Tips For Reducing Wildfire Risk

Landowners can reduce wildfire risks to houses, cabins and outbuildings by creating defensible spaces around them, according to wildfire experts.

Information about how to create defensible spaces and reduce wildfire risks to property is at barnyardsandbackyards.com.

 “With this spring’s unusually dry conditions, we are asking people to be especially careful with all types of fires around their property, and we urge them to implement defensible space practices around their homes and outbuildings," says Bill Crapser, state forester with the Wyoming State Forestry Division (WSFD).

The website is part of Barnyards & Backyards, Rural Living in Wyoming by the Small Acreage Issue Team, which is a collaborative effort of the University of Wyoming (UW) Extension, WSFD and other land resource organizations in Wyoming.

The subjects in how-to articles and videos include creating defensible space around a house, cabin or outbuilding; fire-wise plants that can be used in landscapes; and other steps to prepare for wildfire. There is also information about what to do after a wildfire, such as rehabilitating the fire line, burned and stressed tree danger, whether to salvage fire-damaged trees, and water quality and erosion following fires.

“The Barnyards & Backyards website is one of the best sites out there for practical information of interest to rural residents in our state,” says Jennifer Thompson, small-acreage outreach coordinator with UW Extension. “Visitors can find information on a whole host of subjects including vegetable gardening, weed control, water-wise landscaping, tree care, windbreaks, pine beetle management, grazing management and more. The rich and useful content is the result of the efforts of resource professionals across the state.”

Source  http://beefmagazine.com/pasture-health/tips-reducing-wildfire-risk

Tips to Reverse Diabetes Using Social Medicine

Diabetes is on the rise, but it is also preventable by a healthy lifestyle change. Making small changes in the way people eat, adding in a little more exercise, and losing even a modest amount of weight can improve diabetes. The diabetes community found on Social-medicine.org, supports diabetics and their lifestyle. Social-medicine.org, a health-based social networking site, helps people suffering from a variety of health conditions, like diabetes, to globally connect, help and share information with others in similar situations, by focusing on bridging the gap of patient-to-patient communication, and patient-to-practitioner, with all the social networking features and functionality expected in today’s society. Social-medicine.org focuses on community support, where real people in similar situations come together, to circumvent negative feelings like disconnection and loneliness, and focus on improving self-esteem, understanding, communication, relationships, and peer support.

Diabetics have more control over their health than they think. The most important thing people can do for their health is to lose weight. The biggest risk factor for developing diabetes is being overweight. Your risk is higher if you tend to carry your weight around your abdomen. Experts say that losing just 5% to 10% of your total weight can help diabetics lower blood sugar considerably, as well as lower your blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Changing your lifestyle doesn’t mean living in deprivation. Diabetics can continue to eat and enjoy their favorite foods, and best of all, don’t have to give up sweets or resign to carbohydrate counting. But you’ll probably need to learn some better eating habits. But what does eating right for diabetes mean? A diabetes diet is simply a healthy eating plan that is high in nutrients, low in fat, and moderate in calories.

The glycemic index (GI) shows how quickly a food turns into sugar. High GI foods tend to spike blood sugar levels. These foods include white rice, white pasta, white bread, potatoes, sweets, chips, and many processed foods. They should be limited in your diet. Low GI foods include nuts, seeds, lean meats, seafood, whole grains, beans, brown rice, whole-wheat bread, and whole-wheat pasta. Diabetics should be eating a lot of non-starchy vegetables, beans and fruits such as apples, pears, peaches, and berries. Even tropical fruits like bananas, mangoes, and papayas.

Diabetics should always monitor blood glucose, particularly when alcohol is consumed. Alcohol can interfere with medication and insulin. Beer and wine contain calories and carbs, while cocktails are loaded with sugar. Men and women should drink in moderation, with women one drink per day and men two drinks per day.

If diabetics crave something sweet, they should limit intake of bread, rice or pasta during your main meal. Eating sweets adds extra carbohydrates; it is best to cut back on other carbohydrates where possible. Make your indulgence count by eating slowly and paying attention to the flavors and textures. Think about cutting down on sweets by reducing soda and juice drinks, reducing the amount of sugar in recipes by 1/4, and instead of ice cream, blend up frozen bananas, or a small piece of dark chocolate. Diabetics should also begin to replace your daily dessert with fruit.

There are various fats to consider when having a meal. Some fats are unhealthy, while other fats have high health benefits. The two most damaging fats are saturated fats and trans fats. Saturated fats are found mainly in animal products such as red meat, whole milk dairy products, and eggs. Trans fats are fats that are less likely to spoil. The best fats are unsaturated fats, which come from plant and fish sources. Good sources include olive oil, canola oil, nuts, avocados, salmon, tuna, and flaxseeds, which fight inflammation and support brain and heart health.

When it comes to preventing, controlling, or reversing diabetes, consider exercising. Regular exercise maintains your weight and can improve your insulin sensitivity. One of the easiest moderate-intensity activities is walking for 30 minutes five or more times a week, swimming or riding a bike.

Source http://www.pr.com/press-release/399003

Vital Signs: Women's heart health

While fewer Americans overall are dying from heart disease, the death rate from heart disease for women younger than 55 is increasing. One in every two U.S. women will die from heart disease or stroke.

As National Heart Month gets under way this month, here are some of the top unanswered questions about how heart disease affects women – and some steps women can take right now to improve their heart health.

Seeking answers

A recent report from the Society for Women’s Health Research and WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease outlined some of the key questions researchers are working to answer.

These questions include:

» Why does heart disease affects men and women differently, and why do women have worse outcomes from heart disease?

» What are the best ways to assess a woman’s risk for heart disease?

» What are the best ways to deal with those risk factors to reduce a woman’s risk for heart disease?

Researchers here at the University of Virginia Health System are seeking answers to many of these questions. For instance, I am involved in a study that uses a small ultrasound device to examine the arteries of 100 women and 100 men who had heart attacks to learn if the arteries of men and women are different. This could lead to different and better treatments for women.

UVa researchers, including Dr. Christopher Kramer, are examining whether MRI is a better tool to diagnose heart disease in women. Women are more likely than men to have abnormalities in the small vessels of their heart, which can be diagnosed more easily using MRI.

Taking charge of heart health

As researchers look for better ways to detect, treat and prevent heart disease in women, there are several proactive steps you can take now to protect your heart health.

The first step is knowing your risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes and smoking. Discuss your risk factors and family history with your doctor.

Good health begins with lifelong, maintainable changes to your lifestyle. Some of the most important changes you can make include:

» Get regular exercise. You should get at least 30 minutes of exercise on most days, if not every day.

» Maintain a healthy weight. Aim to keep your body mass index (BMI) below 25.

» Eat fresh foods, and avoid processed foods whenever possible.

» Find time to take care of yourself and reduce your stress level. Helping other people begins with helping yourself.

Free workshop Feb. 23

To learn more about how to make these healthy lifestyle changes, please join the UVa Heart Center’s Club Red Clinic from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Feb. 23 for a free, interactive workshop.

This session at the Omni Charlottesville Hotel at 235 W. Main St., adjacent to the Downtown Mall, will provide practical tips for healthier eating, stress reduction and ways to include exercise as part of your daily routine, including a Zumba lesson.

Registration is required; to sign up, please visit www.clubreduva.com.

Dr. Angela Taylor is a cardiologist at the University of Virginia Heart Center’s Club Red Clinic.

Source http://www2.dailyprogress.com/lifestyles/2012/feb/05/vital-signs-womens-heart-health-ar-1662137/

Health tips for Rainy days

1. Stay active indoors
Take advantage of the less than ideal monsoon weather and tackle a spring cleaning project. Soon your sweat glands will be working overtime and detoxing seems an easy task.

2. Get creative with your exercise routine
During a TV commercial break, exploit the couch and perform bench dips and a set of lunges. Begin with 10 of each and increase it by two more at the next commercial break.

3. Bake for health sake
Grab hold of healthy recipes from the internet, cookbooks or newspaper and start baking. Or simply experiment with substituting regular flour with whole wheat variety for favourite breads and muffins recipes.

Source http://www.nst.com.my/life-times/health/health-tips-for-rainy-days-1.5820

Health tips start with flu shots

Washing hands, covering coughs, and getting flu shots are among the preventive measures that the town Health Department is advising this fall. “Frequent hand-washing with soap and warm water is perhaps the simplest and most effective way to help you and your family stay healthy this winter,” said Dr. Alan Balsam, the department’s director. Educational packets are available at schools, libraries, and town buildings, and information is posted online at www.mass.gov/handwashing. The Health Department is also holding three more flu vaccination clinics, starting with one from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. today at the Baker School, 205 Beverly Road. Subsequent clinics will be held 3 to 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Devotion School, 345 Harvard St.; and 4 to 6 p.m. Nov. 30 at the Health Department, 11 Pierce St. For more information, call 617-730-2336. - Andreae Downs

Source http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/regionals/west/2011/11/05/health-tips-start-with-flu-shots/9wcDCesoyN70ZmKEOOwfSO/story.html

Tips for low cholesterol cooking

A diet makeover is an effective way to cut down bad cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein). By avoiding certain foods high in trans and saturated fats, you can lower your cholesterol level drastically.

But, the secret to a balanced heart-friendly diet doesn't here. Lowering bad cholesterol must start from your very kitchen with the help of healthy cooking methods. By practicing easy-to-follow cooking tips, you can deal with high cholesterol woes while making sure that all essential nutrients remain intact. Here are 8 important tips for low cholesterol cooking...

Employ low-fat cooking methods: Try low-fat cooking methods like broiling, grilling, stir-fry, braising and steaming. These methods are much better than batter coating and deep frying as they help retain all the essential nutrients and flavours of the ingredients. Fried foods, on the other hand, should be strictly avoided because most of them contain high levels of saturated and trans-fats. Moreover, when oil is heated to very high temperatures, a toxic compound called acrylamide is formed which is a neurotoxin and carcinogen. Hence, to maintain heart health and lower bad cholesterol, use these health cooking methods.

Use lean cuts of meat: Another healthy cooking method is using more of lean cuts of meat and poultry as they are lower in fats. Lean cuts of pork include loin chops and tenderloin while that of beef includes chuck, sirloin and round. Also, while cooking chicken meat, use boneless breast pieces or trim the excess fat with the help of kitchen scissors.

Remove visible meat fats before cooking: While cooking meat and poultry, trim all visible fats from the pieces. This includes oils, butter and fats on the meat. The skin also harbours a lot of fat and calories and hence, it is advisable to always remove it. You may leave the skin on while cooking but remove it prior to eating.

Use pure vegetable oils instead of fats: Use more of olive oil, sunflower oil and canola oil for cooking instead of opting for lard or butter. These cooking oils are a very good source of unsaturated fatty acids required for maintaining a healthy heart. While olive oil is a good source of mono-unsaturates, pure vegetable oils like sunflower oil are high in polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Avoid fatty favouring additives: For a low cholesterol diet, try more of organic spices like basil, cilantro and oregano rather than fatty additives for flavouring. Instead of leaning more towards sour cream and butter to liven your dish, you can reach for these spices to remain healthy and fat-free.

Cook meat dishes in advance: While cooking stews, soups and boiled meat, try and cook a day in advance and then keep it inside the refrigerator. This is because as the dish chills, the fat present in it hardens at the top. This can be removed easily and the remaining low-fat dish can be used.

Remove or drain fat after cooking: Another cooking recommendation that will help lower the cholesterol content is by draining the fat after cooking. Once the meat or poultry pieces are cooked properly, you can remove the excess oil in the pan and then rinse the pieces in hot water. Following this, you can remove the water from the cooked meat with the help of a paper towel.

Eat foods with high fibre content: For cooking low-cholesterol foods, opt for ingredients that have high fibre levels. Fibre foods can be categorized under two distinct sectors - soluble and insoluble fibre foods. Insoluble fibre foods include green leafy vegetables, nuts and grains while soluble fibres are found in bananas and oatmeal.

Source http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/diet/Tips-for-low-cholesterol-cooking/articleshow/10216409.cms

Some tips to beat the heat wave

"Cool it!"

That's the advice going out Wednesday night from the Broome County Health Department, especially to the elderly, and parents of infants and toddlers.

That's because they're the ones most likely to suffer from a heat-related illness over the next few days.

The guys rebuilding Johnson Avenue on Binghamton's West Side are on a tight schedule.

No waiting for cooler weather.

But they're not taking chances in this heat.

They are taking this advice from Dr. Chris Ryan, Medical Director of the Broome County Health Department.

"You should drink lots of water." advises Dr. Ryan.

Sports drinks are o.k. too, as long as they don't have too much sugar or caffeine.

What else?

"Try to spend time in cool, air conditioned environments." said Dr. Ryan

Not an option for the construction crew.

But it's exactly what the Loyal D. Greenmun Senior Center is offering, weekdays 10 to 4.

"Even several hours each day spent in a cool, air conditioned environment is a good idea, is protective." said Dr. Ryan

For the duration of the heat wave, the center's welcoming even non members.

"You don't have to be a member to come in and sit. And it's nice and cool in here so I'd advise it, if somebody wanted to get out of the heat to come in. " said Mitz White

And, you don't have to just sit.

"We have crafts here. We have pool downstairs. We have 4 pool tables. We have shuffleboard here. We have the Wii game, we can get things going here, activities for people." said White

Of course this is the activity most people think of when the temperature hovers around 90.

A way better option than huddling inside around a fan.

"If it's less than 95 and you feel better with a fan blowing, that's great but don't count on that to be protective against heat-related illness." tells Dr. Ryan

When the fan stopped making a difference at the Lindsley's home, Mom, Dad, and 19 month-old Mason headed for the nearest public pool.

"Yes, yes, it's too hot at home. The fans aren't even working. No air conditioning, so we came here." said Ashley Lindsley

And with no letup for a few days, they'll probably be back.

Source  http://www.wicz.com/news2005/viewarticle.asp?a=19398