FEATURE: Are you Health Literate?
Written by Kathryn Savage
When did you last have your cholesterol checked? What’s your score? High blood pressure? Family history of diabetes?
For many Americans, the Norman Rockwell era of the family doctor that you see from birth till retirement is as quaint a notion as 25 cent gas. We live in a world where transitions from employer to employer mean different insurance cards and often a different network of care. One doctor per person is a far cry from the realities of modern medicine.
In this age where we swap physicians like hairstyles, (every few years at least) it’s important to know your score, your cholesterol score, the results of your last allergy test and let’s face it, your whole medical history.
Medical experts agree that digitalizing medical records, and giving people access to their charts online would revolutionize care and reduce redundancies. The problem? Doctors are slow to make the change. Small clinics would need to do a complete overhaul, invest thousands in computer technologies, and spend loads of time inputing all that information. Data entry from hell is the vibe I get after reading this recent article in the New York Times. Would digital records revolutionize care? Yes. Are doctors quick to adopt this practice? No. Fewer than one in five of the nations doctors have started using such records.
If I were you doc, I’d get on board.
It’s not that American’s lack options. From Wii fit to a gym on every corner, an array of online diet information, websites like the Mayo Clinic with a huge assortment of articles about how to stay healthy and well, and home workout dvd’s, we’ve got options when it comes to staying healthy. But that doesn’t mean we’re doing it. According to a recent report, only 12 percent of American adults are health literate. Meaning, only 12 percent of Americans understand how to manage their care. Only 12 percent can understand the information on a prescription bottle, read proper dosage, fill out medical forms and comprehend their insurance coverage. While it’s important to increase health literacy, it’s equally, if not more important, to make healthy choices and take measures to side-step illness.
Health Tips
For a range of health tips scope this website of course! Also check out the Mayo Clinic, and these ten essential health tips for living a long, happy, and healthy life!
I feel great! I must be...hungry?
Written by Kathryn Savage
Feeling hungry is not fun or pleasurable, (if you’re me), but it might make you happier.
When our bodies send out hunger signals, levels of a ghrelin, an appetite stimulating hormone, increase. According to a recent study, funded in part by the National Institutes of Health, ghrelin’s staring roll may not be letting you know it’s time for a snack, but fighting stress.
The study
Using mice, researchers played with ghrelin levels by restricting calories and giving injections of the hormone that overtime made the mice numb to ghrelin’s appetite-rendering affects.
How did the mice feel?
Appetite aside, the dominating mood of the study was downright depressing! Mice with low levels of ghrelin activity were suicidal, (if pushed into deep water they didn’t try to swim), scared, (when they were put in a maze they hung by the entryway), and lonely, (they didn’t play with other mice).
Those mice could use a pick me up...
Interestingly, mice who showed symptoms of ghrelin-induced depression responded very well, (they perked right up), when they received anti-depressant medication.
Eggs, toast, and a side of ghrelin please...
Mice with high ghrelin levels swam like champs and took to the maze, searching eagerly for an exit. They socialized and were not afraid to explore new social environments.
Also...
Sleep studies have found that ghrelin levels increase between midnight and dawn in thin people. This may be caused by a flaw in the circadian system of obese individuals. A different sleep study, led by professor Cappuccio of the University of Warwick, found not getting enough rest may lead to obesity by increasing appetite (brought on by hormonal changes), during the day. While lack of ghrelin may cause depression, lack of sleep pumps more ghrelin into our systems which equals, “I’m hungry.” Constantly feeling hungry may also mean your body is creating less leptin, a hormone that plays a key role in regulating energy intake and energy expenditure, including appetite and metabolism.
The lesson here? It’s all about balance. Get a good nights rest and eat healthy to keep hormones, hunger, and mood swings in check.
Can't Sleep? The holistic way to beat Insomnia.
Written by Kathryn Savage
It’s 2 a.m. and you’re seriously contemplating ordering a Total Gym, the infomercial is way too convincing. There are brownies in the fridge and you’re trying to resist. It’s early, you can’t sleep, and you’re not alone. Millions of people suffer from insomnia. So what can you do? Assuming there are no underlying causes like a sleep disorder, it’s probably a combination of stress, poor eating habits and a lack of exercise standing between you and your eight hours.
Focus on improving healthy habits during the day, and get to sleep at night! 
A recent report suggests that moderate exercise can improve insomnia. Acute aerobic exercise during the day might reduce anxiety and improve sleep quality according to a recent study authored by Giselle S. Passos, of Federal University of Sao Paulo in Brazil.
Cut Caffeine
Caffeine intake can lead to difficulty sleeping. Limit coffee to one cup a day. And replace caffeinated soda with water, herbal tea or at the very least swap Mountain Dew for a caffeine free soda like Sprite.
Don’t eat a big meal right before bed.
Numerous studies suggest that eating a big meal can cause insomnia. Big meals should be consumed earlier in the day. Ideally, your smallest meal should be dinner.
Behavioral therapy vs. drugs?
We at Blue Zones are big believers in a holistic approach to health care. Before you fill that prescription, look at your habits and your environment. What can you change in your day to day life that might lead to a better nights sleep? Noisy neighbors? Buy earplugs. Not getting enough exercise? See if a daily bike ride, or jog improves your sleep patterns. Eating a big dinner? Cut your portions in half and see if this helps. While those sleep aids will work for the short term, insomnia is often a symptom of a larger lifestyle problem. Reducing stress, late night calories, and increasing physical activity may be the best long term solution.
From the Experts: Does exercise and going to a gym help you live longer?
Written by Siddarth Saikia
We continue our From the Experts series by quizzing Dr. RobertKane about exercise, gymming and their benefits for longevity.
Dr. Robert Kane, M.D, is director of the Center on Aging and the Minnesota Geriatric Education Center at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis
Today's Question:
What about going to the gym? Wouldt that add more quality years to our lives?
Robert Kane: Exercise has several quite distinct functions. You have cardio-vascular exercise, which we describe as aerobic exercise, which increases your body's capacity to process oxygen. That's where you go out and work really hard and raise your heart rate. Swimming would be a good way to get that kind of exercise.
There's also anti-gravity exercise. For example, if you're trying to prevent osteoporosis, swimming is not a good thing to do, because it doesn't increase the strength of your bones. There, working against gravity, walking, standing does more to increase bone metabolism than swimming does.
Then there are balance exercises-those designed to improve your balance. Tai Chi is one people talk about, or yoga. Those are exercises that have been associated with reducing the risk of falls.
FEATURE: Make Your Cubicle Healthy
Written by Kathryn Savage
Your inbox is out of control, you haven’t had a day off since spring break (and that was college), and your voicemail is full. Oh, yeah, there is a meeting in thirty minutes and you’re giving a presentation. Stressed? Of course, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be healthy. Work can be stressful and that’s why it’s important to reinforce your work space, and your work life, with as many healthy options as possible. 
Hydrate
Drink lots of water and antioxidant rich green tea (unsweetened and fresh brewed), to stay hydrated at the office.
Nuts
Keep a stash of nuts in your desk drawer. Nuts are loaded with healthy fats and may improve cardiovascular health.
Brown bag it!
Instead of going out to eat, bring your lunch. You’ll be saving money, saving calories, and you’ll be able to make healthy eating a normal part of your afternoon.
Snack!
Include a healthy snack like a bag of sliced apples. If you have access to a fridge at your office, bring a yogurt which is rich in calcium and good for healthy digestion.
Sit up!
Sit comfortably in your desk. Slouching and typing away with poor form can have negative affects on your back and your wrists. Take breaks, get out of your chair, and be sure to stand and sit tall!
Skip the car!
If you live within a few miles of your office, ride your bike. If biking is not realistic, take the stairs. Centenarians living in the regions of the world identified as Blue Zones, make moving a mindless part of their day, everyday. And you should too!
Work with a sense of purpose.
Find a job where you feel you are using your talents and skills and providing a good service. A sense of purpose is not only important for your mental health and personal satisfaction, it’s an important factor that promotes longevity.
Come on get happy!
Happy hours are a great way to connect, socialize and transition between work and home. It doesn’t have to be with coworkers, it can be with friends who work near by, neighbors, family or friends. And it doesn’t have to include alcohol. Sure, grab a glass of your favorite wine, studies suggest that a drink or two a day is good for you, overall. But more than that, studies also point to personal connections and friendships as being a very important factor for living a healthy, long life.
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