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dqtznn

铁杆木虫 (著名写手)

[交流] 50 Ways to Improve Your Life

1.Have a Daily Dose of Omega-3
From food to floss: how to stay in good shape in 2006 and beyond

What do my dog, horse, and husband all have in common--besides me? All three will toast the New Year with a sprinkle of omega-3 in their breakfast bowls. Maybe you will, too.

The animals are sublimely unaware that they consume it (in the form of flaxseed) or why (because of evidence it may ease arthritic aches and pains and put a shine on their coats). But my husband is on to the health benefits. He has a daily, 2-tablespoon, 3,500-mg dose of ground flaxseed on his granola. He says it has a "nutty" taste.

Cardiologists praise omega-3 fatty acids. Found in fatty fish like salmon and mackerel as well as in flaxseed, canola oil, and walnuts, they protect the heart against inflammation that can result in blocked arteries and can prevent irregular heartbeats that can lead to a sudden heart attack. And there's growing evidence that these polyunsaturated fats avert strokes, reduce inflammation and joint pain from arthritis, and promote brain and vision development in infants. Statistics even link omega-3s to broader health benefits--for example, they may ward off complications from diabetes. They're being used to treat depression and Alzheimer's disease. Better skin, stronger fingernails, and more energy are also possible perks.

Unfortunately, there are data to suggest that farmed salmon, the fish most of us trust as a great source of omega-3s, can pose a health risk. Farmed salmon are raised on fish oil pellets derived from local fish, which are often contaminated with cancer-causing PCB s. The most recent study, in the November issue of the Journal of Nutrition, reports that contaminant levels in farmed salmon from certain regions increase the risk of cancer enough to outweigh benefits.

The study concluded that as a whole, risks exceed benefits for farmed Atlantic salmon. Farmed salmon from South America, specifically Chile, had the lowest level of pollutants, followed by North America. Europe had the highest level, according to David Carpenter, coauthor of the study and director of the Institute for Health and the Environment at the University at Albany's School of Public Health. Pacific wild salmon also have contaminants, but at a low enough level that the benefits outweigh the risks.

If you're unsure where the salmon is farmed, or still wary, consider canned salmon, which usually uses wild fish. You can also find omega-3 fatty acids to a lesser degree in leafy green vegetables like broccoli, brussels sprouts, and spinach, as well as in tofu. And new sources are popping up on grocery shelves. These include free-range, grass-fed beef, which has omega-3 levels higher than those in grain-fed animals, and enhanced eggs, baby food, and cereal.

There are also omega-3 supplements from fish oil or flax. But high intakes of supplements could cause bleeding in some people, according to the American Heart Association. And more studies are needed to confirm the benefits of supplements. "Increasing omega-3 fatty acid intake through foods is preferable," says Alice Lichtenstein, professor of nutrition at Tufts University.

Acid dose. How much omega-3 is enough? The ideal amount isn't clear. The American Heart Association recommends two servings of fish a week, about 8 ounces total, along with other omega-3-rich foods in your diet. A quarter cup of walnuts, for example, supplies about 2.3 grams of plant-based omega-3 fatty acids, slightly more than found in 4 ounces of salmon. Even better, those two tablespoons of flaxseed supply 3.5 grams.

So when it comes to a healthy new year, you might just want to eat like my horse. -Kerry Hannon
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1楼2005-12-25 21:11:54
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dqtznn

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50 Ways to Improve Your Life

2.Be Tenacious About Soaking Up Vitamin D

Even in an age of fortified milk and cereal, some doctors worry that we're short on vitamin D--to our detriment.

Historically, most people have gotten their quota from the sun, which stimulates the cells in the skin to produce it. But now that we're either slathered in sunscreen or parked in front of the computer, vitamin D deficiency appears to be fairly common. One study in Boston found that of 307 adolescents tested, 75 were vitamin D deficient. African-American kids were more likely to be low, since the pigment in dark skin acts as a sunblock.

The National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine currently recommends that adults get 200 international units, or IU s, a day of vitamin D, which the body needs to absorb calcium. But some scientists argue for even more, since studies now suggest that extra might help prevent fractures in elderly people and that a shortage could even play a role in cancer, type 1 diabetes, and multiple sclerosis.

Most light-skinned people can get enough sun in just a few minutes a day outdoors without sunscreen. But that might not do it for people who live farther north or who have darker skin. And even short periods without protection make dermatologists nervous; such exposure may increase your risk of skin cancer. Endocrinologist Bess Dawson-Hughes, a professor at Tufts University, recommends supplements to her patients, for a total of 1,000 IU s a day. Don't go overboard--too much D can be toxic.
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2楼2005-12-25 21:13:39
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dqtznn

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3.A Little More Pedaling Pays Off

It's easy to come up with an ambitious, eight-days-a-week exercise plan for the new year--and even easier to get discouraged by Groundhog Day.

Instead of going for more workouts each week, make smaller, incremental changes: Add a bit more time to your current workouts. "In 10 minutes you could burn another 75 to 100 calories," says Cathy Mullooly, an exercise physiologist at Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston. If you worked out three times a week, you'd lose an extra 4-plus pounds over a year.

Totally short on time? Crank up the intensity, suggests Chris Imbo, managing director of health lifestyle company Welldome and a personal trainer for 17 years. "You have to put your body under stress, and when [your workout] becomes routine, it's no longer stress," he says. Treadmillers might up the intensity with stints on a steep incline to burn more calories and build strength. You can also get your body working harder by trying a new class or new machine at the gym. Finally, don't waste time by using machines incorrectly. Stand upright and don't lean on the equipment. "If you have to hold onto the treadmill for dear life," says Mullooly, "the treadmill is doing the work." -Katherine Hobson
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3楼2005-12-25 21:15:36
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dqtznn

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4.Even in a Web-smitten age, a poll just last summer showed that Americans still rely heavily on newspapers, radio, and TV for health news. Trouble is, it's hard to know whether you're getting the whole story about that startling new study. For that matter, how good is the study itself? A few tips will help clear a path through the journal jungle in the year ahead.

Time is precious on radio and TV, and pressure to produce snappier stories has risen. "The average length of a TV report is decreasing, especially on local news--like the 60-second 'medical minute,' " says Tom Linden, a physician who spent years as an on-air medical correspondent and now runs the University of North Carolina's medical journalism program.

Linden considers 90 seconds the absolute minimum that will permit respectful treatment of a medical topic, so something's got to give. Even with more time, he says, "for broadcast you have to take one angle and stick with it." His advice to viewers: "Look at local health stories as a headline service, and then use the Internet and reputable publications to get the details."

Print reporters, too, are being pushed to write tight. Rarely do newspapers devote ample space to dissect a new study, as the Washington Post did in November to scrutinize long-awaited findings from a trial of supplemental glucosamine-chondroitin for relief of arthritic knee pain. The story built a case that the overall findings were disappointing. A long sidebar supplied concrete guidance for anyone using or considering the supplement.

Bogus. As for the worth of medical studies, "most claimed research findings are false," argued John Ioannidis, chairman of the department of hygiene and epidemiology at the University of Ioannina School of Medicine in Greece, last August in a paper in the online journal PLoS Medicine. Many studies, he observed, are small, biased, or badly designed.

And the hotter the field, he said, the less likely that results will hold up. Researchers in a pulsating, competitive new area stress positive findings, Ioannidis stated. In fact, the more breathtaking the claim, the sooner other studies will shower it with brickbats. People should be wary, Ioannidis wrote in an E-mail interview, if they see results "that claim to be the 'first ever' without any replication by independent teams of scientists. They should wait for the dust to settle."

Help should soon arrive--a website that judges coverage by top U.S. newspapers, TV networks, and weekly newsmagazines of major treatment-oriented studies and evaluates the studies themselves. Gary Schwitzer, director of the health journalism graduate program at the University of Minnesota and the project's head, is aiming for a February 1 launch. The site will be modeled after Australia's "Media Doctor" (box, Page 56).

Key questions to keep in mind when reading about a medical study are printed on cards that researchers at the Center for the Evaluative Clinical Sciences at Dartmouth like to hand out. For example: Is it the right study population? Is the effect big? Might the effect be due to chance? If media coverage doesn't supply answers, don your skeptic's hat.


WHEN IN DOUBT--GO ONLINE

These study aids will help sort out truth from sort-of truth.

Media Doctor. Rates recent studies (one to five stars) and identifies strengths and weaknesses (mediadoctor.org.au) .

Hitting the Headlines. Judges newspaper coverage of a study and evaluates the study (www.nelh.nhs.uk/hth/archive.asp) .

Center for the Evaluative Clinical Sciences at Dartmouth. An E-mail to cecsweb@dartmouth.edu will get you a card in the mail with a list of skeptical questions to consider. -Avery Comarow
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4楼2005-12-25 21:16:40
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dqtznn

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5.Pick the Right Pain Pill

This year's flurry of conflicting information about pain relievers has triggered plenty of headaches. Some relief: Over-the-counter medications, taken at the recommended dose, are safe for most people. But none are risk free. Consider these differences next time you're at the store:

Aspirin (Bayer, Bufferin): The century-old pain reliever is recommended by many doctors as a first-line therapy thanks to its low degree of risk and beneficial effects on the heart.

Benefits: Technically, aspirin is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (more on this later) and, like the others, can fight fever and inflammation as well as pain. But unlike other NSAID s, aspirin discourages blood clotting and has been shown to protect against a second heart attack or stroke.

Risks: Taking aspirin for a viral illness such as the flu can put anyone under 18 at increased risk for Reye's syndrome, a potentially fatal illness. Like all NSAID s, aspirin can cause stomach ulcers and gastrointestinal bleeding. Also, its anticlotting properties could be dangerous to people with bleeding disorders.

Acetaminophen (Tylenol, aspirin-free Excedrin): Hundreds of over-the-counter medications contain this non-NSAID pain reliever, an alternative for people who are allergic to aspirin or who worry about the risks of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories.

Benefits: Acetaminophen "seems to me the most benign medication if taken at the right dose," says Joel Bennett, a professor of hematology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and coauthor of American Heart Association recommendations on pain relievers.

Risks: Taking too much can be toxic to the liver. One study, published this month, noted that about half of all cases of liver failure are caused by an overdose of acetaminophen--44 percent intentional but 48 percent unintentional. "People think, 'If I can buy 500 in a mayonnaise jar, how could it be poison?'" says William Lee, a liver specialist at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Lee points out that drugs containing acetaminophen and other active ingredients aren't required to say so on the front of the package. So it's extremely important to read the list of active ingredients on any drug. Adults should not take more than 4,000 milligrams of acetaminophen per day--and less if they commonly have more than three alcoholic drinks daily.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (Advil, Motrin, Aleve): This class of drugs, which includes ibuprofen and naproxen, got a lot of bad press this year after Pfizer pulled Bextra, a prescription NSAID, from the market for fear of heart risks and skin reactions and Merck began fighting some 7,000 lawsuits claiming that another, Vioxx, raises the risk of heart attacks.

Benefits: Ibuprofen and naproxen often work when aspirin and acetaminophen don't. Many women swear by them for menstrual cramps.

Risks: Like aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen carry an increased risk of stomach ulcers and gastrointestinal bleeding. Recent studies have also linked them to heart problems, though the evidence is still preliminary.

Whichever medication you choose, use it sensibly, advises headache specialist Fred Sheftell of the New England Center for Headache. If you're popping pills more than 10 times in a typical month, he says, it's time to get out of the drugstore and into a doctor's office. -Betsy Querna
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5楼2005-12-25 21:17:52
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gould

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Why do you stop uploading?
--Just go on!
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6楼2005-12-26 08:36:42
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dqtznn

铁杆木虫 (著名写手)
6.Fight colds by staying warm

Mom always said, "Bundle up or you'll catch your death." Scientists have scoffed. But a study published in November will make your mother smile. Ninety people stuck their feet in chilly water for 20 minutes; 90 more kept their feet warm and dry. In the wet set, 13 reported cold symptoms afterward; only five warm-footers did. The thought, says study author Ron Eccles of the Common Cold Centre at Cardiff University in Wales, is not that cold creates a cold (a virus does) but that nasal constriction brought on by cold brakes the immune response and turns people carrying the virus with no symptoms into sniffling sneezers. Cold may indeed weaken the immune system, notes Larry Fields, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians. But he has another tip for a cold-free winter: Shun sneezers. -Katherine Hobson
Everyone should be illuminated
A pedestrian is four times as likely to be struck by a car and killed at night as in daytime. For those who walk in the dark, there's a "magic" solution, says Michael Flannagan, who researches driver vision at the University of Michigan's Transportation Research Institute: a light or reflector. And a new generation of products for runners works fine for pedestrians. From the Brooks NightLife collection, reflective gloves ($28; brookssports.com ) make you stand out, while the magnetic LED light ($15) easily attaches to whatever you wear. And from Road Runner Sports, a neoprene armband with flashing red lights ($9, roadrunnersports.com ) makes you visible from half a mile away. And don't forget an LED collar ($14.50, sahalie.com ) for Fido. -Katherine Hobson

You will be cross if you do not floss
Stop me if you've heard this before: You should floss. Many studies have found links between disease of the gums and disease in the rest of your body. Gum disease increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. Pregnant women with gum disease are more likely to have low-birth-weight babies. And diabetics with gum disease have more trouble controlling their disease. Still not enough incentive? Picture yourself gumming grits in old age. -Helen Fields

Go for the power of whole wheat flour
Imagine serving muffins, cookies, and bread made with straight whole wheat flour and no one's suspicious. 100% White Whole Wheat Flour by King Arthur, from a supposedly less bitter tasting grain than regular whole wheat, and Ultragrain by ConAgra, milled to mimic the taste of white flour and coming to stores in '06, aim to do just that--deliver the appealing flavor of white flour with the nutrition of whole wheat.

I put them to the test, baking pizza, waffles, peanut butter cookies, and coffeecake. Tasters liked the milder, less distinct flavor of Ultragrain but preferred the crisper texture of King Arthur. In more flavorful baked goods like coffeecake and cookies, White Whole Wheat still shone while its otherwise distinct (though not unpleasant) wheaty flavor was not as prominent.

Why the difference in brands? Powdery Ultragrain often requires more liquid, which may account for its less than crisp texture; King Arthur's more granular texture explains the stronger wheat flavor. Both can be subbed cup for cup in most recipes. -Pam Anderson
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7楼2005-12-26 16:14:05
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谢谢！！！！！！！！！！
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8楼2005-12-26 18:48:23
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9楼2005-12-26 18:48:45
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dqtznn

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7.Learn to Think Like a Scientist
It was Sunday afternoon in fast-moving Manhattan, but the crowd entering the newly opened Darwin Exhibition at the American Museum of Natural History only had eyes for the slow-motion moves of two giant tortoises.

Gawkers of all ages seemed to be simulating Darwin's own sense of wonder upon discovering these curiously distinctive creatures during his visit to the Galapagos Islands in 1835. But Darwin's initial observations, the exhibit shows, didn't stop there. His encounter sparked years of investigation and analysis of thousands of insect, plant, animal, and fossil samples he collected during his five-year voyage on the Beagle. To this evidence, already substantial, he added more: countless experiments in his greenhouses in England, as well as further investigations into geology and animal breeding. Only in 1858 did he publicly present what eventually became known as his Theory of Evolution: All life evolved from a common ancestor through the process of natural selection.

Yes, a theory. But far more than "just a theory."

That's the dismissive tag "intelligent design" advocates often use to try to discredit evolution. It resonates in the public consciousness, says Case Western Reserve physics Prof. Lawrence Krauss, because most people aren't aware that the word theory has a different meaning in a scientific context.

A scientific theory, he explains, is a comprehensive, logical explanation of natural phenomena. And it's not based on a mere hunch. Rather, it rests upon verifiable evidence, observation, and experiments that can be replicated. That's what Darwin did. For example, he saw that tortoise shells and finch beaks in the Galapagos differed from island to island. Further study helped him formulate his theory: Through evolution, the animals adapted to their environment.

Scopes again. Recent attempts in Pennsylvania and Ohio to introduce intelligent design into the school science curriculum represent the latest "step in the continuing process which began with the Scopes trial in 1925," says Paul Gross, former head of the Marine Biological Laboratory at Woods Hole, Mass. Intelligent design is based on faith, not science, he explains. You can believe it or not, but you can't establish scientific proof for it.

Confusion about the use of the word theory speaks to a general lack of scientific knowledge in the United States. In a review released this month of how well states meet academic standards for science in grades K-12, more than half received a C or lower, and 15 flunked.

Yet now more than ever, we face "hundreds of issues that affect our lives" that are basically about science, says Gross, who was the lead author of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute-sponsored study. Global warming is one: "To what extent is it a consequence of what human beings do, rather than natural and physical cycles? Obviously, this is a very important question, and as citizens we are constantly faced by a barrage of statements that are often political." For example, Henry Pollack, a professor of geophysics at the University of Michigan and author of Uncertain Science ... Uncertain World , points out, "describing atmospheric carbon dioxide and methane as 'so-called greenhouse gases' creates doubt that they affect the temperature of the atmosphere--an impression that no atmospheric scientist would affect." But to assess their validity, we need to understand enough science to ask relevant questions.

Learning to think scientifically is not a skill solely for the domain of science. Pollack explains, "In any field, it's important to learn to differentiate between what's real and what's phony. You ask: 'Can this be true? How can I test if it's true?' It's going a lot deeper than 'Hey, I have a good idea!' " When that process is followed thoroughly, through experiments and observations, yielding evidence to back up the idea, only then is it known as science.


SCIENCE 101

Michael Shermer, editor of Skeptic , sums up scientific reasoning.

1. Ask a question: Is the Earth round or flat?

2. Experiment. Devise tests to answer the question.

3. Confirm. Find other data, observations, experiments, or research to back up your evidence.

4. Conclude. With a body of data (and no contrary evidence), you can say: Yes, the Earth is round! -Diane Cole
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10楼2005-12-26 20:06:50
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