Wellness Wednesday.

It is abnormally warm here in Chicago today.  It's almost 60 and the sun is shining...but the wind is blowing like a typical Kansas day so it's a bit annoying to be outside.  I ran into my neighbor today as she was outside airing up her bike tires and she mentioned how she was taking advantage of this lovely day, because she's sure we'll have 7 snow storms in March.  I'm afraid she could be right!  We shall see, I suppose!

This week's post is inspired by yet another news article I came across, this time from my NPR iPhone app and it really made me think.  A recent study in the journal of MBio, published by the American Society for Microbiology, shows how an antibiotic-susceptible staph germ passed from humans into pigs, where it became resistant to antibiotics tetracycline and methicillin.  And then the antibiotic-resistent bacteria learned how to jump back into humans.  EEK!  Scientist are able to track these bugs genetically, so they can tell where the bacteria are traveling while they reproduce and infect other sources (people and animals).  According to the American Society for Microbiology, about 1/2 of all meat sampled in U.S. commerce is contaminated with this methicillin-resistant staph (or maybe you've heard of it - MRSA...).  Most of the time, this bacteria can be killed by cooking the meat thoroughly but it can pose a risk for contaminating other foods and surfaces in the kitchen before cooking.  One reason why it is so important to be conscious of what you are doing while cooking and handling food in the kitchen!

Another scary statistic - the majority of antibiotics sold in the U.S. go to animals, mostly in their feed.  This is supposed to help keep infections in check because of the poor conditions the animals are kept in before they are slaughtered.  If you want to see something that will make you change your eating habits, just look more into that mess.  Many livestock groups go on to say that there isn't any evidence that using antibiotics in livestock feed creates a human health problem.  Maybe this recent research is showing something different...In the article, the American Meat Association says that any informed scientist and/or public health official knows that the problem of antibiotic resistance in humans is overwhelmingly an issue in human antibiotic overuse.  Hmmm...with the majority of antibiotics going to animals, that equation makes me want to check the math!

I'm sure we will continue to see research in this area.  I can't emphasize enough how important it is to know where your food comes from, and how it was grown, made, prepared, etc.  We have options and we can make our own decisions based on what we educate ourselves with.  If you don't live near a store that can provide you with ethically and responsibly grown food, hop online and Google "local food co-ops" and I'm sure you'll find many resources at your fingertips.  Because believe it or not, there are so many farmers out there who want to provide people with fresh, healthy, local REAL food.  You'll feel better about buying food - both mentally and physically!

Make-up Monday.

I was hoping Make-up Monday was just going to be a one time thing.  Oh well.  Midterms come before blogging, I guess.

If I wouldn't have had midterms last week, I would have blogged about a wonderful article I read on my CNN iPhone app regarding sinus infections.  I'm sure we've all had one of these horrible experiences.  The pounding headache, stuffed-up runny nose, so much pressure you feel like your eyes will pop out of your head...I had one once that was so terrible, my upper teeth were throbbing.  Yuck, that was not fun.  And to be honest with you, not knowing what I know now, I would have wanted to go to my doc and get a good ol' Rx for an antibiotic - because you know, that's what fixes a sinus infection right?

The sinuses - why it hurts where it hurts!

According to this article (and my own personal opinion - but I said I wouldn't do that) an antibiotic may be the last thing you need if you have a sinus infection.  A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that amoxicillin (an antibiotic) was no better than the placebo at speeding up the recovery of all those nasty symptoms mentioned above.

Most sinus infections are caused by viruses - yes, viruses can make you feel just as terrible as a bacterial infection can, sometimes even worse.  I'm pretty sure most people understand that an antibiotic does not kill a virus - it kills bacteria.  But according to the CDC - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - even most bacterial sinus infections rarely require an antibiotic for treatment.  In most cases, both infections go away on their own (well, hardly - your immune system kicks into high gear to wipe that virus or bacteria, hence you get all those crummy symptoms).

Antibiotics would be more useful if doctors could easily distinguish a bacterial sinus infection from a viral sinus infection - but unfortunately when it comes to sinus infections, it's not that easy.  There is no quick test - like a strep swab - that could tell a doctor if a sinus infection was bacterial or viral. 

In the article I read, it said doctors continue to prescribe antibiotics mainly because patients have come to expect them - which is true.  When I worked in a family medicine clinic in Wichita, I can't tell you how many phone calls we got from patients just wanting a prescription called out without even being seen in the office, for a sinus infection.  Hello antibiotic resistant bacteria!  I thought it was funny that the doctor quoted in the article said that one way they could satisfy patients without overusing antibiotics is to "give them a prescription and tell them not to fill it unless their symptoms worsen or persist"...um yeah, that's like giving a two-year old a cookie and telling them not to eat it unless they get really hungry...But I'm sure there are a few people out there that actually follow those orders.

If you're like me, you don't have to be 2 years old to be unable to resist a cookie!

However, there is the very rare chance that a sinus infection can turn into something a lot worse - like a brain abscess.  The most frequent presenting symptoms for that include headache, drowsiness, confusion, seizures and/or speech difficulties with fever - and these symptoms come on quickly.  So it is important to monitor your symptoms and if they should worsen you would want to contact your doctor immediately - or hightail it to the emergency room.

If you find yourself with the typical sinus infection, there are plenty of remedies that you can use at home to help get through the crummy symptoms.  And I'm sure if you have a really good, smart doctor, you could call them up and ask for their advice.  Since I'm still a student - it is not kosher for me to post treatment recommendations on a public source, but if you want to email me I'd be happy to share things that I've learned about and what has helped me in my experiences.

Friday Favorites.

Happy Friday!  This week my favorites are...

1.  Being done with midterms!  My last midterm was yesterday and my brain is fried.  The tests went well, despite one professor accidentally printing every other page of one exam, and not realizing it until the first student to flip to the second page noticed that #13 does not follow #6.  Ugh, that was annoying.  Oh well, gotta roll with the punches sometimes, right?

2.  Roasted Butternut Squash, Sausage & Orecchiette Pasta in a Brown Butter Sage Sauce.  Made this yummy dish for dinner the other night and it is amazing!  Not the healthiest dish - one stick of butter and it's not even a Paula Deen recipe!  Definitely worth a special dinner every once in a while.  Click here for the recipe.

Stay tuned for another "Make-up Monday" since I was busy with midterms this week and missed "Wellness Wednesday".  Have a great weekend!

Friday Favorites.

Hello Friday!  This week's favorites...

1.  Chocolate.  I know, everyone loves chocolate.  I was pretty sure I had found my most favorite chocolate in the world.  I'm sure I've blogged about it before - the brand is Chocolove - and my favorite bar WAS a dark chocolate blend with sea-salted almonds.  YUM.  I went to World Market - which I usually do to get this chocolate - and they only had one bar left... One of the store employees had mentioned before that the store brand had a dark chocolate with sea salt - but I WAS pretty sure I would always love the Chocolove chocolate the best.  So, I picked up one of these World Market bars just to try...OH MY GOODNESS!!!  Ten times better than my now second-favorite chocolate bar!

 2.  Hoegaarden Original White Ale.  I'm drinking one right now.  It's light, refreshing and has a slight hint of clove.  Delish!

3.  Out-U-Go!  This is the company we hired to walk our dogs whenever Tim and I have to be away from home all day for work or school.  One of our walkers has fallen in love with Diego, and he wrote a blog on the company website completely dedicated to him.  It is very sweet.  You can read it here.

Have a great weekend!

Wellness Wednesday.

Since February is dedicated to heart health awareness AND yesterday was Valentine's Day, I thought it was only appropriate to blog about ways you can protect your heart.

FOOD

• Choose low-fat protein sources.  Fish, chicken and legumes are good choices.  Red meat is okay, but choose grass-fed beef.  Grass-fed is better because it contains more omega-3 fatty acids - from the grasses and clover the cows eat in the field.  Omega 3s help reduce inflammation - a key player when it comes to your heart health.
• Load up on fruits and veggies.  They are full of vitamins and minerals (imperative for daily metabolic functions) and they contain antioxidants which also help with inflammation.
• Fats.  Yes, some fats are good for you.  We couldn't live without fat in our diets.  All of the cells in our bodies contain fats (lipids) in their membranes. Stick to "healthy" fats that have shown to decrease inflammation like the ever-so-popular omega 3s (polyunsaturated fat). 
• Control your sodium intake.  I love salt just as much as the next guy.  One easy way to keep this in check is to make sure the majority of the food you consume is fresh and in its most natural form.  When you eat food this way and add salt to it, you consume far less than what has been put in processed food.  High intake of sodium has shown to increase blood pressure, which is simple physiology really.  Salt increases the concentration inside of your arteries, which causes water to follow, which increases the pressure inside those arteries.  This makes your heart work harder than it should to pump the blood to all of the vital parts of your body.
• Portion size.  This is a tough one.  Especially when the food you are eating is just too good to put down.  I start with plate/bowl size.  Instead of a dinner plate, I fill up a salad plate.  I eat less, but still feel satisfied because I've tricked my brain into thinking that since I've cleared my plate, I'm done eating.  Or, if I'm eating something that would be served in a bowl, I'll use a coffee mug instead.  Usually smaller in size, I can fill one up with whatever I'm eating and I consume less than what I would have eaten out of that big soup bowl.  If I still think I want more after I've eaten, I'll ask myself - if all I had to eat right now was an apple, would I still eat it?  Usually the answer is no.  Or, just give yourself 5-10 minutes before you go back for more.  By that time your brain has caught up with the amount that is in your stomach and you'll decide you really are satiated and more food is not needed.
• Treat yourself!  Desserts, pizza - whatever your treat may be - is totally allowable.  Enjoy it thoroughly and give that yummy stuff the respect it deserves.  If you just scarf down a whole pie in 5 seconds - is that really enjoyable?  It's not for me.  Plus, I find if I treat myself occasionally, the craving for it stays in check and I'll get to enjoy that deliciousness again and I eat less of it. 

ACTIVITY

• Our bodies are designed to move!  For example, one of the ways we help our body get blood back to the heart is simply by walking.  We have veins in our legs nestled in and around our muscles, and simply by using these muscles helps move that blood against gravity and gets it back to the heart.  That doesn't mean you HAVE to lift weights or spend 5 hours a day on a treadmill, it just means you have to move!  
• Hit up the gym.  Or sidewalk.  Jump on a bike with your kids.  The actual hard part is just making yourself do it.  Once you start, you'll be happy you did.  Literally.  Many studies show physical activity boosts your mood. 
• If the gym is not your thing, there are plenty of ways to get physical activity in your day.  Take the stairs instead of the elevator/escalator.  Out running errands?  Park farther away from the door.  You'll probably get in and out of that store faster than you would spending time driving around trying to find the best parking spot!

STRESS CONTROL

• Studies show people who have trouble handling stress in their lives are more likely to suffer from heart disease.  Find a healthy way to manage stress.  Most people will find exercise is the best way to reduce stress, anything from cardio to yoga.  Get a massage.  Do something you love.  Read.  Spend time outside.  Laugh.  Talk with a friend.  The possibilities are endless!

QUIT SMOKING!

• I had to throw this one in here.  It's funny for me actually, because my pathology professor harps on smoking almost every day in class.  It's borderline annoying actually, but he is right.  Smoking decreases your tolerance for physical activity and it makes your blood more prone to clotting.  Trust me, your heart wants to pump nice, smooth blood.  Your heart pumps blood into your lungs so it can pick up oxygen before it gets pumped back out into your body to oxygenate all of your tissues.  A clot in the lung just doesn't sound nice now does it?

I hope everyone is having a fabulous February and I hope everyone had a lovely Valentine's Day.

Friday Favorites.

Hello Friday!  My afternoon classes were cut short today because midterms start next week, woohoo for an early start to the weekend!

1.  Ice cream.  Come on, who really doesn't like ice cream?  Tim and I had crummy leftovers for dinner last night, so to make up for it we went out for ice cream.  I couldn't have finished my "Fudge Fantasy" sundae even if I had wanted to because it was sooooo big, but I gave it hell anyway.  Unfortunately, I was quickly reminded why we don't eat ice cream regularly as I couldn't for the life of me fall asleep last night...

2.  Puppy love.  I sure do love our doggies.  They are such good boys and they make us laugh daily.  We have a huge dog bed in our living room and they regularly nap and snuggle throughout the day.  I snapped the first pic of Diego and Max and then shortly after Fletcher joined in.

Little spoon, big spoon.

Buddies.

3.  Trip to Wichita planned!  I haven't been in Wichita since June 2011.  I really miss my friends and family there, so I'm excited that I finally have upcoming dates on the calendar.  I'll be in town April 30 - May 4.  Not nearly enough time, but I'm going to do my best to see everyone I possibly can! 

Woohoo!

Wellness Wednesday.

I'd like to introduce you all to my new favorite fruit...

The avocado!

That's right, the avocado is a FRUIT - known botanically as a berry with a large seed.  They grow on super tall trees (the trees can be as tall as 70 feet!) and some varieties can weigh as much as 3 pounds!  Whew, I'm not sure I could eat an avocado that weighs that much...

Avocados are very healthy - when eaten in moderation of course (like everything else).  Here's a quick list why...

• Most of the calories of an avocado come from fat.  That fat just-so-happens-to-be monounsaturated fat...Studies show that monounsaturated fats can help improve blood cholesterol levels, which can decrease your risk for cardiovascular disease.  Research also shows monounsaturated fats can help control insulin levels and blood sugar, which can be particularly accommodating if you have type two diabetes.
• Avocados are rich in potassium, B vitamins, vitamin E and vitamin K.  
• They contain a lot of fiber.  Remember the Wellness Wednesday about fiber?
• Probably the coolest reason avocados are healthy...they are currently under preliminary research for potential anti-cancer activity.  Makes sense because they contain glutathione, an important antioxidant that researchers say is important in preventing aging, CANCER, and heart disease.

We buy avocados weekly.  We're usually putting them in salads, but the possibilities for eating an avocado are endless.  Sometimes I'll even just eat one plain - well, plus a sprinkle of salt.  Here is a recipe I love that includes avocado.

Recipe from whatsgabycooking.com

Quinoa Cowboy Caviar

1 cup cooked quinoa
¼ cup fresh corn, cut off the cob
¼ cup cooked black beans
¼ cup red bell pepper, chopped
¼ cup chopped red onion
½ lime, juiced
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 avocado, cut into small pieces (or guacamole – whatever you prefer)
Cook the quinoa according to the package instructions.
Meanwhile combine the corn, black beans, red bell pepper and red onion in a bowl. Toss to combine.
Add the cooked quinoa into the mixture, and add the lime juice and salt and pepper to taste.
Add chopped avocado right before serving.

Make-up Monday...for last week's Wellness Wednesday!

Recently I was complaining to one of my girlfriends about my not-so-compliant skin.  It has been far from blemish free lately, regardless of the different tricks I had been trying to make it crystal clear.  Stress, hormones, diet, dirt, oil...all of these things can contribute to not-so-pretty skin.  So, back to my girlfriend.  She brought up an email that one of her friends had sent her, with a video attached describing the oil cleansing method.  Sounds weird, but the method claims the best way to clean your skin is with oil.  Naturally, I did a bit of research and here is what I came up with.

Thanks to some super-smart people who call themselves chemists, we know that like dissolves like.  Water dissolves water, oil dissolves oil.  Water does not dissolve oil and oil does not dissolve water.  Okay, got it.  So believe it or not, our skin purposefully produces oil.  We need it to help maintain a protective barrier from the cold, harsh outside world (a little dramatic, I know) to make a long story short. 

When we wash our skin with soap and water, we are essentially stripping our skin of its natural oil.  Ever wash your face with cleanser or a bar of soap and after drying off with a towel you notice that tight, dry feeling?  Sure you have.  Well, I'm assuming you have.  I definitely have!  Looking back, I was using all of these products (most of them as natural as possible even) that just kept drying out my skin, and I couldn't for the life of me figure out why my skin was still super shiny and oily by mid afternoon...

So I gave it a shot.  And boy am I glad that I did!  My skin has been super soft and mostly clear since I started this cleansing method a few weeks ago (unfortunately this method doesn't cure the occasional hormonal blemish, I'm still working to find something to help with that!).  There are different combinations of different types of oil you can play with to find the perfect cleansing concoction for your skin.  Right now, I'm using a mixture of castor oil and extra virgin olive oil.  I start with a dry face (makeup still on) and pour a decent amount into my hand.  I massage it all over my face for about a minute, turning the sink on to get the water nice and hot.  Next I grab a washcloth, soak it with hot water and then plop it on my face for about 30 seconds.  Then I wipe away all of the dirt and makeup and I'm set with a soft, clean face.

We are all familiar with olive oil.  It is packed with a wide variety of antioxidants and healthy monounsaturated fats.  Along with its many benefits when consumed orally, olive oil is a natural, deep penetrating moisturizer that helps regenerate skin cells and softens the tissues.  Wikipedia even cited a study that was done on mice, that showed application of olive oil immediately after exposure to UVB rays had a preventative effect on the formation of tumors and skin cancer.

Castor oil...I hadn't heard of this one before.  Castor oil is a vegetable oil obtained from castor beans.  It can deeply penetrate the skin due to its low molecular mass.  It is packed full of triglycerides, moisturizes the skin and has anti-inflammatory properties.  Castor oil is also antibacterial in nature.

You can get creative and play with different types of oil.  I wanted to start basic to make sure my skin reacted nicely to this method (I'd recommend doing the same if you want to try it).  I'm thinking about adding a bit of rose hip oil.  Rose hip oil contains vitamin A, which helps delay the effects of skin aging, assists with cell regeneration, and promotes collagen and elastin levels (woo-hoo fountain of youth! -just kidding).  I really like this cleansing method.  I've been using less moisturizer and my skin has been very docile compared to before.  Bonus for the ladies - this cleansing method even removes eye makeup! 

Friday Favorites.

This week...

1. Olive oil. I really love olive oil.  I use it every day.  Tim and I cook with it all of the time...from roasting veggies to making our own salad dressings, this is an item we definitely buy in bulk.  Plus it's full of good, heart-healthy fats.  I also use it every day on my face.  Sounds bizarre, but about two weeks ago I started "The Oil Cleansing Method" and I'm officially hooked.  It takes off ALL of my makeup (pesky mascara too) and leaves my face feeling super soft and healthy, sans moisturizer.  I actually use a mixture of two different oils, the extra virgin olive oil and castor oil.  Hmmm...this might be a good "Wellness Wednesday" topic...

2.  My sister.  She is my favorite this week because I can always call her when I need to vent.  She's a good listener, always laughs at the right time and says the right thing to make me feel better.  I probably didn't think this so much before - like when I was a bratty teenager - but I sure am lucky to have such a funny, smart, independent, pretty sister.

Stay tuned for "Make-up Monday"...which will make up for this week's "Wellness Wednesday"... (oops).