Reasons to Get More Exercise

Of course you know exercise is good for you. Here are three more reasons to limber up:


1. It boosts the immune system – Our ability to fight infections tends to decline as we get older, but studies show that older people who get six hours of moderate exercise a week have an immune response similar to that of someone in their 20s.

2. It guards against Parkinson’s – A Harvard University analysis of 48,000 men found that the most active were 50 per cent less likely to develop Parkinson’s disease that the least active. Those who’d been vigorously active as young men cut the risk by 60 per cent.

3. It could slow prostate cancer – A 17-year Harvard study found that men over 65 doing at least three hours of running, cycling, swimming, etc, a week had a 70 per cent lower risk of being diagnosed with advanced or fatal prostate cancer.

Shoe Play an Important Role in Children’s Feet Health

Constriction of the toes is one of the chief causes of deformity in children’s feet. Deformities may self-correct up to age seven, but beyond this they are usually irreversible.

• Encourage babies and toddlers to go barefoot on soft round or in sandals.

• Teenage feet are supple and can often be squeezed into constricting shoes without pain. But bones are still growing – a shoe that fits in January may be too small by July.

• Ensure a thumb-width gap at the front. The sole should flex with the toes’ natural bend.

• Fashion shoes seldom come in a range of widths. As a compromise, put kids in “sensible” shoes during the day and save fashion shoes for special occasions.

• Avoid the temptation to let kids squeeze into expensive football boots or trainers they have outgrown.

Is Expensive Toothbrush Work Better?

Most of people have doubt if those inexpensive battery-operated toothbrushes work as well as pricier rechargeable ones.

In fact, as long as you hit all surfaces of the teeth, any brush, powered or manual, will clean well. The cheaper models use mechanics similar to the more expensive ones, without the bells and whistles.

That said, in a review, a rotational oscillating brush (bristles rotate in one direction, then the other) removed the most plaque. Brush twice daily for two minutes regardless whichever type you use. And even the priciest brush does not eliminate the need to floss.

Herbal Tea Can Harm Your Teeth

In a quest to cut down on caffeine, many of us are quaffing hearbal tea instead of the traditional stuff. But researchers have found that fruit-based teas attack your teeth.

Teas such as orange, lemon, raspberry and blackcurrant contain acids that dissolve the tooth’s enamel after as little as four month’s regular consumption, leaving teeth vulnerable to chipping and sensitivity to hot and cold.

Brushing your teeth straight after drinking such teas can do more harm than good, as the softened enamel is brushed away. Try rinsing your mouth after drinking citrus teas, or drink non-fruit teas such as chamomile or peppermint.

Do Not Swallow Your Pills with Certain Beverages

You may be tempted to take pills with a sip of juice, coffee, or beer. Anyhow, water is a safer bet:

• Grapefruit juice – It may inhibit enzymes that help metabolize certain pills, including some heart drugs and antidepressants. That can make them less effective and worsen side effects.

• Coffee, tea, cola – Consuming caffeine while using certain asthma drugs may increase side effects. Caffeine can irritate the stomach, so avoid with NSAIDs such as ibuprofen.

• Alcohol – You risk liver damage if you drink regularly and use acetaminophen. Alcohol can diminish the effects of antidepressants and worsen side effects of other drugs.

• Cranberry juice – Reports suggest drinking it while on warfarin, an anticoagulant, may increase bleeding.

• Fibre drinks – Fibre can bind with many drugs, decreasing effectiveness.

Five Surprising Reasons to Get More Sleep

Of course, in a less busy world we’d all grab extra shut-eye. But it could have more effect on your health than you think.

1. It could make you thinner
Research found that the less sleep you get, the higher your body mass index tends to be. A Bristol study may have the explanation: people who sleep five hours a night were found to have 15% more ghrelin (a hormone that boosts hunger) in their bodies and 15% less leptin (which suppresses it) than those sleeping eight hours.

2. It could boost your memory
Sleep plays a key role in making new memories stick in the brain. A Harvard experiment showed that subject’s tough complex finger movements like a piano scale recalled them much better after 12 hours’ sleep than 12 hours’ wakefulness. Another study showed that working into the night slowed thinking skills, both at the time and during the next day.

3. It boosts the immune system
A study of elderly people suffering depression found that those with disturbed sleep had fewer disease-fighting cells in their blood. Moreover, melatonin, produced when you sleep, is a cancer-fighting antioxidant. Night-shift workers, whose wake/sleep rhythms are disrupted, may have up to 70 times greater risk of breast cancer.

4. It can slow down ageing
Persistent sleep debt has been shown to affect carbohydrate metabolism and hormone function in a way that may increase the severity of age-related chronic disorders. In fact, a large-scale study concluded that people who sleep 6-7 hours a night lived longer than those sleeping less than 4.52 hours.

5. It could keep you on the straight and narrow
If you’re a child, that is. The depression and low self-esteem often associated with just being a teenager actually correlate with sleep shortage. And young kids who sleep poorly are more than twice as likely to take to drink and drugs in adolescence.

Allergy Attack: Think Fast

Would you recognize the signs of a serous, possibly life-threatening, allergic reaction? Here are some simple guides:

• Face – Itchiness, redness, swelling of the face and tongue.

• Airways – Trouble breathing, swallowing or speaking.

• Stomach – Abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea.

• Total body – Rash, itchiness, swelling, weakness, paleness, loss of consciousness.

What causes these symptoms? The most common triggers include food, most frequently peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, milk, eggs, fish, soy, sesame seed and wheat insect stings, drugs and latex.

In case of an unexpected attack, use an epinephrine auto-injector at the first sign of a reaction and head for the hospital.