======================================================================= The Wellness Insider Scientifically Based Health Information from The Cooper Aerobics Center http://www.cooperwellness.com January 16, 2002 HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! ======================================================================= 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". This first edition of the 2002 newsletter has been sent to you because in the past you indicated you wanted periodic updates from us. If you would like to receive our monthly newsletter on a regular basis, you will need to sign-up. You may do so, by visiting: http://www.cooperwellness.com and click on Newsletter Signup ***************** SHOP ONLINE!!! http://www.cooperwellness.com/complete/ ***************** If you would like to view the HTML version of this newsletter, please cut-and-paste the following URL into your browser: http://www.cooperwellness.com/newsletter/010902_vol01_issue05.htm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A MESSAGE FROM DR. COOPER ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Greetings from The Cooper Aerobics Center in Dallas! This is always an exciting time of year. With the New Year, people have a tendency to be energized and enthusiastic. We're ready to set goals, make changes and improve our lives. Many times that includes losing weight, starting an exercise program, and/or stopping smoking. Here is my advice: Don't set the bar too high! The reasoning behind that statement is based on over 40 years of experience during my practice of medicine. Changing behavior is a very complex issue and we know that if someone tries to change too many things at once, he or she is most likely to fail. Remember that fitness (and good health) is a journey and not a destination. If we take small steps over a long period of time, our success will be much greater than if we start out like a ball of fire, then hit a wall and quit. Here are some reasonable places for you to start your path to better health: 1) Increase your consumption of fruits and vegetables. The goal should be at least five per day. Our motto is "five is fine, but nine is divine." Fruits and vegetables are loaded with vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and fiber. Unfortunately, the average American adult only consumes 2.3 servings a day. Our kids are even worse. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only one child in five gets five daily servings of fruits and vegetables. 51 percent of kids get less than one serving a day of fruit, and 29 percent get less than one serving a day of vegetables that aren't fried. Fast food French fries are killing us and our children, but that is another topic altogether. 2) Take a good multivitamin. Because of many factors, the nutritional content of our food is not nearly what it was even 15 or 20 years ago. Vitamins will help improve your immunity and can help you ward off certain diseases including heart disease and cancer. Here at The Cooper Aerobics Center, we are heavily researching our multivitamin formula called Cooper Complete. So far we know that Cooper Complete increases immunity, lowers the oxidation rate of LDL (the bad) cholesterol, and also lowers homocysteine levels (homocysteine has been referred to as "the cholesterol of the 21st century"). If you do not take Cooper Complete multivitamins, then be sure to take your water-soluble vitamins such as vitamin C twice a day to ensure that adequate levels remain in your system throughout the day. 3) Get off the couch! Besides smoking, inactivity is one of the worst health hazards we are facing in this country. Do not feel as if you have to run a marathon or climb a mountain to get results. Just walk the dog, even if you don't have one. Our studies clearly indicate that if you can just walk two miles, in 30 minutes or less, three times a week, you can reduce deaths from all causes (including heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes) by up to 58 percent! You will also add up to six years to your life. If that walking pace is too fast for you, then slow down. Walk two miles in 35 minutes, four times a week, or walk two miles in 40 minutes, five times a week. Always make sure to consult your physician before beginning any exercise program. These are all simple goals that are achievable for just about everyone. Remember that a journey of ten thousand miles begins with just one step. I encourage you to take your first step today! Sincerely, Ken Cooper, M.D., M.P.H. ****Dr. Cooper is known as the "father of aerobics" and is the Founder and C.E.O. of The Cooper Aerobics Center in Dallas, Texas. He is the author of 18 books including, "Regaining the Power of Youth at Any Age," and "Controlling Cholesterol the Natural Way." For additional information, including a free e-mail newsletter, or to learn more about Cooper Complete multivitamins visit www.cooperwellness.com. You may also call 1-877-243-2584 (1-877-2-HEALTH). NUTRITION ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Your New Year's Diet Solution ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Georgia Kostas, M.P.H., R.D., L.D. Does weight loss top your "wish list" for 2002? Here is the "Diet Solution" for that New Year's Resolution! Having counseled more than 20,000 individuals on their diet during the past 25 years, I have seen what works and what does not work. The key to success is a system that enables anyone to build satisfying, healthy meals while enjoying favorite comfort foods without guilt. Among the key points of this diet are: 1. Learn to include favorite foods and still lose weight.Most dieters fear the same barriers: deprivation, hunger, rigid diets, and giving up favorite foods. Those most successful with weight loss learn to include favorite foods, but in reasonable amounts. Set ground rules for the amount and frequency of favorite foods you eat. Stick to your rules. Some people plan for 100-200 calories of fun foods daily. 2. Learn to divide your plate to lose weight.Forget the difficulty and hassle of measuring portions. Simply divide your plate into fourths ­ ¼ protein, ¼ starch, 2/4 vegetables/fruit. You will consume 400-600 calories-simple for weight loss, satiety and balanced nutrition. 3. Eat healthfully without hunger.Hunger leads to overeating. By eating the P-C-F way (blending protein, carbohydrate and fat) and eating every 4-6 hours, a continuum of energy and stable blood sugar result, minimizing hunger and maximizing energy. 4. Create variety in your meals.Variety is the spice of health. A variety of foods and colors equals health. In my book The Cooper Clinic Solution to the Diet Revolution, you can choose among 75 mix-and-match meals and snacks to create meals you love. The no-fuss meals and menus presented include fun foods (and you can substitute your own). 5. Change your pace to win the race.Eat slower and pick up your walking pace to rev up your metabolic rate. Establish new habits and let exercise speed up your weight loss. Here are three habits to adopt for changing your weight: 1. Eat three meals at regular times daily. Do not skip meals and do not change your eating patterns each day. Skipping meals leads to overeating or bingeing. Feel more energetic and speed your metabolism by eating every five to six hours. 2. Plan ahead to ensure quality food choices and eating strategies for restaurants, parties, and weekends. With the right foods present, meals and snacks are healthier. Plan daily. Write down what you will eat before eating. 3. Add pleasure to your life in ways other than with food. Reward yourself for changing habits. Last but not least one of the best-kept weight loss secrets is to track daily what you eat before you eat it. Your increased awareness will lead to new actions, better eating and success. Nutrition consultations are available in person or by phone. Contact the nutrition department via e-mail at nutritionist@cooper-clinic.com or by phone at 972-560-2655 to schedule your appointment. VITAMIN SUPPLEMENTATION ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A Bone to Pick About Vitamin A ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Angela Marks, Cooper Concepts, Inc. If you have been paying attention to the headlines over the last couple of days, you may be familiar with the recently published study about vitamin A. According to the January 2nd issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, too much vitamin A may increase the risk for hip fractures in postmenopausal women. With this new information, you should be questioning its relevancy to your own life and wondering whether you should take heed, right? This question cannot be easily answered until we have more information about its application to men and young adults. Nevertheless, this study does show that women beyond their childbearing years should be cautious about their consumption of vitamin A above the recommended daily allowance (RDA). It is relatively easy to consume adequate levels of vitamin A through the diet. However, supplements contribute significantly to the intake in the U.S. In fact, according to the Third National Health and Nutrition Survey, the mean intake of vitamin A from supplements alone is 1,338 mcg a day. Compare this estimate to 700 mcg, the current RDA. Most of these supplements are composed of retinol, which seems to be the major contributor to the risk of osteoporotic hip fractures. Nevertheless, vitamin A plays an important role in the proper functioning of our bodies; therefore, it is important to have a good understanding of the nutrient and how different forms of it are metabolized and used by our system. What is retinol? Vitamin A includes a family of fat-soluble vitamins and occurs in two forms: retinol and provitamin A (carotene). It is essential for an efficient immune system and is important in maintaining the health of your eyesight, skin, teeth, bones, and mucous membranes. It is easy to confuse retinol with the provitamin A, beta carotene, but it is essential to understand the difference between the two. Retinol is one of the most active, or usable, forms of vitamin A, and is found in animal foods such as liver and eggs. Retinol is often called preformed vitamin A and can be toxic. This condition, called hypervitaminosis A can cause birth defects, liver abnormalities, and reduced bone mineral density that may result in osteoporosis. When toxic symptoms arise suddenly, which can happen after consuming very large amounts of preformed vitamin A over a short period of time, signs of toxicity include nausea and vomiting, headache, dizziness, blurred vision, and muscular uncoordination. For this reason, it is important to check your multivitamins to make sure that the source of vitamin A is not retinol or palmitate. All vitamin supplement products that contain any form of vitamin A must list vitamin A as the main ingredient on the label, even if it is all in the form of beta carotene, so do not be alarmed. Some multivitamins like Cooper Complete have labels that list the ingredient as "Vitamin A (as natural mixed carotenoids)". In such cases, you will have no need to worry. However, in some cases you may have to look at the "other ingredient" section of the label to determine what the product includes. What is beta carotene? Beta carotene, as well as the other members of the carotenoid family, are precursors to vitamin A, meaning that they are transformed into the vitamin after entering the body. The metabolism of beta carotene is much different than that of retinol because the body can convert it into as much or as little of vitamin A as it needs. For this reason, you cannot ingest toxic levels of beta carotene. However, eating high levels of it may actually turn your skin an orange color! This provitamin A has been linked to a lower risk of cataracts, heart disease, and cancers, such as rectal cancer, melanoma, and bladder cancer. The November 4,1994 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, stated that the natural carotenoids, including beta carotene (5000 IU) but also lutein and zeaxanthin, have been shown to be effective in decreasing the risk and even reversing the development of age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in Americans over 65 years of age. Carotenoids, including beta carotene, come in several different forms and are actually better absorbed in a supplement form than from foods. The carotenoids in foods are locked in a fibrous matrix that is difficult for the body to break down. Cooking the foods helps to break down the matrix, which helps to increase absorption, but overcooking could actually break down the nutrients in the carotenoids themselves. Carotenoid supplements, because they do not contain this matrix, are very well absorbed. The natural form of beta carotene comes from a type of algae, usually Dunaliella salina. The natural form of beta carotene has a different composition than the synthetic form. It actually contains a chemical, which is the primary antioxidant part of the vitamin. The synthetic beta carotene, which is water dispersible (acetate and palmitate), does not contain this important element and has much weaker antioxidant properties. How is excess vitamin A related to hip fractures? Vitamin A has long been known to have adverse skeletal affects and now this newly published study provides additional evidence. What we know is that this vitamin can interfere with vitamin D's ability to maintain normal calcium levels, which can contribute to the acceleration of bone resorption and fractures. What we may not realize is how much vitamin A we consume from enriched foods. For example, a tablespoon of fortified margarine contains 150 mcg and many breakfast cereals contain up to 375 mcg per serving. Also, because of the loss of vitamin A from the removal of fat, skim and lowfat milk are also fortified with 150 mcg per cup. It is easy to see how the vitamin A that we consume can add up. This new study is so compelling that it may actually result in a reassessment of the amounts of retinol in fortified foods and vitamin supplements because they add significantly to total retinol consumption in the United States. For more information about the Cooper Complete vitamins, please visit: www.cooperwellness.com/complete PHYSICAL TRAINING ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Get Focused, Not Discouraged ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Jill Armayor, Cooper Ventures We have all heard it before, and it has passed many of our own lips in conversation at holiday parties. "This year I am really going to do it. My New Year's resolution is to get in shape." Be honest with yourself for a moment. How many times have you made that promise? We know from research that exercise is one of the best predictors for success in not only losing weight, but also in keeping the weight off. So now that we know that exercise plays an important part in the weight loss picture, how do we increase our odds of sticking to the plan and reaching our fitness goals? To find this answer, some soul searching must be done. In order to set a realistic goal, you must know your values. Values are held most important in life- time with the family, achievement at work, a good report from the doctor's office- the list goes on and on. First, write down a list of things that you hold dear. Without having this list, a New Year's resolution might not have a fighting chance. For example, promising yourself that you will go to the gym after work may send you off of the wagon in a tailspin, because it happens to be the only time you have to spend with your family. Keeping your values in mind, make a list of the things that you wish to accomplish. This can apply to every aspect of your life. Now, take one of these goals and write it at the top of a blank piece of paper. Write a more specific version of your goal- include who, what, when, where, why, and how. 1. Focus on the how aspect of your goal. Create a detailed list of steps that you will use to reach your goal. Which of your strengths can you draw upon to help you? Which of your weaknesses do you need to be aware of? What are the roadblocks that you anticipate? What are some things that can be done to overcome them? How are you going to evaluate whether you have accomplished your goal? 2. When will you accomplish your goal? Take the steps that you have created and apply them to a timeline. Try to reach a new step every 2-3 weeks. If this is impossible, try to break down your goal into more steps. 3. What are you doing now that will help you reach your goal? What are you doing now that is hindering you? What resources do you need to accomplish your goal? 4. Why do you want to accomplish this goal? What are the benefits you will accrue by reaching this goal? Imagine yourself having just completed your goal. How do you feel? What do you see? How will it change your life? Now apply the above to the rest of your goals. Experts say that one of the keys to success is focus. Those who write down their goals are more likely to be a success than those who do not. Not only do the successful write down their goals in a specific way, but they also remain focused by reviewing their goals daily. Instead of making your New Year's resolution fitness-oriented, make it goal-oriented, and increase your chances of success in fitness, and any other aspect of your life. WOMEN'S HEALTH ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Preventive Care & Screening Strategies ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Brought to you exclusively from the women physicians at The Cooper Clinic As the holiday season has come to an end, a great many of us have taken a moment to look forward into the New Year to set some goals and perhaps make a resolution or two. If improving on bad health habits, getting acquainted with your primary care physician or maintaining your good health is on your list of goals for the year 2002, good for you! To help you organize your approach to maximizing your health in the New Year, we thought we would outline a preventive care and screening strategy for women in the table below. This outline may differ slightly from one you've read in a magazine or seen in literature from your insurance company. It is important to remember that strategies or guidelines for screening can vary depending on the organization that publishes them. For example, the American College of Physicians may publish a slightly different recommendation on mammography than the American Cancer Society. Why would they vary? These guidelines are based on numerous studies that have been published in medical journals. Each organization may have a little different interpretation about how the results of the studies should be applied to the general population. The application of these guidelines and strategies by health care providers can also vary from person to person. You and your neighbor who are the same age may see the same doctor but she recommends a test in your neighbor that she doesn't recommend for you. Is your doctor playing favorites? No, she is using her knowledge and skill to individualize the use of the screening test based on your clinical risk profiles. Your neighbor may have a strong family history of cancers for example and thus needs a screening test at an earlier age and someone at average or low risk. While these guidelines may vary a bit for each individual, they all share a feature that applies equally to everyone: they serve as a great springboard for important dialogue between you and your health care provider! Preventive Screening or Service Frequency Counseling about alcohol, tobacco, drug use, domestic violence, seat belt use, general nutrition, Yearly physical activity STDs and HIV, contraception or hormone replacement and fall prevention Counseling about calcium and folic acid supplementation Yearly Blood Pressure, Height and Weight Yearly Dental and Vision Examination Yearly Hearing Examination Periodically Breast Examination Yearly Pelvic Examination Yearly PAP Smear Yearly in women with a cervix Fecal Occult Blood Yearly after age 40 Mammography Yearly after age 40 Lipid (Cholesterol) Profile Every 1-3 years Diabetes (Glucose) Screen Every 1-3 years Sigmoidoscopy Every 5-10 years from age 40-50 Colonoscopy Every 5-10 years after age 50 Influenza vaccine Yearly Tetanus toxoid Every 10 years Pneumoccocal vaccine Once after the age of 65 or earlier for higher risk patients KID'S CORNER ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Interested in Kid's Nutrition & Fitness? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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, please visit: http://www.cooperwellness.com/signup/kidinfo.asp?[$email1|email=<**>|] or copy and past the ENTIRE link into your browser. WEEKLY RECIPE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tex-Mex Corn Saute ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ INGREDIENTS: vegetable cooking spray 1 teaspoon olive oil 3/4 cup chopped green pepper 3/4 cup chopped onion 1 teaspoon ground cumin 2 1/2 cups fresh corn 2 large ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped 1/2 teaspoon sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 to 1 teaspoon hot sauce (such as Tabasco) 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro or parsley DIRECTIONS: 1. Coat a large heavy skillet with cooking spray; add oil and place over medium-high heat until hot. Add green pepper and onion; saute until tender. 2. Stir in cumin; add corn and saute 3 to 5 minutes until corn is just tender. 3. Stir in tomatoes, sugar, salt and hot sauce; saute 3 minutes. 4. Remove from heat; stir in cilantro. YIELD: 6 servings PER SERVING: 100 Calories, 3 g Fat from: The Cooper Clinic Solution to the Diet Revolution written by Georgia G. Kostas, M.P.H., R.D., L.D. -----buy your copy here: http://www.cooperwellness.com/store/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=193 SHOP ONLINE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Cooper Aerobics Center Sweatshirt ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Suit up for Fall with The Cooper Aerobics Center sweatshirt... Made of premium weight, 10 oz. fleece (90% cotton/10%polyester). The ultimate in natural comfort by Hanes. Available in Grey and Navy. buy yours here: http://www.cooperwellness.com/store/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=S ======================================================================= Please feel free to share this information with a friend, post or reprint it... 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