==========================================

EXERCISE HEADACHES -- Some people with heart disease may get head pain instead of chest pain. Like chest pains, cardiac headaches begin during exercise and subside when exercise stops. See a doctor for an exercise stress test if the pain of your "exercise headache" is severe, you normally do not get headaches, you smoke, you are older than 50, or you have any risk factors for heart disease such as high blood pressure or a family history of heart disease.

HEALTHY GUMS, HEALTHY LUNGS -- Millions of Americans have difficulty breathing, and chronic lung problems are the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. Research points to a link between gum disease and respiratory problems. Diseased gums can make breathing problems more difficult to solve, doctors said. Studies previously have linked heart disease, diabetes, and premature child delivery to oral health. The research indicates that maintaining oral health is not just important for dentition, it could also delay the onset, or slow the progression, of respiratory diseases, said Roger Smith, national oral health advisor for Delta Dental Plans Association. There is no proof yet that periodontal disease causes respiratory problems, but there are significant associations between a person's periodontal status and the likelihood that previously existing breathing problems will worsen, scientists said.

RELIEVE SORE EYES -- A negative side-effect for avid computer users is eyestrain. Long hours staring at a screen causes us often to forget to blink and replenish moisture to our eyes. But there is a way to relieve sore eyes. A common way to treat eyestrain is even closer than your fingertips. Rub your hands together briskly for 10 seconds, generating heat. Close your eyes and place your palms over your eyes, resting the heels of your hands on your cheekbones and your fingertips on your forehead. Do not apply pressure. Hold your hands in place for at least one minute while you relax your facial muscles and breathe deeply. The deep breathing coinciding with the warmth of your palms combines to relax the weary muscles around your eyes.

WALK BEFORE DESSERT -- It is very tempting to go right to dessert after finishing your main course. However, remember that it takes several minutes for your brain to sense that you are full. So, before grabbing dessert, go for a walk. By the time you are done walking, you just might find that you have lost the craving!

BABY BOTTLE TEETH SYNDROME -- Good dental care begins at birth. Healthy teeth let children chew food easier, learn to talk clearly, and smile with self-assurance. According to the American Dietetic Association, to avoid tooth decay, do not put your infant, toddler, or young child to bed with a bottle of formula, juice, or milk. All of these fluids contain sugar, whether natural or added, and can contribute to the development of baby bottle teeth syndrome. This syndrome results when liquid bathes the teeth and gums as a result of falling asleep while sucking on the bottle, causing tooth decay. The predominant areas of decay are the front teeth, since the liquid stays there the longest. If your toddler needs the comfort of a bottle to fall asleep, make sure it is a bottle of water.

LOST TEETH MAY PORTEND STROKE -- A report in the journal "Stroke" suggests a link between tooth loss and periodontal disease and increased risk of ischemic stroke. Ischemic strokes - the most common type of stroke - result from a blockage in an artery leading to the brain. In the study, men with fewer than 25 teeth when they entered the study had a 57 percent higher risk of ischemic stroke than those with 25 or more teeth. The link between ischemic stroke and periodontal disease, which is caused by bacterial infections, adds to the growing body of evidence that infection plays a role in stroke and heart disease, said Kaumudi Joshipura, associate professor of epidemiology at Harvard School of Dental Medicine and Harvard School of Public Health. "The association of ischemic stroke with tooth loss persisted even after we controlled for periodontal disease history, which could reflect severe periodontal disease in the extracted teeth," Joshipura said. Surprisingly, the scientists also found the tooth loss-stroke risk link was higher among nonsmokers than among smokers. Smoking tobacco is a risk factor for both ischemic stroke and periodontal disease. "We do not know why nonsmokers showed a higher association," Joshipura said. "But that lends support to the argument that the association between tooth loss and stroke is not all due to smoking."

FISH DIET CHASES CANCER -- Eating a fish-rich diet seems lower levels of the hormone leptin, which has been associated with obesity and increased risk of heart disease. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic studied neighboring African tribes, one tribe eating a fish-rich diet and another tribe eating a primarily vegetarian diet. "Regardless of body fat or body mass index," researchers said, "leptin levels were substantially lower among the fish-eaters than among vegetarians. We speculate that a fish diet may change the relationship between leptin and body fat and somehow help make the body more sensitive to ... leptin." Leptin levels among the women in the study were particularly noteworthy, the researchers said. Women usually have higher leptin levels than men, but women who ate the fish-rich diet had lower leptin levels than both men and women on the vegetarian diet. The researchers cautioned, however, that the study subjects were "African individuals living in a fairly rural environment. We do not know if the findings will apply to a semi-overweight, urban-dwelling North American population."

==========================================

WELLNESS QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

==========================================

Q & A #1:
As a parent, how can I make sure that my children are physically fit?

Set a good example by practicing heart-healthy habits yourself. Limit sedentary activities such as television, movies, videos, and computer games to no more than two hours a day. Plan active family outings and vacations. Assign household chores (mowing lawns, raking leaves, scrubbing floors, etc.) that require physical exertion. Observe what sports and activities appeal to your children, then encourage their development with lessons or by joining teams. If it is safe to walk or bike rather than drive, do so. Use stairs instead of elevators and escalators. Make sure that your children's physical activities at school or in daycare are adequate. When your children are bored, suggest something that gets them moving.

Q & A #2:
What is chlamydia and how prevalent is it?

Chlamydia is a common sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by the bacterium, "Chlamydia trachomatis," which can damage a woman's reproductive organs. Even though symptoms of chlamydia are usually mild or absent, serious complications that cause irreversible damage, including infertility, can occur "silently" before a woman ever recognizes a problem. Chlamydia also can cause discharge from the penis of an infected man. Chlamydia is the most frequently reported bacterial sexually transmitted disease in the United States. In 2002, 834,555 chlamydial infections were reported to CDC from 50 states and the District of Columbia. Under-reporting is substantial because most people with chlamydia are not aware of their infections and do not seek testing. Also, testing is not often done if patients are treated for their symptoms. An estimated 2.8 million Americans are infected with chlamydia each year.

Q & A #3:
Can you provide me with some general information regarding "smokeless tobacco?"

Yes, the following information was obtained directly from a recent Center's For Disease Control (CDC) fact sheet:

The two main types of smokeless tobacco in the United States are chewing tobacco and snuff. Chewing tobacco comes in the form of loose leaf, plug, or twist. Snuff is finely ground tobacco that can be dry, moist, or in sachets (tea bag-like pouches). Although some forms of snuff can be used by sniffing or inhaling into the nose, most smokeless tobacco users place the product in their cheek or between their gum and cheek. Users then suck on the tobacco and spit out the tobacco juices, which is why smokeless tobacco is often referred to as spit or spitting tobacco. Smokeless tobacco is a significant health risk and is not a safe substitute for smoking cigarettes.

Smokeless tobacco contains 28 cancer-causing agents (carcinogens). It is a known cause of human cancer, as it increases the risk of developing cancer of the oral cavity. Oral health problems strongly associated with smokeless tobacco use are leukoplakia (a lesion of the soft tissue that consists of a white patch or plaque that cannot be scraped off) and recession of the gums. Smokeless tobacco use can lead to nicotine addiction and dependence. Adolescents who use smokeless tobacco are more likely to become cigarette smokers.

Here are some statistics: Smokeless tobacco use in the United States is higher among young white males; American Indians/Alaska Natives; people living in southern and north central states; and people who are employed in blue collar occupations, service/laborer jobs, or who are unemployed. Nationally, an estimated 3.5% of adults are current smokeless tobacco users. Smokeless tobacco use is much higher among men (6.7%) than women (0.5%). In the United States, 9.3% of American Indian/Alaska Natives, 4.4% of whites, 1.8% of African Americans, 0.6% of Hispanics, and 0.2% of Asian-American adults are current smokeless tobacco users. An estimated 6.7% of high school students are current smokeless tobacco users. Smokeless tobacco is more common among males (11.0%) than female high school students (2.2%). Estimates by race/ethnicity are 7.6% for white, 4.7% for Hispanic, and 3% for African American high school students. An estimated 3.7% of middle school students are current smokeless tobacco users. Smokeless tobacco is more common among male (5.6%) than female (1.8%) middle school students. Estimates by race/ethnicity are 4.0% for white, 3.6% for Asian, 2.9% for African American, and 2.9% for Hispanic middle school students.

==========================================

EAT BREAKFAST, MAINTAIN WEIGHT

==========================================

People who eat dry cereal, cooked cereal, or even quick breads, such as waffles, toast, or pastry, for breakfast have significantly lower body mass index (BMI) measurements than people who either skip breakfast entirely or chow down on meat and eggs, according to a past study conducted by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley.

You read that right. Eating a Danish pastry is better for your waistline than skipping breakfast altogether!

"Skipping breakfast has already been established as a risk factor for being overweight, but our study is the first to really look at how different breakfast types may affect weight while controlling for lifestyle and demographic variables," Coralie Brown, co-author of the research, said in a news release announcing the study.

More of us are skipping breakfast than ever before. In the mid-1960s, just 14 percent dashed out of the house without eating. By the '90s, fully 25 percent did so. It may not be a coincidence then that the number of obese Americans has also increased from 23 percent in 1994 to 31 percent in 2000, according to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"More and more Americans are skipping breakfast as the pace of our lives becomes increasingly hectic," said Gladys Block, U. C. Berkeley professor of nutritional epidemiology and principal investigator of the study. "What our study shows is that if the goal is to lose or maintain weight, skipping breakfast is not a good way to go about it. Skipping breakfast may be just as bad as eating a chunk of cheese first thing in the morning."

The study analyzed health and lifestyle information of 16,452 adults who participated in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, or NHANES III, from 1988 to 1994. The data included BMI measurements, age, gender, race, and other demographic information. The researchers also controlled for such factors as physical activity and smoking, and placed participants in one of 10 breakfast categories based upon the foods they reported eating the prior day.

Three surprising results: 1. People who ate quick breads for breakfast, which include pastries, cookies, and waffles, were among those with lower BMIs compared to other groups. 2. Those who ate meat and eggs for breakfast had higher average BMIs and ate significantly more calories throughout the day than people who had something else for breakfast. 3. People who skipped breakfast consumed the least amount of calories per day, but had higher BMIs. Why? One explanation is that they are eating the bulk of their calories later in the day, which contributes the most to weight gain.

"Overall, our findings support the theory that a low-fat, high-fiber breakfast is associated with less weight," said Brown. "It could also point to the significance of organized meals. Foods that are eaten "on-the-run" are typically high in fat and can lead to weight gain." The study findings were published in the "Journal of the American College of Nutrition."

==========================================

SALT AND YOUR HEALTH

==========================================

The following was excerpted from a past issue of "Health Sciences Institute e-Alert":

"Of all the flavors one eats, salt is indispensable."

That is an old Chinese proverb that does not get much play these days ­ mainly because of the mainstream mindset tells us that salt is bad. And it can be, when consumed in excess. But for the average person, a moderate daily intake of salt is not harmful. And according to research presented at the European Geriatrics Congress in Vienna, some of the people who need salt in their diets the most may be getting the least.

Professor Ingo Fusgen of the Department of Geriatrics at the University of Witten-Herdecke in Witten, Germany, presented research at the congress showing that as many as 10 percent of seniors may suffer from hyponatraemia (low blood levels of sodium). Furthermore, hyponatraemia often goes undiagnosed because symptoms are so similar to some of the conditions that we associate with aging, such as fatigue, poor concentration, confusion, poor balance and incontinence. When hyponatraemia becomes pronounced, hallucinations and even coma may result.

In his presentation, Professor Fusgen reported that 80 percent of the elderly subjects in his research told him that they avoided salt based on the popular misconception that salt intake causes high blood pressure (HBP). In a press release, Professor Fusgen stated that many otherwise healthy older people may be in danger simply because of the widespread belief that a low-salt diet is healthy.

Not only does sodium intake NOT cause high blood pressure, in most cases it is not even a problem for people who already have HBP, provided they are getting enough of another nutrient.

According to the late Robert C. Atkins, M.D., the problem for those with HBP is not sodium, it is a lack of balance between sodium and potassium levels. In fact, more than 25 separate studies show how increasing potassium intake (without decreasing the sodium) is an effective way to lower blood pressure. And one of those studies demonstrated that with just one daily serving of a potassium-rich food the risk of death by stroke may be cut by as much as HALF.

Fortunately, it is easy to increase the potassium in your diet. High potassium fruits include apricots, bananas, cantaloupe, honeydew melon and citrus fruits. Vegetables with good amounts of potassium are asparagus, potatoes, green beans, avocados, lima beans, winter squash, and cauliflower. Other foods high in potassium: grain products, red meat, poultry, seafood and dry beans, such as peas and lentils.

It would be difficult to get too much potassium from dietary sources alone. But if you're already getting plenty of potassium in your diet, a potassium supplement would be unnecessary for most people, and in some extreme cases could lead to kidney damage and other complications. Obviously, balance is called for. And ­ as always ­ talk to your doctor, dietitian, or health care practitioner before using potassium supplements to help manage high blood pressure.

==========================================

HEALTHY RECIPE-OF-THE-MONTH