Pass the salt, please New research shows health benefits of salt
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n a recent New York Times article, award winning science journalist Gary Taubes describes the considerable efforts and expenditures made by government public health agencies to support and promote salt restriction, despite clinical evidence which does not support population-wide salt reduction strategies. According to Taubes, a flood of new research published in the last two years has not only shown the health benefits of salt but also revealed the risks of low-sodium diets. "There was no disputing that salt is a natural, no-calorie and tasty nutrient essential for life, but the biggest nutrition story in recent years is the proof that following the government's low salt advice could actually shorten your life," says Lori Roman, president of the Salt Institute. Within the past year, peer-reviewed medical studies have documented:
Type 1 diabetes risk: In one Australian study on patients with type 1 diabetes, low sodium intake was independently associated with increased allcause mortality and ESRD (end-stage renal disease). Type 2 diabetes risk: In another Australian study with type 2 diabetes patients, lower sodium consumption was associated with increased allcause and cardiovascular mortality. No cardiovascular benefit to salt reduction: A study published in the American Journal of Hypertension showed that eating less salt will not prevent heart attacks, strokes or early death. On the contrary, lowsodium diets increased the likelihood of premature death. Increased risk of illness and death: The Journal of the American Medical Association published a multi-year study on a very large cohort that concluded that lower salt intakes resulted in higher morbidity and mortality. Negative effects of low-salt intakes: An analysis of 167 studies showed that individuals placed on the U.S. Dietary Guidelines-recommended salt levels experienced significant increases in plasma renin, aldos-
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Health Fitness & Beauty • june 2012
terone, adrenaline, noradrenalin, cholesterol and triglycerides - all risk factors for diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Health risk of current U.S. Dietary Guidelines: In a Journal of the American Medical Association publication, an analysis of the association between sodium intakes and cardiovascular events in almost 29,000 adults, showed that CV risk was increased among those with the lowest levels, equivalent to the current recommendations in the U.S. Dietary Guidelines.
Nutritional risk of current U.S. Dietary Guidelines: The American Journal of Preventative Medicine published an article demonstrating that following the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for salt will result in unbalanced and unsustainable dietary choices.
It is well documented that the Japanese and the Swiss enjoy among the longest life expectancy rates of any of the world's population groups. Less known however, is that they are also among the highest rates of salt consumption. Comparing the available data on salt consumption and longevity around the world indicates that if we were to actually consume the low levels of salt recommended in the U.S. Dietary Guidelines, our life expectancy figures would drop dramatically.
Paso Robles Press | Atascadero News
Simple tips to stay safe from the sun If you follow these simple tips, you can look forward to an active, fun and safe summer
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arm weather means more time spent enjoying the outdoors: picnics, bike rides, hikes and sporting events. While the summer months should be enjoyed to the fullest, outdoor enthusiasts must remember that the sun, with all of the benefits it brings, also has many dangerous effects. The sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays are at their strongest during the spring and summer; unprotected skin and eyes can be damaged in as little as 15 minutes. While applying sunscreen and wearing sunglasses with UVA/UVB protection is important throughout the year, taking extra sun-safety precautions during the summer is especially important. Try these simple tips on your next trip to the park, pool, beach or casual stroll outside and learn to enjoy the sun safely:
up a few lightweight wraps and cover shirts; they offer much more protection than sunscreen.
Cover your head: Whether it is a baseball cap or floppy, wide-brimmed hat, find one to protect your head and face during the summer months and wear it. Anything that keeps your sensitive scalp protected is going to lower your chances of skin cancer.
Wear sunscreen: While this may seem like a nobrainer, many people still need to be reminded. Keep some handy in your car, purse and around the house. Sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30 protects the skin from the sun. Apply one ounce of sunscreen (about the size of a ping pong ball) to all sun-exposed areas of the body. Don't forget the ears, feet and behind the neck. Because sunscreen can take up to 30 minutes to go into full effect, it's a good idea to apply it at home before going outside.
so you can reduce the risk of burning your retina, cornea or eyelids. Most of us don't realize it when sunglasses do not provide adequate UV protection. If you wear sunglasses that feature UV blocking lenses, but the frame does not block sunlight from reaching your eyes from the sides, you are still being exposed to harmful UV rays. For example, Solar Shield Sunglasses feature Advanced UV Protection designs that help protect your eyes through the combination of 100 percent UV protection lenses and frames that wrap around to block stray light.
Wear the right shades: Find a pair of sunglasses that will give you adequate UVA/UVB protection
Wear protective clothing: Warmer weather inevitably means less clothing, especially when you're lay-
ing by the pool or on the beach. When bathing suit shopping this summer, pick
Avoid the danger times: The Food and Drug Administration says that UVA/UVB rays are at their most dangerous from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Do your best to stay in the shade and stay even more on top of your sun protection during those hours. If you must be in the sun during peak hours, be sure to wear SPF 30 sunscreen and wraparound sunglasses with advanced UV protection and polarized lenses.
GOLF & MORE Club Fitting • Indoor Golf Repair Shop • Swing Analysis
GOLF • BASEBALL • SOCCER • FISHING • AND OTHER SPORTS YARD SALE JUNE 29TH & 30TH
(805) 460-6900 george@golfandmore.us
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9965 El Camino Real #B, Atascadero www.golfandmore.us
June 2012 • Health Fitness & Beauty
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Jazzercise Fitness Fresh moves, new music, pure motivation
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t Jazzercise we believe fitness is an important aspect of well-being and enhances the overall quality of people’s lives. Therefore, for over 40 years Jazzercise has been committed to helping people understand and value the importance of health and fitness. Choreographed to today's hottest music, Jazzercise, the world’s leading dance fitness program, is a fusion of jazz dance, resistance training, Pilates, yoga, and kickboxing. Every Jazzercise group fitness class combines dance-based cardio with strength training and stretching to sculpt, tone and lengthen muscles for maximum fat burn. The Templeton Jazzercise Fitness Center, owned by
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Melanie Mulder, a 25 year veteran instructor, prides itself on offering a fun, friendly workout environment, quality instructors, innovative choreography and a variety of Jazzercise class formats. Mulder and her team of nine franchisees offer forty classes weekly, including: Jazzercise, the original dance exercise phenomenon, Jazzercise Lite, Jazzercise Low Impact, Jazzercise Step, and Body Sculpting - in addition to specialty classes and formats brought in throughout the year. Jazzercise Personal Touch is offered for those preferring one on one or small group training options. ABOUT JAZZERCISE Judi Sheppard Missett, who turned her love of jazz
Health Fitness & Beauty • june 2012
dance into a worldwide dance exercise phenomenon, founded the Jazzercise dance fitness program in 1969. She has advanced the business opportunities of women and men in the fitness industry by growing her program into an international franchise business that today, hosts a network of 7,800 instructors teaching more than 32,000 classes weekly in 32 countries. For more information about Jazzercise or the class offerings in Templeton, visit jazzercise.com, email mulder@aol.com or call 805.801.9620 Start dancing yourself fit and change the shape of your body today!
Paso Robles Press | Atascadero News
Massage can give you an active, healthy summer Let your mind and body enjoy the benefits of massage
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or many people, summer means fun in the sun that includes outdoor activities like running, hiking, biking and team sports. But an active lifestyle can take a toll on the body and bring about aches and pains from muscles and joints that haven't been utilized during the fall and winter. "There are a number of ways to keep your body healthy during the summer. However, one often overlooked but beneficial component for a healthy lifestyle is massage therapy," says Amy Wiltgen, massage therapy instructor at Everest College Merrionette Park. "Even the simplest relaxation massages will decrease stress and improve circulation, reduce fatigue, and help keep your muscles, bones and connective tissue in good working condition." Wiltgen offers some tips for choosing a massage therapist this summer and maximizing the experience: Find a professional. The first step is to find professional therapists who are licensed and insured, and have a certificate of professional training in their specialty or procedure. "Perhaps most helpful is to get a
personal recommendation from a friend or look for testimonials or reviews on websites," says Wiltgen. "Also look for academic credentials, such as a diploma from an accredited program." Ask questions and describe health is-
sues. When you call for an appointment, have questions ready to get a good sense of your compatibility with and the professionalism and personality of the therapist. Communicate. Upon arriving at the appointment, make sure to let the therapist
know your health history and any preferences for depth of pressure, room temperature, choices in music and allergies to oils or lotions. Don't be afraid to speak up to ask the therapist to make any adjustments during the massage. Relax. It's important to relax. Let your mind and body go to enjoy all the benefits of the massage. "Breathing normally helps facilitate relaxation," says Wiltgen. "People often stop or limit their breathing when they feel anxious or a sensitive area is massaged." Avoid pain. A common misconception is that the massage has to hurt to feel good. "Whether it's a professional giving a massage, or a friend or family member, communicate any discomfort immediately," says Wiltgen. Stay hydrated. Be sure to drink extra water before and after the massage to help flush toxins from the body and make sure muscles are properly hydrated. "Having a massage on a regular basis can be a powerful ally in your health care regimen, and will help keep you at your optimal best all summer long," adds Wiltgen.
Simple tips and tools to help smokers quit Five suggestions to aide your success
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very year, people across the country make resolutions to quit smoking, but research shows that less than 5 percent of those who quit without assistance are successful in their quit attempt. Quitting smoking is one of the hardest things to do. On average, it takes a smoker up to nine attempts to quit before they're able to do so successfully. Every relapse begins with smaller lapses - so quitters shouldn't stop trying after a lapse. Smokers need a variety of tools to help them quit. "Even if you lapse when quitting smoking and have a cigarette, there are still opportunities for you to achieve your goal of quitting smoking successfully," says Saul Shiffman, PhD, an addiction and dependence expert at the University of Pittsburgh and a worldrenowned researcher in behavior change and relapse, and paid consultant to GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare. To work toward a resolution to quit smoking,
Paso Robles Press | Atascadero News
Shiffman recommends these tips: Determine the best tools to help you quit smoking. Make a plan to help you quit successfully. Personalized quit plans can help a smoker make it though their quit attempt. There are a variety of resources available online to create a plan after inputting information about your personal habits and behaviors associated with quitting. Quit with a support network in place. Many studies have shown that combining NRT with behavioral support can increase a smoker's chances of quitting successfully. You can get behavioral support through your own personal network of family and friends, a counseling program or hotline, or an online smoking cessation resource like Blueprint to Quit, which provides smokers access to trained experts and quitting materials. In addition, behavioral
support can provide you with tips on how to get back on track if you lapse. Change up your daily routine. Quitting smoking is a two-part problem both a physical addiction and learned associations with cues that produce cravings for nicotine. To avoid those behavioral cravings, change your daily routine during times when you would normally have a cigarette, like driving to work or after a meal. "If you're used to staying at the table and having a cigarette after a meal, get up and move on to something else, so you don't feel the craving," Shiffman says. Use nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). NRT doubles a smoker's chances of quitting smoking successfully versus placebo and numerous studies have shown it significantly increases a smoker's chances of quitting long-term. NRT, like nicotine gum or nicotine patch, helps re-
lieve cravings and withdrawal symptoms associated with quitting smoking, without exposing the quitter to the carcinogens and toxins from cigarette smoking. One recent study even showed that continuing to use the nicotine patch helps smokers recover from lapses in their quit attempt - it is essential to continue your quit attempt, even after lapses. For best results, you should follow the label and use the amount recommended for the duration recommended.
Reward yourself along the way. To help with quitting smoking and managing difficult cravings, it helps to reward yourself throughout the quit process - even if you lapse and slip back into smoking. One cigarette should not ruin a quit attempt. Reward yourself for the progress you've made, even if it hasn't been perfect. For example, use the money you save from no longer buying cigarettes to buy yourself a treat at the end of the week.
June 2012 • Health Fitness & Beauty
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Need Your Annual Screening Mammogram? Radiology Associates has a 50% HIGHER Breast Cancer Detection Rate than the National Average! WALK-IN APPOINTMENTS OK! NO REFERRALS NEEDED TO GET SCREENED
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Radiology Associates Where compassion meets technology Submitted RADIOLOGY ASSOCIATES
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adiology Associates has been serving the Central Coast for over fifty years. We are committed to offering our patients the best technology, convenient appointments, excellent customer service. We offer $95 cash-rate Screening Mammograms all year around to make this very important exam possible for all women. We are proud to announce that we are now offering full-service breast imag-
ing so that our patients can get a continuation of care all at one location. We just added the latest stereotactic breast biopsy equipment at our locations in Templeton and Santa Maria. Also available is MRI Breast Biopsy in our Pismo Beach location. With three convenient centers along the central coast, you can rest assured that we are here to take care of your imaging needs. Please visit our website www.rasloimaging.com or call us anytime with questions.
Radiology Diagnostic Center (RDC) 1310 Las Tablas Road, Suite 103, Templeton
(805) 434-0829 Please visit: www.rasloimaging.com for more information. Other locations include San Luis Obispo, Pismo Beach, and Santa Maria.
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Many Styles to Choose From. With coupon. Not valid with any other coupon or insurance. Exp. 8/31/12.
San Luis Obispo 543-5770
Atascadero 466-5770
Paso Robles 238-5770
719 Higuera (Broad & Higuera)
8300 El Camino Real (Food 4 Less)
643 Spring Street (7th & Spring)
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Health Fitness & Beauty • june 2012
Get the quality health care coverage you need, without the expense you might expect. Anthem Blue Cross has plans that provide protection at a rate that’s probably less than you expect.
CALLIE BOWEN Callie L Fisher Insurance Services Authorized Independent Agent
(805) 238-6593 578 Spring Street, Paso Robles, CA 93446 (800) 640-6593 Anthem Blue Cross is the trade name of Blue Cross of California. Independent CA Insurance License #0611324
licensee of the Blue Cross Association. ® Anthem is a registered trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc. The Blue Cross name and symbol are registered marks of the Blue Cross Association.
Paso Robles Press | Atascadero News
Kennedy Club Fitness Four club locations for your dollar!
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prah has said that San Luis Obispo is the happiest city in the world,” says, Kevin Kennedy, owner of Kennedy Club Fitness. “Our goal is to help make San Luis Obispo County the healthiest place in the world. Our message is to engage, energize and inspire our community to get moving, to get fit. Of course, we’d like everyone to use our facilities to do it, but what’s most important is that they just do it!” Kevin and Barb Kennedy, North County residents, opened their first club, then called Kennedy Nautilus, in Atascadero in 1981. They started out with just one lifecycle, twelve pieces of Nautilus equipment and a stereo for music. Today Kennedy Club Fitness serves the health and fitness needs of over 16,
000 San Luis Obispo County residents. Kennedy Club Fitness is the only health club in the County with multiple locations: Paso Robles, Atascadero, San Luis Obispo and Arroyo Grande. The North County is home to both the first (Atascadero) and the latest (Paso Robles) Kennedy Club Fitness locations. Both facilities include an outdoor Olympic pool complex, basketball, racquetball, climbing walls, comprehensive cardio and strength training equipment, specialty training courts and combined, over 100 group exercise classes each week. Kevin Kennedy believes “variety and entertainment is what working out should be about.” KCF-Paso Robles General Manager, Matt McClish reiterates that the success of Kennedy Club Fitness is completely
dependent on the success of their members. “ It is my great privilege to be able to work with our members and be a positive force in their lives,” says McClish. “My dream has always been for our members to feel that this is so much more than a health club but, instead, is a way of life. We work very hard to provide exceptional service in all aspects and create "raving fans" among our members”. Josh Donovan, General Manager for KCF-Atascadero agrees. " We have as many as four generations of KCF members. Our members are family. Their success is our success.” ‘If you have not yet had a chance to visit our Clubs, I invite you to do so as my guest” offers Kevin Kennedy. Contact the Club nearest you to ask about a complimentary visit today.
Paso Robles Adventure 805-239-8488 500 South River Road Paso Robles, CA 93446
Atascadero 805-466-6775 3534 El Camino Real Atascadero, CA 93422
San Luis Obispo MultiPlex 805-781-3488 188 Tank Farm Road San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Arroyo Grande 805-481-2888 1299 James Way Arroyo Grande, CA 93420
Paso Robles Press | Atascadero News
June 2012 • Health Fitness & Beauty
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*Good for the whole family! • Over 300 Group Fitness Classes Each Week Including Cycle, Step, Yoga, Pilates, Aqua, Groove, Zumba, Power & More! • State-of-the-Art Cardio and Strength Training Areas • Summer Camps, Training & Activities for All Ages
And SO MUCH MORE!
SUMMER PASSES Also Available
HURRY! The earlier you jointhe more time is FREE!
Making Fitness Fun with Four Clubs as ONE! Paso Robles-Adventure 500 S. River Rd. 239-8488
Atascadero 3534 El Camino Real 466-6775
San Luis Obispo MultiPlex One 88 Tank Farm Rd. 781-3488
www.kennedyclubs.com
Arroyo Grande 1299 James Way 481-2888
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*Free dues to August 31st when joining on the membership plan of your choice! Some restrictions may apply *Contact the Club nearest you for details!
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Health Fitness & Beauty • june 2012
Paso Robles Press | Atascadero News