People’s Pharmacy: Can chocolate treat blood pressure? 2D
HealthToday
T H U R S D A Y , A P R I L 9 , 2009
SECTION D
WWW.TUSCALOOSANEWS.COM
PREVENTION
Don’t just sit there, or you may pay for it later
9-MONTH
fitness ■ Walking ■ Swimming ■ Cycling ■ Aerobics
DO IN MODERATION ■ Running ■ Racquet sports ■ Strength training
STAY AWAY FROM ■ Downhill snow skiing ■ Scuba diving ■ Contact sports (ice hockey, soccer and basketball)
WARNING SIGNS Pregnant women should stop working out if they experience the following: ■ Vaginal bleeding ■ Dizziness or feeling faint ■ Increased shortness of breath ■ Chest pain ■ Headache ■ Muscle weakness ■ Calf pain or swelling ■ Uterine contractions ■ Decreased fetal movement ■ Fluid leaking from vagina Source: The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
By Kristi Palma
Special to The Tuscaloosa News
R
achel Warren, 28, of Tuscaloosa, is sevenmonths pregnant. But that hasn’t stopped her from working out. She heads to her gym two to three days a week to attend spin class and work out with weights. “I work out because it makes me feel better,” said Warren, who is pregnant with her second child. According to experts, Warren’s workout routine is not only making her feel better but it’s decreasing her chance of getting gestational diabetes and doing wonders for her back, muscle tone, strength and endurance. According to The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), pregnant women who work up a sweat stand to benefit in many more ways than that — working out staves off constipation, bloating and swelling. It also gives women energy, better posture and brightens their moods. Yet some pregnant women, like many Americans in general, remain sedentary, said Dr. Raul Artal, professor and chairman, department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health at Saint Louis University School of Medicine and spokesperson for ACOG. “For too long, women were told pregnancy was a state of confinement and that they could indulge and gain weight,” said Artal. “That’s not good. A sedentary lifestyle and weight gain during pregnancy can result in gestational diabetes and other complications.” He encourages his patients to work out any way they can. “When we say exercise, it doesn’t have to be a Jane Fonda aerobics class,” said Artal. SEE FITNESS | 3D
PINK SLIP LOOMING? Schedule necessary doctor appointments: If you still have health insurance, schedule appointments and refill regular prescriptions. Don’t get every test out there: Being diagnosed with a pre-existing condition may make it difficult to get reasonably priced health insurance. Negotiate with your doctor: Ask your doctor if he or she will continue seeing you for a lower rate than what your insurance company was paying. Explore insurance options: Comparison shop at www.ehealthinsurance.com.
— McClatchy-Tribune News Service
Those hypoallergenic dogs? Like the one the First Family will be adopting? They may not be exactly what people think. “We don’t always like the ‘hypoallergenic’ term, because there is no true hypoallergenic dog,” said veterinarian Jay Whittle of Mill Creek Animal Clinic in Palos Park, Ill. “Allergies are dictated by the person with the allergies and what their immune system is going to do.” FILE | THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Dr. Zaid Jabbar, an allergist Even hypoallergenic dogs like the with Edward Portuguese water dog can trigger Medical Group symptoms in people with allergies. in Bolingbrook, Ill., explains that flaking of microscopic bits of the animal’s skin is what causes the problem. For those unlucky people with allergies, the tiny particles cause the immune system to produce antibodies, sparking allergic reactions: sneezing, stuffy nose, runny and itchy eyes. Dog lovers also need to be smart about the breed they choose and be willing to make adjustments. Whittle says that dogs whose coats are more like hair than fur are less likely to cause allergies to flare up. “Poodles, bichons, Yorkies [Yorkshire terriers] are less likely to cause problems,” he said. — Chicago Tribune
TREATMENTS
Drug for addiction may help kleptomaniacs
MINNEAPOLIS | A drug used to treat alcohol addiction may help kleptomaniacs curb their urge to steal, according to a study by the University of Minnesota. The researchers have been studying the drug, naltrexone, as a possible treatment for a variety of compulsive behaviors, including gambling and drug addiction. In the latest study, Dr. Jon Grant recruited 25 men and women who “spent an average of at least one hour a week stealing,” according to a report published Wednesday in the Journal of Biological Psychiatry. For eight weeks, some of the volunteers took naltrexone, the others a placebo. At the end of eight weeks, those on the medication reported “significantly greater decline” in stealing behavior, the report said. Grant said that this is not a cure, but most likely would work in combination with counseling. —McClatchy-Tribune News Service
STAFF ILLUSTRATION | ANTHONY BRATINA
TIP
LIFESTYLES
Hypoallergenic pets can trigger symptoms
Exercise can ease the discomfort of pregnancy SAFE EXERCISES
A recent survey of more than 6,000 American adults showed they were spending an average of eight hours a day, or 56 hours a week, with fannies planted on a chair. Interactivity research, a relatively new scientific discipline dedicated to studying our all-too-sedentary existence, indicates the body actually goes into something akin to a computer’s sleep mode when we’re hunched in front of a screen or zoned out watching “American Idol.” Fat-burning enzymes, particularly lipoprotein lipase, which breaks down triglycerides in the blood, cease working and LPL can drop by as much as 50 percent, studies show. It’s thought that we’re burning an average of 1,000 fewer calories daily than a generation ago. “When you sit all day, you are doing something completely opposite of what you were designed to do. That’s like hammering nails with a cell phone. Failure is inevitable,” said Dr. James Levine, who directs the Active Life research team at the Mayo Clinic, and co-authored “Move a Little, Lose a Lot,” with Selene Yeager. So, walk as much as you can, even if it means pacing the halls of your office building every couple hours. Visit colleagues on another floor instead of e-mailing and take the stairs. The more active you are, the more of a routine it becomes. — Houston Chronicle
FITNESS
Working out the girly way — in a dress BOISE, IDAHO | Christine Nienstedt likes to suit up when she’s facing a hard physical challenge. Nienstedt has worn a dress to run halfmarathons and complete grueling endurance bike rides, such as the 200-mile Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic. After all, these were milestone moments. “They felt celebratory and fun,” Nienstedt says. “I wondered why more people didn’t do it.” Nienstedt’s unique uniform drew enough comments that she decided to launch her own line of exercise dresses. Nuu-Muu was born in
April, and she introduced them to the world at a tradeshow before the Bloomsday Run held in Spokane, Wash., in May, where she sold more than 50 dresses. It feels good to wear a dress during a workout because they don’t bind and they easily move with the body, Nienstedt said. The sleeveless Nuu-Muu has the feel of a party dress, but with more room around the arms and a breathable fabric (nylon lycra or polyester lycra). The dresses are $68 for adult sizes; $48 for children’s sizes at www.nuu-muu.com. — McClatchy-Tribune News Service
Christine Nienstedt models a NuuMuu exercise dress. MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE