A healthy heart and you

Posted on February 10, 2012 by sdavis

By Steven Fuchs, Pharm. D.

February is National Heart Month.  During this month, American’s should focus on preventing heart disease and related deaths.  As you may know, approximately 2,200 deaths per day are related to heart disease.   These deaths affect both men and women.  In fact, 1 in 4 of women’s death is caused by heart disease.  Since heart disease touches almost everyone, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has launched the Million HeartsTM campaign.  The goal of this campaign is to help prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes over the next four years. 

The backbone to a healthy heart is as simple as remembering your “ABCS.”  “A” stands for aspirin therapy, “B” stands for blood pressure control, “C” stands for cholesterol management, and “S” stands for smoking cessation. 

Taking an aspirin every day can build a healthy heart

Aspirin therapy has been used for years to help prevent heart attacks and strokes.  Individuals at risk should take an aspirin every day.  Please contact your physician or pharmacist to see if you should start an aspirin regimen. 

Maintaining a healthy heart through blood pressure control

Blood pressure control is key to keeping your heart healthy.  Elevated blood pressure puts stress on your heart leading to increase fat formation and increased risk of heart attack.  Elevated blood pressure also causes damage to blood vessels in the brain which can cause strokes.  There are several good habits to develop that can help you stay protected.  It is recommended that everyone gets approximately 150 minute of cardiovascular exercise every week.  With our warmer than normal winter and spring fast approaching, a brisk walk after work or in the morning can help you reach this goal.  Not only does exercise help, but limiting your sodium intake to less than 4.2 grams per day can help.  You may wonder how to do this.  Just remember the salt rainbow:  pink salts are lunch meats, black salt is soy sauce, yellow salt is mustard, green salt are pickles and other pickled food, red salt includes ketchup and other canned tomato products, and brown salt include soups and gravies.  By limiting these products and striving for the exercise goal, you can be on the path to a healthy blood pressure. 

Building a healthy heart through cholesterol control

Cholesterol control is another important step to a healthy heart.  Exercise is important for lowering your bad cholesterol, LDL, and raising your good cholesterol, HDL.  Another important aspect is diet.  To maintain healthy cholesterol, it is recommend to limit your saturated and trans fats as well as limiting your cholesterol to 200 mg per day.   Also, it is recommended to get your cholesterol checked at least every five years. 

Quit smoking to build a healthy heart

Stopping smoking is also important for protecting your heart.  There are many programs and medications to help you with this choice when you are ready.  Some of the medications are over the counter, and others will require a visit with your physician.  CarePro pharmacists are trained to help you make this life change and are excited to work with you to reach this goal.

These four simple steps can dramatically help improve your heart health.  If you are unsure about where you fall in the risk spectrum, contact your local CarePro pharmacy.  They can check your cholesterol and blood pressure and perform a total risk analysis.  Then they can help you develop a plan to move forward.

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To Supersize or Not?

Posted on January 26, 2012 by sdavis

Oversized portions are making Americans fat, according to the CDC.  New York’s Department of Health is taking aim at the food industry through a new subway ad campaign initiated in January 2012.

People are being warned about the risk of super-sized portion, so they can make informed choices about what they eat, products and sizes that are right for them and their families. For example, the serving size of a beverage at a fast food chain has quadrupled from 7 oz to 32 oz and french fry portions have doubled to 5.4 oz since 1955. As a result, New Yorkers are eating 1,000 calories or ½ the amount they should be consuming in one day at one meal alone.

One of the posters depicts an overweight man who has type 2 diabetes and an amputated leg. “Cut your portions. Cut your risks,” states the ad.  Over the past five years, the New York health agency has developed a series of campaigns targeting sugary drinks, excessive calories and encouraging people to exercise.

Portion control is an important piece to the solution to obesity, but more work is needed, according to agency. Portion sizes have even increased in people’s homes where plates are larger than they were decades ago. About 57% of adults in New York are overweight and two out of every five elementary school children are overweight. Nearly 10% of all New Yorkers have been diagnosis with type 2 Diabetes and the Health Care facilities are already overwhelmed with the % of patients admitted with diabetes according to the agency.

The restaurant industry maintains that it is being unfairly accused of causing these health problems when they continuously offer healthful options to consumers with less calories, fat and sugar and in a variety of portion sizes available said Joy Dubost, director of healthy living and nutrition for the Restaurant Association. Many restaurateurs say that diners do not want smaller portions. Restaurants fear they would risk alienating their own customers if they reduce the portion sizes of their meals.

The CEO of Applebee’s in the New York metro area, Zane Tankel reports their customers are demanding larger portions. “At the end of the day, the consumer dictates what we do.”

Applebee’s offers low-calorie menu options based on recipes from Weight Watchers which was initiated 8 years ago. “Today the interest in these meal options has dropped off significantly,” he said.

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Join CarePro on Cedar Rapids Blue Zone Blue Day!

Posted on January 18, 2012 by sdavis

Cedar Rapids Mayor Ron Corbett will proclaim January 20, 2012 as “Cedar Rapids Blue Zones Blue Day” to encourage citizens to support the City’s application to become a healthier community through the Blue Zones Project. On that day, Mayor Corbett asks citizens to take three actions:

 1.      Pledge Support Online: Visit http://www.bluezonesproject.com/citizens/signup to register your support for the City’s application to become a Blue Zone Community. Be sure to include “Cedar Rapids” and one of the local zip codes between 52401 and 52411 when registering. There is no cost to pledge support for this initiat ive.

 2.      Wear Blue: Wear blue clothing on January 20 to the places that you work and play in Cedar Rapids. Be sure to encourage your friends, neighbors and coworkers to register their online pledge in support of the City’s application to the state Blue Zones Project.

 3.      Mayor’s Blue Zone Walk: Join Mayor Corbett for a special Blue Zone walking event at noon on January 20 near the center fountain at Lindale Mall. The Mayor will read the official “Cedar Rapids Blue Zones Blue Day” proclamation followed by a walk through the mall corridors to demonstrate one of the Blue Zone lifestyle habits: moving naturally.  

 What is a Blue Zone?

Blue Zones are places in the world where people live healthy, happy lives well into their nineties or even 100s. Dubbed “Blue Zones” by National Geographic researcher Dan Buettner, these longevity hotspots share nine lifestyle habits, known as the Power 9™, responsible for their remarkable results.

 Why Should Cedar Rapids Become a Blue Zone?

Mayor Corbett wants to help the citizens of Cedar Rapids live happier, healthier, longer lives. Health studies show that Cedar Rapids needs help:

  • According to the CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 58.9 percent of Cedar Rapids residents are either overweight (33.5 percent) or obese (25.4 percent). In Linn County, 56.4 percent of residents are either overweight (31.8 percent) or obese (24.6 percent).
  • Iowa ranks 19 for overall well-being in the 2010 Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index. While Cedar Rapids ranked seventh for well-being among 188 cities, we ranked 107 for healthy behaviors like diet, physical activity, and tobacco use.
  • Iowa ranks 17 in the 2011 America’s Health Rankings, which is two spots lower than 2010. According to the United Health Foundation, there are 675,000 obese adults in Iowa, 204,000 more individuals than 10 years ago.

 What is the Blue Zones Project™?

The Blue Zones Project is a community-by-community movement to improve the well-being of Iowans. The project focuses on permanent environmental and policy changes that will make the healthy choice the easy choice in each community. Ten communities that demonstrate the greatest passion, interest and ability to bring their community together will receive direct support from the Blue Zones Project Team and national experts in transforming into a Blue Zone Community. This project supports Governor Terry Branstad’s Healthiest State Initiative which aims to make Iowa the healthiest state in the nation in five years. Learn more at www.BlueZonesProject.com.

Learn more about the City’s application to become a Blue Zone Community at www.GetActiveCR.com

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Why you should take folic acid when you’re pregnant

Posted on January 11, 2012 by sdavis

Supplementing with folic acid during pregnancy will help prevent neural tube defects such as spina bifida.

This month is National Birth Defects Prevention Month and in observance of this awareness month, I wanted to educate you about the importance of folic acid in the prevention of neural tube defects (NTDs). As many of you know, observational studies have shown that pre- and peri-conceptional folic acid supplementation was associated with a decreased incidence of neural tube defect babies. Based on the results from these observational studies, it has been assumed that 0.4 mg/day of folic acid is sufficient to prevent NTDs. In 1992, the United States Public Health Service recommended that “All women of childbearing age in the United States who are capable of becoming pregnant should consume 0.4 mg of folic acid per day for the purpose of reducing their risk of having a pregnancy affected with spina bifida or other NTDs.” If a woman has previously had a pregnancy resulting in a NTD, higher doses may be recommended.

Despite widespread publicity regarding the importance of folic acid supplementation, a survey conducted in the 1990s revealed that less than 1/3 of women of childbearing age take a supplement that provides 400 mcg/day of folic acid. This finding is responsible for the mandatory fortification of grains in the US and Canada that was implemented in 1998. Since then, the average intake of folic acid has increased and the incidence of NTDs has declined by 19% in the US.

Women, whose pregnancies benefit from folic acid supplementation, are generally not folate-deficient. Instead, they appear to have a higher-than-normal requirement for folate. This increased requirement may be explained by a genetic variation of the gene that codes for a folate dependent enzyme, as well as the presence of an antibody that blocks the cellular uptake of folate.

Good food sources of folate include leafy green vegetables, legumes, citrus fruits, beets, whole grains and fortified refined grains. When folic acid supplements are needed, Advance Health carries high grade folic acid supplements for a healthy pregnancy.

In good health,
Lucinda

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Start feeling your best with the vitamin you wear

Posted on January 5, 2012 by sdavis

LifeStrength bracelets are on 25% off at CarePro Home Medical through January 2012!

While today’s technology has improved, simplified and secured our environment, it has simultaneously created some significant negative health ramifications. Our increased exposure to chemicals, electromagnetic discharge, and other neurological and physical toxins has paralleled rising rates of cancers, stress, sleep disorders and a myriad of accompanying illnesses. Learn how LifeStrength protects you from these harmful toxins. 

Computers, cellular telephones and the electronics within cars all play a part in creating an increase in our positive ion exposure. Today’s automobiles and residences are tightly sealed, further lessening our abilities to truly recharge our bodies. Our bodies are simply producing a natural response to unnatural stimuli. There is a solution: LIFESTRENGTH™.

LifeStrength bracelets are $25 at CarePro Home Medical, and now through the end of January, they are 25% off. Learn more about the science of LifeStrength in the video below.

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Insulin and Blood Sugar Health Seminar on December 19

Posted on December 13, 2011 by sdavis

Learn about the important role of healthy blood sugar levels and how to avoid the consequences of unmanaged blood sugar.

Imbalances in blood sugar levels and poor insulin function can occur with any other hormone imbalance and can complicate recovery from adrenal fatigue, hypothyroidism, menopause, PMS and andropause. Proper blood sugar balance is required for the health of every part of your body, from the brain to the heart to the kidneys, as well as the thyroid, adrenal glands ovaries or testes. Whenever adrenal fatigue, hypothyroidism, menopause, PMS or andropause are addressed, blood sugar is part of the problem.

Learn about the important role of healthy blood sugar levels and how to avoid the consequences of unmanaged blood sugar. The public is welcome to attend this free lecture on Insulin and Blood Sugar by Diabetes Educator Jane Feldmann, BSN, RN, CDE. This will be the final lecture in CarePro’s seven-part series on hormone health.

Make Your Reservations Now!

Time: 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. followed by time for questions and discussion.

Location: Advance Health, 402 10th Street SE, Suite 100, Cedar Rapids, IA 52403

Reservations: The seminars are free to attend; however, we do request that you call ahead to reserve seats. Please call 319.247.7200 to reserve your spot today. Or email info@careprohs.com. Visit us on Facebook.

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Date change for Men’s Hormone Health Seminar

Posted on November 18, 2011 by sdavis
Join us at Advance Health on November 21 for a seminar on men’s hormone health.

This seminar was previously scheduled for November 21. It has been rescheduled for December 5.

Men are at increased risk of developing hormonal imbalances due to aging, stress or chronic illnesses. These hormonal changes in men are called andropause, which can cause imbalances of testosterone, as well as other hormones such as DHEA and estrogens. While it is good that there is increased attention being given to testosterone, it is also important to be aware of other common hormone imbalances that occur in men as they age, especially since testosterone therapy can make some of these problems worse.

Learn the complete answers on how to properly evaluate male hormone health and choose effective and safe therapies. The public is welcome to this free lecture on Men’s Hormone Health.

Make Your Reservations Now

Time: The talks will be from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. followed by time for questions and discussion.

Location: Advance Health, 402 10th St. SE, Suite 100, Cedar Rapids, IA 52403.

Reservations: The seminars are free to attend; however we do request that you call ahead to reserve seats. Please call 319.247.7200 to reserve your spot today. Or email info@careprohs.com.

Also see: www.facebook.com/AdvanceHealthCarePro

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Children’s humidifiers on sale through the end of the year at Home Medical

Posted on October 28, 2011 by sdavis

Has cold season hit your family yet?

"Ellie the Elephant"

"Pepe the Puppy"

These humidifiers provide relief from cough, cold and flu symptoms. This product is recommended as the non-medicated alternative to the over the counter children’s cold and cough medicine. Humidifiers provides moisture for nasal congestion, dry cough, sinus irritation, and dry skin. It will help your child breath easier for a good night’s sleep.

Children’s humidifiers are $39.95, but now, for a limited time, both humidifiers are sale! Buy them now at 10% off at CarePro Home Medical.

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Open House at Advance Health on Oct. 27

Posted on October 24, 2011 by sdavis

Join us for an open house at Advance Health!

Can’t make it to Advance Health during normal business hours? On October 27, our gluten-free health food store will be staying open until 6:30 p.m. to accomodate our nine to five-ers.

During our Open House, we will be featuring new products, Udi’s and Enfuse Naturals demos, with Enfuse Naturals presentations several times throughout the day. Gluten-free pumpkin or pecan pies will be available for purchase. Take some home to freeze for the holidays!

The Details:

What: Open House at Advance Health

Where: 402 10th Street SE, Suite 100

When: Thursday, Oct. 27 from 9:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Call 319.247.7200 with questions.

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Seminar on premenstrual health on October 17

Posted on September 20, 2011 by sdavis

Premenstrual Health – October 17, 2011

Despite wide-held beliefs, not all women experience premenstrual symptoms. For those women who do, premenstrual symptoms can be very different from woman to woman. There can be significant variation in discomfort, mood changes, fluid retention, and cravings. Recognizing these variations helps us understand each woman’s need. Proper assessment of symptoms can accurately reveal the specific cause of PMS symptoms in each specific woman.

Learn the different causes of PMS and how each woman can know what her specific needs are and make PMS a thing of the past. The public is welcome to this free lecture.

Make Your Reservations Now

Time: The talks will be from 5:30 to 6:30 PM followed by time for questions and discussion.

Location: Advance Health, 402 10th St. SE, Suite 100, Cedar Rapids, IA 52403.

Reservations: The seminars are free to attend; however we do request that you call ahead to reserve seats. Please call 319.247.7200 to reserve your spot today. Or email info@careprohs.com.

Also see: www.facebook.com/AdvanceHealthCarePro

Posted in Advance Health, CarePro Healthy Living | Leave a comment