General Health Articles

Plants to Avoid this spring

Healthy Living

Spring is finally here! After a long and cold winter, everyone is in their glory with the sunshine and warm weather.

However, coming hand-in-hand with the blooming season is some people's dreaded seasonal nightmare: hay fever.

One of the best plans of action for fighting spring allergies is to avoid the things that make your sneezing, itching and watering eyes worse.  Warren V. Filley, M.D., a spokesperson for the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, recently told www.health.com which plants you should avoid.

• Ragweed : It is common along riverbanks and in rural areas. Dr. Filley says that almost 75 percent of people with allergies are sensitive to ragweed.

Mountain cedar :This tree is commonly found in mountainous regions and, according to Dr. Filley, causes some of the “most severe allergy symptoms I have ever seen.”

• Maple : These trees are found along streams and in woods all through the eastern United States and Canada. The maple produces potent allergens.
• Elm : Common in the wetlands, these trees will most likely aggravate your allergies.
•  Mulberry : This pretty tree can be very deceiving. Found in woods and river valleys, it is often associated with contributing to hay fever.

• Pecan : Although it makes many good desserts, the pollen from pecan : found in woods and orchards : is second only to ragweed as the most severe source of allergens.

• Oak : It may have less potent pollen, but it produces very large quantities of it, Dr. Filley says. Avoid the woods just for this one.

Mold : Allergies acting up in the spring could be because of mold levels rising with wetter, warmer air.  Dr. Filley contributes various types of molds to producing significant allergy symptoms throughout the United States.

What the “Toes” Know

Healthy Living

As odd as it may seem, your feet may be the window to your overall body health. Here are some things to look for regarding your feet that will give you clues that there may be other important body issues to look into.

Thick, yellow toenails - Toenails are not supposed to be thick and/or yellow.  Thick, yellow nails are most often an indication of a fungal infection living beneath your toenails.  People that have other medical conditions, like rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes and other immune deficiencies are more likely to get a fungal infection than those that do not have these conditions.  To treat thick, yellow toenails, you will need to consult a podiatrist.  While there are plenty of over-the-counter treatments for thick, yellow toenails, by the time your nails are already discolored and thick it is too late for any over-the-counter creams or medicines to work. You must discuss your options with a professional.

No hair on your feet or toes : If your feet or toes are lacking hair, it can be a sign of having poor circulation because of vascular disease.  If you notice that your feet and toes do not have any hair on them, you will want to consult your doctor to find out ways to improve your circulation thereby reducing your risk of acquiring vascular disease.

A wound that won't heal on your foot : Wounds on your feet that just won't heal could be an indication of diabetes.  Over time, elevated blood glucose levels can lead to serious nerve damage in your feet and because of this damage you may not feel when you have a sore or a wound on your foot.  If your wound continues to go unhealed there could be major problems, including amputation.  If you notice a wound that won't heal on your feet be sure to contact your doctor to discuss your wound.  If you are currently living with or being treated for diabetes, be sure to check your feet often and mark any changes.

America's Least Fit (and Fittest) Cities

In the recently released American College of Sports Medicine's (ACSM) 2015 American Fitness Index data report, 10 cities ranked lowest in overall health and fitness. Each city received a ranking and areas that needed “worked on” as a whole for the city.

#10: Dallas, Texas : score 38.8/100

#9: New Orleans, Louisiana : score 36.8/100

#8: Charlotte, North Carolina : score 37.4/100

#7: Birmingham, Alabama : score 34.5/100

#6: Nashville, Tennessee : score 33.0/100

#5: Louisville, Kentucky : score 32.1/100

#4: San Antonio, Texas : score 32.0/100

#3: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma : score 29.6/100

#2: Memphis, Tennessee : score 27.3/100

#1: Indianapolis, Indiana : score 26.8/100

To view the full report and see the full results of these cities and other major metropolitan cities included in the ACSM's research, visit www.americanfitnessindex.org.

And, the Fittest cities are,

#1: Washington, D.C.

#2: Minneapolis, Minnesota

#3: San Diego, California

#4: San Francisco, California

#5: Sacramento, California

#6: Denver, Colorado

#7: Portland, Oregon

#8: Seattle, Washington

#9: Boston, Massachusetts

#10: San Jose, California

Healthy Living

Got Mosquitoes? Myth vs. Fact!

It's summertime and that means that the days are getting longer, the sun is shining later and the mosquitoes are biting everyone!

But how much do you know about these little buggers? Here we separate the myths from the facts: 

MYTH: All mosquitoes will bite you.

It is only the female mosquito that bites you because she needs the blood for protein and energy to produce eggs. Male mosquitoes feed on flower nectar. 

MYTH: Mosquitoes are more drawn to people who eat sweets.

Blood is blood. It is more how a person smells than how they taste, that attracts the most mosquitoes. 

FACT: Mosquitoes prefer certain blood types.

Studies show that mosquitoes like to feast on Type O blood, but only the portion of O's who are “secretors” meaning their bodies infuse specific molecules into their saliva, sweat and mucus. 

FACT: Pregnancy increases your chances of being devoured by mosquitoes.

A study in 2000 reported that mosquitoes tend to bite expectant women more than others. Some think it is due to increased blood volume, while others believe it is due to pregnant women producing more heat and carbon dioxide, both which are bait for mosquitoes. 

MYTH: Citronella and bug zappers are the best protectors against mosquitoes.

Actually your best defense is the 3 D's : drain any standing water, dress in bright colors, and defend using Deet.

In the News

Fewer Adults Meeting Daily Food Guidelines

According to a recent study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), “less than 15 percent of adults eat enough fruits daily to meet federal recommendations, but the numbers are even worse in some states, dipping as low as 7.5 percent in Tennessee.”

Researchers also found that even fewer adults eat enough vegetables to meet daily recommendations.

The studies show that while the number of fruit and vegetable intake is low across the entire United States, the numbers are staggering in the Southern states.

Overall, the participants in the study consumed fruit less than once a day, and vegetables less than 1.7 times a day.

According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the model that the study was measured against, recommend that adults who get less than 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity each day should eat 1.5 to 2 cups of fruit and 2 to 3 cups of vegetables daily.  More active people can eat more fruits and vegetables during their day without adding too many additional calories to their diet.

The guidelines also recommend that we increase our intake of dark green and orange vegetables, as well as beans.

Fruits and Vegetables that are in season year round:

Apples

Bananas

Lettuce

Coconut

Mushrooms

Onions

Snow Peas

Potatoes

Avocados

Celery

Carrots

Bell Peppers

Bok Choy

Cherry Tomatoes