May 2012 IN THIS ISSUE Health Observance CAM Facts Is CAM Right For You? Healthy Recipe
Health Observance
Melanoma/Skin Cancer Awareness Month
CAM Facts Nearly 40 percent of Americans use some form of CAM (complementary and alternative medicine). CAM accounts for approximately 11 percent of total out-ofpocket health care expenditures (conventional out-of-pocket: $286.6 billion) in the United States. The $11.9 billion spent on visits to CAM practitioners is equal to about one-quarter of total out-of-pocket spending on visits to conventional doctors. The $14.8 billion spent annually on nonvitamin natural products is about equal to one-third of total out of pocket spending on prescription drugs.
Is CAM Right For You?
One in five Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of a lifetime. However, there is good news: because skin cancer is a lifestyle disease, it is also highly preventable. Reduce your skin cancer risk: Seek the Shade, especially between 10am and 4pm when the sun is the strongest. An extra rule of thumb is the "shadow rule." If your shadow is shorter than you are, the sun's harmful UV radiation is stronger; if your shadow is longer, UV radiation is less intense. Do not burn. A person's risk for melanoma doubles if he or
Complementary and alternative medicine is a rapidly growing segment of today's health care panorama. The field is now so popular and recognized that it has its own acronym -- CAM -- as well as its own institute at the National Institutes of Medicine. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) investigates the safety and effectiveness of CAM practices. A User's Guide to Yoga Yoga is a mind-body practice with origins in ancient Indian philosophy. The various styles of yoga typically combine physical postures, breathing techniques and meditation or relaxation. The 2007 National Health Interview Survey found that yoga is one of the top 10 CAM practices used by U.S. adults. An estimated 6 percent of Americans use yoga for health purposes. Research suggests that regularly practicing yoga may: Improve mood and sense of well-being Counteract stress Reduce heart rate and blood pressure Increase lung capacity Improve muscle relaxation
she had had five or more sunburns at any point in life. Avoid tanning and UV tanning beds. UV radiation from tanning beds is know to cause cancer, and the more times a person has spent tanning indoors, the higher the risk. Just four visits to a tanning salon per year can increase a person's risk for melanoma by 11% and for the two most common forms of skin cancer, basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, by 15% Cover up with clothing, including a broad-brimmed hat and UV-blocking sunglasses. Clothing can be your most effective form of sun protection, so make the most of it with densely woven and bright- or dark-colored fabrics, which offer the best defense. Use broad spectrum (UVA/UVB) sunscreen with SPF of 15 or higher every day. For extended outdoor activity, use a water-resistant, broad spectrum sunscreen with a SPF of 30 or higher. Apply 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) of sunscreen to your entire body 30 minutes before going outside. Reapply every two hours or immediately after swimming or excessive sweating. Keep newborns out of the sun. Sunscreens may be used on babes over the age of six months, but they should also be protected by shade and clothing. Children are more sensitive to ultraviolet radiation -- just one severe sunburn in childhood doubles the chances of developing melanoma later in life. Examine your skin head-to-
Help with anxiety, depression and insomnia Improve overall physical fitness, strength and flexibility To get started, find a teacher with whom you feel comfortable. Ask about the physical demands of the type of yoga in which you are interested. Check into the training and experience of the teacher you are considering. Try different yoga studios until you find one you like. Some studios offer the first class for free. Minimal gear is required for yoga. Wear comfortable clothes that allow you to move around easily (no shoes or socks needed). Sit on a nonslippery surface such as the floor or a mat. Most studios provide mats. Once you're a yoga enthusiast, you may want to buy your own mat to tote around. Even if you exercise regularly, remember that yoga uses completely different poses and muscle groups. Start slowly. Begin with one weekly yoga session, and try to do a bit more each time. Yoga is generally considered to be safe in healthy people. Keep in mind that yoga's stretches and poses should be felt only within the muscle, not within the body joints. Extreme pain, tingling and numbness are all signals that you are overstretching. Immediately inhale, then exhale and slowly come out of the pose. A User's Guide to Tai Chi Tai chi is an ancient Chinese mind-body practice that combines movement, breathing and meditation. To an observer, a tai chi practitioner looks as if he or she is moving in slow motion. Millions of people, young and old, use this gentle martial art to relax their minds, tone their bodies and bring balance to their lives. According to the 2007 National Health Interview Survey, an estimated 2.3 million U.S. adults had used tai chi in the past 12 months. People practice tai chi for various health-related reasons, such as: To increase energy To improve strength, coordination and flexibility To improve balance and decrease the risk of falls, especially in elderly people To increase range of motion in arthritic joints To reduce stress To improve sleep To boost immunity to the shingles virus For overall wellness. Plan to take a class -- a live instructor can observe what you're doing and guide you to develop proper technique. Instructional books, videos and apps may help. Keep in mind that learning tai chi from a video or book does not ensure that you are doing the movements correctly
toe every month. While selfexams shouldn't replace the important annual skin exam performed by a physician, they offer the best chance of detecting the early warning signs of skin cancer. If you notice any change in an existing mole or discover a new one that looks suspicious, see a physician immediately.
and safely. Although you can do tai chi in any type of clothing, loosefitting garments and flat, comfortable shoes or sneakers are recommended for ease of movement. Some prefer to do tai chi barefoot. Tai chi is a relatively safe practice. There are some cautions:
www.skincancer.org
Resource: http://nccam.nih.gov/health/whatiscam
CONTACT
As with any exercise regimen, if you overdo practice, you may have sore muscles. Tai chi instructors often recommend that you do not practice tai chi right after a meal, or when you are very tired, or if you have an active infection.
Summer Berry Parfait Serves 1
Jessica Hildreth (316) 977-9774
[email protected]
Ingredients 3/4 cup sliced strawberries 3/4 cup blueberries 1 (6 ounce) container vanilla yogurt 1 tablespoon wheat germ 1/2 banana, sliced 1/3 cup granola Directions Layer 1/4 cup strawberries, 1/4 cup blueberries, 1/3 container yogurt, 1/3 tablespoon wheat germ, 1/3 of the sliced banana, and about 2 tablespoons of granola in a large bowl. continue to build the parfait, repeating the layers until all the ingredients are used completely. Nutritional Information 520 calories; 13.5g fat; 8mg cholesterol; 18.3g protein; 86.9g carbohydrates; 11.1g fiber; 126mg sodium; 1127mg potassium Source: allrecipes.com
