5 Reasons Why Type One Diabetes is on the Rise

A 2009 study in The Lancet found that new cases of type 1 diabetes in kids could double in the next 10 years. Possible reasons for this dramatic rise include:

1. Too big too fast. The “accelerator hypothesis” theorizes that children who are bigger and grow more quickly are more likely to develop type 1 diabetes.
2. Too little sun. The “sunshine hypothesis” comes from data showing that countries situated closer to the equator have lower rates of type 1 diabetes.
3. Too clean. The “hygiene hypothesis” is the notion that cleanliness — lack of exposure to certain germs and parasites — may increase susceptibility to diseases like diabetes.
4. Too much cow’s milk. The “cow’s milk hypothesis” states that exposing babies to infant formula containing cow’s milk in the first six months of life damages their immune systems, and can trigger autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes.
5. Too much pollution. The “POP hypothesis” alleges that being exposed to pollutants increases diabetes risk.

Sources:

U.S. News & World Report April 27, 2010

Important Notice: Information provided is for general background purposes and is not intended as a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment by a trained professional. You should always consult your community pharmacist or physician about any health care questions you may have, especially before trying a new medication, diet, fitness program, or approach to health care issues.

More TV for Toddlers Means School Trouble Later

Toddlers who watch too much have measurably lower scores in math later in life and get bullied more often than other children. They also weighed more by the time they were 10 and consumed more snacks and soft drinks.

Children who spend all their time watching TV may lose valuable chances to learn social skills.

Reuters reports:

“The researchers started with more than 2,000 children taking part in a larger study ... Every additional weekly hour of television at 29 months corresponded to a 7 percent drop in classroom attention and a 6 percent drop in math skills [by the age of 10] ...”

Sources:

Reuters May 5, 2010

The Best Exercises For Your Facial Muscles To Stay Looking Young

Your facial muscles need exercise just as much as the rest of your body. And facial exercises work just like regular muscle exercises.

Intent.com suggests the following to keep your face looking young:

“1. Raise your eyebrows as high as you can and hold them for five seconds.

2. Open your mouth as wide as possible and stick your tongue out as far as you can and hold for a few seconds.

3. Using your three center fingers, press down on your cheeks and smile as hard as you can to raise your cheek muscles against your fingers.

4. Move your nose as much as you can from side to side.

5. Lift your eyebrows as high as you can, open your eyes as wide as possible and frown at the same time.

6. Pucker your lips out as far as possible into the shape of an "O." Then change your expression into a wide smile. Repeat several times.

7. Sit in a comfortable chair and look up at the ceiling. Pucker your lips and stick your tongue out as far as possible to exercise your neck muscles.”

Sources:
Intent April 27, 2010
http://blogs.mercola.com/sites/vitalvotes/archive/2010/05/04/the-best-exercises-for-your-facial-muscles-to-stay-looking-young.aspx

May is National Correct Posture Month - check out these 'good posture' exercises!

With May being National Correct Posture Month, it seems only right to think about ways to improve the posture.

Here’s what Dr Greg Thielman, Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy at the University of Philadelphia, suggests in the way of tips and exercises…

Evaluate your workstation: A workstation is anywhere that an individual spends a notable amount of time daily and for many of us, our primary workstation is standing or sitting at a desk. “If you’re sitting, don’t drop a ton of money on an ergonomic chair. Instead, position the chair to provide lumbar, shoulder, and if needed, head support.”

Perform daily exercises: Dr. Thielman recommends regularly exercising the large muscles on the front and back of the thigh, the abdominal muscles, and performing three exercises daily:

1. Pelvic Tilt: “While sitting, push your pelvis back into the chair, hold it for three seconds and then relax. This tightens and strengthens your abdominal muscles,” explains Dr. Thielman.
2. Chin Tucks: “Also while sitting, put your pointer finger on your chin and push straight back. Be sure your head isn’t tilted up or down and this exercise will realign your spine and combat forward head position.”
3. Lean Back: “Lastly, most of what we perform at our workstations forces us anterior, so we’re constantly bending forward. To straighten the spine, stand-up, put your hands on your lower back, and lean back. This exercise combats the effects of being in a forward position.”

Invest in supportive shoes: Stiletto heels may look good, but Dr. Thielman warns they don’t do women any favors in the posture department. “There is no such thing as a good high heel shoe.” Shoes that cover the top of the foot are ideal. “Each brand fits differently, but the key is to find one that works for you and that gives the much-needed overall support.”'

***Come into the pharmacy and ask our knowledgeable staff about the shoe support items we offer.***

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Source:

http://blisstree.com/feel/straighten-up-for-national-posture-month/

Important Notice: Information provided is for general background purposes and is not intended as a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment by a trained professional. You should always consult your community pharmacist or physician about any health care questions you may have, especially before trying a new medication, diet, fitness program, or approach to health care issues.

How many times do you hit the snooze button in the morning? Here are 5 tips for becoming an early riser.

If you’d like to become an early riser, there are some things you should know before you run off to set your alarm clock.

Here are five tips:

Choose to get up before you go to sleep

You’re not very good at making decisions when you’ve just woken up. This is not the time to be making decisions about whether or not you should stay in bed! If you want to be a consistently early riser, try making your decision to rise at a specific time before you go to sleep the night before.

Have a plan for your extra time

Let’s say you’ve actually made it out of bed 2 hours before you normally would. If you don’t have something planned to do with your extra time, you risk falling for the temptation of a “morning nap” that wipes out all the work you put into getting up.

Make rising early a social activity

Wouldn’t it be great to join an early breakfast club, running group, or play chess in the park at 5 AM?

Don’t use an alarm that makes you angry

If we’re all wired differently, why do we all insist on torturing ourselves with the same sort of alarm each morning? Experiment a bit and see what works best for you. Light, sound, smells, temperature, or even some contraption that dumps water on you might be more pleasant than your old alarm clock.

Get your blood flowing right after waking

It doesn’t take much to get your blood flowing and chase the sleep from your head. Just pick something you don’t mind doing and go through the motions until your heart rate is up. Jumping rope, push-ups, crunches, or a few minutes of yoga are typically enough to do the trick.

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Sources:
Lifehack March 22, 2010

Important Notice: Information provided is for general background purposes and is not intended as a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment by a trained professional. You should always consult your community pharmacist or physician about any health care questions you may have, especially before trying a new medication, diet, fitness program, or approach to health care issues.