Healthy Idaho | December '12 by Healthy Magazine

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HEALTHY IDAHO DECEMBER 2012

The best just got better. And we have the awards to prove it. Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center is the only hospital in Idaho to simultaneously receive the following 5 HealthGrades® Awards*

These recognitions are further proof that patients at Saint Alphonsus receive superior healthcare. Our outstanding quality is made possible by our exceptional team. We are proud of our physicians, nurses and staff who make the critical difference to our patients — each and everyday. Make sure you and your family receive the best care. Choose Saint Alphonsus.

These awards are just the beginning. To see all 30 of our awards visit www.saintalphonsus.org. 2

*Current ratings HEALTHY IDAHO DECEMBER 2012year for Distinguished Hospital for Clinical Excellence and Women’s Health is 2012 Healthy-Idaho.com

A Great Report Card Just Better Care stitches stitches

allergies allergies sprains sprains skin skin rashes rashes ® We did it again! Healthgrades awards top recognition to West Valley: flu flu 1

• Ranked #1 in Idaho for General Surgery for Two Years in a Row (2012–2013)

• Ranked #1 in Idaho for Prostatectomy in 2013

fevers fevers

• Five-Star Recipient for Prostatectomy in 2013 nausea nausea • Five-Star Recipient for Cholecystectomy for Two Years in a Row (2012–2013)

Home Sickness Sickness Home

• Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Respiratory Failure in 2013 TOP

5 TOP

coughs coughs

• Top Five in Idaho for Critical Care in 2013 • Top Five in Idaho for Gastrointestinal Services and andmore more in 2013

Some things are left not passed Some things are better left not passed on on to to www.westvalleymedctr.com Donald Stritzke, M.D.better the family. For aches, pains, injuries he family. For aches, pains, injuries andand thethe flu,flu, Like us on Facebook there's a Primary Health close there's a Primary Health close by.by. Urgent Urgent Care Care | Family | FamilyPractice Practice||Occupational Occupational Health Health

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HEALTHY IDAHO DECEMBER 2012

>> Advisor Healthcare

Better Coverage. Better Care. exceptional healthcare

exceptional health Insurance

BETTER TOGETHER Triple Aim MEANS BETTER HEALTH, *According to NCQA’s Private Health Insurance Plan Rankings, 2011-2012

St. Luke’s Health System will transform healthcare by aligning with physicians and other providers to System deliver will St. Luke’s Health integrated, transform seamless, healthcareand by aligning with physicians quality and other patient-centered care providers to Luke’s deliver settings. integrated, across all St. seamless, patient-centered quality care across all St. Luke’s settings.

BETTER CARE, AND LOWER COST.

That’s St. Luke’s vision, and I’m excited about a significant milestone in attainment of our vision and our “Triple Aim” of better health, better care, and lower cost. We’ve got an innovative new partner in SelectHealth, an insurance company based in Idaho that shares our vision and our values, and has pledged to work with us toward achieving those much-needed goals. SelectHealth, a Salt Lake City-based not-for-profit health insurance company that serves more than 500,000 members in Idaho and southern Idaho, is committed to helping its members stay healthy, offering superior service, and facilitating access to high-quality care. We believe our new relationship will help us align incentives for participating health care providers and their patients, and will help SelectHealth and its members achieve long-term improvements in health.

and preventative services have been poorly reimbursed, or not paid for at all, under many health plans. The current system promotes fragmentation of care, and there is little incentive for providers and payors to spend the extra time and effort to work together to coordinate care, ensure patients get the proper follow-up, and try to prevent the use of unnecessary or low-value services. That’s where SelectHealth comes in. St. Luke’s alliance with SelectHealth is built upon trust, a commitment to collaboration, and data sharing, by having each party perform the services they are best suited to without duplicating those same services, and by paying the insurance company for the services they deliver. It is also focused on providing financial support to health care providers to invest in better health and to reward providers for eliminating low-value to no-value services according to evidence-based medicine. It will take time to implement the necessary changes and to achieve the benefits and savings we are striving to return to SelectHealth members, but we are making a start.

Our new alliance combines St. Luke’s quality with SelectHealth’s core competencies and expertise in supporting an integrated health care delivery system, and will be supported by BrightPath, an extensive network of St. Luke’s physicians and facilities and independent physicians and facilities. Here’s why this is so important: The transformation of health care delivery calls for a completely different business model. Many insurance models only reward, and therefore health care providers have only focused on, improving the health of people who are already sick. Most efforts at wellness, health promotion, fitness, screenings, 4

HEALTHY IDAHO DECEMBER 2012

This is a very exciting time for St. Luke’s Health System. Just as we set out to do, we are transforming health care! Join me in the journey and keep up with developments via my blog, Dr. Pate’s Prescription for Change. (http://drpate.stlukesblogs.org/)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR David C. Pate, M.D., J.D.

is president and CEO of St. Luke’s Health System, based in Boise, Idaho. Dr. Pate joined the System in 2009. He received his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and his law degree from the University of Houston Law Center. Read his blog at

http://drpate.stlukesblogs.org

Healthy-Idaho.com

Isn’t it great when

everythInG works toGether? We’re proud to announce that healthcare and health insurance are doing just that.

Good news for Idaho The care you appreciate from St. Luke’s is now aligned with top-ranked insurance* from SelectHealth so that hospitals, health insurance, doctors, and patients work together toward lower costs and stable premiums. Learn more about SelectHealth by calling 800-442-3125 or visiting selecthealth.org.

exceptional healthcare

*According to NCQA’s Private Health Insurance Plan Rankings, 2011-2012

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HEALTHY IDAHO DECEMBER 2012

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contents. 12

DECEMBER 2012 VOLUME IV, № 12

FITNESS

EXERCISE MAKES EVERYTHING MERRY AND BRIGHT! Exercise and happiness are directly linked. Don't skip the sweat sessions during the festive season!

10 MUST-KNOW BASELINE WORKOUT TIPS To best ensure you won’t be worse for the wear from your exercise regime, follow these 10 fundamental fitness tips.

WELLNESS

SCARY! SUPERBUG SOLUTIONS

GRIN TO WIN

SUCCULENT SUPERSTITIONS

Forget aliens attacking from outer space. Superbugs (a.k.a antibiotic-resistant bacteria) are already here, defeating our best weapons.

10 36

There is an impressive field of research devoted to facial expressions and how they affect our lives. A smile, or lack thereof, influences how a person is perceived and treated by others, and affects general well-being.

40 34 38 28 18 26

Sure, the coming year’s new diet might be backed by the latest scientific research, but that’s not to say some old-world wisdom can’t influence your dining the night of January 1.

SEASON OF GIVING

YOU SCROOGE, YOU LOSE In a recent study, toddlers were given treats, and then asked to give part of their treats away. Instead of greed, the toddlers displayed selflessness, gladly giving away their treats, and were actually happier to give treats than to receive them.

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HEALTHY IDAHO DECEMBER 2012

Letter from the Editor

written by John A. Anderson

Healthy IDAHO

Merry Bright If you wonder how to help others change and improve their life – the answer is simply to change and improve yourself first.

took a plane the other day, (to Dallas for a family wedding, if you must know) and for once I actually noted that silly spiel they give before pulling away from the gate.

“In case of an emergency, first secure your own oxygen mask and if you have children with you, then secure their masks.” My first thought was, ‘how selfish.’ Then I thought about it a bit longer. Take care of yourself first... then assist your children. It’s actually pretty valuable advice. If you wonder how to help others change in life – a spouse, a child, a staff member, etc – the answer is simply to change yourself first. The key to helping others is to help yourself first. The best contribution we can make to someone else is our own personal development. If I become better educated, a better communicator, pursue better health, think of what that will do for my abilities as a father... as a husband... as a business colleague. I came home from that trip and looked at my sleeping family and thought, ‘The best gift I can give to you, really, is my ongoing personal development.’ I considered how I could get better, get stronger, become smarter. I think we should all heed the philosophy of the flight attendant. If we, as parents are okay, the kids have an excellent chance of being okay. If we work on our personal development as

adults; that’s the best gift we can give to our children. Since it's the holiday season, my goal is to be Merry & Bright! To make this a fun, happy, connected season of memories. If I learn to be Merry & Bright—to create happiness for myself and my family—my children will have an excellent chance of being happy. If I create a unique lifestyle for myself and my spouse, that will be a great example to serve my children. Selfdevelopment enables us to serve, to be more valuable to those around us; for our kids... our businesses... our colleagues... our communities... our churches. This magazine is all about developing a successful lifestyle and improving our health – keys to our ongoing success, and to our attracting opportunities. In other words, if you keep refining all the parts of your character—yourself, your health, your happiness, etc.—so that you become an attractive person to the marketplace - you’ll attract opportunity. Opportunity will then begin to seek you out. Your reputation will begin to precede you and people will want to be around you. All of that possibility is created by adopting the philosophy of the flight attendant: Breathe first, then help others breathe. Remember, health, happiness, and success are things you cultivate by continually working on your own personal development; you magnify it by passing it on.

Healthy Holidays! 8

HEALTHY IDAHO DECEMBER 2012

WITH

DECEMBER 2012 VOLUME IV, № 12 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

John A. Anderson | editor@healthy-idaho.com PUBLISHER

Kenneth J. Shepherd| ken@healthy-idaho.com SALES AND MARKETING

Julie Guyer 208.371.4533 Steve Wallace 208.850.4983 Kristi Hendry 208.703.7448 sales@healthy-idaho.com DESIGN EDITORS

Phillip Chadwick | Kelsey Jones design@healthy-idaho.com MANAGING EDITORS

Michael Richardson | Emma Penrod editor@healthy-idaho.com ONLINE EDITOR

Ashley Romney | ashley@healthy-idaho.com DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Sandy Wise | 866.884.3258 sandy@healthy-idaho.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Gail Morrissey, Jessica Hagy, Heather Hooke, David Joachim, Brooke Kittel, Wayne Larsen, Colette Bouchez, Patty Trela, Steven E. Warren CIRCULATION Healthy Idaho Magazine is printed monthly and delivered to higher income homes throughout Boise and is made available for pick up at hundreds of locations. Healthy Idaho Magazine is also mailed to all doctors, dentists, chiropractors, medical practitioners, health clinics, banks, and other businesses. If you would like to have Healthy Idaho Magazine delivered for distribution in your place of business, please contact us.

Healthy Idaho Magazine info@healthy-idaho.com 866.884.3258 PLEASE NOTE: The content in this publication is meant to increase reader awareness of developments in the health and medical field and should not be construed as medical advice or instruction on individual health matters, which should be obtained directly from a health professional. The opinions expressed by the authors and advertisers are not necessarily those of the publisher. Call for reprint permission. All photography courtesy of Shutterstock.com unless otherwise noted.

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To our valued patients: There has been a lot in the news recently regarding the future partnership between Saltzer Medical Group and St. Luke’s Health System. We value you as our patient and your needs guide all our decisions. We would like to clarify a few important points. Saltzer Medical Group will continue to exist and your doctors will be here providing the quality care you have come to expect. Regardless of our hospital affiliation, you will always have the choice of where you and your family will receive your care. Finally, you have chosen Saltzer for your care and that is a responsibility we do not take for granted. Healthcare is evolving and it is necessary to change if we are to continue providing you with the absolute highest quality healthcare you have come to expect from your physicians. After seeking patient input and exploring a wide variety of options, including both major hospitals in the valley, we decided that St. Luke’s aligns most closely with our vision for the future of healthcare in the valley. During our negotiations with St. Luke’s the desire and need to continue to provide support for the local Nampa hospital now owned by Saint Alphonsus was discussed. St. Luke’s supported the need to provide care for our patients no matter which hospital they chose. All of our physicians, including our pediatricians who currently have privileges at Saint Alphonsus Nampa will continue to practice at that location. We value you as a patient and look forward to caring for you and your family for many years to come. If you have any questions regarding the partnership between Saltzer and the St. Luke’s Health System please call 463-3067. Sincerely, Saltzer Medical Group Physicians

“Expect More From Medicine” Facebook.com/HealthyIdaho

HEALTHY IDAHO DECEMBER 2012

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G By

L AI

I RR

Christmas

is TRADITION.

Every year you promise yourself that you’ll stay calm and truly enjoy the season, yet when the most enjoyable activities are crowded into an already tight schedule, they often conflict and overwhelm. Consider your over-inflated “to do” list. Are there tasks on that list you could do without? Try this easy way to find out.

Simplify Season the

Make a second list titled “IT WOULDN’T BE CHRISTMAS WITHOUT ...” Write down all the traditions, foods and activities that make the holidays special for your family. Now, compare the lists. Anything not on both lists is expendable, a task or event you can decide to do on a selective basis — only if you have the time and only if you want to. So this year, make the gingerbread house with your kids, but don’t host a neighborhood party. Next year you can throw the party and skip something else. If it’s your turn to host the family holiday dinner, start a new tradition and simplify. You do the main course, and ask each family member to bring something for the dinner.

Christmas

is FAMILY.

In most families women are the holiday planners, organizers, hosts, decorators, shoppers, and bakers. Often these Christmas magicians don’t realize how much extra work they’re doing, because they don’t really think of it as work until they’re exhausted. If you choose to do it all yourself, you have no right to complain. But if you honestly want to share the joy of the season with your family, ask for their help and cooperation.

Have your Christmas and ENJOY it too.

You love the holidays, but in the midst of what should be the most joyous of seasons, you’re overwhelmed and frazzled. You have too much to do, in too little time. Gifts, cards, baking, decorations, pageants, parties, family get-togethers, and the list goes on. But Christmas is not about being in a constant state of panic, fearing you’ll never get everything done. Nor are the holidays about

HEALTHY IDAHO DECEMBER 2012

how many gifts are under the perfectly decorated tree. They’re not about having so much to do that there is little time left to spend with your spouse and your kids. And they’re not about feeling that you have to do it, or it just won’t be Christmas. In the rush to do it all, the real opportunities and meaning of Christmas can be lost and forgotten.

Children as young as 2 years old can stand on a stool and help decorate and bake cookies. Older children can help trim the tree and wrap gifts. Whatever they do may not always be up to your standards, but it enhances the enjoyment of the holiday for everyone, and is less work for you. Instead of overloading your schedule with holiday activities that crowd out what you’d really like to be doing, just say no. You don’t have to accept every holiday party invitation. Take a break from the holiday rush by going on a family adventure to a museum, art gallery or stay home to watch a Christmas video as a family.

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Christmas

is GIVING.

is MEMORIES.

It wouldn’t be Christmas without gifts under the tree, but with a little planning ahead you can save time and aggravation. Be realistic when the hand-knitted scarf for Aunt Mary is only half made. Put it away, and finish it for next year. This year, buy her a book. Shop with a list of gift ideas. Avoid the lunch-hour rush and weekends, if possible. Not only are stores overly crowded, it’s almost impossible to find a parking space. Plan your shopping route so you don’t backtrack and run from store to store. Request a box when you purchase a gift. Many small gift and toy stores offer free gift wrapping. If you shop through a catalog or over the Internet, gifts can be giftwrapped and sent directly to the recipient.

No other holiday is so strongly etched in the mind of a child, yet gifts are not the part of Christmas a child remembers most. Giving them an expensive video game is easy, but years later the child remembers when they went with you to see the lighting of your town’s Christmas tree, or when you read T’was the Night Before Christmas before bedtime on Christmas Eve. Think back to your own Christmas memories, and you’ll probably recall things like baking cookies with Grandma, stringing popcorn and cranberries for tree decorations, and singing in the church choir that mean Christmas to you.

Christmas is JOY.

Have an idea for a special, unique gift for your spouse? Before you leave home, call stores to see if they have it.

At least once a day, stop what you’re doing and do something that brings you joy—it may be doing something special for your spouse, your kids, or yourself. Sip a cup of herbal tea. Read to your kids. Look at old Christmas pictures. Take a walk with your spouse. Listen to holiday music. Sit quietly and enjoy your Christmas tree. After 20 minutes you should feel refreshed and relaxed—ready once again to face the hectic holiday pace.

Christmas

is CELEBRATION.

Take time to remember the true meaning of Christmas. Each year we look forward to the holidays as a joyous time of peace and reflection. But it’s hard to remember what’s important when we’re all caught up in a seemingly endless round of errands and activities. What truly matters the most is the people we love. The things we do for the holidays are a way to express that love. Enjoy each activity for itself instead of thinking about what is left to do.

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\ / FITNESS

Exercise Makes Everything Merry &Bright?

You bet your jingle bells it does. Holiday seasons are packed with fun and excitement, but they can also be full of stress, poor eating habits and even depression. We can avoid the common headaches of the holidays by making sure we schedule regular exercise sessions. Exercise and happiness are directly linked. There is real scientific evidence to support that exercise can improve conditions related to stress and anxiety. The American Psychological Association analyzed 80 studies of exercise and depression and found that all types of exercise reduced depression to some degree. Exercise can benefit you in so many ways. Just think of those benefits as extra Christmas gifts you will receive just by being active. Consider the benefits of fitness:

• YOU’LL ENHANCE YOUR METABOLISM - Very important with all the extra food temptations out there.

• YOU’LL REDUCE STRESS AND ANGER - Very important when fighting for the perfect sweater on black Friday.

• YOU’LL IMPROVE CONCENTRATION AND MEMORY - Very important so as not to forget someone on your list.

• YOU’LL INCREASE ENERGY LEVELS - Very important to cover each store in the mall. • YOU’LL INCREASE CONFIDENCE AND SELF-ESTEEM - Very rewarding with a sense of accomplishment after each item is crossed off your list.

• YOU’LL IMPROVE YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM - Very important because many tend to share their germs as well as their gifts during the holidays.

• YOU’LL IMPROVE AND TONE YOUR BODY - Very important to look good in the new swimsuit your significant other is going to give you along with your two-week Hawaiian vacation.

• YOU’LL ALSO HELP PREVENT heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers, strengthen bones, help with weight loss and weight maintenance, improve quality of sleep, improve balance, coordination and agility, reduce high blood pressure and reduce high cholesterol. Let the gift giving begin. Get out there and exercise during the holidays. The gift of longevity and health will be better than anything you’ll find under your tree.

HEALTHY IDAHO DECEMBER 2012

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lisa Mathews

is a Certified Personal Trainer and Certified Pilates Instructor with Treehouse Athletic Club editor@stardocs.com

Healthy-Idaho.com

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HEALTHY IDAHO DECEMBER 2012

\ \ / / FITNESS

THE WORKOUT INPUT, INSPIRATION AND PERSPIRATION

10 MUST-KNOW BASELINE WORKOUT TIPS Exercise is a well-proven way to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight, boost energy and even enhance mood. However, if done improperly injuries may result – some with life-long consequences. To best ensure you won’t be worse for the wear from your exercise regime, follow these 10 fundamental fitness tips:

TIP NO. 1

Don’t over do it.

Exercising in moderation – not excess – is key. Before beginning any program, consult with your doctor to ensure the desired workout activities are safe and appropriate for you.

TIP NO. 2

TIP NO. 3

Warm up before stretching.

Warming up prepares your body for physical activity. It increases your heart rate and blood flow while also loosening up your muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints, also reducing risk of stretching-related injury.

TIP NO. 4

Schedule “off days.”

Days of rest will allow the muscles, tendons and joints in your body to properly recuperate and ready themselves for future workouts.

TIP NO. 5

Drink water liberally.

When working out, drink enough water to prevent dehydration, heat exhaustion and heat stroke – particularly when exercising outdoors. Staying hydrated will help you perform better.

HEALTHY IDAHO DECEMBER 2012

TIP NO. 6

Don’t push it.

Rest when you feel fatigued, dizzy, short of breath or experience soreness or pain. “Pushing through” may do more harm than good.

Small changes, big results.

TIP NO. 7

Cool down.

Slow your motions and lessen the intensity of your movements for at least 10 minutes before you stop exercising completely to bring your heart rate and body temperature back to normal levels.

TIP NO. 8

Stretch cautiously.

Perform stretches slowly and carefully until you reach a point of muscle tension, holding for 10-20 seconds and then slowly releasing. Never stretch to the point of pain, always maintaining control and never “bouncing.”

Source: Slimtree.com

exercising. Don’t let your mind wander. Stay focused on the task at hand.

More tips from local experts at Healthy-Idaho.com

TIP NO. 9

Wear proper attire.

Properly fitting shoes and clothes appropriate for the activity, environment and climate are safety essentials. Removing jewelry is also recommended.

TIP NO. 10

Set reasonable goals.

Set challenging, attainable goals. Once realized, set new ones. Continue to raise the bar so you don’t plateau and keep making progress toward your goal. Healthy-Idaho.com

©Woogies1, Photog2112 | Dreamstime.com

Don’t consider exercise a chore. Take your time and enjoy

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HEALTHY IDAHO DECEMBER 2012

\ \ / /

FITNESS

“I exercise so I can eat whatever I want.”

Have you heard someone say this, or is this something you rationalize? Is it true? If you exercise every day, could you eat whatever you wanted? I will break it down for you. Let’s take a few of our favorite foods and see how they compare to exercise. 5oz Cold Stone Cake Batter Ice Cream = Swimming laps for 30 minutes, non-stop.

1 slice of Dominos Pepperoni Pizza = Jogging on treadmill for 2.5 miles.

1 Sonic Drive-In Cheese Burger = Stair Climber for 60 minutes.

s you can see, we can consume calories a lot faster than we can burn them. Exercise alone is inadequate for weight loss; you must cut calories from the diet as well. Don’t get caught up telling yourself because you worked out today you can have that piece of cheesecake. Combining exercise and lowering your calorie intake is an effective method. One pound of fat equals 3,500 calories, if you burn 500 a day in exercise and cut 500 calories from your diet, you would be at a 1,000 calorie deficit a day, equaling 2 pounds of weight loss per week.

pound of fat equals 3,500 calories

WRITTEN BY WAYNE LARSEN

“

I’m not overweight. I’m just nine inches too short. -Shelley Winters

HEALTHY IDAHO DECEMBER 2012

”

Healthy-Idaho.com

©Bliznetsov | Dreamstime.com

fact: One

I have one more for you; researchers at the University of Virginia have determined it takes 250,000 crunches to burn 1 pound of fat. So if you did 100 crunches every day for 7 years you could burn one pound of fat. Start crunching today, or just stop eating those Crunch Bars.

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HEALTHY IDAHO DECEMBER 2012

Merry & Bright

Winter F

Inside and

FAMILY FUN DOESN’T HIBERNATE IN You’ve built a snowman, made snow angels and had a snow ball fight. Flip on the TVs and computers because there’s nothing else to do in winter. 18

HEALTHY IDAHO DECEMBER 2012

Healthy-Idaho.com

Fun

Non-alcoholic

Eggnog Recipe

No need to fear raw eggs in eggnog. The eggs are gently cooked to kill any potential bacteria in this non-alcoholic eggnog. Since it contains no alcohol, the kids will enjoy it as much as the adults. You will want to keep this rich and creamy eggnog on hand all through the holidays. Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour Total Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes Yield: 12 to 16 servings Ingredients: 6 large eggs, plus 2 yolks 1/2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 4 cups whole milk 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg 1/4 cup heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks Additional grated nutmeg for garnish

d Out WINTER

Hold up. Before you willingly put on the shackles of video games and YouTube, take a look at this list. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll find that sunshine and summer days donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t own the right to smile. Facebook.com/HealthyIdaho

Preparation: Combine eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and salt in a heavy 3- or 4-quart pan, whisking until well-combined. Continue whisking while pouring milk in a slow, steady stream until completely incorporated. Turn on burner to lowest possible heat setting. Place pan on burner and stir mixture continuously until an instant-read thermometer reaches 160 degrees F. and the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Be patient. This should take about 45 to 60 minutes. Strain mixture through a fine sieve into a large bowl to remove any accidental small cooked bits of egg. Add vanilla extract and nutmeg, stirring to combine. Pour into a glass pitcher, decanter, or container and cover with a lid or plastic wrap. Refrigerate this egg custard mixture to chill at least 4 hours or up to 3 days before finishing. When ready to serve, pour heavy cream into a bowl and whip until it forms soft peaks. Fold whipped cream into cold custard mixture until combined. Serve eggnog in chilled cups or glasses and garnish with a sprinkle of nutmeg. http://homecooking.about.com/od/ beveragerecipes/r/blbev17.htm HEALTHY IDAHO DECEMBER 2012

At the House Merry & Bright

A house is what we make it. Here are some ideas for making your house a home rather than a prison.

1. Learn a Magic Trick Whether it’s pulling a quarter out of someone’s ear or making a card disappear, magic tricks can add a touch of enchantment to your house.

2. Make a Huge Domino Chain Reaction You know you’ve always wanted to. Gather the dominos!

3. Make a Festive Drink Discover your own traditions by trying something new. Eggnog and wassail are waiting at the store in bottles, but will they taste as good as what you can make in your own kitchen?

4. Write a Family Storybook Take turns writing chapters to whatever kind of book you want as a family. Illustrate afterwards. It may be a family bestseller.

5. Discover Something How does a microwave work? How does the internet work? What about car engines? In this day and age, we have the knowledge at our fingertips, so go search it out and be amazed at how good it feels to know stuff.

6. Write Letters to Famous People Maybe they have nothing to do either.

7. Paper Airplane Books Airplanes are so first grade, right? That may be the reason why you love learning all the ways a piece of paper can fly. It makes for great competition or just plain fun.

8. Read a book. Here are some new books for each member of the family: For little kids: A Ball for Daisy, written and illustrated by Chris Raschka. For kids: Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos, the 2012 Newbery Medal Winner. For older kids and adults: Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand, an Amazon top seller for 2012. She also wrote the book Seabiscuit.

HEALTHY IDAHO DECEMBER 2012

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Outside

The winter months don’t have to keep us indoors, and every outside activity doesn’t have to be about snow angels and snowball fights.

1. Cross-Country Skiing Why would anyone ever ski in any direction except downhill, you ask? Try cross-country skiing and you’ll understand. This activity is well-known for being an excellent way to exercise, but it’s also among the best ways to get out and enjoy nature’s white side.

2. Ice Sculptures People make ice sculptures and even ice hotels. There’s something magical about a clear block of rock-hard ice. Freeze a ton of water overnight in buckets or whatever you can find, and make an ice fort the next day, or make a sculpture.

3. A More Extreme Option: Snow Kiting If you’re looking for a new winter hobby and tend to live closer to the edge than others, try snow kiting. This is when you are harnessed to a parachute-like kite while snowboarding or skiing. The wind power allows you to travel across land, up hills and even into the air.

Best Board Games of 2012: Amazon Bestsellers Spot It An addicting game of matching, fun for groups small and large, or you can just play by yourself.

Qwirkle This game won the Parents' Choice Gold Award. It has 108 wooden blocks of different shapes and colors, and the point is to build lines of the same shape and color. A typical game lasts 45 minutes.

Settlers of Catan Each player tries to collect resources and build the best civilization. Three or four people can play at a time. This game is award-winning and hugely popular in some areas.

Ticket to Ride Battle opponents to complete your railroad to and from cities across the United States.

Bananagrams Scrabble too boring for you? Try speed scrabble, which describes Bananagrams perfectly.

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Merry & Bright

GRIN

HOW TO

WIN

HEALTHY IDAHO DECEMBER 2012

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SMILE AND WHY IT’S GOOD FOR YOU Frowners are downers, and grinners are winners, says science (and moms). There is an impressive field of research devoted to facial expressions and how they affect our lives. A smile, or lack thereof, influences how a person is perceived and treated by others, and affects general wellbeing. A smile is like a washing machine; you don't have to have one, but it really helps when you do. For starters, it makes you more attractive and likeable, research suggests. Customers who smile in stores get more help, and waiters who smile get more tips. A smile generates feelings of trust and cooperation. People who smile appear self-confident, intelligent and satisfied. Seeing a smile changes how we act. French researchers Nicolas Guéguena & Marie‐Agnès De Gaila organized a study where an assistant to the study would smile at a passerby, and a few seconds later, the passerby had the opportunity to help another assistant who had dropped some computer diskettes. After testing 800 people, the data showed that a smile enhanced the helping behavior of the test subjects. You help yourself and others with a smile. The list of benefits goes on and on. But we aren’t all smilers, so to speak. Because some don’t naturally think to smile often, does that translate to a disadvantage?

Remember, genuine smiling is in the mouth and the eyes. Another effective way to develop good smiling habits is to watch other people who frequently smile and try to mimic them, Kraft said. But mimicking a smile certainly won’t come from true feelings of elation, leading researchers to wonder if smiling without really feeling like smiling actually has benefits. Kraft actually studies this very thing. She and her colleagues recently recruited 169 students to study the health effects of smiling, but told them the study was about multi-tasking, to avoid influencing results. The unknowing students were then split into three groups, and each person was given chopsticks. One group was taught how to hold chopsticks in their mouths in such a way to have a neutral expression. The other two groups were taught to have normal smiles and sincere smiles (with eyes and mouth, called a Duchene smile), respectively, with the help of chopsticks. Then, while maintaining their chopsticked expressions, the students were asked to complete frustrating tasks, like tracing a star while looking only at a mirror image of the star. Researchers monitored heart rates and stress levels continuously. Smilers, especially the Duchene smilers, had lower heart rates while recovering from stressful situations compared to the neutral-faced group. This is surprising considering the fact that the smilers had little reason to really be smiling, suggesting that manufactured smiles still have benefits. The study also found that smilers experienced less of a decline in positive feelings when frustrating tasks were assigned.

Considering the data, maintaining a neutral face does, in fact, cause one to miss out on certain advantages. But, University of Kansas (UK) psychological scientist, Tara Kraft, says that smiling can be learned.

Okay, so why does that matter?

“The best way to ‘train’ yourself to smile, or to know whether you’re producing a genuine smile, is to practice in front of a mirror and memorize the feeling of activating the muscles around your eyes and in your cheek,” she says. “It’s relatively easy to see when you’re activating these muscle groups because you'll see your “smile lines” appear around your mouth, and the skin around the outside corner of your eye will wrinkle.”

“The actual activation of the muscles involved in smiling can have an impact on mood, making us happier,” Kraft said.

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People smile when they’re happy, we all know, but now it seems that people might become happy when they smile.

So smile! But, this doesn’t mean that all smiles are created equal. Dr. Paul Ekman, a researcher on the forefront of understanding emotion and its expression, wrote that there is a physical difference in how voluntary and involuntary smiles come about. “There appear to be two distinct neural

pathways that mediate facial expression, each one originating in a different area of the brain: one pathway for voluntary, willful facial actions and a second for involuntary, emotional facial reactions,” he writes in “Physiological Effects of the Smile,” a study he co-authored. He added that we seem to have less control over involuntary smiles, and that these smiles are smoother and more coordinated than voluntary ones. Real smiles and voluntary smiles are two different things, but that doesn’t mean we can’t reap benefits from both. “Our results suggest it may be possible for an individual to choose when to generate some of the physiological changes that occur during a spontaneous emotion—by simply making a facial expression,” Ekman writes in another study. In other words, smiling can change you even if you don’t feel like smiling, just like Kraft's research finds. A smile can brighten the day for yourself and those around you. It can lessen stress, improve your relationships and cause peers to behave better. Whatever your outfit today, make sure you’re wearing a smile.

“frank joy” A “Real” Smile

A hundred years ago the French physician Guillaume Duchene concluded that smiles couldn’t be placed in single behavioral category, because “frank joy” is expressed spontaneously by the contraction of different muscles than those contracted in a simple voluntary smile. Modern research agrees; there are definitely multiple emotions besides happiness that come with a smile, like frustration, and even fear. Thus a sincere smile was dubbed a “Duchene smile,” as researchers now call it. It is characterized by contracted muscles that raise the corners of the mouth, along with contracted muscles that raise the cheeks and form crow’s feet around the eyes. A “non-Duchene” smile only involved contractions of muscles around the mouth.

HEALTHY IDAHO DECEMBER 2012

FOOD

Merry & Bright

THE OF LIFE:

NATU R AL M U LTIVITAMIN S THAT DON ’T COME IN A C AP S U LE This month, you’re likely to encounter traditional spices we’ve come to associate with the holiday season—cinnamon, for example, or ginger. Consider that not too long ago, those same flavorings would have cost you a small fortune. W R I T T E N BY E M M A P E N RO D

umans the world over have been grinding and trading spices for centuries. Historically, traders risked their lives to import the most exotic varieties for noblemen, who would reward the successful adventurer handsomely. But did we go to all that trouble because just because we hate bland food, or was something more at play? According to a paper published this year in Evolutionary Applications, humans may have evolved to use spices while cooking because so many spices function as antimicrobials or antioxidants —making them useful as natural preservatives, especially in warmer climates, where spice tends to be used more abundantly in cooking. The nutritional value alone of most common spices may surprise you. Paprika, it turns out, is practically a low-dose multivitamin. Just one teaspoon—only six calories—contains more than 1,000 IU of vitamin A. That’s 21 percent of the recommended daily requirement. If you prefer something with a little more heat, a teaspoon of cayenne will not only make your eyes water, but also provide small but notable doses of vitamins A, B, C, E, and K, plus fiber, iron, potassium, niacin, riboflavin, magnesium and manganese. Some spices, such as mustard seed and saffron, even contain protein.

HEALTHY IDAHO DECEMBER 2012

In addition to imparting flavor without adding salt or fat, “the nutrients, phytochemicals and antioxidants in spices and herbs are so concentrated that even using small amounts can have big impacts on health,” writes Emily Fonnesbeck, a registered dietician who runs her own nutrition consulting business in St. George, Idaho. But the benefits may go beyond basic nutrition. Various spices have been used for years in traditional home remedies for all sorts of maladies, and modern science has only just begun to explore whether there might be fact behind the folklore. Some myths have been solidly disproven. For example, fennel seed, which was long thought to promote lactation in nursing mothers, was actually found to be toxic to young infants, according to the journal Acta Paediatrica. On the other hand, preliminary studies have found there might be a case for a folk legend that claims saffron imparts better vision, according to an article from Investigative Ophthalmology. Another article from BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine posited that ginger might be able to prevent the spread of some cancers. Still other spices have amusing, although

less critical, uses. Cinnamon, in addition to potentially regulating blood sugar levels, can also kill mosquitos, according to the American Chemical Society. However, not everything about spice is universally good for your health. Nutmeg, for example, is widely known to be a hallucinogen in large doses. And black pepper contains known carcinogens, according to the CRC Handbook of Alternative Cash Crops. However, it also contains antioxidants, thought to counterbalance the effects of those potentially damaging compounds. The bottom line, though, is that most spices are safe, and potentially beneficial, so long as they are used in reasonable quantities, according to Fonnesbeck. Harmful doses aren’t likely to appear in food, Fonnesbeck continues, but the creations of spice extracts meant to be used as supplements, such as the cinnamon supplements that have recently appeared, concerns her. “When you start to take mega-doses of anything, you disrupt [your body’s] balance,” she says. The science of spice is still in infant form, but we do know that spices help make a meal truly mature. So spice things up, and watch food improve, and your body just might follow suit.

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The Spice of Life

SPICE ADDS NOT ONLY FLAVOR, BUT NUTRITION, TO OUR FOOD, BUT NOT ALL SPICES ARE CREATED EQUAL. HOW DO YOUR FAVORITES STACK UP? THE CHART ABOVE OFFERS A SIDE-BY-SIDE COMPARISON OF 21 SPICES COMMON TO AMERICAN COOKING. AN X INDICATES WHETHER THAT SPICE IS A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTOR, BY WEIGHT, OF CERTAIN ESSENTIAL NUTRIENTS.

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HEALTHY IDAHO DECEMBER 2012

Succulent Superstitions:

Merry & Bright

FOOD

OLD CU STOM S FOR A NE W YE AR

W R I T T E N BY E M M A P E N RO D

Sure, the coming year’s new diet might be backed by the latest scientific research, but that’s not to say some old-world wisdom can’t influence your dining the night of January 1. 26

HEALTHY IDAHO DECEMBER 2012

Before science came in to vogue, superstitions led cultures around the world to develop traditions — many revolving around food — that were said to grant some of the same things we pledge to pursue at the beginning of a new year, such as health or financial success. Though we now know these rivals can't grant everything they promise, family traditions are still a lot of fun. So here are some New Year’s food superstitions that just might start your year right.

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WO RTH TH E I R W E IG HT I N GO LD:

Greens and Legumes The superstitious insist on eating leafy greens and legumes on New Year’s Eve. Both happen to resemble money greens such as kale, collard or spinach look like cash, and beans and lentils like tiny coins. Cabbage is considered especially lucky, because it, unlike many other greens, appears to grow when cooked. Others, such as kale, shrink, perhaps indicating the future of your personal fortune. In the South, black-eyed peas are the legume of choice for ringing in a new year. According to legend, a town in Mississippi once ran out of food while under attack during the Civil War, but to the great fortune of the residents, someone discovered a few bags of blackeyed peas tucked away in storage. The beans sustained the village through the war, and since then blackeyed peas, particularly when served in a traditional spicy dish with ham called Hoppin’ John, have been considered lucky.

Figs and other fruits for fertility and health Traditions in the Mediterranean hold that certain fruits, such as figs and pomegranates, are symbolic of fertility and health to come, and thus especially fitting for New Year’s Eve celebrations. In Spain, particularly among those whose livelihood was dependent on the success of their vineyards, this tradition grew and expanded until it became what continues as a modern ritual described by Food Republic. According to the Spanish, and many others who have adopted the tradition, 12 grapes should be consumed on New Year’s Eve before the clock strikes midnight. Each grape represents a month of the year, according to another account of the tradition from Epicurious, so if the first is sweet, expect good fortune in January. But if the second is bitter or sour, be wary of February. Jewish tradition also places importance on fruits and sweets, as sweet food is a general indicator of good things to come. Bitter or sour foods are unlucky on New Year’s and shunned.

To maximize their lucky potential, some traditions mandate that each individual eat one bean for each day of the coming new year.

Pork: the right white meat For longevity be sure to eat your carbs Long, unbroken noodles are symbolic of longevity in the east, as are round cakes in the west, so long as they remain uncut until after midnight. In many cultures, a round or ring-shaped cake should only be cut and served after the clock tolls twelve. The particulars of this tradition vary from country to country. The Greeks serve a round cake called vasilopita, a memorial to St. Basil, according to the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese, with a coin baked inside — whoever finds the surprise will be blessed with luck in the year to come. Sweden and Norway celebrate with a variation on this theme, serving round puddings with a surprise almond, instead of a coin, baked inside.

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The sort of meat you serve on New Year’s deserves extra attention, as it may prophesy your fortune in the year to come, according to the Smithsonian. Pork is favored in the southern US, while fish is the centerpiece of choice in many European and Asian countries. Pigs and fish move forward while rooting or swimming, indicating that those who eat them on New Year’s Eve will see progress for the next 12 months. Other animals are unlucky for similar reasons — lobsters swim backward, and chickens scratch backward. Beef is neutral, because cows tend to stand still when grazing. Who knows? Guaranteeing progress in your career or dating life could be as simple as enjoying pork chops or salmon with friends.

No matter the celebration of tradition or choice, it would be wise to take a hint from the Germans, who hold that a little food should always be left over on your plate, lest the pantry go empty later in the year.

HEALTHY IDAHO DECEMBER 2012

FOOD Clockwise from near right: Cannellini & Cabbage Soup

Merry & Bright

164 calories per serving White Bean Chili 292 calories per serving Chunky Beef Stew 240 calories per serving Chicken Soup with Lentils & Barley 265 calories per serving Creole Chicken Stew 337 calories per serving Curried Vegetable Stew 205 calories per serving

See continuing article for soup recipes and nutritional information.

Soup du jour The best things in life warm the body, mind and soul.

Your kitchen will fill with the aromas of the roasting vegetables evoking old-fashioned, home-style meals. This is comfort food at its finest. Chicken Soup May Lower Blood Pressure Chicken soup, which has been dubbed Grandma's penicillin for its purported cold-fighting abilities, may also help to lower high blood pressure, a new study suggests. Japanese researchers have found that collagen proteins found in chicken may actually lower blood pressure. These collagens appear to act like the blood pressure medications called ACE inhibitors. One caveat, though: itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the chicken, not the rest of the stuff in the soup, that may be medicinal.

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Soup du jour 164

292

C A L O R I E S

240

C A L O R I E S

Cannellini & Cabbage Soup

White Bean Chili

Chunky Beef Stew

MAKES: 4 servings

MAKES: 5 servings

MAKES: 6 servings

PREP TIME: 25 minutes

PREP TIME: 20 minutes

COOK TIME: 30 minutes

COOK TIME: 25 minutes

COOK TIME: 10 minutes INGREDIENTS:

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 pound lean ground turkey

Nonstick cooking spray

1 tbs. olive oil

1/2 cup onion, chopped

3/4 lb. boneless beef sirloin steak, cut into

3 cups thinly sliced cabbage

1 garlic clove, minced

1-inch cubes

2 carrots, sliced

3 1/4 cups water

3/4 pound tiny new potatoes, halved

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 can (15 oz.) great northern or cannellini

2 cups frozen cut green beans

1 tsp. dried thyme

beans, rinsed and drained

4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 can (4 oz.) diced green chilies

1 onion, cut into thin wedges

2 cans (14 oz. each) low-sodium chicken broth

2 tsp. instant chicken bouillon granules

1 can (14 oz.) low-sodium beef broth

1 can (14 1/2 oz.) no-salt-added diced tomatoes

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tbs. Worcestershire sauce

1 cup water

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 1/2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning

1/4 cup tomato paste

2 tbs. flour

1/4 tsp. black pepper

2 cans (15 oz. each) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

3 cans (8 oz. each) no-salt-added tomato sauce DIRECTIONS: 1. In a large saucepan, cook turkey, onion,

DIRECTIONS:

and garlic until turkey is no longer pink.

1. Over medium-high heat, lightly coat a 4-quart

1. In a large pot, heat olive oil over high heat.

2. Stir in 3 cups of the water, beans, und-

pot with cooking spray; add beef. Cook 4 to 5

Add cabbage, carrots, garlic, thyme, and

rained chilies, bouillon, cumin, and pepper.

minutes, stirring frequently. Remove beef from pot

pepper; cook 2 to 3 minutes.

Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer,

using a slotted spoon and set aside.

2. Stir in broth, undrained tomatoes, water,

covered, for 30 minutes.

2. Add potatoes, green beans, carrots, onion,

and tomato paste. Bring to a boil, then reduce

3. In a small bowl, stir together the remain-

broth, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning,

heat. Simmer, covered, for 8 minutes, or until

ing 1/4 cup water and the flour. When chili

and pepper to the pot. Bring to a boil; reduce

vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.

is ready, add flour mixture and cook for 1

heat, simmer covered about 15 minutes, or until

3. Mash half the beans with a fork. Add all the

minute more to thicken. Serve.

vegetables are tender.

Photography by Bryan McCay

beans to the pot. Heat through and serve.

3. Add tomato sauce to pot. Return to a boil; NUTRITION PER SERVING:

reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.

NUTRITION PER SERVING:

292 calories, 25g protein, 30g carbohydrate,

Add beef; heat thoroughly and serve.

164 calories, 11g protein, 30g carbohydrate,

8g fat (2g saturated), 6g fiber

4g fat (1g saturated), 9g fiber

NUTRITION PER SERVING: 240 calories, 20g protein, 33g carbohydrate, 3g fat (1g saturated), 6g fiber

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Soup du jour 337

265

205

C A L O R I E S

Merry & Bright

C A L O R I E S

Creole Chicken Stew MAKES: 4 servings

Chicken Soup with Lentils & Barley

Curried Vegetable Stew with Couscous

PREP TIME: 20 minutes

MAKES: 6 servings

MAKES: 4 servings

COOK TIME: 15 minutes

PREP TIME: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

COOK TIME: 40 minutes

COOK TIME: 20 minutes

1 tbs. olive oil

INGREDIENTS

INGREDIENTS:

1 green bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch squares

1/2 cup dried brown lentils

1 tbs. ground cumin

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1 tbs. olive oil

1 tsp. ground coriander

1 1/2 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken thighs,

1 cup sliced leeks

1 tsp. curry powder

cut into 1-inch chunks

1/2 cup chopped red or green bell pepper

1/4 tsp. ground allspice

1/2 tsp. salt

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

5 cups low-sodium chicken broth

3/4 tsp. salt

2 slices turkey bacon, chopped (optional)

1/2 tsp. dried basil

1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

2 tsp. minced garlic

1/4 tsp. dried oregano

1 1/4 cup water

1/4 cup white wine

1/4 tsp. dried rosemary

3 tbs. olive oil

1 can (15 oz.) no-salt-added whole tomatoes

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/2 cup chopped onion

in puree, chopped

1 1/2 cups cooked chicken (1/2 lb.), chopped

1 tbs. chopped garlic

2/3 cup water

1 1/2 cups sliced carrots

1 tbs. chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 cup quick-cooking barley

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1 can (16 oz.) no-salt-added diced tomatoes

2 zucchini, diced

1/4 tsp. dried thyme

1 cup green beans, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/2 tsp. bottled hot pepper sauce

DIRECTIONS

1 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/2 lb. fresh green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces

1. Rinse lentils under cold running water; drain

1 cup diced fresh tomatoes

Cooked rice

and set aside.

Cooked couscous

2. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over high DIRECTIONS:

heat; add leeks, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high

until tender.

1. Stir spices, salt, pepper, and 2 tbs. of the water

heat. Add bell pepper and onion; cook, stirring, 4

3. Stir in chicken broth, basil, oregano, rosemary,

together in a bowl until smooth. Set aside.

minutes, or until tender. Transfer to a bowl.

black pepper, and lentils. Bring to a boil; reduce

2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

2. Add chicken to skillet and sprinkle with salt and

heat. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add onion, garlic, cilantro, and spice mixture. Cook,

pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned.

4. Stir in chicken, carrots, and barley. Simmer,

stirring, 1 minute, or until onion begins to soften.

Add bacon, if using, and garlic; cook until browned.

covered, about 20 minutes more, or until carrots

3. Add cauliflower, zucchini, and green beans;

3. Pour in wine; cook 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes,

are tender. Stir in undrained tomatoes; heat

cook 2 minutes. Add 1 cup plus 2 tbs. water; bring

bell pepper mixture, water, oregano, cumin,

thoroughly and serve.

to a boil. Simmer, covered, for 5 minutes, or until

thyme, and hot sauce; bring to a boil.

vegetables are tender.

4. Add green beans; reduce heat and simmer

NUTRITION PER SERVING:

4. Stir in chickpeas and tomatoes; simmer 5

covered, until chicken is cooked through.

265 calories, 21g protein, 32g carbohydrate, 6g

minutes more. Serve with couscous, if desired.

fat (2g saturated), 9g fiber NUTRITION PER SERVING:

NUTRITION PER SERVING: (without couscous)

337 calories, 38g protein, 15g carbohydrate, 12g

205 calories, 7g protein, 21g carbohydrate, 12g

fat (3g saturated), 5g fiber

fat (1.5g saturated), 6g fiber

HEALTHY IDAHO DECEMBER 2012

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J. Brett Comstock, DDS

ORAL & MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY

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THE DREAM DIET

STUDIES FIND:

Lose Weight While You Sleep?

C A N M O R E S L E E P R E A L LY H E L P U S C O N T R O L O U R W E I G H T ? T H R E E T O P E X P E RT S E X P L O R E T H E P O S S I B I L I T I E S .

A Clear Way to Boost Your Metabolism Lack of water can slow the metabolic rate, says John Acquaviva, PhD, assistant professor of health and human performance at Roanoke College in Salem, Va. “Since water is the body’s most important nutrient, the liver will turn its concentration to water retention instead of doing other duties such as burning fat.” WebMD 2011

Wait for Weights Maximize your calorie burn by tackling cardio before weights. Cardio workouts burn the most calories, but weight training extends your calorie burn long after working out. Doing cardio first helps ensure that you achieve the maximum calorie burn, and ending your workout with a strength-training session helps ensure your postexercise metabolism stays high.

ose weight while you sleep. It sounds like a late night infomercial, but substantial medical evidence suggests dreamy links between sleep and weight. “One of the more interesting ideas that…is now gaining momentum is the appreciation of the fact that sleep and sleep disruption do remarkable things to the body, including possibly influencing our weight,” says David Rapoport, MD, associate professor and director of the Sleep Medicine Program at the NYU School of Medicine. The hormones leptin and ghrelin recently brought sleep’s affect on appetite into focus. Both hormones influence our appetite, and studies show that our amount of sleep influences their production. If you have ever experienced a sleepless night followed by a day of ravenous eating, you know the workings of leptin and ghrelin.

How Sleep Affects Your Hormones

Leptin and ghrelin work as a “checks and balances” system to control hunger and fullness, explains

Michael Breus, PhD, a faculty member of the Atlanta School of Sleep Medicine and director of The Sleep Disorders Centers of Southeastern Lung Care in Atlanta. The gastrointestinal tract stimulates appetite with ghrelin, while fat cells produce leptin to signal satiety. “When you don’t get enough sleep,” Breus explains, “it drives leptin levels down, which means you don’t feel as satisfied after you eat. Lack of sleep also causes ghrelin levels to rise, which means your appetite is stimulated, so you want more food.” This combination sets the stage for overeating and weight gain.

Those Who Sleep Less Often Weigh More

At the University of Chicago, doctors measured levels of leptin, ghrelin, hunger and appetite in 12 healthy men who experienced two days of sleep deprivation followed by two days of extended sleep. With little sleep, leptin levels decreased and ghrelin levels increased. Not surprisingly, the men’s appetite also increased proportionally. Their desire for

high carbohydrate, calorie-dense foods increased by 45 percent. Even more provocative, in the joint research project between Stanford and the University of Wisconsin, 1,000 volunteers reported the number of hours they slept each night. Doctors then measured their levels of ghrelin and leptin and charted their weight. Those who slept less than eight hours a night not only had lower levels of leptin and higher levels of ghrelin, but they also had a higher level of body fat. Doctors found the correlation that those who slept the fewest hours per night weighed the most. Most experts agree that if you want to lose weight, a good night’s sleep won’t hurt, particularly if you get six hours of sleep or less a night. You may just discover that you aren’t as hungry and that you have fewer cravings for sugary, calorie-dense foods.

Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2011

Sleep it Off Skimping on sleep may add inches to your waistline. Your blood levels of leptin, a hormone that acts as an appetite suppressant, appear to decrease when you experience sleep deprivation, according to new research. Keep leptin levels high and curb overeating and weight gain by getting at least 6 to 8 hours of sleep per night. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 2010 Condensed from the original article by: Colette Bouchez, MD WebMD Weight Loss Clinic-Feature

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MEDICAL WEIGHT CONTROL PROGRAM

Boise’s Best Kept Secret

Thousands of books, articles, newspaper and TV commercials have been written and produced on weight loss. Much of what is said and written about weight control is based on a fad, e.g. raspberry ketones or HCG. Another sales gimmick is to display before and after pictures enticing you to believe your results will be the same. Yet after all the books, TV shows and commercials, weight control seems more confusing, more difficult, and constantly getting harder to achieve. Every program works for somebody. For example, hurray for Jared and Subway. No program works for everybody (even ours). Yet 97.4% of our program’s 15,000 patients lost weight at their first month checkup. Our program's patients have now lost over 500,000 pounds. No program in America presents better statistical results at national weight loss conferences. Boise, Idaho is the only city in America with a medical weight loss clinic with three Certified physicians of the American Board of Obesity Medicine (ABOM). Our program’s primary focus is to medically assist patients needing to lose 20 or more pounds. Our patients have ranged from 135 to over 600 pounds at their starting weight (average 214). We monitor and manage all conditions affected by weight gain or loss. Dr. Rader, the program founder, has presented to doctors locally, nationally and internationally in medical weight management.

IDAHO WEIGHT LOSS (IWL)

Nutrition

Our program is complete, and up to Metabolism/ Biochemistry date scientifically based. Evidence based medicine is obtained from our thousands Psychology or Beliefs of patients, each of which are monitored in our computerized electronic health record Behaviors designed by Dr. Rader specifically for weight loss medicine. We approach obesity as a complex progressive lifelong medical disease. We evaluate the nutrition, metabolism, behaviors and psychology in our 4-pronged approach to life long weight control

METABOLISM

Despite 500,000 pounds lost, we are most proud of the metabolic and health benefits achieved with Metabolism/ our patients. Diabetics no longer require insulin. Biochemistry High blood pressure and high cholesterol meds are no longer needed. As medical weight loss specialists we can: 1. Evaluate all of your medical conditions to see if they are contributing to your weight gain; 2. Manage medications as your weight is dropping; 3. Monitor that weight loss is fat loss not muscle mass loss (muscle loss often happens with fad programs like HCG); 4. Prescribe, when needed, only FDA approved effective and safe medication. We are the physicians doctors and nurses see for medical weight control.

Many of our teenage patients are now within normal weight ranges in their class, not the heaviest. This allows them to shed the social stigma of excess weight.

NUTRITION

Nothing works long term if you can’t understand it AND stick with it. At IWL, Nutrition although our program is scientifically based, we teach nutrition in easy to understand real people terms. Do you know what a protein is? Do you know what your daily protein needs are and how to meet them? How can you possibly have a good nutrition day the same day your kids or grand kids have birthday cake and ice cream? We share real life answers for real life needs.

BEHAVIORS

The things we DO and DON’T DO. Heading into the toughest nutritional time of year, let us share our program’s approach to a holiday. We do not teach any complex Behaviors formula for nutritional holiday planning except: keep it a holi-'day' not a holiweekend or a holi-season. Pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving Thursday is a holiday food. The rest of the weekend it is junk food. Peppermint canes on December 15th are junk candy not a holiday treat. With rare exceptions, this simple approach will help you maintain your weight from Halloween to January 2. This is an example of the manageable real life approach we teach that helps our patients maintain their weight control for a lifetime.

PSYCHOLOGY

We investigate and monitor the psychological contributing factors and the benefits of weight control. Doctor, I now feel good about myself. Doctor, my teenagers saw their mother in a bathing suit for the first time. Doctor, I am no longer ashamed to undress in front of my spouse. Doctor, I can tie my shoes and not lose my breath.

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Psychology or Beliefs

Don’t “WEIGHT” any longer. www.idahoweightloss.com 208.343.3652 HEALTHY IDAHO DECEMBER 2012

W E L L N E S S

SUPERBUG

Solution W R I T T E N BY M I C H A E L R I C H A R D S O N

Forget aliens attacking from outer space. Superbugs (a.k.a antibiotic-resistant bacteria) are already here, defeating our best weapons. Fortunately, an unlikely hero is stepping forward in the fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria natural viruses. This solution enters the scene at a desperate time. One superbug, Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, more commonly known as MRSA, infects 102,000 people per year and is responsible for about 19,000 deaths per year. In comparison, AIDS kills about 9,000 per year. Staphylococcus, or staph, is a common bacteria, but this new strain resists the common antibiotic, methicillin, and a host of other drugs that are the usual remedy for staph, like penicillin, cephalosporin and macrolides. The most terrifying aspect of MRSA and other superbugs is that people most often get them at medical facilities. Even the nation’s best health centers are not exempt, like the National Institutes of Health’s Clinical Center, which recently had six patients die from superbugs. Exponential growth of MRSA and other antibiotic-resistant infections led Dr. Margaret Chan, the World Health Organization Director-General, to call on the world in 2011 to respond before a global health crisis hits.

HEALTHY IDAHO DECEMBER 2012

“More and more essential medicines are failing,” she wrote. “In the absence of urgent corrective and protective actions, the world is heading towards a post-antibiotic era, in which many common infections will no longer have a cure and, once again, kill unabated.” Chan wrote that resistance to drugs happens naturally as microbes adapt, but that drugs aren’t being developed quickly enough to replace the failing medicines. She blames “irrational and inappropriate use of antimicrobials” like overly-liberal prescription and patients’ not completing treatment as the biggest drivers of drug resistance. As part of the search for a solution, many researchers are once again giving attention to a medical practice that has long been forgotten in America. In the early 1900s, common medication for many illnesses and infections came from bacteriophages or simply phages, which are natural viruses that destroy bacteria. Phages have been bacteria’s enemy for billions of years, and are found basically everywhere: in dirt, water and our bodies. Phages latch on to the bacterial cell wall and inject their DNA inside of it.

The DNA shuts down the bacteria and reprograms it to make phages instead of bacteria. In as few as 30 minutes, hundreds of phage offspring are produced, who leave to go attack more bacteria, according to Scientific American. They sound scary, but phages only attack their target, leaving human tissue and other bacteria alone. Phages, if the right kinds are selected, are powerful enemies to infection and disease, because unlike antibiotics, they multiply to take down the problem. So why doesn’t the world start using phages to fight infection and disease? They already do. The eastern European countries of Georgia and Russia have medical facilities devoted entirely to phage production. Because the English-speaking western world has “neglected” the history of phage treatment, in 2011 Ohio State University professor of microbiology Stephen Abedon and his colleagues reviewed substantial evidence from Eastern European and French clinical trials to show that phage therapy must be taken seriously as a possible solution to the superbug crisis. “So far as phages are concerned, MRSA is simply another strain of

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The most terrifying aspect of MRSA and other superbugs is that people most often get them at medical facilities.

Staphylococcus,” he writes, citing a handful of cases from Eastern Europe where phages successfully fought MRSA. Abedon cites numerous other cases of phages beating antibiotic resistance, such as a 2001 case involving 32 children with acute eye infections. Not only were the bacteria resistant to antibiotics, but the children were allergic to antibiotics. Phage treatment was employed, and all cases were cured by the seventh day, with no relapses. Abedon also includes accounts from doctors curing patients with resistant infections in skin ulcerations and burn wounds. Phage treatment is an accepted practice in parts of Europe. In the country of Georgia, an organization called the Eliava Institute isolates, tests and produces phages for many different infections. The institute employed 800 people at one point, and produced 2 tons of phages per week. Georgian soldiers in the early 90s carried canisters of phages produced for specific “battlefield strains,” and phage treatment was again used in 2008 during battles between Georgia and Russia. Now, phages are sold over the counter in some countries, for anyone to use. According to an account in Popular Science, a Texan doctor named Randy Wollcott had a patient who wouldn’t respond to any antibiotic treatment. The patient’s leg wound simply wouldn’t heal. So Wolcott did some research, went to the country of Georgia and bought three $2 vials of phages over the counter for his patient, who was cured in three weeks. Wolcott and many others are now engaged in a large effort to bring phage treatment back into America as common medical practice, but the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stands as a tough hurdle. Some worry that living remedies pose problems that need to be studied in greater detail. And opponents do have some powerful

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arguments. In her 2011 book The Forgotten Cure: The Past and Future of Phage Therapy, Anna Kuchment writes that mingling phage genes with bacteria has given rise to deadly pathogens that cause such terrible diseases as diphtheria, and E. coli 0157. Kuchment writes, however, that phage proponents say they now have the technology to screen out rogue phages. Victor Krylov, MD, Head of the Laboratory for Genetics of Bacteriophages at the Mechnikov Research Institute for Vaccines and Sera in Moscow, Russia, saws that live phages are transducers, meaning they can transfer parts of bacterial genomes between different bacterial hosts. This may be a reason for emerging diseases with new features, he says. But this is just one issue with phage treatment, according to Krylov. Phage therapy with live phages will never be the complete alternative to antibiotics, he says, because phages require direct contact with the pathogenic cell, to making certain infections out of range. Krylov says that others claim to have gotten phages into the blood stream, but he hasn’t. He adds, however, that phage treatment may be “extremely useful” in curing infected wounds like burns and post operational wounds, and may be good for eye, ear and throat diseases. Urology and gynecology may also have use for phages. In the United States, the FDA has already accepted certain phage products, but only for food safety. A phage is sprayed on many foods to kill bacteria there. The United States Army has also funded research into phages to see if they can used to treat troublesome wound infections in Iraq war veterans. America is far from getting phage treatment as a regular thing, however. Doctors who want to give phages must go through a strict approval process and petition regulatory boards. Some researchers are interested in phages because they might

be cheaper than current medicine production practices. Just like with antibiotics, bacteria can become resistant to phages, but isolating a new effective phage can be easier than synthesizing a new antibiotic, according to researchers from MIT. And this ease of development may be necessary. The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) says we currently need new treatments for urinary tract infections, ear infections, food poisoning and boils, to name just a few. “The bacteria that cause these infections are becoming increasingly resistant to the antibiotics that for years have been considered standard of care, and the list of resistant pathogens keeps growing,” an IDSA report states. “It is not possible to predict when an epidemic of drugresistant bacteria will occur—but we do know it will happen.”

Phage to the Face Phage treatment can even be for more docile medical problems, like acne. Acne medication has, over time, become less effective because propionibacterium acnes, the primary bacterial culprit of acne, has become resistant to drugs. Scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles recently suggested that phages naturally occurring in our pores could be a new type of treatment. UCLA’s Laura Marinelli, researcher in dermatology, says these phages are always killing the acne bacteria, but that they are far outnumbered in teens with acne. Teens with acne sometimes have a hundred times more acne bacteria than adolescents without it, according to healthland.time.com. For treatment, phages could be put into a cream or something topical that acne sufferers could apply. HEALTHY IDAHO DECEMBER 2012

I N S TA N T M O O D BOOSTERS

WIND FOR YOUR SAIL S FROM THINGS YOU DON ’T E XPECT Sometimes we feel like slugs: painfully slow in body and mind, unpleasant and without a sense of purpose. Coffee, energy drinks and even medication are common remedies for sluggishness, but there are better ways to go from dawdling to drag racing. Medication is a risky quick fix solution, and caffeine, including energy drinks, can stab you in the back with their addictive and overwhelming attributes. But the antisluggishness solution isn’t hidden far. Mind and body are tied together, so influencing one impacts the other. Because of this relationship, certain foods and exercises, which affect the body, can be valuable mood boosters to quickly put the skip back in your step and the twinkle back in your eye.

HEALTHY IDAHO DECEMBER 2012

FOOD FOR ATTITUDE Most researchers agree the overly salty, sugary and fatty American diet may be partly responsible for depressive disorders that affect nearly a tenth of the US population. Health transformation expert Angela Martindale agrees, and says that lifestyle matters too. "America’s instant gratification attitude leads to mood problems,” said Martindale. “We skip meals for time’s sake, and then we are always grabbing for sugar and a quick fix. Then our moods go up and down.” Getting sufficient vitamins and nutrients can go a long way in helping us control our temperament, and not getting those vitamins and nutrients can go a long way in the opposite direction. Here are some things to put in the body that have particular mood boosting capability:

1. Water: The Clear Choice for Mood Water is crucial to essentially every system in our body, and mood is affected by the health of those systems. Martindale says water is the first thing she recommends for a mood boost.

“When we feel tired, or down, I always recommend hydration,” she said. Two 2012 studies from the University of Connecticut showed that even mild dehydration can affect a person’s mood, energy level and ability to think clearly.

2. Vitamin D: The Solar Fare A 2010 study found that vitamin D deficiency increased the likelihood of having depression, according to WebMD. Low levels of vitamin D have also been associated with higher incidences of seasonal affective disorder, PMS and nonspecified mood disorder. There is some debate on how much vitamin D we need each day, ranging from 200 to 2000 international units (IU). A glass of milk has 50-100 IU, a can of tuna has 200 IU and 3.5 ounces of cooked salmon has 350 IU. High doses haven’t shown to be dangerous, so vitamin D a relatively risk-free bringer of vigor. The trick is that there aren’t many foods that naturally contain vitamin D. To obtain it, we can eat fortified foods like breakfast cereals, breads, juices and milk, or we can eat various types of fish like salmon and tuna. Exposure to the sun is another way Healthy-Idaho.com

EXERCISE TO RISE we obtain vitamin D, so getting a mood boost from nutrients may not involve eating anything at all, but a walk outside. Light-skinned people only need about 15 minutes in the sun each day to get enough vitamin D according to a Harvard Public Health Review. If exposure to the sun is limited, foods must take the place of the sun, and even supplements if the environment demands it.

3. The Stable are Able Swinging moods may have something to do with swinging diets, according to Elaine Magee, MPH, RD, author of 25 books on nutrition. “Meal-to-meal and day-to-day, keeping your blood sugars steady and your gastrointestinal (GI) tract running smoothly will help you feel good and energetic,” she wrote. “If your blood sugars are on a roller-coaster ride— hitting highs and lows from too much sugar and refined flour—you are more likely to feel out of sorts. Just as important as eating healthy things is maintaining those healthy eating habits, to keep your body’s systems running smoothly.

ENERGY DRINKS: BEWARE! More and more health professionals are worried about the health consequences of energy drinks. The FDA is currently investigating the deaths of five people who died after drinking Monster Energy. One 14-year-old girl in Maryland died of “cardiac arrhythmia due to caffeine toxicity” after she drank two 24-ounce cans of Monster Energy in a 24-hour period. Though some Monster varieties have less, these cans contained 240 mg of caffeine each, which is the caffeine equivalent of about seven cans of Pepsi. The maximum recommended daily intake of caffeine for adults is 400 mg. The drink 5-Hour Energy is also under scrutiny from the federal government, being linked to 13 deaths. Energy drinks are sold as nutritional supplements, meaning they are not regulated as foods. FDA mandate says a 12 oz. can of soda cannot contain more than 71 mg of caffeine, but since energy drinks are categorized differently, they aren’t subject to this limit. Until research discovers the real consequences of high caffeine doses, it may be dangerous to rely on energy drinks for a mood boost. Facebook.com/HealthyIdaho

Physical exhaustion and a downer mood are two different things with two different solutions, but we often treat them the same. In fact, though exercise can make us tired, it can actually elevate mood, according to John Ratey, MD, and his book Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise. “The more we’ve learned about the biology of mood, the more we’ve come to understand how aerobic exercise alters it,” he wrote. “[Exercise] counteracts depression at almost every level.”

BEYOND FOOD & EXERCISE

1. A YouTube Video Researchers from the University of Western Ontario conducted two studies on the subject, and found that watching a positive YouTube video helped study participants score better on a test.

Here are a few physical activities that can boost mood.

This probably doesn’t mean there should be exclusive YouTube time at work, but watching an occasional video might not be a bad idea to boost mood and be more productive.

1. Cycling Your Energy

2. Music

The bicycle is an excellent opportunity to kill two or three birds with one stone. Go from A to B, have fun and feel uplifted.

Videos can be distracting however, so music might be an even better choice. Research shows that listening to music, in all its varieties, improves mood.

Researchers from the University of Georgia (UGA) found that after 30 minutes of cycling, subjects reported a boost in energy levels. One UGA professor suggested that cycling activates brain neural circuits that made the subjects feel energized.

2. Grumpy or Tired? Just Walk Away. Or Run. Researchers at Duke University conducted a test where they compared the effectiveness of Zoloft, an antidepressant, with exercise, and measured the comparative decrease in depression. The participants who exercised walked or jogged at three-quarters aerobic capacity three times a week. The study showed that exercise was as effective as medication in decreasing depression.

3. Breathe Like You Mean It

CONCLUSION

Martindale said that just taking ten deep breaths a day can be a huge booster.

Boosting mood can be a matter of creativity and discovery. There are many ways to shake off those listless feelings and put wind in our sails, but we need to strive to find the fuel that works best for us individually.

“Breath is a huge asset for energy,” she said. Researchers at Toho University School of Medicine in Japan performed a study where they taught the test subjects how to breathe deeply into their abdomen. After the participants maintained this type of breathing for twenty minutes, they had more of the mood-boosting neurotransmitter serotonin in their blood, and had fewer negative feelings, according to Scientific American's report on the study.

Remember that what you choose to do to boost mood will probably become a habit, so choose wisely. Good mood is intertwined with a healthy lifestyle, and shouldn’t be a matter of instances. A stable, healthy diet containing the nutrients that benefit mood, mixed with a lifestyle of frequent exercise will do more for mood than any quick fix will ever do.

HEALTHY IDAHO DECEMBER 2012

YOU SCROOGE

You Lose

W R I T T E N BY M I C H A E L R I C H A R D S O N

How Giving Makes Us Healthier In a recent study, toddlers were given treats, and then asked to give part of their treats away. Instead of greed, the toddlers displayed selflessness, gladly giving away their treats, and were actually happier to give treats than to receive them. 38

HEALTHY IDAHO DECEMBER 2012

Not only that, but the toddlers were happier to give away their own treat than to give away another treat that wasn’t theirs. “Forfeiting their own valuable resources for the benefit of others makes them happier than giving away just any treat,” said Dr. Lara Aknin, coauthor of the study, which was done at the University of British Columbia. Heartwarming, yes, but also intriguing. Logically, it doesn’t make sense to give and expect nothing in return, and it certainly doesn’t make sense to prefer giving away our own things versus just giving anything. But we do it anyway. And something about benevolence keeps us hooked on the act. Maybe there is something we get in return, however. The researchers from British Columbia guess that the toddlers gave because it felt good,

plainly speaking. Perhaps our bodies are built to glean happiness from giving. “The fact that toddlers show the warm glow of giving suggests that the capacity to derive joy from helping others is deeply woven into human nature,” the study’s authors suggest. But joy is just one of many benefits, according to The Health Benefits of Volunteering, a report from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). Based on more than 30 recent studies, the report finds that volunteers:

• • • •

Have greater longevity. Have higher functional ability. Have lower rates of depression. Have less incidence of heart disease.

Volunteering is especially healthy for older adults, studies show. "Volunteerism is an important tool in our strategy to promote health and prevent

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disease,” said Josefina G. Carbonell, Assistant Secretary for Aging at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The CNCS Report states that those who serve about two hours per week enjoy “significant health benefits.” The actual act of service can bring positive physiological changes, like decreased stress and the release of endorphins, said nonprofit leader and author Allan Luks. Twenty years ago Luks introduced the term “helper’s high” to explain the physical feelings people experience when they are directly helping others.

Winston Churchill

had it right when he said: “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”

“We are programmed by our genes to help,” said Luks, who now directs the Fordham Center for Nonprofit Leaders. His research shows that regular helpers are ten times more likely to be in good health than people who don’t volunteer. If it is so good for us, why don’t more people start serving others? Luks says people just aren't informed. “Education is needed in the uphill battle to get people to recognize the health benefits of helping others, and the helper’s high they can enjoy.” We may get some help in this uphill climb as society sometimes pushes us to be helpful. “Cooperation is typically advantageous” according to Harvard researcher David G. Rand and colleagues, whose research suggests that for this reason, human beings give intuitively. In a recent study, Rand and colleagues gave some money to participants who were then told to decide how much to invest in a shared group fund. Results showed that the more time people took to decide, the less money they contributed to the fund. When participants were told to decide quicker, contributions increased. Researchers concluded from these findings that “intuition supports cooperation.” In other words, our instincts point us to give rather than be selfish. Whether we learn to give or just do it naturally, Americans are serving and donating up a storm. In 2010, 62.8 million adults served almost 8.1 billion hours through various organizations, according to nationalservice. gov. This service is valued at more than $170 billion. We also give money. In 2011, giving by individuals reached $217.79 billion, which is more than 70 percent of total giving in the United States, according to Giving USA. Foundations and corporations donate billions as well. And it isn’t just wealthy people giving. In 2008, despite rough economic times, 75 percent of Americans reported giving to a charitable cause, according to Gallup.com. We give about 2 percent of our GDP, which seems like a lot of giving, but we are receiving plenty in return, research suggests. As we approach the holidays and gifts are exchanged, no doubt the phrase ‘tis’ better to give than receive’ will be heard a million times. Now, thanks to modern research, there is real substance behind that idea. In the Social Capital Community Benchmark Survey, an enormous study overseen by Harvard researchers, 30,000 American households were surveyed about finances and wellbeing, among other things. According to the data, people who gave money to a charity were 43 percent more likely than non-givers to report that they were “very happy” about their lives.

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Helping Kids Give Research says that kids might actually enjoy giving more than getting. But what’s under the Christmas tree is usually for the kids. How can parents balance the giving and getting? “Parents can consider giving their children holiday presents that allow their kids to give,” says Dr. Lara Aknin of the British Columbia study. Aknin says several new charities offer this possibility, such as Donorschoose.org. This website allows donors browse through a list of various school projects in need of assistance and fund a cause or project of their choice. Kids can support their favorite subject (math, science, social studies, music, etc.). Recipients respond with thank you notes and feedback on the impact of the gift, says Aknin. HEALTHY IDAHO DECEMBER 2012

A HEALING HALLELUJAH

Music...can decrease anxiety and tension, assist in

Nat King Cole, the Beach Boys and Mariah Carey are blaring through homes, malls and car speakers once again this holiday season. There’s no part of these songs you don’t know by heart. But as you sing along, there is more happening than you may realize. Music has some cards up its sleeve. Our understanding of the music and health link has progressed through the centuries, but only recently has music therapy become a widely accepted field of medicine that plays a significant role in a host of illnesses and disorders. It turns out that while humans do indeed make music, music can also make us.

HEALTHY IDAHO DECEMBER 2012

Music therapy

Professional music therapists use music “within a therapeutic relationship to address physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of individuals,” according to the American Music Therapy Association. Therapists must also complete a four-year degree along with additional training and board exam to become certified. They work to help with conditions as varied as Alzheimer’s, autism and substance abuse, in places as diverse as veterans centers, schools, physical rehabilitation centers, hospice care facilities, nursing homes and hospitals. A music therapist, who always works with the patient in conjunction with a team of other health professionals, first assesses the patient’s problems. Based on those needs, therapists design active or passive music sessions around their client, meaning that sometimes the patient plays an instrument, sings, or just listens. After the music comes reflection and discussion on how the music relates to the patient’s life. Well, that sounds nice and all, but what exactly does music have the capacity to do, medically speaking? “Music can reflect a full range of human emotions and is a nonverbal means of expression; it can decrease anxiety and tension, assist in pain management, help relieve insomnia,

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pain management, help relieve insomnia, and promote relaxation. and promote relaxation,” reads the Idaho Association of Music Therapists home page. Pitch, harmony, melody and rhythm all engage different parts of the brain, according to the L.A. Times, and many of those same regions are also engaged in speech, movement and social interaction. Therefore, damage done by disease or trauma can sometimes be bypassed through music. “Music making activities may…facilitate the establishment of alternative pathways, which could have the ability to circumvent dysfunctional brain regions,” wrote Dr. Gottfried Schlaug, a Harvard University neurologist. A full scale of melodic solutions has caused doctors to trade pills for iPods. Here is a sampling.

Movement

Some music makes us want to get up and dance. For some disabled people, music simply makes movement possible. Certain diseases, like Parkinson’s, damage the parts of the brain central to movement. The rhythm of music can help bring that movement back through a different route in the brain. Music with a steady, predictable beat can initiate walking by cueing the brain’s motor regions.

Speech

More than 80,000 people each year who’ve had a stroke suffer from lingering speech impairment called aphasia, which comes from damage to the left side of the brain. Schlaug said that for these patients, a simple form of singing helps them improve their speech fluency compared with patients whose therapy doesn’t include singing. Schlaug’s research shows that music therapy even causes physical adaptations in areas of the brain. Singing uses parts of the brain that normally aren’t used for speech, though are capable of it. Eventually patients can reach the point where they are singing in their mind but speaking normally aloud, allowing them to communicate nearly the same as before the injury. Singing has shown to help with speech conditions related to not just strokes, but also with stuttering, Parkinson’s disease and autism. Emily Bailey, a neurologic music therapist in Salt Lake City, said there are times when music is able to help patients in ways that other therapy and drugs can’t, especially with patients who’ve been deemed nonresponsive by other health professionals. “With patients previously verbal but no longer due to dementia or injury to

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the speech pathways, members of the treatment team often say, ‘you probably won’t get much from them,’” Bailey said. “I start with a familiar song like ‘You Are My Sunshine,’ and the patient starts singing along and engaging with me using eye contact and smiling. I’ve seen this over and over again.”

Memory

Melody may have a found a chink in the armor of the destructive and heart-breaking Alzheimer’s Disease. According to the L.A. Times, music can temporarily unlock memories in patients who have forgotten essentially every detail of their lives.

Music for the Heart

Recent research shows that music can help control blood pressure, heart rate and respiration, which makes it an excellent tool for cardiologists. Italian researcher Luciano Bernardi, professor of medicine at the University of Pavia, led a research study on how music affects the heart physiologically, and he found that with music containing a series of crescendos, there was a proportional constriction of blood vessels and increases in blood pressure, heart rate and respiration. "Music induces a continuous, dynamic—and to some extent predictable—change in the cardiovascular system," Bernardi said in a statement. As the music underwent a decrescendo, physiological measures of the cardiovascular system decreased, according to a report in Scientific American.

Difficult Medical Procedures Made Easier

Neuroscientist Damir Janigro, son of a world-renowned cellist, is studying how music can be used to make surgeries and intense medical procedures go easier. According to his study at a clinic in Cleveland, music can slow the neuronal firings deep within the brain, meaning that a patient is more relaxed. Relaxation can mean less medication, better blood pressure control, quicker recovery time and shorter hospital stays, Janigro told TIME magazine. And with health care costs raging out of control, music may top the charts as a costeffective health assistant.

Mood

Mood and Christmas music go hand in hand, but music in all its varieties improves mood, according to research by Valeria Stratton, PhD, and colleagues at Penn State University. The study, published in Psychology and Education, found that music listeners are more optimistic, joyful, friendly and relaxed, with fewer emotions of pessimism and sadness. We've all felt music push us to dance, cry or take on the world, but we don't often consider that the medical benefits of music are almost as numerous as the multitude of feelings music inspires. Source:Wan CY, Rueber T, Hohmann A, Schlaug G.The Therapeutic Effects of Singing in Neurological Disorders. Music Perception 2010;27(4):287-295. http://www.musicianbrain.com/ papers/Wan_Rueber_Hohmann_Schlaug_Singing.pdf

Q: What is the

Healthiest Music?

A: Trick question.

There is no best music for therapy.

“Stating a 'best' music is much like best color, or place to live, or even type of car,” said Bailey, who owns and operates Measured By Music. “It is individualized and influenced by our background, experiences, expectations, and preferences.” Music is so versatile that it can be used in a variety of ways for a variety of maladies. Music therapists learn how to tailor music to the needs of the patient, meaning that many different kinds of music are used. “A music therapist must assess what type of emotional experience is required for the patient’s needs,” Bailey said. “This and musical preference of the patient (the most accurate way to address individual arousal/activation level) is how music therapists select genres of music.”

The Cancer Treatment Centers of America keeps a library of music available for its patients, and even has special musical events, according to usnews.com, where patients use music as a nonverbal release of emotion, as some patients cannot release emotion through talking.

HEALTHY IDAHO DECEMBER 2012

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Farm to Fork to Locavore "Farm to fork" generally refers to the idea that we really should know where our food comes from and buy local when possible. But more and more people are taking that idea a step or two further and joining the locavore movement.

ocavores not only buy from local producers, but try to get to know the people who grow or raise their food.

Rancher Ed Wilsey welcomes those relationships. He’s used to showing people the herd on his ranch, located 25 miles south of Marsing, Idaho. "They want to know what we're raising, why we're raising it,” Wilsey says. “They want to know how we treat our animals." Wilsey's operation is GAP certified. That stands for Global Animal Partnership, which is a guarantee that his animals have good lives. His cattle and hogs are 100 percent grass fed. "Our cows just live in their natural environment their whole life,” says Wilsey. “They're never force fed. They're never fed grain. They're never fed any byproducts. They're never given antibiotics, growth hormones. We keep 'em on high plain nutrition. We have very little sickness, and that's how I like it.” Wilsey says his grass-fed cattle have leaner meat and more omega-3. It’s one reason you’ll pay a premium to eat his beef and pork. It also takes longer to mature on grass alone.

HEALTHY IDAHO DECEMBER 2012

WRITTEN BY DEE SARTON

"It's another year's investment. I realize it's just grass, but it's not free," laughs Wilsey. When they are ready for market, the cattle leave Wilsey Ranch bound to become Homestead Natural Foods, a small local label that is sold to restaurants and stores, like the Boise Co-op. Matt Fuxan with the Co-op says demand for these products is, in his words, insane. He believes awareness is the fuel. "We're starting to question everything in our lives, and one of those things is the food industry and asking how is my food being raised and brought to market," says Fuxan. He doesn’t think the locavore movement is a fad but a growing understanding about the need to preserve what he calls our food shed. "That's our food security, knowing how to grow food here to supply our community,” says Fuxan. The cost per pound of lean grass-fed beef can run about twice as much as conventional, mass-produced meat at the grocery store, but it’s a price many locavores are willing to pay. For Wilsey, it’s financial security but something more too. "I've seen a lot of local rural Idaho towns waste away because people don't spend their money locally,” says Wilsey. “Local food, whether you buy it from me or any other farmers, the money stays in the community."

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