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MEDICAL EXAMINER V E I R N SARY N A h 9t
TAKE HOME T HI S C O P WITH Y Y OU !
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HEALTH • MEDICINE • WELLNESS • HEALTH • MEDICINE • WELLNESS • HEALTH • MEDICINE • WELLNESS • HEALTH • MEDICINE • WELLNESS • HEALTH • MEDICINE • WELLNESS • HEALTH • MEDICINE • WELLNESS • HEALTH • MEDICINE • WELLNESS • HEALTH • MEDICINE • WELLNESS • HEALTH • MEDICINE • WELLNESS
AIKEN-AUGUSTA’S MOST SALUBRIOUS NEWSPAPER • FOUNDED IN 2006
9 Easy Ways to Lose Weight What is the best way to lose weight? The easiest way. It’s amazing how complicated people sometimes make it. Instead, here are 9 simple strategies. 1. Lose the liquid calories No more mini-buckets of sugary beverages. Try water instead. 2. Stop snacking Get your crunch from carrots or celery sticks 3. Eat slowly and stop before you’re full To lose weight, all most people need to do is simply eat less food. Slowing down gives your brain time to register that you’re full when you actually are, not ten bites later. 4. Eat more protein, since protein keeps you fuller for longer, among other benefits. 5. Eat more high volume foods Hunger always wins, so eat foods that are higher in volume and that keep you fuller longer, like fibrous green vegetables, lean protein, low fat dairy, low sugar fruit, potatoes, and other roots. 6. Reduce refi ned sugar intake Most people would benefit immensely by reducing refined sugar intake. A little here and there is permissible, but not too much. 7. Lift weights A little strength training is a great way to firm up and to burn calories. Baby steps, then bigger steps. 8. Drink caffeine, since it helps suppress appetite. But make coffee your caffeine of choice, not sugary colas. 9. Have a preset plan to cheat Every diet fails at some point, so plan on it. In fact, create it, perhaps with one guilt-free cheat day/meal per week. One sensible cheat day/meal per week is not going to overpower 6 other days worth of diligent dieting, so don’t self impose unrealistic and unsustainable restrictions. +
ISSUE The Medical Examiner took its first breath in July of 2006. We thank every single reader and each and every advertiser, past and present, whose support has made this publication “Aiken-Augusta’s Most Salubrious Newspaper” for the past 9 years.
3 boys die on Riverwatch T
his is not going to be about the June 1 crash on Riverwatch Parkway that took the lives of three young boys, one age 9, the other two just 8. It’s actually about you and me. The accident, in brief, happened when one vehicle turned left into the path of the other, and was a fixture in news reports for nearly two weeks: three funerals were held in succession, accident reconstruction teams investigated exactly what happened, and eventually charges were filed against both drivers. The fact that children were killed made the story especially heart-wrenching. Since the basic causes were identified — speeding, plus both vehicles ran the red light — it felt like it was a major wake-up call for area drivers. A noticeable drop in both of those behaviors might have been expected around town, even if temporarily. Have you noticed that? At Medical Examiner world headquarters here in Augusta, we have not. We continue to see aggressive driving well in excess of posted speed limits, both on area interstates and major surface roads. It is also amazingly common to see the red light ahead of you change green, and then to see one or two vehicles — sometimes as many as three — zip across the intersection. In any context that is unacceptable driving, but in the aftermath of the fatal Riverwatch collision, that is just sheer contempt for the lives and safety of others. Here is a suggestion from the Medical Examiner: every single time a green light turns yellow as you approach it, dedicate your stop as a tribute to the memory of three little boys who died as innocent passengers in a terrible wreck. +
JULY 24, 2015
9 Ways to Feel Healthier And a few extras thrown in at no additional charge. • Make your bed every day • Have fruit smoothie for breakfast • Skip your coffee and have herbal or green tea instead. • Keep anything artificial and packed with preservatives and other chemicals out of your diet. • Meditate for at least 5 minutes. • Hug someone. It releases endorphins, the feel-good hormones. • Unplug all your devices for at least one hour. • Spend time in nature: go for a walk in a park or by the river. • Drink plenty of water. • Avoid high sugar/high fat combination foods, such as traditional cookies, ice-cream, milk chocolate, cheesecake, etc. • Eat a side green salad with your lunch and dinner. • Eat your lunch outside in fresh air rather than at your desk near the computer. (See p. 2) • Snack on fiber-rich and antioxidant-packed fruits and/or berries. • Watch your posture at all times, but especially when you’re sitting. • Get a massage. • Think of five things to be grateful about in your life. • Smile at strangers. It will give a positive boost to your mood. • Make someone laugh. • Read a book that inspires you. • Clean up your workspace; it will help you be more focused and productive. • Listen to classical music. Studies show it boosts cognitive function. • Sleep at least 7 to 8 hours a night. +