Omega 3

O My Goodness!

A consultant on nutrition to numerous scientific bodies, Dr Artemis P. Simopoulos is also the founder and president of the Center for Genetics, Nutrition and Health in Washington, D.C., a non-profit organisation. She reveals what we should know about the benefits of omega-3:

How did you first come to learn about omega-3?

Research shows that omega-3 fatty acids are helpful to health, particularly during pregnancy and the first year of life, because they’re also in the mother’s milk. They’re also necessary for brain development for the baby in utero, as well as post-natal. Previously, formula milk didn’t contain omega-3, so we supported a lot of research that showed it is a necessary addition to infant formula.

How exactly does omega-3 work?

First, the omega-3 fatty acid has anti-inflammatory properties. It controls and modulates the immune system and decreases the infl ammatory state. Omega-3 is also most important in building bones, while it was found that the omega-6 in sunflower, corn and so on, breaks down bones.

Health Tip: Protect Against Dust Mites

(HealthDay News) -- Dust mites are tiny bugs that live in bed linens, carpets, pillows and other warm areas where dust may gather. The waste from dust mites can cause allergy and asthma symptoms to flare.

To help rid your home of dust mites, the American Academy of Family Physicians offers these suggestions:

1. Cover your mattress and pillows with an airtight cover made of plastic or polyurethane.
2. Wash sheets and pillows each week in very hot water.
3. If possible, bedroom floors should be hardwood or linoleum, rather than carpet.
4. Vacuum carpets and furniture every week.
5. Spray carpets with a 3 percent tannic acid spray every two months. But this solution, itself, can cause problems in allergic or asthmatic people, so check with your doctor first.
6. Use a dehumidifier, and keep your air conditioning running when possible.
7. Use special filters to trap dust mites in your air conditioner and vacuum.

Walk Off Weight Fast

Posted by Debbie Rocker

You don’t have to walk fast to walk off weight fast – truly. Walking consistently at a moderate to moderately strong pace will help you get down to your “fighting” weight and keep you there – fast. But you say that you can’t do any more than you already do.

Well, guess what, to change your body something major has got to change, and the one thing that you can take total control over is putting one foot in front of the other – more.

For just a few weeks, do this: walk more, and more often – just in the beginning, it's not forever. To get a dramatic response from your body – trust me, this will do the trick! Your body needs to experience some true endurance training. That is – you need to endure, go the distance, and stay out on the road longer than usual to effect a powerful and deep physical change.

Here are a few easy ways to get it going:

1. Walk when you could drive. Take your sneakers out instead of your car keys, leave an extra 30 – 60 minutes for travel time and walk to your destinations whenever possible.

2. Walk to and from your workout. If you can, walk to Yoga or Spinning or weight training or any class. Add on an extra 15, 30, 40, 60 or more minutes of cardio.

3. Take the dog out for a good long walk. He needs it as much as you do, so give him or her 30 or 40 minutes of one-on-one time with you - 2 times a day - and watch what happens to you both.

4. Make Saturday or Sunday your long day. Take water, tunes, friends, and whatever pleases you, and go out for 90 minutes or more. Keep an even pace, moderate to moderately strong and steady. Make this weekend walking day a real journey.

Vary terrain, experience new places, explore surrounding areas or distant ones but keep it interesting with variation. Keep increasing time and distance for four weeks. You will see that the added mileage will trim your weight and shape your body.

Then we get into even more effective and efficient ways to train. Soon you’ll be doing just the opposite - walking less and getting more from your training. But for now – put your time on the road in and get great results in return. If you must cut something else out for these few weeks – do it! Make this initial investment and the payoff will be well worth it. This is just the beginning of a truly transforming weight loss program.

Skin-Care Myth

BY HALLIE LEVINE

You're aware that the sun causes dark spots and fine lines, but it's also behind a very scary threat to your health: skin cancer. With rates skyrocketing in young women, it's crucial that you stay safe.

Sure, you've heard the warnings: Wear sunscreen, cover up at the beach, skip the tanning bed. Still, even though these sun-safe pronouncements are so prevalent, a lot of women disregard the message. Only 34 percent of young adults under 25 say that they regularly use sunscreen, reports a 2003 survey from the American Academy of Dermatology.

If you're part of the sans-sunscreen group, then we need to clue you in to something: You're basically inviting skin cancer. Consider the fact that just five sunburns at any time in your life double your odds of developing it.

Yes, it sounds harsh, but that's because it is. Skin cancer is the most prevalent of all cancers. Melanoma, the deadliest form of the disease, is now the second most common cancer in women between the ages of 20 and 29, according to the American Cancer Society. And rates of basal-cell carcinoma and squamous-cell carcinoma — the two less lethal forms of the disease — have more than doubled in the past generation among 20- and 30-somethings, reports a 2005 study from the Mayo Clinic.

It's enough for many dermatologists to consider skin cancer to be at record levels. "When I first started practicing 20 years ago, skin cancer was a disease of senior citizens — even seeing someone in her 30s with it was unusual," explains Richard Fried, M.D., Ph.D., clinical director of the Yardley Skin Enhancement and Wellness Center in Yardley, Pennsylvania. "Now, I regularly remove skin cancers from 20- and 30-somethings, and sometimes even teens, and I barely bat an eye."

The skin-cancer surge can mainly be chalked up to our sun-worshipping culture, explains James Spencer, M.D., clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. A major part of this is the popularity of tanning salons. Several studies have linked indoor tanning to all three skin-cancer types, and yet young women are still cooking themselves under sunlamps — convinced they look thinner and healthier with a year-round bronzing, says Dr. Spencer.

And here's the crazy thing: Skin cancer is almost 100 percent preventable — if you strike a balance between enjoying the great outdoors and cutting your risk factors. But before you can commit yourself to taking the necessary steps, it helps to know the myths about what does and doesn't lead to sun damage. Your primer for

practicing safe sun starts here.

PAGE 1 OF 9 NEXT: Myth #1: A sunburn does more damage than a suntan
in this article
PAGE 1:
Skin Care Myths
PAGE 2:
Myth #1: A sunburn does more damage than a suntan
PAGE 3:
Myth #2: It takes years for the effects of the sun to show up
PAGE 4:
Myth #3: Throwing on a cover-up allows you to skip wearing sunscreen
PAGE 5:
Myth #4: When you're not in direct sun, you have nothing to worry about
PAGE 6:
Myth #5: If you get a mark or mole, your doctor can cut it off before it turns cancerous
PAGE 7:
Myth #6: Tanning salons are a safe way to get color
PAGE 8:
Myth #7: Dark-skinned women aren't in danger
PAGE 9:
Myth #8: The SPF added to some makeup provides plenty of sun protection