and many more.

 

The fact that stress affects health is not a new concept, but what you’re stressing over and how much you stress about it can have different effects on your health.

 

Stressing over money is not anything new. I have found myself overwhelmed by financial worries more than once while I’ve been in college.

 

The question becomes, how does stress actually affect health?

 

Stress can cause appetite changes, different sleep patterns, among many other things.

 

“Of the patients that I would attribute their medical problems to stress the overwhelming majority have money at the root,” said Dr. Arta Bakshandeh, a senior medical officer with Alignment Healthcare in Los Angeles. “Most commonly, these patients complain of headaches, elevated blood pressure, ulcers, depression, and moderate to severe anxiety.”

 

So what can we do to improve our health?

 

The answer is stress management, specifically financial stress management. I know, you have probably heard of this before and maybe tried a few things out with no to little success; however, stick with whatever you try for longer than a few weeks.

 

Dr. Bakshandeh recommends that people exercise for 30 minutes at least 3 to 4 times a week, seek a counselor if you need it, breathe deeply, and laugh.

 

“Laughing lowers cortisol, your body’s stress hormone, and boosts endorphins, which help your mood,” Bakshandeh says. “Find something that makes you laugh hard and often.”

 

 

 

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