July 30, 2015
VACCINATIONS AND YOUR FAMILY To vaccinate or not? It can be a complicated question. What you should know about vaccinations for kids, adults and seniors.
+ Reduced Cost Vaccination Programs + Summer Travel Plans? Vaccinate Against Hepatitis A + Finding a League of Your Own
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FITNESS
Finding a LEAGUE OF YOUR OWN
By Misty Kaiser, Healthline Magazine Amid the forest of HIIT, spin, crossfit, Barre, Zumba, Pilates, and on and on, there lies a sometimes forgotten path to fun and fitness; the adult recreation league. As adults, we get so caught up in watching the pros play our favorite sports, we don’t always remember that we can get out there and play them ourselves. Maybe you haven’t suited up for your sport of choice since college, or even high school, but it’s not too far gone. Whatever your preference, there’s a league for that, all you have to do is look for it.
The Big Four Soccer, softball, volleyball and basketball are typically the first four sports that come to mind when thinking of organized league play. If any of them make you want to get up and play, Loveland’s Chilson Recreation Center is an excellent place to start the search. Now registering for the fall season, the leagues vary on Men’s, Women’s and Coed options. In addition, teams are divided by competition level so participants can choose how competi-
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tive they would like to be. According to Allan Coseo, Athletic Coordinator at Chilson Recreation Center, softball, volleyball and soccer are their most popular leagues. “Men’s and coed softball are still probably the most popular in terms of numbers and I would say the reason for that is traditionally a lot of people grew up playing softball and baseball and have just continued that as the years have gone on,” Coseo says. While women have the option to form their own teams, up to this point most have chosen to play coed instead. While volleyball and soccer continue to grow, basketball leagues have been sparsely populated and slow to form, which leaves the door wide open for hoops shooters to make it their own. Bring your moves, or lack thereof, to the court and jump right in. Prospective players of any of the Rec Center leagues don’t need to be on a team prior to signing up. Free agents can sign up to be placed on a team by management—it’s a great way to meet new people, make a few friends and burn some calories while you’re at it. Coseo suggests that those who sign up
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as free agents and don’t receive a call regarding their team placement, just show up at the first week of games to see if any team needs an extra player. Teams are welcome to fill open positions in that way. Whichever sport you choose to play, just have fun out there. “All the sports especially the outdoor ones, give participants an opportunity to enjoy the great Colorado outdoors, exercising and participating in a sport they love with friends and family,” Coseo says.
Kickball For those who want to harken back even further, there’s always kickball. What was once a playground staple, has since become a league sport for adults. Somehow, kicking that red rubber ball around is satisfying— and maybe a little therapeutic —for the over 18 crowd. GO Kickball in Fort Collins opens up the fun to any fitness level. Sign up as a “free agent” and get assigned to a team or gather some friends and start one of your own. The minimum requirement for a full team is 15 players and a maximum of 25, in order to avoid forfeitting games. Why kickball? “More people feel
July 30, 2015
comfortable or less intimidated playing kickball versus basically every other organized coed team sport,” says Fort Collins Market Director, Jordan Williams. The atmosphere is a relaxed mix of “athletes, middle-of-the-roaders, and the twoleft-feeters,” rather than strictly highly competitive athletes. Williams believes this contributes to a more social atmosphere and good sportsmanship. It’s all about having a good and active time outdoors. And speaking of social connections, it may be worth noting that the group has been the starting ground for a few marriages. Who needs online dating? The majority of players are 25 to 35 years old, but there’s no limit, as long as you love to kick a ball, run and have fun. The season is 7 weeks long, beginning on August 19 and culminating in an all-day elimination style state tournament in October. The league consists of 12 to 20 teams, and members can sign on as free agents or start a team of their own and recruit their friends.
Swimming While not strictly a “league”, the Loveland Masters Swimming club gives swimmers a place to practice and train with the advantage of an experienced coach. Masters coach, Doug Garcia, has about 25 years of experience behind him, including 17 at the collegiate level. Swimmers show up for different reasons, from training for the scheduled Masters meets and other competitions to personal improvement. Garcia says, “I would say about 10 to 15 percent of our members compete, most come to practice to work off stress and a few pounds.” Practices are organized to accommodate all ability levels and lap times so that every participant gets the most out of their time in the water. There are 76 registered members, and since practices are conducted on a drop-in basis, Garcia says that they an average about 30 in the water at any given practice. Though attendance isn’t regulated or mandatory, Garcia recommends regularity for those that plan to compete. He also takes the time to get to know team members on a personal level. “I have some swimmers that are there every single practice. When they don’t show up I know a couple of things: they’re sick or they’re traveling,” says Garcia. Consistency is one of the reasons behind the strength of this program. Garcia explains, “We rarely have an issue with schedule changes due to meets or other pool users. Lots of Masters programs get pushed around, ours is rock solid at Mountain View (Aquatic Center).” In addition to a fondness for water, participants should also love early mornings.; practices are Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 5:30 to 7 a.m. For all the gym haters out there (and you know who you are), stacks of machinery and classes full of repetitive motions may never be your thing. Thank goodness it doesn’t have to be. Rec league sports can be a much more enjoyable route to fitness as well as a way to connect with others who share your interests.
July 30, 2015
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HEALTHLINE 11
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ON THE COVER
VACCINATIONS AND YOUR FAMILY
To vaccinate or not? It can be a complicated question. What you should know about vaccinations for kids, adults and seniors. By Rhema Zlaten, Healthline Magazine One of the first plans a new parent makes concerns the vaccination of their baby. From researching different timelines and types, to maybe even opting out en-
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tirely, walking through these decisions can be confusing. In a world where multiple opinions shout about which direction parents should choose, local pediatricians and physicians are working to have heartfelt and honest conversations with their patients about the vaccination debates. These debates expand beyond infancy and into adolescence, and even senior care. Ashlea Franques, a medical doctor and pediatrician at Thompson River Pediatrics in Loveland, walks closely with each parent through their personal vaccination decisions. “My approach has always been to discuss with the parent what their concerns are and what they are wanting to do,” Franques said. “I am a proponent of vaccinations. I have seen vaccine preventable diseases. I usually
recommend that parents follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) recommendations for vaccine schedules.” For parents opting to vaccinate, alternative schedules can offer a compromise in the timing of different shots, although Franques still primarily follows the CDC schedule, as changing the traditional researchedbacked rhythms can result in adverse health effects in infants. “The disease markers, as far as the studies that have been done, look at anti body production,” Franques said. “The studies are based on timings for when the child’s body will produce the correct antibodies needed for when their bodies will most likely encounter the virus.” For parents concerned about children with pro-
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pensities to allergies and the ingredients of vaccinations, physician in allergy and immunology Michael Radtke of Banner Health Fort Collins implements methods for helping unruly immune systems to cooperate with vaccines. “There are children with severe allergic reactions to vaccinations,” Radtke said. “We can often get [these] children vaccinated if we follow certain protocols. We take recommendations from the CDC and the American Pediatric association.” One such set of protocol possibilities involves children who are allergic to eggs, a common ingredient found in the flu vaccination. “Depending on what shot and what allergy, we customize for the child,” Radtke said. “There are times when we just give the full dose of
July 30, 2015
the vaccine and monitor. Sometimes we do skin testing where we just lightly prick the skin and look for a reaction. And then sometimes we will give a small dose, watch to make sure they are okay, and then give them the rest of the dose. The vast majority of these kids can handle the full dose.” Radtke recommends that allergy concerned parents work both with their pediatrician and an allergist before writing vaccinations off completely. “There are other times when problems can come up because kids will get hives,” Radtke said. “As their immune system is activated, they can get hives a day or two after. It can look like an allergy, so I ask that those kids get checked out with an allergist. We can usually help parents … decipher whether or not the child is having an allergic reaction to the vaccine or that their immune system is just responding to being activated.” Other age groups of prime concern for vaccinations are college students and seniors. The primary concern for college-aged students, especially those living in dorms, is a resurgence of meningitis. Dr. John Breen, an infectious disease physician and the chief of staff at Northern Colorado medical center, takes such outbreaks very seriously, and supports colleges as they move to require vaccinations for all students on campus. “The symptoms of this disease are similar to a viral infection, but can progress very quickly to a life threatening situation,” Breen said. For seniors, Breen pri-
July 30, 2015
marily recommends vaccinations for pneumonia strains, as community pneumonia causes many deaths in elderly populations. “We have a mandatory program of immunizing our elderly patients in the hospital when they come to us, and that is a national program,” Breen said. “And most family physicians are aware of that, and I think they are very effective in immunizing their elderly patients.” The first vaccine was developed in 1798 after Edward Jenner, the founder of vaccinology in the West, showed that injecting cowpox into a child could create immunity to smallpox, according to the Immunisation Advisory Centre of the University of Auckland. The ensuing centuries have brought increasingly efficient combatants to several viral and bacterial infection agents. Breen strongly supports vaccinations as an avenue to community-wide health for all age groups. “The utilization of immunizations and vaccinations clearly can be shown to markedly decrease the deaths and stigmata of viral and bacterial diseases,” Breen said. “There’s overwhelming evidence that these vaccines are extraordinarily safe. There’s no documentation that these immunizations are associated with significant side effects.” One popularly discussed potential side-effect of vaccinations in children is a tenuous link to autism. The primary study used as evidence for these claims stem from a research article written by Andrew Wakefield et. al in 1998 in the British
Medical Journal. The trials conducted by this medical team were found to have no controls, a very small group of subjects and relied on parental recall, not documented evidence, according to the British Medical Journal. After a decade of epidemiologists attempting to re-create the Wakefield autism vaccination study, none were able to do so, and the paper was refuted. “I hope this has been put to rest in the last few years,” Breen said. “Having said all of this, I think that we have to engage in a low energy conversation with parents who for whatever reason are afraid or perhaps terrified to immunize and vaccinate their children. We all want
what’s best for our children. The publicity that the antivaccination [groups] have gotten has to be recognized as a big influence as people. We don’t treat these people as pariahs, but we should engage in a conversation and convince people that these vaccines are safe.” As an infectious disease physician, Breen operates from a paradigm of herd immunity. “If a significant number of kids are immunized, they protect the kids that aren’t,” Breen said. “But that is a delicate balance. If enough parents don’t vaccinate their children, we will see a comeback of diseases that have almost disappeared from the United States.”
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F E AT U R E
Local agencies work to provide vaccinations for low-income patients By L. L. Charles, Healthline Magazine The earliest reports of vaccinations come from around 1000 AD in China, Africa and Europe. By the early 1700s, a rudimentary form of vaccination was regularly practiced throughout the American colonies. After losing his fouryear-old son to smallpox in 1736, Benjamin Franklin became an advocate for the practice. While the dangers of these diseases threatened everyone equally, access to preventative care was limited and often restricted to the elite. The advent of community health centers in the early 20th century helped bring immunization services to the general public. Yet even today, not everyone has equal access to these services, and
a network of private care providers, government agencies and non-profits exist to help close this care gap. “Immunization services are an important part of our work,” says Katie O’Donnell, public information officer for the Larimer County Department of Health, which operates three clinics (in Fort Collins, Loveland and Estes Park) that provide a wide spectrum of health care services to underserved populations. “We serve far more children than adults due to pushes around school time to immunize the students,” O’Donnell says, “but our programs run yearround.” In immunization, there is a concept known as “herd immunity” that says that if a critical portion of a population is
immunized, the benefits are shared even among those who are not able or willing to be vaccinated. That critical segment is usually pegged at 90 to 95 percent of the total group. Less than that, and outbreaks can spike dramatically. “In Larimer County, we’re still a ways from meeting that number… and we have some schools that are far from it,” Katie O’Donnell explains. There are several contributing factors at work here. In some cases, vaccinations have been so successful in protecting recent generations that we’ve simply forgotten what diseases like polio, smallpox and measles can do. “People can forget the horrors of those diseases, as well as the part that vaccination played in eradicating them,” O’Donnell says.
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July 30, 2015
As government agencies become important players in the campaign to immunize, the issue has become politicized between those who see immunization as a community responsibility, and those who frame it as a conservative issue of individual rights. Currently, parents who choose to opt out of having their school-age children vaccinated must submit an exemption document to their children’s school indicating their decision. In an effort to encourage higher rates of student vaccination, the Colorado Board of Health recently passed more stringent rules regarding vaccination requirements for K-12 school students. Starting in July 2016, parents who want to opt out must submit an exemption form each new school year for each of their exempting students. Schools are required to report the percentage of their students who have received vaccinations, plus the number of those who have opted out. In some
states, a school’s compliance with these reporting requirements is tied to how much funding it receives. In Colorado, however, there are no such direct incentives at work, and reporting compliance is low. “We have noticed that compliance is really tied to the support it receives from each individual school’s administration,” Katie O’Donnell says. Other obstacles to broader support for vaccination programs include the amount of misinformation that can be found online, and a general lack of awareness of the services that exist for those without insurance or residents who can qualify for Medicaid benefits. Salud Family Health Centers serves the northeastern quadrant of Colorado with 11 clinics in nine different communities, including a Fort Collins location. The private non-profit serves local residents and also uses a mobile care unit to serve migrant farm worker communities. “We offer enrollment services to our patients to help them navigate through
the process of obtaining insurance or signing up for Medicaid benefits,” says Jennifer Morse, vice president of development for Salud Family Health Centers. Patients who cannot qualify for these types of assistance are charged on a sliding scale based on their ability to pay. The bottom line, Morse explains, is that “we see all members of the community.” The clinics serve an average of 70,000 patients annually, with most of their revenue coming from patient fees. Morse says that a lot of their efforts involve educating their patients on the importance of immunization and, in instances where multiple vaccinations are required, that each child completes the full course of treatment. The good news is that there are multiple organizations that are able to serve our at-risk citizens. For a list of these free or low-cost vaccination resources in Colorado, plus extensive information on the topic, go to ImmunizeForGood.com.
R ecovery in mind, body and spirit. To learn more, call (970) 624-5458.
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July 30, 2015
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F E AT U R E S : VA C C I N AT I O N S
Traveling Abroad? Get Vaccinated Against Hepatitis A
(BPT) - Hepatitis A cases are on the rise, according to new data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Hepatitis A is common in many parts of the world, even in popular tourist destinations such as Mexico, most other countries in Central and South America and some Caribbean countries. Past research has shown that almost half of new cases of hepatitis A in the United States are from Americans traveling abroad and getting infected. In fact, the CDC recently issued a travel advisory due to an outbreak of hepatitis A at a popular tourist destination. Fortunately, the disease can be easily prevented with a safe and effective vaccine.
How is hepatitis A spread?
What is hepatitis A?
Who’s at risk?
Hepatitis A is a highly contagious liver infection caused by the hepatitis A virus. The infection can range in severity from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a severe disease lasting several months. In severe cases, people can die from hepatitis A. Symptoms can include one or more of the following: nausea, vomiting, fever, yellow eyes or skin, stomach pain, dark urine, joint pain or fatigue.
All unvaccinated travelers to countries where hepatitis A is common are at risk for getting infected. So even if you plan to travel to urban areas or luxury resort destinations and try to be careful about what you eat and drink, you could still be at risk for hepatitis A.
Hepatitis A is usually spread when a person ingests the virus from contact with objects, food, or drinks contaminated by feces or stool from an infected person. In countries where hepatitis A is common, the virus can be easily spread from unclean water sources or when an infected person does not thoroughly wash his/her hands and then touches objects or food. Food can become contaminated at any point: growing, harvesting, processing, handling and even after cooking. Regardless of where travelers eat or stay - even if travel is restricted to high-end resort destinations - it is still possible to get infected with the hepatitis A virus.
What can you do to protect yourself from hepatitis A? Get vaccinated. The CDC recom-
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mends that all travelers to regions where hepatitis A is common get vaccinated. The hepatitis A vaccine is safe and effective, and is the best way to prevent infection with the virus. The hepatitis A vaccine is typically given in two doses, six months apart, in order to give a person long-term protection against the virus. Even if you are unable to get both shots before you travel, one dose is better - and safer - than traveling unvaccinated. The first dose of vaccine should be administered as soon as travel is considered - two weeks or more before departure if possible. However, one dose of vaccine administered at any time before departure can provide adequate protection for mostly healthy persons. Check to see if your health plan will cover travel related vaccines - not all plans will. Vaccinations are available at many doctors’ offices, as well as at travel clinics. Low cost vaccination may be obtained at certain pharmacies or your local health department. So before you travel abroad, consider getting this form of travel insurance! Learn more about hepatitis A and other CDC travel-related vaccine recommendations at http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/ travel/destinations/list.
July 30, 2015
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ASK MR. DAD
Block that tablet for a 1 year old; here’s what builds smarts By Armin Brott, Tribune News Service (TNS)
Dear Mr. Dad: My husband and I are new parents, and our baby is going to have his first birthday in a few weeks. We both work in tech and we’re really excited about getting a tablet for him. There seem to be so many options out there and we’re a little overwhelmed. Should we get an iPad or is there a better choice for toddlers?
A
: Yes, the Internet is full of videos of very young children happily swiping away on their tablets. But the best tablet for your baby is no tablet at all, at least not for a while. In fact, if I had to recommend one toy that’s an absolute must-have for every nursery, it would be a nice set of blocks. But before I tell you why blocks are so great, let’s talk about why tablets are such a poor choice for babies. • The more time a baby spends interacting with a screen, the less time he’ll spend interacting with real, live humans — which is a lot more important. Tablets are great for a lot of things, but they can’t teach verbalor social skills. • Although research on babies and tablets is in its infancy, early results aren’t very pretty. Researchers (and day care providers) are finding that toddlers who spend a lot of time playing with tablets are developmentally lagging in terms of muscle tone and hand-eye coordination (swiping takes a lot less dexterity and coordination than stacking blocks or picking up tiny objects). One app company, Tiggly, has taken some excellent steps to bridge the gap between swiping and developing actual fine motor skills. But the rest of the industry has a long, long way to go. • As kids get older, screen time is as-
July 30, 2015
sociated with weight gain, behavior problems, repetitive stress injuries, sleep problems and low cognitive performance. Okay, so what’s so great about blocks? • They help your baby develop handeye coordination as well as grasping and releasing skills. • They teach your baby all about patterns, sizes, categories (big ones with the big ones, little ones with the little ones), gravity, balance and structure. These mini lessons in math and physics lay the foundation for your baby’s later understanding of how the world works. • They teach good thinking skills. “Taken from a psychological viewpoint,” wrote Albert Einstein, a guy who knew a thing or two about thinking, “this combinatory play seems to be the essential feature in productive thought — before there is any connection with logical construction in words or other kinds of signs which can be communicated to others.” • They can help your baby grasp the difference between things he has control over (such as which blocks he wants to use and how high he wants to go), and things he doesn’t (such as
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the law of gravity, which keeps pulling down his towers). • They teach perseverance. Building a tower — or anything else — out of blocks can be an excruciatingly frustrating experience for a baby. But along the way, he’ll learn that if he keeps working on something long enough, he’ll eventually succeed. • Research by Dimitri Christakis and his colleagues at the University of Washington has found that kids who play with blocks have better language skills and watch less TV than those who don’t. • The best thing about blocks is that they encourage parents to get down on their hands and knees and spend time with their children, playing, laughing and learning. Finding the right blocks can be just as overwhelming as finding the right tablet. For reviews and recommendations, do a search at http://parentsatplay.com/ ——— (Read Armin Brott’s blog at www. DadSoup.com, follow him on Twitter, @ mrdad, or send email to armin@mrdad. com .) follow him on Twitter, @mrdad, or send email to armin@mrdad.com .) or send email to armin@mrdad.com .)
HEALTHLINE 17
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TEST KITCHEN RECIPE
Lettuce wraps are an ideal LIGHT DINNER OPTION By Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press (TNS) Lettuce wraps are ideal for a light dinner option. They’re also a good substitute for flour tortillas or lavash-style wraps, if you’re trying to avoid extra carbs. Another bonus is lettuce leaves are practically a free food nutrition-wise because they’re fat-free and nearly calorie free. When you think about making lettuce wraps, consider leftovers you have on hand. Just about any vegetable or chicken, pork or beef can be used. Today’s recipe for Fresh Vegetables and Noodle Lettuce Wraps with Hoisin feature crunchy carrots and bell pepper mixed in with soft napa cabbage and noodles. The recipe calls for rice noodles, but you can substitute any thin long-strand cooked pasta, such as angel hair.
Using butter or bibb lettuce leaves is best because they are softer and more pliable. The softer lettuce makes it easier to hold and, if you like, to roll up. If you want to serve these as an appetizer, use the Little Gem lettuce. The Little Gem are like a tiny version of romaine and butter lettuce mix. I like them because nearly every leaf is uniform in size, making it easy to use for appetizers. As a dipping sauce, serve these with hoisin sauce — an Asian-barbecue sauce of sorts. Most grocery stores carry it in the ethnic food aisle. Substitute your favorite Asian-style dipping sauce if you like. This recipe is easily adaptable to veggies you have on hand. Add leftover cooked chicken strips or beef strips for a hearty flavor.
FRESH VEGETABLE AND NOODLE LETTUCE WRAPS WITH HOISIN Makes: 12 / Preparation time: 15 minutes / Total time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
Fresh vegetables and noodle lettuce wraps are ideal for a light dinner option. (Ed Haun/Detroit Free Press/TNS)
1/2 cup peeled and very thinly sliced carrots 1 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper 1 cup shredded napa cabbage 1/2 cup enoki mushrooms, rinsed and well dried, or thinly sliced mushrooms 1 serrano chili, washed, seeded and diced 3 ounces rice noodles, softened in hot water and drained 3 tablespoons sesame oil 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 12 butter or bibb lettuce leaves (from about 2 medium heads) 1/2 cup hoisin sauce for dipping
Directions In a large bowl, combine the carrots, red bell pepper, cabbage, mushrooms, chili and noodles. Add the sesame oil, olive oil, lime juice and cilantro and toss them to combine. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Allow the mixture to stand 15 minutes. Lay the lettuce leaves out flat and fill each one with a spoonful or more of the vegetable mixture. Roll the lettuce leaves to close them slightly, or serve them open face and allow guests to roll them up. Place the wraps on a platter and serve them with a dish of hoisin sauce for dipping or drizzling over the vegetable mixture. Adapted from “Kitchen Coach: Weeknight Cooking” by Jennifer Bushman (Wiley, $19.95). Tested by Susan Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen. 108 calories (50 percent from fat), 6 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 13 g carbohydrates, 1 g protein, 179 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol, 15 mg calcium, 1 g fiber.
Contact Susan Selasky: 313-222-6432 or sselasky@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanMariecooks.
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July 30, 2015
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QUINN ON NUTRITION
Freedom from fractures
Calcium is number one. In fact, 99 percent of all the calcium in our body resides in bone. Calcium and its buddy phosphorous combine to give strength and hardness to our frame. But these nutrients don’t just appear out of the sky; we have to put them into our bodies. Food sources of calcium include milk, yogurt, cheese and calcium-fortified foods. Calcium is also found in leafy green vegetables, broccoli and even oranges. Phosphorous is found in meat, fish, dairy foods and beans. Like a strong tree that bends in the wind, bones need to be flexible as well as strong. A protein called collagen provides much of the flexibility to our skeletons. Foods that provide the building blocks for collagen include meat, fish, dairy, vegetables, nuts, beans — pretty much anything but fruit. Of course, the darling nutrient that calcium relies on for absorption into the body is vitamin D. When vitamin D is low,
By Barbara Quinn, The Monterey County Herald (TNS) A friend and I were talking about our families and how our parents fared in their later years. “My mom was doing great,” my friend said. “Then she fell and broke her hip….” According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF), one in two women and up to one in four men over the age of 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis in their lifetime. Family history — the health of our parents or siblings — is one risk factor we can’t change. But some things we can do to help free us from fractures: Exercise regularly, eat bone-nurturing nutrients and don’t smoke. What nutrients strengthen bones?
bones suffer. Another interesting note: Adequate vitamin D in the body may actually help prevent the falls that often cause fractures. What else can we do to stay strong and upright in our later years? A recent study found that women who were regular tea drinkers had higher bone mineral densities in general than women who did not drink tea. Why? It may be partly due to substances in tea called flavonoids that may slow the natural deterioration of bones as we age. That doesn’t mean we need to gulp gallons of sweet tea, however. According to the NOF, bone-friendly flavonoids reside in all types of fruits and vegetables. Plant-based foods also contain substances that reduce inflammation and guard our bones from premature breakdown. Our bones are like bank accounts. Life is easier when deposits are greater than withdrawals.
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Leading You To A Better Life
HEALTHLINE 19
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HEALTH TECH
Which fitness app to use? By Leslie Barker, certainly this one, almost every The Dallas Morning News (TNS) day someone is having a birthday There was once a time — and there’s cake or muffins. If I’m really, truly, and not all that long not writing down what I eat, it’s ago — when people merely easy not to think about it and to exercised. They didn’t wear just eat.” watches. They didn’t wear heartRecently, he wrote in an rate monitors. They didn’t record email: “I finally got my Apple every move. Phones were for Watch. It has some apps that conversations and tended to stay work well with the Apple Health attached to a wall at home. app, and Runkeeper has an If you exercise these days, Apple Watch app, but I have to though, chances are pretty good say it’s too soon for me to know if you track it in some way. And the watch is going to be transfora main way is through apps: mative.” The website digitaltrends.com estimates that 100,000 are dedi‘I wanted to see cated to health and fitness and everything.’ that globally the market is worth Name: Bree Redwine, 51 about $4 billion. Number of apps used: Three Lists abound about which Favorite: My Fitness Pal apps are most popular, or best Primary activity: Running and for monitoring calorie intake and weight training exercise output; which are easy “The reason I chose those I to understand, and which take did is that they worked best for Dan Gray regulary uses nine apps on his smartmore time to calculate than you me,” says Redwine. “I looked at phone to monitor his health. (Rex C. Curry/Dallas may exercise in a week. others. I downloaded them. I got Morning News/TNS) But those are just lists. What so frustrated.” do real people get from their appRedwine has four children. She focused health routines? We found works full time at Luke’s Locker also tracks my steps in Fitbit. If it thinks some aficionados, and asked them to sportswear store. She works out every the calorie count is more accurate than explain how they found an approach day. Ease is imperative. the algorithm, it takes those. If I have that clicked with them. “I did start out using more,” she two entries, one from Runkeeper and says. “I then just really looked at what one from Fitbit, it deletes one, so I don’t ‘I like having information.’ I needed for my life and lifestyle and end up eating too many calories. Name: Stan Eigenbrodt, 49 realized I needed something quick and “I wear the monitor when I work out. Number of apps used: At least six practical and efficient.” When I work out with my trainer, I don’t Favorites: Lose It! and Runkeeper My Fitness Pal was her first app. use Runkeeper. I use the Polar app Primary activity: Weight training and Then she bought a Garmin Vivosmart for that. Now I use the Polar app with running fitness band and, she says, “my world Runkeeper so I can look at the overall “I’m sort of a tech person,” says opened up.” The apps connect; she report on Polar to see how it changes. Eigenbrodt, an attorney who lives in records everything she eats and drinks I’m a data guy like that. I like to look at Plano, Tex. “I like playing around with as well as her weekly weight. The watch all those and see what’s going on.” my iPhone. I like having information. I monitors her heart rate, her movement, Eigenbrodt started out with Lose just got a Polar Beat wireless heart-rate her sleep patterns. monitor, which has a Polar app and talks It!, an app which, at its most basic, “I’m a weird person,” she says. “I tracks food intake. He liked the app, to Runkeeper. Now when I’m running, I wanted to see everything.” its information and most especially the can do so from a metabolic standpoint.” Knowing her stats has improved the discipline it has taught him. He continues: way she eats and trains, she says. “I can out eat any workout,” he says. “If I run with Runkeeper, it takes the “It’s almost like Big Brother is watchcalories it thinks I burned to Lose It! It “In a lot of office environments and ing you. When I see that, I tend to do
20 HEALTHLINE
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July 30, 2015
better.” She’s also joined an online community with which “you can talk to, share ideas with, share struggles,” she says. “You get recognition in the community of Garmin or My Fitness Pal and little trophies and badges, which is fun. You’re always notified when you surpass certain goals, which gives that extra inspiration.” Her latest app is Pact, which pays you for meeting your goal and charges your bank account when you don’t. She also now has an Apple Watch. “The heart rate monitor rocks!” she writes in an email. “I like it oh so much.”
‘I don’t want to be fined.’ Name: Dan Gray, 45 Number of apps used: At least a dozen Favorite: My Fitness Pal Primary activity: Running “I was one of those guys growing up who was picked last for the kickball team,” he says. “I discovered running about five years ago.”
But while training for a marathon, he was surprised to be gaining weight. “That’s when I realized I must be doing something wrong, but couldn’t put my finger on it,” he says. He asked a running friend who had lost a lot of weight how he did it. The answer changed Gray’s life: My Fitness Pal. “Anyone I’m friends with can see what I eat,” he says. “By putting in what I eat as I’m eating it, I found myself making small calibrations in order to get under my calorie limit. Once I started developing good eating habits, I started layering on other things, like tracking the exercise.” He does that with several apps; among them Pact. “I’ve been using it about a year,” says Gray, who works in the health care industry. “They take My Fitness Pal and other apps one step further.” He set up Pact by committing, for example, to how often and how long he’ll exercise, how many times he’ll log
Have The Talk Of A
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his food, how many fruits and vegetables he’ll eat. If My Fitness Pal and his other apps sync up and show he’s not following through, he’ll be fined either $5 or $10. If he does, he receives $1 to $1.50 a week. “What I’ve found, man, is that I will really work a lot to get that dollar or dollar-fifty a week,” he says. “I don’t want to be fined.” So far, he hasn’t been. Granted, recording his food, his workouts, his weight, his blood pressure — and, because he’s diabetic, his blood-sugar readings — on apps has taken a little getting used to, but it’s worth the effort, he says. “Anything new is hard, just like running is hard,” he says. “I think that’s the mind-set you have to have. Any time you try something new, and maybe even the first 10 times, you won’t be good at it. “You just have to attack it as ‘I’m learning another habit.’”
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complimentary lunch and tour.
HEALTHLINE 21
What you might not know about SUMMER HYDRATION
(BPT) - Summer is the time for outdoor fun and activities, but as temperatures rise, staying properly hydrated becomes even more important. Even if you are not engaged in strenuous activity, you will sweat more in the heat and humidity. Even mild activity will increase your body temperature and your body’s need to sweat. This is especially the case for anyone participating in any sort of exercise program. Our bodies produce sweat in order to regulate our core body temperature. As the moisture that appears on your skin evaporates, you cool off. Sweating is more efficient in dry conditions than
areas with high humidity. In fact, human beings are the most effective mammal when it comes to regulating our body temperature. At the extreme, an adult can sweat as much as two to four liters per hour. All of this water needs to be replaced, but remember that when you sweat, you are not just losing water, you are losing minerals such as sodium and potassium which also need to be replaced. This is why athletes and runners drink sports drinks like Gatorade rather than just water. Replacing water without sufficient sodium can quickly produce hyponatremia, a potentially fatal condition.
HYPONATREMIA SYMPTOMS Hyponatremia symptoms are similar to those of heat exhaustion and heat stroke and are often overlooked. Sometimes people drink more water when they start having these symptoms and end up making their condition worse. Symptoms range from mild to severe and can include nausea, muscle cramps, disorientation, confusion, seizures, coma and death. To avoid this condition, medical experts advise marathon runners to consume extra salt. This advice should also be considered by anyone exposed to excessive heat. Salt is critical in maintaining hydration.
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22 HEALTHLINE
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RISK FACTORS There have been several cases of illness and even deaths from hyponatremia over the past several years. According to the British Medical Journal, 16 runners have died as a result of too little sodium and over-hydration, while another 1,600 have become seriously ill. It is true that water intoxication is more commonly seen among extreme athletes, but older individuals are also at high risk for several reasons. As we age, our kidneys become less efficient at conserving salt when the body is stressed and common medications such as diuretics greatly increase that risk. That’s one of the reasons that during severe high temperatures, news stories most often refer to elderly victims of the heat.
FINDING A BALANCE The proper balance of electrolytes in the human body is essential for normal function of the cells and organs. Electrolytes help to regulate cardiovascular and
neurological functions, fluid balance and oxygen delivery. Ideally, anyone engaging in outdoor activity in the heat or even an indoor exercise program should drink eight to 12 ounces of fluid every 15 to 20 minutes during a session. If exercising exceeds an hour, a beverage that contains salt and an energy carbohydrate is far superior to plain water. The recommended concentration of salt in a fluid replacement beverage is a quarter teaspoon per liter. Most sports drinks contain salt, although the amount is not quite that high. Anyone can make an alternative to commercial fluid replacement beverages easily by adding a quarter to a half teaspoon of salt per liter or 32 ounces of water. Every day, more and more Americans are motivated to start exercise programs. Physical fitness is a state of good health resulting from regular exercise and good nutrition. When you exercise, your body’s metabolism works at a much higher rate, breaking down and regen-
erating tissues and creating waste metabolites that need to be flushed out of your system. However, regardless of your level of activity, you still need to maintain good hydration. So remember to always drink plenty of water to beat the heat, but also up your intake of electrolytes, particularly sodium and potassium.
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HEALTHLINE 23
Get more accurate readings with Digital Mammography. Enhanced image clarity provides our experts the opportunity to detect breast cancer with shorter exam times for patients. It’s just another way we take care of our own. For more information or to schedule your appointment, call (970) 820-5900 or visit BannerHealth.com/McKee. 24 HEALTHLINE
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July 30, 2015
HL
HEALTH CALENDAR
BREAST CANCER SUPPORT GROUP Where: McKee Cancer Center Conference Room B When: 2nd Thurs. of each month, 5:30 - 7 p.m. Cost: FREE Call: 970.622.1961
BREAST-FEEDING SUPPORT GROUP Where: McKee Medical Center When: Mon. Wed. and Fri. (except holidays), 10-11 a.m. Cost: FREE. No need to register Call: 970.669.9355
CAREGIVER CANCER SUPPORT GROUP Where: McKee Conference and Wellness Center When: Twice per month, 10:30 a.m. -12 p.m. Cost: FREE Call: 970.635.4129 for dates
CAREGIVERS SUPPORT For caregivers of elderly adults. The group focuses on providing support and education about community resources and behavior issues, particularly those people with Alzheimer’s and memory impairment. Where: First Christian Church,
2000 N. Lincoln Ave. When: 3rd Thurs. of the month, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Cost: FREE. Care of elderly adult family members or friends is available through Stepping Stones Adult Day Program during meeting times at no charge. Call: 970.669.7069
CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE Where: McKee Conference and Wellness Center, 2000 Boise. Ave. When: Tues., 1-3 p.m. Cost: FREE Call: 970.635.401 5
MS, RDN, CDE – Banner Health Dietitian
GENERAL CANCER SUPPORT Where: McKee Cancer Center Conference Room B When: Tues. (except holidays), 5:30-7 p.m. Cost: FREE Call: 970.635.4129
PROSTATE CANCER SUPPORT GROUP
YOGA SUPPORT GROUP
Where: McKee Cancer Center Conference Room B When: 4th Thurs. of each month, 5:30 -7 p.m. Cost: Free Call: 970.622.1961
DIABETES INFORMATION GROUP Information, resources, and support to people with diabetes and the general public. Where: McKee Wellness Center, Kodak Room When: 4th Thurs. every other month, 7- 8:30 p.m. Cost: FREE Sept. 24: Diabetes & Avoiding the Medicare Donut Hole (& Other Tips for Open Enrollment) Phoebe Hawley – Outreach Program Manager - Season’s Club Nov. 19: Sugar Substitutes, Short & Sweet Ann Walker,
patients for surgery. This program is coordinated through your physician’s office as part of the surgery scheduling process. Where: McKee Conference and Wellness Center When: Thursdays, 11 a.m. Cost: FREE - Registration not required. Information: 970.635.4172
SCLERODERMA SUPPORT GROUP Open to scleroderma patients, family, caregivers, and friends looking for a forum to share feelings, concerns, and information. When: 4th Sat. of even numbered months, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Where: Medical Center of the Rockies, Poudre Canyon Room
TOTAL JOINT EDUCATION Physical therapists and occupational therapists prepare
For anyone touched by cancer. Where: McKee Medical Center Cancer Center Lobby When: 1st and 3rd Thurs. monthly, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Cost: FREE Call: 970.635.4054 to register.
PARKINSON’S LSVT “BIG” EXERCISE REFRESHER CLASS Open to anyone with Parkinson’s disease who has completed the LSVT “Big” program with a physical or occupational therapist and wants to practice exercises. Where: McKee Conference and Wellness Center, Boettcher Room When: 3rd Tues. of every month 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. Cost: FREE Information: 970. 635.4171
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HEALTHLINE 25
PAID ADVERTORIAL
Let’s make Loveland a Heart Safe Community training is $2,500, but qualified groups receive it for free as part of the Heart Safe Community Initiative. According to Kasprzak, just learning the basics of CPR can also help save a life in an emergency. The quickest way to get training to feel equipped to help is to attend a Family & Friends CPR training offered by the American Heart Association. This brief training offered by Thompson Valley EMS educators can be done in as little as one hour. According to the American Heart Association, the Family & Friends CPR course teaches the lifesavSudden cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death in the United States, claiming over 325,000 lives each year. Brain death begins in just four to six minutes after cardiac arrest. Chances of survival are reduced by 7 to 10 percent with every minute that passes without CPR and the use of an AED. If more people were educated in CPR, and AEDs were more widely available in our community, survival rates could be as high as 50 percent. For that reason, the McKee Medical Center Foundation has partnered with McKee Medical Center, the CardioVascular Institute of North Colorado, Thompson Valley EMS, the Loveland Police Department, the Loveland Fire Rescue Authority, the Thompson School District and the City of Loveland’s dispatch services department, to make Loveland a Heart Safe Community. Tom Lucero and Julie Kruit, parents of a high school student and baseball player whose life was saved thanks to the use of an AED, are also part of the partnership. The Heart Safe Community designation, sponsored by the American Heart Association, is a communitywide effort to educate citizens on the dangers
26 HEALTHLINE
of Sudden Cardiac Arrest. Identifying symptoms, learning how to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and using automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are major components of the designation. The Heart Safe Community initiative calls for the placement of AEDs in public gathering spots throughout the city. Placements include shopping malls, swimming pools, schools, grocery stores, theaters, museums, golf courses and police cars. These easy to use AEDs are equipped with simple step-by-step user instructions and are maintained by Thompson Valley EMS. “It’s one thing to have the AEDs in place, it’s another to ensure people know how to and are ready to use them,” says Ashley Kasprzak, a program specialist at the McKee Medical Center Foundation. “The Foundation will offer an AED and free training for groups in our community who want to become trained.” Community groups can apply for an AED and the AED/CPR training by visiting www.mckeefoundation.com. The Foundation has a goal of training over 100 community groups to use the AEDs. The value of the AED and the
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ing skills of adult Hands-Only™ CPR, child CPR with breaths, adult and child AED use, infant CPR and relief of choking in an adult, child or infant. People who attend Family & Friends CPR training receive a kit which includes a CPR skills practice DVD and an inflatable practice manikin. The training is fun and easy. Amy Patrick, a physician assistant for Banner Health Clinic and a member of Trinity Lutheran Church, was recently instrumental in applying for the AED and training for the church. “We had about 12 people from our church attend, and they all left with a practice kit,” she says. “The training was outstanding. Everyone came away with the importance of early CPR and defibrillation and how just minutes can make a difference. I think everyone felt comfortable and not intimidated with doing CPR and using the defibrillator. There is talk of doing another training with better publicity since it was such a success.” Visit www.tvems.com to learn about more Heart Safe Community-funded classes available to the community.
July 30, 2015
contents
Traveling Abroad? GET VACCINATED Against Hepatitis A Page 16
also inside
s
s What
you might not know about SUMMER HYDRATION
Page 22
Sunburn treatment: Can’t rush healing, but use these tips for comfort....................... 4 Under pressure: How to manage stress before it affects your health......................... 6 UNCOMMON SENSE............................................................................................... 8 FITNESS: Finding a LEAGUE OF YOUR OWN......................................................... 10 Local agencies work to provide vaccinations for low-income patients....................... 14 Beating jet lag: A sleep expert weighs in................................................................. 15 ASK MR. DAD: Block that tablet for a 1 year old; here’s what builds smarts............. 17 NUTRITION: Lettuce wraps are an ideal light dinner option.................................... 18
Health Line of Northern Colorado is a monthly publication produced by the Loveland Daily Reporter-Herald. The information provided in this publication is intended for personal, noncommercial, informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute a recommendation or endorsement with respect to any company, product, procedure or activity. You should seek the advice of a professional regarding your particular situation.
For advertising information contact: Linda Story, advertising director: 970-635-3614
QUINN ON NUTRITION: Freedom from fractures................................................... 19
For editorial:
FITNESS: Which fitness app to use?....................................................................... 20
Misty Kaiser, 303-473-1425 kaiserm@reporterherald.com
Health Calendar & Briefs........................................................................................ 25
on the cover VACCINATIONS AND YOUR FAMILY To vaccinate or not? It can be a complicated question. What you should know about vaccinations for kids, adults and seniors.
_________
PAGE 12
July 30, 2015
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HEALTHLINE 3
Sunburn treatment: Can’t rush healing, but use these tips for comfort From Mayo Clinic News Network, Mayo Clinic News Network (TNS) “Unfortunately, there’s no fast-fix sunburn treatment. Once you have sunburn, the damage is done — although it may take 12 to 24 hours after sun exposure to know the full extent and severity of sunburn, and several days or more for your skin to begin to heal,” says Trent Anderson, Mayo Clinic Health System family medicine physician. In the meantime, the most effective sunburn treatment simply helps ease your discomfort:
Keep it cool. Apply cold compresses, such as a towel dampened with cool water, to the affected skin. Or take a cool bath.
Keep it moist. Apply aloe or moisturizing cream to the affected skin. Avoid products containing alcohol, which can further dry out skin. Beware of sunburn treatment products containing anesthetics, such as benzocaine. There’s little evidence that these products are effective. In some cases, they may even irritate the skin. Benzocaine has been linked to a rare but serious, sometimes deadly, condition that decreases the amount of oxygen that the blood can carry. Don’t use benzocaine in children younger than age 2 without supervision from a healthcare professional, as this age group has been most affected. If you’re an adult, never use more than the recommended dose of benzocaine, and consider talking about it with your doctor.
Leave blisters intact. If blisters form, don’t break them. Doing so only slows the healing process and increase the risk of infection. If needed, lightly cover blisters with gauze.
Take an over-the-counter pain reliever. If needed, take anti-inflammatory
4 HEALTHLINE
medication — such as aspirin or ibuprofen — according to the label instructions until redness and soreness subside. Don’t give children or teenagers aspirin. It may cause Reye’s syndrome, a rare but potentially fatal disease.
Treat peeling skin gently. Within a few days, the affected area may begin to peel. This is simply your body’s way of getting rid of the top layer of damaged skin. While your skin is peeling, continue to use moisturizing cream. “Consult a health-care provider for sunburn treatment if severe sunburn covers a large portion of your body with blisters, (if) sunburn is accompanied by a high fever or (if) severe pain or severe sunburn doesn’t begin to improve within a few days,” says Dr. Anderson. To prevent future episodes of sunburn, use sunscreen frequently and liberally. Select a broad-spectrum product — one that provides protection against
Reporter-Herald — ReporterHerald.com
both ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation — with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15. If you take medications that make sunburn more likely, be especially careful. A common example is tetracycline taken orally for acne. Common sense counts too. Cover up while you’re outdoors, and stay in the shade as much as possible.
GET IT HERE The best way to prevent pain from a sunburn is to avoid getting one in the first place. If you’re looking for more natural or organic sunscreens and aftersun products, The Crunchy Grocer in Loveland carries several options including eco-conscious Badger Balm.
July 30, 2015
y
ydo I Where
Myfamily’s health? is that
turn when it comes to my health?
I’VE NEVER even heard of that Is it
medication
safe?
treatable?
What’s the latest
technology?
WhodoI TALKTO
y
y
I have terrible heartburn. Do I need to see my doctor about this?
DISEASE.
about this? What are my OPTIONS
now?
Heartburn is often due to acid reflux, or gastroesophageal reflux (GERD). This is a very common problem. Fortunately, there are many excellent treatment options available, ranging from medications, to minimally invasive surgery.
Ask the
Expert
Acid reflux occurs when acid from your stomach enters your esophagus rather than your intestinal tract, causing irritation to the lining of the esophagus which is perceived as heartburn. Heartburn is the most common symptom of acid reflux. Other symptoms include coughing, a sour taste in your throat, hoarseness of your voice and frequent clearing of your throat. In some cases, chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD) and asthma may be due to acid reflux. Lifestyle changes, dietary modification and medications can adequately treat most cases of acid reflux. Surgical treatment of acid reflux can be used as an alternative to medications, or when medications do not adequately control acid reflux. Minimally invasive surgical techniques for control of acid reflux recreate the body’s natural barrier to acid reflux, and has over a 90% patient satisfaction rate.
If you have acid reflux, ask your provider about seeing a Banner Health surgeon today. Greeley: 1800 15th St., Suite 200 • (970) 810-8216 • www.BannerHealth.com/BMG-GreeleySurgery Molly Decker, D.O. • Michael Harkabus, M.D. • Khoi Le, M.D. Jason Ogren, M.D. • Samuel Saltz, D.O. • Robert Vickerman, M.D.
Loveland: 1900 N. Boise Ave., Suite 420 • (970) 820-3212 • www.BannerHealth.com/BMG-LovelandSurgery Thomas Blomquist, M.D. • Jerome Collins, M.D. Bradford Keeler, M.D. • Karin Schmidová, M.D. Fort Collins: 4700 Lady Moon Dr. • (970) 821- 4500 • www.BannerHealth.com/HealthCenterFoCoMedCtr Lawrence Schoelkopf, M.D.
Accepting Kaiser Permanente Members
July 30, 2015
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HEALTHLINE 5
Under pressure: How to manage stress before it affects your health (BPT) - Stress: it makes your heart race, your head pound and your stomach churn. While a little stress can be a good thing and help motivate us when needed, too much stress can lead to negative health effects including headaches, upset stomach, back pain, trouble sleeping and a weakened immune system. In fact, the American Institute of Stress reports that up to 90 percent of visits to primary care physicians are due to stress-related health problems. “Stress can seem unavoidable. Work demands, family obligations and financial pressures all contribute to our stress levels,” says Ruth Kenzelmann, Ph.D., a licensed psychologist and vice president of employee assistance programs and WorkLife services for Optum. “But there are steps you can take to derail stress as it’s happening, and prevent it from interfering with your health and quality of life.”
STRESS FIRST AID Dr. Kenzelmann suggests some things you can do “in-the-moment” when you’re feeling stressed: • Take three deep breaths Deep breathing can really help reduce stress symptoms or prepare for a situation that you know will be stressful, like a meeting with your boss. Be conscious of letting your belly expand and contract as you breathe. Roll your shoulders and rotate your neck gently, too. • Make a daily break part of your workday Working through lunch and for long hours has become routine for many of us. But it’s not a healthy habit and can even reduce your productivity. If you’re feeling stressed or know a stressful day is coming, schedule a short walk or bike ride, have lunch in a park, visit the gym or take a break with a co-worker at a local coffee shop. Write it into your schedule, too, so meetings can’t interfere.
6 HEALTHLINE
• Seek optimism How you think about and interpret events as they unfold can turn the dial up or down on your stress. When faced with a stressful day, allow yourself to take a moment to find the good: What makes you lucky to be there? What are you enjoying right now? Take a few moments to savor what’s good about your situation.
STRESS PREVENTION Dr. Kenzelmann recommends using these stress-prevention techniques to help change the way you approach and think about certain situations: • Value relationships Positive connections with other people are a great remedy for life’s daily challenges. Each evening, think about the three best social connections of your day and how connected and in touch you felt. Doing this little “mental check-in” with yourself can increase positivity almost as effectively as doing regular meditation. • Find and use your strengths People who have the opportunity to
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act on their strengths and do what they do best every day are far more likely to be resilient and energized. Take some time to clearly understand your own strengths, and then make sure you have ways to use them in your daily life. The boost in positivity that comes from finding new ways to apply your strengths is significant and lasting. • Practice mindfulness This can take some practice for most people, but there are many short, easy guides and even mobile apps to walk you through the practice of mindfulness. When you are mindful, you are focusing on your thoughts, emotions and sensations at the very moment. If this all sounds too “new age-y” for you, don’t knock it until you try it - mindfulness is a proven stress reducer! For more information on the impact of stress on health and wellbeing, and tips for managing stress in your life, visit optum.com/stress.
July 30, 2015
What’s LOVE? Takking care off yoursellf so you can be thhere for thhe ones you love.
Michael and Nione Rhodin
UCHealth primary care patients
Our team offers wellness exams, physicals, testing and screenings to keep you enjoying life. We provide comprehensive and compassionate care for the entire family. Keeping you in the game since 1925.
1327 Eagle Drive July 30, 2015
Same day appointments may be available. MAKE AN APPOINTMENT: 970.286.7449 uchealth.org/beingthere Reporter-Herald — ReporterHerald.com
HEALTHLINE 7
HL
UNCOMMON SENSE
Dealing with the changing nature of love in relationships Dear Dr. Beth, I have a great partner relationship with my husband. We have been married for 10 years and he is a great guy. We share household responsibilities and parenting. We enjoy the same activities. We have the same values. My question is: what about being in love? We were in love when we married and that feeling seemed to last for several years. Now, I still love him but I seldom feel “in love”. Is this how marriage is supposed to be? This is a question I think most women and men struggle with once they have settled into their marriages. Whether it takes 2 years or 15, the initial glow of “love” tends to change over time. While there are a few couples for whom that feeling remains strong throughout the marriage, most experience an ebb and flow in romantic feelings and sexual desire. This doesn’t mean that something is wrong. However, there is a difference between still feeling an emotional bond with your partner and being “just a roommate” or coming to actively fear them due to being a repeated victim of domestic violence. Feelings shift for many reasons: the daily challenges of living can wear on a couple and deep familiarity can lead to annoyance over habits. Taking your partner for granted and becoming parents are also major factors that influence changes in
8 HEALTHLINE
to her rescue.
feelings. Sexual and romantic energies will wax and wane, but the core of the relationship remains. If your marriage is “normally flawed” but fundamentally characterized by love, respect and kindness, your marriage is probably fine. Most couples report that they still feel in love with their partners at times or realize the depth of their caring when a partner has an accident or life-threatening illness. Any event that threatens to take a spouse can bring the actual depth of feeling to the forefront. Such feelings can get lost in the day-to-day of our lives. You can certainly do things to nurture the romance and passion. Be sure and create couple time as well as family time in your weekly or monthly schedule of activities, attend a class or workshop on reconnecting intimately with your partner, or give a small, unexpected gift to your spouse for no reason. Marriages are not always going to bubble with
excitement, but they can still be rich, rewarding and romantic. ———————
Dear Dr. Beth, We have a 33 year old daughter who has been using alcohol and drugs since her middle teens. Her experimentation with drugs and alcohol turned into regular use and started causing her legal and financial problems. And for the last five years, it seems like she has moved into full-blown alcoholism and probably uses other drugs as well. She went from being a smart, kind, motivated young woman to a bitter, angry, volatile person. She blames everyone but herself for her problems. We have bailed her out of I don’t know how many legal, financial and housing problems connected with her drug and alcohol use. We are tired of feeling used and about ready to cut the financial cord, but I’m worried about what will happen to her if we stop coming
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It sounds like your daughter has moved from use to abuse to addiction. Alcoholism and addiction are powerful beasts. They take over a person’s life and eventually can destroy health and even eclipse a lot of their good character and personality. It becomes hard to tell whether the person you are relating to is still really the daughter you raised or some other personality that has taken over. They almost seem possessed by something that is “not them”. In fact they are in the sense that they are controlled by the addiction. Over time, addiction alienates the person from their true self and strains virtually every relationship the person has. Helping your child (even as an adult) is natural to most parents, but when your child’s life is one ongoing crisis and the help you provide never seems to help for long, it is time to re-evaluate. The term codependency has been popularized in our culture over the past several decades and many people aren’t sure what it means or how to tell when they are being an enabler. Enabling and codependency are behaviors intended to help an addict but often backfire because it rescues them from the consequences of their choices. When a person is strongly entrenched in addiction, such assistance can become more hurtful than helpful, preventing them from
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“hitting bottom”—experiencing enough negative consequences that she has a chance of waking up from the nightmare of addiction. Cutting the cord is a hard thing to do, but your efforts have no real impact on alcoholism or addiction that has become that severe. Any rescue is temporary and ineffective until the person hits their own bottom and decides (or is forced by the courts) to seek help. I strongly urge parents, spouses, friends and family members of alcoholics and addicts to utilize the resource of Al-Anon to learn tools for getting out of destructive patterns. It is a support group that is free to anyone who loves someone with alcohol or addiction problems. The
program does not tell you whether or not to cut the cord, but helps you regain balance and perspective in decision-making regarding the addicted family member. Educating yourself about alcoholism can be key in understanding what is and is not within your power to do or influence in attempting to help your daughter. Individual and group counseling with a counselor knowledgeable about addiction and codependency can also be helpful. It is frightening to realize that your addicted child may not find recovery. Sometimes an individual’s “bottom” ends up being death. This is a tragic potential and a tremendous loss
for their surviving loved ones. What is important to realize is that as long as a person is alive, they have the chance to recover, but this is not something anyone
else can do for them. I hope your daughter finds the help she needs. Regardless of her choices, your own life can be better by embracing healing and recovery as parents.
Uncommon Sense with Beth Firestein Dr. Beth Firestein is a licensed psychologist. She has 27 years of therapy experience and has practiced in Loveland for more than 16 years. She may be reached by calling her office at 970-635-9116, via email at firewom@webaccess.net or by visiting www.bethfirestein.com.
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July 30, 2015
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