March 2005 Newsletter from Valley: Healthy Bytes...

Diet Conscious Americans Order More Salads Fast-food and table-service restaurants sold more salads last year, a trend expected to continue as Americans increasingly become health conscious. The National Restaurant Association reports all types of restaurants sold more entrée salads than two years ago. Specifically, 52 percent of casual dining, 45 percent of family dining and 39 percent of fine dining restaurants report clients choosing salads as their main course more often. Customers also are ordering more vegetable and fruit side dishes and poultry. Fast-food restaurants also report an increase of 69 percent in orders for bottled water. "Menu trends are, and always have been, driven by consumer demand," Steven Anderson, association president said in a statement. "Today, we're seeing increasing consumer interest in healthful options, and restaurants are reporting increased sales of entrée salads, bottled water, vegetable and fruit side dishes and poultry, for example. We're also seeing restaurants help educate their guests about the importance of healthy lifestyles by offering brochures, pedometers and even gym memberships, clearly underscoring that the restaurant industry is part of the solution to create a healthful U.S." Copyright 2005 - UPI All rights reserved   Reducing Hearing Loss at Concerts Specialists recommend ear plugs, information at concert entrances and lower sound levels to reduce fans' risk of hearing loss. A study published in the Canadian Journal of Public Health, looked at whether concert goers perceive there is a risk of hearing damage from the loud music and whether they use hearing protection. The study shows 74% of attendees think it is likely or very likely noise levels at music concerts can damage their hearing, but 80% say they never wear hearing protection at such events. Only 3% wear ear plugs at music fests. Researchers note 40% say they would be willing to use hearing protection if it were provided for free at concerts. Copyright 2005 – eContent Matters All rights reserved Are You Protecting Your Children?   In recent years, safe driving campaigns and state safety laws have educated parents about the importance of using car seats for their small children whenever and wherever they are driving. Most states require the use of car seats for children under the age of 4 and weighing less than 40 pounds. However, despite these safety rules, many child car seats are still used incorrectly - resulting in serious neck and spinal injuries or even death. The American Chiropractic Association (ACA), its Council on Occupational Health and ACA member Dr. Michael Freeman, trauma epidemiologist and clinical assistant professor of public health and preventive medicine at the Oregon Health Sciences University School of Medicine, have developed the following general guidelines and safety tips to ensure proper car seat safety.   1.      Make sure the child safety seat is appropriate for the age and size of the child. A newborn infant requires a different seat than a 3-year-old toddler. 2.      Car seats for infants should be rear facing as the forces and impact of a crash spread more evenly along the back and shoulders, providing more protection for the neck. 3.      Car seats should always be placed in the back seat of the car-ideally in the center. This is especially important in cars equipped with air bags. If an air bag becomes deployed, the force could seriously injure or kill a child or infant placed in the front seat. 4.      Make sure the car seat is properly secured to the seat of the vehicle and is placed at a 45-degree angle to support the head of the infant or child. 5.      The lap harness should be fastened low, as close to the hips as possible; the harness should never be fastened around the waist. 6.     Make certain the shoulder harness is fastened securely and the straps lay flat against the body. Twisted straps can cause additional injury and might prevent the seat from working properly. 7. Use a retention clip (if provided by the   manufacturer) when securing a child safety seat with the shoulder harness. The retention or shoulder harness clip is an added safety feature and must be fastened close to the armpit of the infant or child. 8.      Borrowing or purchasing a used car seat can be dangerous; there is the possibility of unknown or undetected damage. Car seats that have been in a serious accident should never be used again. 9.      Be sure the seat meets federal motor vehicle safety seat standards. Consult the owner's manual or contact the manufacturer for that information. All car seats should have an owner's manual and instruction booklet. Be sure the clip between the legs of the child is fastened snugly. While car accidents can be dangerous for all passengers, small children are especially at risk, according to Dr. Scott Bautch, past president of ACA's Council on Occupational Health. "The weight of the head of a child makes the cervical spine much more vulnerable to injury," Dr. Bautch explained. "The infant has little control in the muscles of the neck, and the head can bounce from side to side and fall forward, which can cause serious spine and neck injuries. Children have more flexible upper bodies and shoulders. Make sure the harness comes up, way up, over the shoulders." Underscoring the importance of proper car seat use, a recent article in Nation's Health reported the findings of a study conducted in Kentucky by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The study found a 37 percent drop in infant fatalities since the 1982 enactment of the state law mandating the use of child car seats. "To continue this decline, prevention efforts now must focus on the proper use of the seats to maximize their life-saving potential," the researchers said. The key when traveling with small children is to be aware of and follow these rules and tips to ensure proper car seat safety. And remember everyone: Buckle up! If you or one of your children have been involved in a serious automobile accident and have experienced neck and back discomfort, you should consider a visit to a chiropractor.   How to Respond to Heart Attack The most common symptoms include: sudden squeezing chest pain or feeling of tightness, pressure or fullness lasts several minutes; chest pain that extends to shoulders, arms, back, neck or jaw; indigestion or persistent pain in the upper abdomen; shortness of breath; dizziness or fainting; weakness or fatigue; heavy sweating; chills; nausea and vomiting; backache; arm or jaw numbness; restlessness or anxiety; sleeplessness; paleness; and, blueness of lips, hands, feet. Specialists say at the first sign of symptoms: sit or lie down; if symptoms last longer than two minutes, call for help; if you have nitroglycerin tablets, take one every five minutes, up to three total, otherwise, take an aspirin; keep warm and calm; and, wait for an ambulance. Copyright 2005 - Article City All rights reserved Older Adults Focus on Positives   A University of California study suggested Monday older adults tend to "accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative in their memories." The study found adults of all ages tend to "fill in the gaps" when recalling decisions of the past, shedding light on the mysteries of memory distortion. It's like instantly aging a large number of drivers," says David Strayer, a University of Utah psychology professor and principal author of the study. However, the study also found that as people age, they rely more heavily on a comparison process that favors positive emotional outcomes. "The results add a twist to our understanding of how people remember things that weren't there," said lead researcher Mara Mather. "The way we remember one option is shaped by what we know of the other options, and the comparison process changes as we age." "People are always surprised by how malleable memory is, but researchers have really only scratched the surface," she said. The study appears in the current issue of the Journal of Experimental Psychology.     Copyright 2005 - UPI All rights reserved Lullaby Instead of Nighttime Bottle A soothing lullaby in place of a sugar-saturated bottle may go a long way in helping babies develop strong healthy teeth. Tooth decay occurs when sweetened liquids, like milk, formula and fruit juice, are left clinging to an infant's teeth for long periods. "Tooth decay in infants is becoming an epidemic," says University of Alabama at Birmingham pediatric dentist Stephen Mitchell. "It's not just what you put in your child's bottle, but how often and for how long." To prevent decay wipe a baby's gums with a clean gauze pad after each feeding. Parents should begin brushing a baby's teeth when the first tooth erupts and never let their baby fall asleep while sucking on a bottle of sugary liquid. Copyright 2005 - UPI All rights reserved   Smoking Can Harm Teen Brains  U.S. researchers have found that teenagers who smoke show impairment in their memory and other cognitive functions. Researchers at Yale University tested working memory, the form used when keeping information in mind and manipulating it, among 41 adolescent smokers and 32 non-smokers. They also evaluated the teens' verbal learning and memory, attention, mood, symptoms of nicotine withdrawal and tobacco cravings. Both groups were similar in age, gender and education. They found the teen smokers had impairments in the accuracy of their working memory, which contrasts with studies showing adult smokers actually have the same focused, sustained and selective attention, and improved working memory, compared with non-smoking adults. Male teens as a group begin smoking at an earlier age than females and were significantly more impaired during the tests, the researchers said. Furthermore, all of the adolescent smokers showed further disruption of working memory when they stopped smoking. More than 4.5 million teenagers smoke cigarettes in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Census Bureau.   Copyright 2005 – eContent Matters All rights reserved.

Vitamin B Fights Hypertension Large amounts of vitamin B reduce hypertension in women and benefit young women even more than older women.   Researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School analyzed data on more than 150,000 women in two earlier studies in concluding that women who took greater levels of folate and folic acid lowered their risk of hypertension. Folate is a water-soluble B vitamin that occurs naturally in food. Folic acid is the synthetic form used in vitamins and fortified foods.   Researchers found younger women who consumed at least 1,000 micrograms a day of folate and folic acid had a 46 percent decreased risk of hypertension compared with those who consumed less than 200 micrograms a day. Older women with a high folate intake had an 18 percent reduced risk of hypertension.   Copyright 2005 - Article City All rights reserved Exercise Reduces Depression Jumping on a treadmill or bike is not only good for one's health, but also can help significantly reduce depression, find Dallas researchers. The University of Southwestern Medical Center team looked at exercise alone in treating mild to moderate depression in adults ages 20 to 45 showed depressive symptoms were reduced almost 50 percent in individuals who participated in 30-minute aerobic exercise sessions three to five times a week. The findings, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, are comparable to results from studies in which patients with mild to moderate depression were treated with antidepressants or cognitive therapy, says Dr. Madhukar Trivedi. "The effect you find using aerobic exercise alone in treating clinical depression is similar to what you find with antidepressant medications," he wrote. Copyright 2005 - UPI All rights reserved   Teen Drunk Driving Down U.S. teen drunk-driving fatalities have declined 60 percent since 1982, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In fact, all measures of teen alcohol use decreased significantly from 1998 to 2003, says the NHTSA. The Partnership For A Drug Free America says the progress is due, in part, to education and awareness initiatives coupled with effective law enforcement, retailers' diligence and parent involvement.   According to the 2004 Roper Youth Report, 75 percent of teens polled reported their parents were the No. 1 influence in their decisions about whether to drink alcohol. Copyright 2005 - Article City All rights reserved Phones Slow Drivers A University of Utah study says when young motorists talk on cell phones, they move and react more slowly, increasing their risk of accidents. "If you put a 20-year-old driver behind the wheel with a cell phone, their reaction times are the same as a 70-year-old driver who is not using a cell phone. It's like instantly aging a large number of drivers," says David Strayer, a University of Utah psychology professor and principal author of the study.  The study was published in this winter's issue of Human Factors, the quarterly journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society. The study found when 18- to 25-year-olds were placed in a driving simulator and talked on a cellular phone, they reacted to brake lights from a car in front of them as slowly as 65- to 74-year-olds who were not using a cell phone. Elderly drivers became even slower to react to brake lights when they were speaking on a cell phone. But the good news for older drivers is their driving skills did not become as bad as had been predicted by earlier research showing elders performing multiple tasks suffer additional impairment due to aging. Copyright 2005 - UPI All rights reserved Keeping Fingernails Healthy It's not necessary to get a fancy manicure to keep fingernails healthy, according to Minnesota researchers. Nails need moisture just like skin does, so the Mayo Clinic Health Letter suggests using lotion on nails when moisturizing hands. Picking at or biting the skin near nails can damage the nail bed, allowing bacteria or fungi to enter and cause infection. Never pull off hangnails -- doing so almost always results in ripping into living tissue. Clip hangnails off, leaving a slight angle outward. Copyright 2005 - Article City All rights reserved