And I Thought I Was Hitting Puberty Again . . .

Acne is another bump from the recession; stress a leading cause of breakouts

Samantha Critchell, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Here's another bump in the landscape of economic meltdown: adult acne.

Stress is a leading cause of breakouts, and there's no shortage of that these days in the office of Oakland, Calif.-based Dr. Katie Rodan. Many of her clients are either in the financial field or have husbands who are.

Meanwhile, Manhattan dermatologist Dr. Cheryl Karcher is performing far fewer liposuctions or Botox injections but is seeing more patients than ever. "They're all insurance patients for eczema, acne and warts - they're all another hit from the immune system," she says.

Karcher explains that the nervous system and hormone systems work together. "They are tightly intertwined and the nervous system is stimulated by stress. ... I am seeing more acne than you can believe."

A traffic jam or a spat with a significant other can set off a rise in cortisol that causes a breakout, but there isn't usually a collective mass of people experiencing a high-anxiety event like there is right now with the recession.

With a 16-year-old daughter to care for - and college to pay for - as well as elderly parents, Zondra Barricks says the economy weighs on her almost every day.

"My skin is a barometer of my emotional state," says Barricks, a patient of Rodan. "I am trying to take care of myself, behind the scenes I'm taking care of my skin. ... I have to cut back, but I don't want to look the raggedy way I'm feeling."

Dr. Kathy Fields points to a widely circulated Stanford University study from 2002 that found students had more severe acne during exam periods than other times of the year.

"When your cortisol levels go up - and we're having so many spikes during the day - that aggravates acne. Your cortisol levels go up more in one day than a caveman had in one year," says Fields, a co-founder with Dr. Rodan of the anti-acne formula Proactiv.

Makeup - oil-free and noncomedogenic concealers - can be a quick fix without exacerbating the problem. Rodan says mineral makeup is OK and some concealing products contain salicylic acid, which would at least mean that if some makeup is creeping into the pores, some medicine is going with it.

Still, it's easier to minimize acne if you get to it before it's fully developed, she says.

If you're not sleeping or if you find yourself picking at your skin even before a pimple appears, she says, you might be helping to trigger a breakout. Instead, use an anti-acne product and manage the stress.

"Try a yoga class," Rodan suggests.

"If you're so stressed that it's affecting your skin, then it's affecting the rest of your body," adds Karcher, who consults for Avon. "It would be a disservice if you're just treating your acne, although you do want to treat it. Not doing it would cause even more stress."

Karcher recommends over-the-counter products with salicylic acid or glycolic acid, which can help unclog pores. If pimples are already visible - and especially if you have an upcoming event for which you feel appearance matters, such as a job interview - consider a cortisone injection at a dermatologist's office, Fields says, or try over-the-counter cortisone products.

Some products also contain sulphur, which is an old-time remedy for redness and swelling.

If there's still no improvement, then it's time for benzoyl peroxide, Rodan says.

The single worst thing you could do, according to Rodan: pop your pimples. "Infections also increase when cortisol levels are high and wound healing slows down."

---

Sadly, I've become a victim of adult acne due to stress.

Considering I've never had bad acne even through puberty, I knew that this wasn't normal. My doctor told me it was hormones and that I should go on birth control. That answer wasn't good enough for me. Oh and let me tell you how I'm now on my third month of an expensive birth control (Diane-35) that's specifically catered to those affected by severe acne and my acne looks a tiny bit better than it did three months ago. It all comes down to what the article suggests . . . stress.

The acne started last summer (ironically after I got myself into a long distance relationship, which is all kinds of stress on its own) and continued to get worse. Because I didn't want to go with my doctor's "quick fix" right away, I decided to use a cream she suggested. All that cream ever ended up doing is making my clothes smell . . . months later, I still can't get the smell off of my clothes and I stopped using it months ago! Disgusting and a waste of money. Then I decided to give the Pill a chance and it's very slowly starting to work. I'm going to go flat broke before I start seeing any results. With the health risks involved with taking this specific birth control, I won't be using it for much longer.

This past fall, my workplace went through layoffs and a pay cut (ouch!). Although I was a "survivor", this caused a lot of uncertainty around the office which resulted in a lot of stress. I had moved out of my parents' house only a few months before and was now supporting myself, while trying to pay off loads of student debt at the same time. A pay cut never helps to make these situations better. Although I knew I had it better than most people, it was still a struggle and something to adjust to.

I also never get enough sleep during the workweek. I blame this on being a night owl and there not being enough hours in the day to do everything I need/want to. Add to all of this the daily stresses of life and you have a complete mess.

After reading this article, I have decided to start doing some yoga at home. Although I can't control all stress (such as worrying about work and the economy), I am trying to lower the stress levels in other aspects of my life.

Most importantly, I need to stop picking at my acne. Can someone write an article about how I go about doing that without having to tie my hands up? Really, this is a terrible habit and it clearly isn't helping the situation. Sadly, I have lots of acne scars to prove it.

The Easiest Workout You'll Ever Do!

A friend of mine told me about an amazing website for the simplest, yet very effective, workout. Push ups!



Today, I decided to start the challenge . . . one hundred consecutive push ups within six weeks! You take an initial test to determine what level you're at and then you do push ups three non-consecutive days a week (i.e. Mon, Wed, Fri). It only takes 10 minutes so there's no excuse! The best part of it is that you can also log your scores on the website!

If you're up for another challenge (and have another 10 minutes to spare), you can also do the sit ups challenge . . . two hundred consecutive sit ups within six weeks!



It works the exact same way as the push ups challenge and you can also log your scores under the same account.

I decided to do both of these challenges (as my gym membership expired and I'm waiting for spring so I can start jogging outdoors again) and I'll be sure to let you know how it's going in a few weeks. After finishing the first day for each challenge, I'm definitely feeling it in the abs!

Go check the websites out and read about the programs and how effective they are! It only takes six weeks and by then, it'll be second hand and you can tell everyone about your new-found strength! Spring is creeping up on us and before you know it, it'll be summer. Let's get those sexy abs showing on the beach!

Let me know how it goes and good luck!

White Wine Has The Same Benefits As Red Wine

Good news for white wine

Lisa Hannam

When picking a wine to drink for health, opt for a glass of red over white, right? Wrong. New research shows white wine also has cardioprotective benefits.

A study published in September in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry compared the antioxidant effects of resveratrol (from red) and tyrosol and hydroxytyrosol (from white) on rats. The results suggest that white wine is just as powerful as red in improving heart function and preventing artery blockage. “We tested a variety of wines,” says Dipak K. Das, a professor at the University of Connecticut school of medicine, who led the study. “We found that white wines are rich in a type of antioxidant composition that is similarly present in olive oil.”

But not all white wines pack the same antioxidant punch. Das has tested wines from all over the globe and recommends certain European white wines — those from Italy, France and Germany — as being rich in tyrosol and hydroxytyrosol. “In general, it can safely be said that some whites from Europe are as good as red wine from anywhere for heart health.”

One thing hasn’t changed: Stick to a glass a day.

---

I was definitely happy to read this today as I prefer white wine over red. I'm especially a fan of Blue Nun Qualitatswein, which just happens to be from Germany. Mmm I think I need to go get myself a bottle . . . cheers!

Smokers Are Jokers . . . They're Not Fooling Anyone But Themselves

Third-hand smoke

Celia Milne

Does the person beside you smell like smoke? The nasty odour that clings to smokers’ clothes when they get in the subway now has a name: Third-hand smoke.

And this invisible stuff is bad for our health.

Third-hand smoke is essentially the residue left on surfaces after the cigarette is extinguished. It lurks on sofas, clothes, carpeting, food, hair and even skin. It can make people wheeze or make their throats scratchy. And it has a stronger effect on children than adults.

“Understanding that third-hand smoke harms infants and children may help insure completely smoke-free homes and cars,” Dr. Jonathan Winickoff from the Center for Child and Adolescent Health Policy at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston told Metro. “They’re getting a higher dose when in contact with surfaces that are coated with these toxic layers.”

Dr. Winickoff and colleagues recently conducted a study that showed 65 per cent of non-smokers but only 43 per cent of smokers believe third-hand smoke harms children. Results of the study were published online in the journal Pediatrics on Dec. 29, 2008. Media outlets around the world picked up the new expression used in the study: “third-hand smoke.”

The risks of first-hand and second-hand smoke are well-established. Smoking accounts for about 85 per cent of new cases of lung cancer. There are 4,000 chemicals in cigarette smoke, and 50 of them are carcinogenic.

While the health dangers of third-hand smoke haven’t been studied in detail, second-hand smoke exposure increases your chances of developing lung cancer by 25 per cent and heart disease by 10 per cent.

---

First hand, second hand, third hand . . . when will smokers realize that they're not doing anyone a favour, especially themselves?

I hate smoking with a passion. Not only is it severely damaging to your health but it affects the health of those around you. Although second-hand and third-hand smoking may not be as harmful to one's health as being the one to smoke, studies continue to show that being around a smoker is just as bad, if not worse, than smoking itself. And parents who do this around children are not giving them the proper chance to develop. (I'm glad that Ontario has passed a new law banning people from smoking in a car with children under 16. Even if a parent has their windows open, smoking still makes the air inside the car 13 times dirtier than the air outside.) As if it weren't bad enough being in a house that's filled with the smell of cigarettes stuck onto everything, including your skin and clothes, it is continuing to damage our health.

There is absolutely nothing good about smoking and the benefits from quitting far outweigh the temporary soothing effect of the nicotine. I can go on and on as my hate for smoking is quite strong. I'm sure we all know the effects of smoking and there are many ways to quit the habit.

If any smokers happen to be reading this, I urge you to read The Easy Way To Stop Smoking by Alan Carr.

Smart Men Have More Sperm

Intelligence linked to sperm count

Josey Vogels

You may think it’s the potential for brilliant conversation that makes intelligence such an attractive trait in a man but it may be that his intellect is a sign of something else: According to researchers, smart guys have higher sperm counts.

The researchers at King’s College London, the University of Delaware and the University of New Mexico compared results from intelligence tests given to 425 guys aged 31 to 44. The men also provided sperm samples and upon analysis, the researchers found the men who scored higher on the intelligence test not only had more sperm per millilitre, but their sperm were also better swimmers.

Previous theories believed that highly intelligent men might score less stressful jobs and make better lifestyle choices, resulting in better health and healthier sperm. But, according to the researchers in this study, even the smart guys with poor health had higher sperm counts, causing them to speculate that indicators of intelligence and good sperm may ride in on the same gene float.

But before all you less-than-brilliant lads get down on your little swimmers, take heart in the fact that semen has some other neat tricks up its sleeve besides delivering super sperm. For example, there is evidence that semen can make a girl happy, and not in ways you might think.

Researchers have found that women who regularly had unprotected sex with their partner were less depressed than women who regularly used a condom. Having ruled out other explanations, they think this is because mood-altering hormones in semen are absorbed through the vagina.

Of course, before you go having unprotected sex as a mood enhancer, it goes without saying that an unwanted pregnancy or an STD would no doubt put a damper on your natural high.

And while the health and vitality of a man’s sperm may be a going concern (especially if he’s trying to have kids), seminal fluid is much more than a spermatozoa carrier. In fact, sperm makes up only about one per cent of its contents. The rest is a complex mix of over 300 components, among them proteins, enzymes, zinc, and fructose and changes in colour, smell, taste or texture may be indicators of health problems, such as prostate infection or other plumbing problems.

So, even if your little tadpoles aren’t the best swimmers, it’s still important to monitor the quality of the pool water.

---

I always wondered what it was that made me attracted to intelligent guys . . .

I don't know how much I believe this study. There are a lot of factors that affect a man's sperm that it's hard to believe that this could be one of them. Nonetheless, yet another reason to give those cute nerds a chance. ;)

You Are What You Eat . . . Starting From Day One!

Childhood diet alters hormones

THE CANADIAN PRESS

Research shows that childhood diets can alter for life the production of hormones that help us to ascertain when we are full.

Children scarfing down lip-smacking goodies instead of their fruits and vegetables may be setting themselves up for a lifetime of battling the bulge or even Type 2 diabetes, new research suggests.

Researchers at the University of Calgary used rats in experiments to show that diet in childhood and adolescence can permanently alter how genes react and cause changes in hormones that make you feel full.

This suggests that what you eat as a child can have a huge impact on health later in life, said author Raylene Reimer.

The researchers fed baby rats three different diets from a very young age: one with high protein, one with high fibre and one balanced.

When the rats reached adulthood they were fed a high-fat, high-sugar diet mirroring typical North American eating habits — including sugar, lard and soybean oil.

All the rats were allowed to indulge in as much junk food as they wanted. It turned out that those reared on the high-protein diet wanted a lot more — and gained much more weight and body fat — than those rats that were fed the high-fibre diet as youngsters. Those rats eating the normal, balanced diet — which Reimer said would be like following Canada’s Food Guide — stayed almost as slim as the fibre group.

“What we saw was very striking in terms of their body weights,” said Reimer. “We saw that the high-fibre diet was actually protective against obesity, whereas the high-protein diet was very much promoting obesity later on in life.”

Reimer says it comes down to how the genes we are born with are expressed. We can’t change our genetic makeup, but we can influence how our genes will react. For example, someone who is fed well in childhood will probably grow taller than someone who’s malnourished — even if both start out with the same genetic base.

In the study, the high-fibre diet caused an increase in the activity of a gene that controls the release of hormones that make you feel full.

“The diets actually affect your gene expression that then causes your body to react different. It changes the biology of your body.”

The results could explain why some people find it impossible to shed extra pounds despite dieting and exercise, while others never seem to gain an ounce, said Reimer.

A 2007 Statistics Canada survey found 16 per cent of adult Canadians were obese based on their reported weights and heights, and 32 per cent were overweight.

“This might be an explanation, first, of the rapid rise in obesity rates that’s occurred, and also why some individuals find it very much more difficult to control body weight and prevent weight gain.”

Reimer said the message from her study is that everyone, including children and pregnant women, needs to eat a balanced diet full of whole grains, fruits and vegetables.

Most people only get about half the fibre they need in a day, something research has shown again and again can lead to problems, she said.

“That can have implications for body weight (and) for Type 2 diabetes. Cancer, as well, has been linked to dietary fibre intake.”

---

This article finally puts the question to rest as to why some people have an easier/harder time losing/gaining weight. For those of you thinking that you don't need to worry about your diet until you're older, think again. As for those with young children, do them and yourself a favour and start a healthy diet for them now!

You want to know how to incorporate fibre into your diet? It's a lot easier than you think! Below is a list, put together by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, of ways to add fibre to your diet:

1. Choose a fibre rich cereal. Choose a cereal that has at least 4 grams of fibre per serving.
2. Add a high-fibre cereal to your regular cereal. Choose a cereal that has at least 10 grams of fibre per serving and sprinkle it on your regular cereal.
3. Eat more fruit. Limit juice and try to eat the whole fruit. Have fruit for a snack or dessert. Don’t forget to eat the skin on fruits like apples and pears. That is where most of the fibre is.
4. Add one more vegetable to your diet today. Vegetables are low in calories and high in fibre and nutrition.
5. Add beans and lentils. Add beans or lentils to your tossed salad, spaghetti sauce, or soups.
6. Choose whole grain and whole wheat breads and pasta. Look for terms like “100% whole grain”, or 100% whole wheat”.
7. Add ¼ cup of wheat bran, oat bran or ground flax to your baking.
8. Use hummus or other bean dips for spreads on sandwiches instead of mustard and mayonnaise.
9. Add dried fruit, nuts or seeds to cereal, salads or yogurt.
10. Substitute half the white flour for whole wheat flour in your favorite recipes.

Remember to add fibre slowly to your diet. Switching from a low fibre to high fibre diet in one day can cause constipation and cramps.

Make sure to drink water when you are increasing your fibre intake. Aim for 6-8 cups per day.

The wonderful thing about fibre is that it keeps you full longer so you're not digging your hands into the cookie jar ten minutes later. Happy dieting!

Introduction

Hello readers!

I decided to start a health blog as personal health seems to be somewhat of an obsession of mine. If I'm not talking about it, I'm reading about it. I know I'll never get tired of it and the best part is that it's always changing! New studies are being done each day leading to more information about how our brains and bodies work. As well, I plan to further my writing career in health and this will be a great start.

This blog will consist of health articles (research, studies, new discoveries) that I read which I find interesting and informative. I will also include my own thoughts/ideas/input about each. Topics will cover all areas of health: fitness, psychology, meditation, the health of our planet (environment), dieting, beauty, sexual health, etc.

I should let it be known that as a self-proclaimed health nut, I do practice what I preach. I stay physically active by playing sports and going to the gym and mentally active by playing Sudoku and other mind challenging games. On top of it all, I stick to a healthy diet that consists of whole grains, lots of fruits and vegetables and water.

The greatest wealth is health.