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Sports
Drinks Cause More Harm to Your Teeth Than Soda
When
I'm wrapping up a bike tour, usually a ride of
100 miles or so, I can barely stand the taste of the
very beverage keeping my body hydrated and humming,
Gatorade. Not because it doesn't taste good as
far as sports drinks go but because I've been
drinking it for 5 hours straight. Sports drinks are
necessary for proper fuel and hydration during times
of extended physical exertion and frankly, I'm
thankful they're as palatable as they are but
recently there's been buzz they may be doing
more harm than good.
According to the Academy of General Dentistry, if
consumed on a regular basis, sports drinks may cause
irreversible damage to dental enamel, potentially
resulting in severe tooth decay. A recent study revealed
that the enamel damage caused by non-cola and sports
beverages was three to 11 times greater than cola-based
drinks, with energy drinks and bottled lemonades causing
the most harm to dental enamel.
Dentists say that guzzling the drink all at once or
through a straw may cause less damage to teeth. I
can't imagine navigating a straw during a road
ride and I'm certainly not going to down entire
bottles of the stuff. But I will brush my teeth more
often during cycling season. And because the jury
is still out as to whether flavors such as citrus,
orange, lemon lime and lemonade may cause even more
damage due to their higher acidity levels, I'll
stick to watered down fruit punch.
Magnesium
& Colon Cancer
Eat Magnesium and you just may reduce your risk of
colon cancer. According to the University of California,
Berkeley, a recent study of over 61,000 women showed
the more magnesium they consumed, the less likely
they were to develop colon cancer, the second leading
cause of cancer deaths in the United States and Canada.
The study focused on foods, not supplements so eating
foods rich in magnesium is the way to go.
Whole grains, nuts, beans, seeds, fish, avocados,
and leafy green vegetables are heart healthy foods
you need to eat for overall health and optimum weight
and they all contain substantial amounts of magnesium.
An ounce of sunflower seeds contains 100 milligrams;
almonds, 85; cashews, 75; wheat germ, 70; brazil nuts,
65; dark chocolate, 35. A half cup of cooked spinach,
Swiss chard, or cooked beans contains 60 to 80 milligrams.
Three ounces of many kinds of fish has 50 to 90 milligrams.
About 80% of the magnesium in grains is in the bran
and germ, which are removed in the milling of flour
and rice, so refined grain products (such as white
bread and white rice) are poor sources.
Cancer
Risk Factors You Can Control
65% of all cancers may be prevented by behavior you
control. The Mayo Clinic reports that a study tracking
30,000 Iowa women between the ages of 55 and 69 for
13 years found that those women who chose to eat and
live healthier experienced a reduced risk of developing
and dying of cancer.
The risk for these women was affected by how many
of the recommended guidelines they adopted. The study
found that women who followed only one or none of
the diet and lifestyle guidelines had a 35% higher
risk of developing cancer than did the women who practiced
at least 6 of the recommendations. Women who followed
only one or none of the guidelines also had a 43%
higher risk of dying of cancer than the women who
followed the majority of them.
6
Things You Can Do to Control Your Risk of Developing
Cancer
- Work
with Your Doctor.
Especially if you have a family history of cancer,
whether you have insurance or not, maintain a relationship
with your doctor. Regular check-ups and screenings
are key to prevention and early detection. You can't
afford to miss annual physicals. There are resources
available to help even the most financially challenged
families. Your doctor's office is the best
place to start inquiring if you're facing tough
times. If you're not, and you're behind
in your appointments, pick up the phone today!
- Eat
to Maintain a Healthy Weight. If you're
overweight, lose weight. I did it. You can do it.
Cancer is worse than your worst dieting or exercise
"fear." Tomorrow is today! Don't
delay optimum health another nanosecond. Log on
to the forums
for ideas, inspiration, tips and recipes galore.
You know what you need to do, just do it!
- Get
Your Body Moving. You didn't think I was
going to say Lazy Boy yourself silly, did you? Make
it easier to exercise than to skip out. Create Accountability.
If there are no consequences accept that far off,
dainty, white elephant, cancer, than why bother?
Wrong. Keep a journal, tell a friend, call your
Mom, tell your spouse, tell your kids, log on to
the forums
and tell us. We'll give you a swift kick in
the bloomers when you (think) you "can't"
make yourself exercise!
Environmental Protection Agency, Exercise Division
– If making it convenient to workout means
switching to a closer gym, switch. If it means,
getting rid of the couch so there's enough
room for you to lay down a mat and do living room
pilates, so be it. There are no studies showing
that frequent couch miles prevent cancer.
Do More to Move More. Create more movement
in your day. Park at the drugstore and walk over
to the grocery store. Walk around the block and
then hit the mailbox. Hide the remote. Walk
the mall once around before you shop. Mow the lawn.
Jog in place 5 minutes every hour and by the end
of a 12 hour day, you'll have taken a 60 minute
"run"!
- Don't
Smoke. Enough said?
- Use
Sun Protection. Tan is sun damage. Sun
damage is not pretty, not healthy and definitely
not sexy. Over exposure to the sun and inadequate
sun protection is a recipe for cancer. Use a sunscreen
that blocks both UVA and UVB radiation with a rating
of at least 15 or more. Wear protective clothing.
If you like a "healthy" glow, there are
plenty of self tanners to serve you.
- Limit
Alcohol Consumption.
Eat, drink and be merry doesn't mean with abandon.
Too much alcohol has been associated with liver,
mouth and esophagus cancer. Talk to your doctor
about how much is too much for you.
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