Mammograms- Start later.

I have always heard of women that start entering their 40's, have to get a mammogram. But according to a governemtn task force, women getting screened for breast cancer too early leads to many false observations and unneeded biopsies. This is totally turning against what the American Cancer Society recommends; and that is getting screened annually after the age of 40 because of so many cases of breast cancer yearly.

The task force is also saying that self exams do no good and should not even be performed because many women think that they have something when they really don't. I personally was baffled by this entire article because what about families with history of breast cancer?. They say nothing about them and say 'everyone' which I am assuming includes those women as well. I truly believe that if it runs in your family then continue to get these done because according to a spokes person for American Health insurance plan states "insurance coverage isn't likely to change because of the new guidelines. No changes are planned in Medicare coverage either."

The new advice that this task force is giving otu is that women shouldn't get routine mammograms, women between 50-74 should get them every other year until 75, and after 75 all they say is that the risks and benefits are unknown. odd?

This advice was extremely questionable by the Cancer Society where one of their spokespersons stated,"This is one screening test I recommend unequivocally, and would recommend to any woman 40 and over," the society's chief medical officer." And the Cancer Society feels that the benefits outweight the harm of getting theses done for women of all different health backgrounds. Here is another excerpt from the article supporting the need to receive exams, "Mammograms can find cancer early, and two-thirds of women over 40 report having had the test in the previous two years. But how much they cut the risk of dying of the disease, and at what cost in terms of unneeded biopsies, expense and worry, have been debated. "

What do any of you think about this topic?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091116/ap_on_he_me/us_med_mammogram_advice

Exercise In The Morning!!

Well Hello, As many of you awake in the morning I bet the first thing on your mind isn't getting psyched up to go to the gym is it? Well an article from yahoo! health says that exercising in the morning will keep you energized throughout the day, and will also increase your metabolism. Doing the exercises they listed will only take you about 15 minutes and will be a great start to your day. Only 15 minutes?! i just might try it and see if it actually works, althought getting up early will be tough, it might be beneficial.

Pilates are the best exercises because they strenghten your core as well as stabilize your spine. They create longer, leaner muscles and is one of the easiest workouts to learn and perform.

The site goes on and tells you different activities you can do like, Arm Reaches and Pulls, Planks, One leg Raises, and workouts on a stability ball. It seems easy enough and you don't need a lot of things to do these, so instea of heading to the gym you could do them in your room, as long as you know what and how to do the workout correctly. Being safe during workouts is key!

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/why-exercising-in-the-morning-will-change-your-life-543155/

Team Dedication, Determination and Heart

Hey all, this past weekend was the first round of the NCAA's for the Westfield State Women's Soccer team. We played a hard fought game against University of Rochester and were defeated 4-0. It wasn't a 4-0 game though, if anyone undetstand what I mean because we stuck in it until the end. We played with passion and determination and always went into tackles 100% even if were were down because of the score. It was not what we wanted, of course we wanted to play another game and make it to the next round, but luck was not on our side last night. Every single person on this team, whether they were on the field or cheering their team on due to injury or other things, gave their all every practice, every game, for the entire time, which shows heart and character.

A team is something that you are a part of. It is a group of people, together, performing for something they love doing and not wanting nothing more than to be the best they can be. when they come together and get the chance to do something great, they go into it with heart because heart will get you through it when everything else is gone.

I feel that talking about this ties in with different areas of heath because it has to deal with emotions and how to deal with changes in your thought processes when you win big games and lose other ones.

Either way, team sports are by far one of the best to be a part of because together you are able to do something great, share laughs as well as tears, and amazing victorys as well as tough detriments and have an amazing bond like no other.

Go team!

Myths of Dieting

The word diet is always constantly changing along with new foods and fads that are supposidly the right way to diet. Myths about what time you can't eat after, what to eat before and after exercising, and what foods will burn that stubborn 'belly fat' are always constantly changing and what I hope to inform you all about!!

The myth about not eating after 7pm is far from being true because our bodies don't 'shut off' as soon as 7pm rolls around. But some people do over indulge as the night goes on, which is why some of us gain that little weight. They are either bored or tired and can't find something else to put their mind on. Instead of saying what should I eat say Why am I hungry? or let me go read a book or clean something instead. Doing this put your mind off of food and onto something else, and a certain food item only stays on your minf for about 15 minutes anyways, then you forget.

Another myth is that you should eat many small meals a day, or every 3-4 hours. This is not true if you want to diet because you are suppose to eat when your body tells you it's hungry, not on a set schedule when you are still full from the meal before. So don't watch the clock, but watch your body's signals and you will start to eat the rigth amount of meals per day.

The third myth is that you shouldn't let yourself get hungry. But this isnt true because food tastes better and is more satisfying when youa re hungry because you cantaste your food and stop when you are full. If you arent reall hungry when you start to eat, chances are that you will continue to eat because your body wont tell you when you are hungry.

The rest of the myths are

Exercise more when you cheat your diet

Follow your diet 6 out of 7 days so you can have a cheating day

Eat X amount of calories per day

Carbs( fats) are bad

None of these myths help you to stay on the right track of dieting. You are in charge of what you want to accomplish and what goals you want to set out for your health and your body. Don't put yourself through torture to feel good, feeling good shoudl come naturally and better in time once you start and continue on the rigth course!

Happy eating!

http://health.yahoo.com/featured/63/weight-management-myths-debunked/

Skin Cancer Prevention

As you all know excessive exposure to the sun or ultraviolet rays can cause skin cancer. Some people are more susceptible to getting skin cancer because of family history, severe sunburns, abnormal moles, or fair freckled skin. Others alos believe that since they are using tanning lotions or oils, that they are protecting themselves. They aren't! They are making themselves more prone to cancer because those products attract the sun more.

Using protection against the sun with sunblock is very helpful, but just remember to buy sunblock with at least 30spf and one that protects against UVA AND UVB rays as they are both very harmful. Getting regular check ups from your dermatologist if there is a history of cancer, you have fair skin or many moles is also a great way to protect yourself.

Other ways to protect your skin are wearing wide brimmed hats that protect the face and neck, wear wram around sunglasses and don't go for sunscreen that has less that 30 spf as I previously mentioned.

If you're wondering why it is necessary to protect your skin, you may not have known that skin cancer is the most common type of cancer and the easiest to contract. Most skin cancers are easily seen and can be cured before it spreads and gets worse.

Here are the ABCDE's of early protection:

Asymmetry

Border Irregularity

Color

Diameter

Evolution

So always wear sunscreen and wear protective clothing when you are out in the sun. Applying sunscreen 30 mins prior to sun exposure is the best way to aviod the rays, and reapplying after sweating and swimming are a must!

http://health.yahoo.com/skincancer-overview/skin-cancer-protecting-your-skin/healthwise--uh1310.html;_ylt=Aj77OPuqxa7mZ_YaqbpLI61Gt8UF

Sleeping More Leads to Better Food Choices

When you don't get enough sleep your body changes its means of hunger. When you don't get enough hours of rest the perception of feeling full is thrown right out the window and you want to eat more and more because your body isnt satisfied. As college students I feel that most of us tend to not get the right amount of sleep, thus resulting in us 'binge' eating whenever we feel that we are hungry. it is said that we need between 8 and 9 hours of rest each night, and I for one know that trying to do that is a very hard thing with the amount of work we get, or just the lifestyles we pursue. Exercising a few hours before you go to bed may seem like a good idea, but research has shown that it keeps you more awake and that sticking to camler activities like television or reading are the better choice. Taking naps may seem like a fantastic idea t the time, and I myself am a culpret of naps, but taking a nap for more than 4 hours and/or taking one closer to when you should be going to bed is never a good idea. It can mess with your sleep patters and make you even more tired than you were to begin with. Here are some tips to try and keep a regular sleep pattern, whether on the go or piled up with work:
Prioritize your sleep, keep when you go to sleep consistent, create a bedtime ritual, and don't replace sleep with pills, vitamins or drinks.

I know this may sound like something that you hear everday, but I honestly feel like if you do a few of these things each time you go to bed, then you will end up feeling a lot better about yourself the next day.

For more information:
http://www.osteopathic.org/index.cfm?PageID=you_sleepdiet
http://www.helpguide.org/life/sleep_tips.htm

Homecoming/Alumni Weekend!

This weekend is Homecoming and Alumni weekend. Along with that Field Hockey, Womens Soccer and Football are joining together for "Think Pink" Breast Cancer Awareness. We will be wearing pink, having raffles, donations and a bake sale where all proceeds will benefit the American Cancer Society. Grab your families and come support WSC Athletics in this all day event where Field Hockey will be playing at 10:30, Football at 1:30 and Womens Soccer at 6:00. It is also senior day for Womens Soccer so come out and cheer us on in our second to last regular season match against Salem State!

9 Best Fast Food Restaurants..

As many of you know, fast food is something that doesn't always come as the healthiest meal, and for some isn't even worth buying. But we all have to admit that at times we just crave that McDonald's Burger or that Frosty from Wendy's. You may think that because you are eating fast food that it is bad for you, but after reading this article I was extremely surprised that some of these fast food chains made it onto the top 9 list of America's Healthies Fast Food Restaurants....also saying depending on what you buy.
The researchers scored these restaurants from A-F depending on some of the foods listed ont he menu and the variety of foods they carry.
Here they are:
1. Chick-Fil-A....A-

2. Subway..A-

3. Jamba Juice...A-

4.Au Bon Pain...A-

5. Boston Market...B+

6. Cici's Pizza Buffet...B+

7. McDonald's...B+

8. Taco Bell...B+

9. Wendy's...B+

...Along with letting you know the grade they scored the researchers also give you surivial strategies on what types of food to purcchase to make a healthy decision if necessary.
You can find more information about this on:
http://health.yahoo.com/experts/eatthis/25787/americas-healthiest-restaurants/

Nail Biting is Stressful!!

For those of you who still bite your nails, and for those of you who broke the habit, I thought this topic was interesting and again, one we can all relate to.

Whether you bite your nails in times of stress, nervousness or excitement, I believe most of us can say "I've been there". Nail biting is one of most common nervous habits that many of of still cannot break. Many people bite their nails without realizing they are. This goes along with hair twisting, skin rubbing, etc which I always see many people doing.

People of all ages are starting, or continuing to nail bite, and for those of you who have kicked the habit, Good for you!!

Nail biting occurs in people going through puberty and the most common ages to be a 'nail biter' are from 10-18.

--> This happens moreso in children because of problems in school, stress over homework/ projects or even around people they may not know and are nervous to talk to.

There are a less people 18-22 who are still continuing to bite their nails and even a smaller number of adults.

In rare cases nail biting can be looked at as a form of OCD, but can be treated if it truly is a cause.

full story can be found at:

http://health.yahoo.com/beauty-overview/nail-biting/healthwise--tw9722spec.html

Getting Enough Sleep?

Transitioning from the lazy summer days to the 'staying up late and waking up early' aspects of school, sleep is something that I believe we all need more of and almost everyone can agree that it is something we don't get a lot of. Those late night coffee runs to finish that assignment, or the weekends where we are out till the early mornings always catch up to us one way or another.


The average hours of sleep each person needs a night is 8, while most Americans get anywhere from 5-7 hours a night. An article from The Sleep Disorders and Research Center at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit state "signs you sleep deprived are:
->Struggling to stay awake when inactive, such as when watching TV or reading
->Feeling tired when waking up
->Needing an alarm clock consistently to wake up
->Waking up often and having trouble going back to sleep
->Falling asleep after a heavy meal
->Having difficulty remembering or concentrating
->Needing a nap most days
->Sleeping longer on weekends
->What you can do to get more sleep"


After reading these signs, I have noticed that I fall into a few categories, just like many of you may.


I feel that we all have had those days where we are non-stop from morning to night, with no time to rest. Thinking you get enough sleep and actually getting the right amount of sleep are two very different things that you make yourself believe you are doing. Taking care of yourself and making a set schedule, where you plan out what to do at certain times really does help.


In the end, the majority of us don't get the proper amount of sleep, but setting your mind and body to a daily schedule will really give you that extra boost you may need in the middle of the day.



examples found at:

http://www.seniormag.com/caregiverresources/articles/caregiverarticles/health/sleep.htm