April 18, 2002

-  Vol 1 Issue 8

Welcome to the April edition of the Wellness Insider! We welcome your feedback and questions. To contact us, please click here. PLEASE NOTE: We have recently updated our newsletter sign-up form to a quick pop-up window format. The window will appear on any page that you access through this newsletter. You can choose to turn off the message by clicking on the checkbox that reads, "Do not show this window in the future".   A Message from Dr. Cooper You may have seen a recent poll on the front page of USA Today indicating that 37.1 percent of Americans rated themselves as being in “excellent” health. An additional 31 percent reported to be in “very good” health, and 22.8 percent rated their health as “good.” Only 9.1 percent claimed to fall into the “fair or poor” category. Those statistics are quite startling considering the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 61 percent of Americans are overweight, with at least 26 percent obese. more... Nutrition Soyfoods - A Taste for Health Lara Hassan, M.S., R.D., L.D. ,C.D.E. As scientists work to identify which foods and substances in food may benefit health and prevent disease, an increasing amount of research attention is focusing on soy. Soy contains high quality protein and is the richest source of dietary isoflavones. more... Nutritional Supplements Human Growth Hormone in a Pill - Part 2 Angela Marks, Cooper Concepts, Inc. There are a wide variety of nutritional products whose labels claim to boost Human Growth Hormone (HGH) levels and fight the aging process. This article is the second of a two-part series that will examine such ingredients and evaluate manufacturers' claims through inconclusive studies and "borrowed science" that their products can help you look and feel younger by just taking a pill. more... Men's Health Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Cardiovascular Disease Tim Church M.D., PhD., M.P.H. The Cooper Institute Recently, there has been a lot press on omega-3 fatty acids. In fact, last week there were research articles touting the benefits of them in the prestigious medical journals of Circulation, New England Journal of Medicine and Journal of the American Medical Association. It has long been hypothesized that the low rates of cardiovascular disease found in Alaskan Natives is due to their high intake of omega-3 fatty acids through their fish based diet. While the idea that omega-3 fatty acids provide health benefits is not new, the accumulation of solid research studies supporting the importance of them is exciting. more... Physical Training Resistance Training Frequency Jill Armayor, Cooper Ventures We all know that adding strength training to an exercise regimen is great for our strength and health. Strength training can help maintain bone density, can help improve digestion, it may help lower LDLs (the bad cholesterol), and not to mention the fact that it can tone your muscles and help you burn calories at a higher rate. Many of you maybe toying with the idea of starting some sort of strength training program and some of you may already be well on your way, training almost every day at an intense rate. As a personal trainer, I hear the same questions time and time again from individuals of every level of experience: "How many times a week can I train the same muscle group to benefit me most?" and "Can I train the same muscles every day?" more... Women's Health Spring into Sunny Days, but Be Wary of High Exposure Brought to you exclusively from the women physicians at Cooper Clinic If the flowering trees are any indication, Spring is on its way. The first warm day will no doubt find you and your family enjoying outside activities in the bright sunshine. As we put away the heavy overcoats and shake out the beach towels, it is time for a quick review of strategies aimed at keeping sun-exposed skin healthy. more...

Kid's Corner In a country where more than 10 million children ages 6 to 17 are considered overweight and almost half of these are severely obese, it's more important than ever to educate young people about the importance of physical activity and a healthy lifestyle. If you would like to receive periodic information on kid's nutrition and fitness, click here to automatically be added to the mailing list... Weekly Recipe Five Vegetable Primavera Ingredients: 1/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar vegetable cooking spray 1 tablespoon canola oil 1 1/2 cups sliced yellow squash 1 cup thinly sliced carrots 1 cup diced red peppers 3 cups broccoli flowerets 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley Directions: Combine 2 tablespoons broth, mustard and vinegar; mix well and set aside. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; add oil, and place over medium heat until hot. Add squash, carrots and pepper; saute 5 to 6 minutes or until vegetables are just tender. Add remaining chicken broth to skillet; add broccoli and peas. Cover tightly and cook 4 to 5 minutes or until broccoli is crisp-tender. Stir in mustard mixture; saute 1 minute. Stir in parsley and serve immediately. Per Serving: 80 Calories, 3 g Fat from: The Cooper Clinic Solution to the Diet Revolution written by Georgia Kostas, M.P.H., R.D., L.D. Please click here to read current and noteworthy information information on various nutrition topics written by our Cooper Clinic dietitians. You may also click here to visit the Nutrition Library to retrieve past articles and answer many of your nutrition questions! Shop Online: The Polar Heart Monitor Keep track of your workout time and average heart rate with the Polar Heart Monitor! This is the ideal monitor for beginning exercisers. It features easy to use, single button operation. Heart rate is continuosly displayed along with a visual indicator of exercise time. Recalls both total exercise time and average heart rate for your workout.