Often I recall these resonating words recited to me by Coach Whaley, one of my high school history teachers: “Baker, you need to eat more Honey Buns—they’re brain food.” I chuckle about these words because, even to this day before I take a test, I hear his voice saying, “Baker, you need to eat more Honey Buns—they’re brain food.” I wonder if Coach Whaley understood that our brains are glucose “hogs” and eating a lot of sugar increases glucose levels in the blood stream, which will increase brain stimulation. Years later in nursing school, Coach Whaley’s theory that eating Honey Buns would increase test scores was validated for me. I cannot remember ever taking a test without having some sort of high sugar content candy, such as Skittles or Hot Tamales.
Because of early life experiences, it becomes easy to see the role that mood and food play in our capacity to lose weight. Stress and emotional eating can sabotage our health and weight loss goals, especially when we turn to our favorite comfort foods that are often sugary, fatty, and high in calories. Emotional eating as defined by the Mayo Clinic is “eating as a way to suppress or sooth negative emotions, such as stress, anger, fear, boredom, sadness, and loneliness.” Stress comes in many different shapes and sizes; the way each of us deals with life’s challenges is individualized. An inconvenience to you or me may be a complete life altering event for someone else—either way, life’s challenges may lead to emotional eating.
Today’s ever changing environment of unemployment, stressful working conditions, health problems, bad weather, world disasters, and politics are often compounded by financial challenges and fatigue. Is it any wonder why we as a nation are becoming more obese? Some people eat less when faced with stress and emotions, but many turn to impulsive or binge eating, which usually means comfort foods rather than healthy foods.
My comfort foods are “brain food” laden with sugar, butter, and spice. It is important not to let food become a distraction from conflict and to deal with stress head on. Regardless of what drives us to overeating, the result is usually reflected on the scale and felt in our waistlines. The comfort food roller coaster may become a pattern of strong feelings, emotional eating, and derailed goals with a destination of guilt.
To help stop emotional eating, I suggest these tips:
Tame your stress: Try a stress management technique such as meditation or yoga.
Hunger reality check: Is your hunger physical or emotional?
Food diary: Knowing when, what, and how much food you eat as well as your hunger level may reveal a connection between mood and food.
Support: A good network of friends and family will help protect you against giving in to emotional eating. Consider joining a support group.
Boredom: Take a walk, call a friend, play with a pet, or read instead of eating when bored.
Remove temptation: As my friend Terri says, “Don’t take little snack cakes home—it may be too hard to resist the temptation.” Postpone trips to the grocery store when you’re angry, sad, or hungry.
Healthy snacks: If you have to snack, choose a healthy snack such as fruits, vegetables, or low-fat, lower calorie versions of your favorite foods.
Get enough sleep: Getting enough sleep will not only help you burn calories but can give you more energy.
If you find yourself slipping away from your weight loss goals and healthy eating habits, please don’t beat yourself up with guilt. Recognize the reasons and learn from the experience; focus on the positive things you have learned and make a fresh start tomorrow. As always, it is important to discuss diet and exercise changes as well as your emotional health with your healthcare provider.
Howard Baker, RN BSN
For questions, comments, or suggestions on topics you want to read about please email me at: howard@howardsbaker.com
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
It's More Than a Smile
Smiles can tell us a lot about a person. Sometimes we make judgments about a person based on his or her smile. Seemingly, we have gone crazy with teeth whitening to perfect our smiles. As I made my way through the mall during the Christmas season, I noticed people sitting in kiosks with these huge devises in their mouths while hundreds of people walked by, staring. Not for love or money could you get me into one of those chairs for teeth whitening.
As with most things that go wrong in my life, they seem to go wrong on major holidays, late at night, or on an island some place far away from any means of relief. This past Christmas was no exception. I started having a toothache on Christmas Eve while my dentist was on holiday. My first thought was that the pain would soon pass, and I would breeze through the family festivities and then see my dentist afterward. I vividly remember sitting in the dentist chair after the x-rays were taken and my cheerful dentist patting me on the shoulder as he said, “You need a root canal.” The news got worse as he continued to examine the x-rays; he said with that familiar doctor’s “hum, ahun, hmmm,” (as if he were puzzled): “It seems you need to see an endodontic specialist.” He told me that appointments were probably WEEKS out because of the holidays. I recall my head swimming in disbelief as my tooth started throbbing even louder while my dentist kept nodding in affirmation. At that moment I could envision myself having a root canal in Grand Central Station, a mall, an airport, or even on a roof top. Suddenly, I was willing to travel any distance, sit in any location, and tolerate any audience to get away from my awful toothache.
This brings me to “It’s More Than a Smile.” Our teeth are more than just pretty looks—in many ways our mouth is the window to our health. Our mouths naturally are full of bacteria; most of us keep the bacteria under control with good daily oral hygiene. Saliva contains an enzyme that helps to destroy bacteria and viruses in many different ways. So, if you suffer from dry mouth, it’s important to discuss that with your healthcare provider or dentist. Healthy gums help prevent bacteria from entering the bloodstream and contributing to or causing other health problems in the rest of our bodies.
Research suggests these conditions may be linked to oral health:
Cardiovascular disease—Clogged arteries, stroke, and endocarditis seem to have a strong association with periodontal disease. More studies are needed to determine the exact link.
Pregnancy—Gum disease has been linked to preterm and low-birth weight. That is why it’s necessary to maintain good oral health and hygiene before getting pregnant and to continue throughout pregnancy.
Osteoporosis—It may be possible to detect early signs of bone loss in our teeth. Frequent dental exams and x-rays by your dentist may reveal early signs of bone loss.
Diabetes— If you are a diabetic, it is imperative to maintain excellent oral hygiene and health. Diabetes can increase your risk for cavities and dry mouth, which can lead to tooth loss and oral infections. Poor oral health and oral infections may present the diabetic individual with unique challenges for controlling blood sugars, requiring more insulin.
Oral cancer—I think it is important to reiterate the risks associated with the good health nemesis, tobacco. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, each year more than 30,000 new cases of cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx are diagnosed, and 8,000 deaths related to oral cancer occur. The five-year survival rate for these cancers is only a staggering 50%. It’s in your best interest to prevent high risk behaviors, including cigarette, cigar, or pipe smoking and the use of smokeless tobacco.
Oral health enhances many aspects of our lives: kissing, touching, and expressing our feelings to one another. More importantly, poor oral health may affect our ability to chew and swallow, or give entry to harmful bacteria in the bloodstream, which could impact our overall health in different ways.
As for me, I think I will start having my teeth cleaned and checked the week before any major holiday to ensure that I don’t have to endure the pain and agony of something that might have been prevented by a more frequent check-up. It’s more than a smile, its good health!
Howard Baker, RN BSN
For questions, comments, or suggestions on topics you want to read about please email me at: howard@howardsbaker.com
As with most things that go wrong in my life, they seem to go wrong on major holidays, late at night, or on an island some place far away from any means of relief. This past Christmas was no exception. I started having a toothache on Christmas Eve while my dentist was on holiday. My first thought was that the pain would soon pass, and I would breeze through the family festivities and then see my dentist afterward. I vividly remember sitting in the dentist chair after the x-rays were taken and my cheerful dentist patting me on the shoulder as he said, “You need a root canal.” The news got worse as he continued to examine the x-rays; he said with that familiar doctor’s “hum, ahun, hmmm,” (as if he were puzzled): “It seems you need to see an endodontic specialist.” He told me that appointments were probably WEEKS out because of the holidays. I recall my head swimming in disbelief as my tooth started throbbing even louder while my dentist kept nodding in affirmation. At that moment I could envision myself having a root canal in Grand Central Station, a mall, an airport, or even on a roof top. Suddenly, I was willing to travel any distance, sit in any location, and tolerate any audience to get away from my awful toothache.
This brings me to “It’s More Than a Smile.” Our teeth are more than just pretty looks—in many ways our mouth is the window to our health. Our mouths naturally are full of bacteria; most of us keep the bacteria under control with good daily oral hygiene. Saliva contains an enzyme that helps to destroy bacteria and viruses in many different ways. So, if you suffer from dry mouth, it’s important to discuss that with your healthcare provider or dentist. Healthy gums help prevent bacteria from entering the bloodstream and contributing to or causing other health problems in the rest of our bodies.
Research suggests these conditions may be linked to oral health:
Cardiovascular disease—Clogged arteries, stroke, and endocarditis seem to have a strong association with periodontal disease. More studies are needed to determine the exact link.
Pregnancy—Gum disease has been linked to preterm and low-birth weight. That is why it’s necessary to maintain good oral health and hygiene before getting pregnant and to continue throughout pregnancy.
Osteoporosis—It may be possible to detect early signs of bone loss in our teeth. Frequent dental exams and x-rays by your dentist may reveal early signs of bone loss.
Diabetes— If you are a diabetic, it is imperative to maintain excellent oral hygiene and health. Diabetes can increase your risk for cavities and dry mouth, which can lead to tooth loss and oral infections. Poor oral health and oral infections may present the diabetic individual with unique challenges for controlling blood sugars, requiring more insulin.
Oral cancer—I think it is important to reiterate the risks associated with the good health nemesis, tobacco. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, each year more than 30,000 new cases of cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx are diagnosed, and 8,000 deaths related to oral cancer occur. The five-year survival rate for these cancers is only a staggering 50%. It’s in your best interest to prevent high risk behaviors, including cigarette, cigar, or pipe smoking and the use of smokeless tobacco.
Oral health enhances many aspects of our lives: kissing, touching, and expressing our feelings to one another. More importantly, poor oral health may affect our ability to chew and swallow, or give entry to harmful bacteria in the bloodstream, which could impact our overall health in different ways.
As for me, I think I will start having my teeth cleaned and checked the week before any major holiday to ensure that I don’t have to endure the pain and agony of something that might have been prevented by a more frequent check-up. It’s more than a smile, its good health!
Howard Baker, RN BSN
For questions, comments, or suggestions on topics you want to read about please email me at: howard@howardsbaker.com
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Tools of the Day
I often write on reflections from past experiences and how they relate to a current event. A professor of mine once told me that life’s experiences are like hooks on a wall on which to hang our stories. So, this week I went to the many hooks in my mind and contemplated which of my life experiences were most relevant to current topics concerning health and wellness. What I found to haunt my heart and soul more than anything else were the two separate accidental shooting deaths of two young men in my community. Being a staunch proponent of the Second Amendment, a gun owner, and an advocate for personal safety—I had many hooks I could choose from for this writing.
Why is it that guns are so mesmerizing to young and old alike? Is it because of Hollywood movies from The Alamo to Zombieland and the 1,400+ movies in-between—encouraging the fantasy of guns as glamorous without considering the final consequences of their use? Then of course, there are violent video games depicting a massacre in graphic detail—once again a lot of fantasy without the reality of finality. I watched in utter disbelief as my nephews played the video game, “Call to Duty Modern Warfare,” that they had received for Christmas. I was not fully over my shock of the “Call to Duty” game when my nephew was attempting to put together a gun that he had gotten as a Christmas gift. Suddenly, I found myself hypersensitive about gun safety because of the recent media coverage of the aforementioned accidental shootings, my personal history with guns, and history in the making with my young nephew. I had my nephew pull up on his new iPhone the news story of the two shootings, which he read aloud, and that ended with somber looks and a heightened awareness about the gun in the room.
Gun safety has to start with the mindset that guns are tools and, just like a saw, once the cut is made, it is permanent. My dad taught me from the very beginning that all guns are considered loaded—never think otherwise; never joke or play with guns because they are not toys. Never point a gun at anything you do not intend to shoot; know the target and what’s beyond it. Safety is knowledge, so never touch a gun that you are not intimately familiar with.
Guns are in about half of American households; therefore, even if you do not own a gun, the chance of your child coming into contact with a gun is significant. It is critical that your child knows what to do if he or she encounters a gun:
STOP
Don’t Touch
Leave the Area
Tell a Trusted Adult
Nothing takes the place of a little common sense. If you are not comfortable with or knowledgeable about guns, then a gun is not a great gift idea. If you own a gun, take the mystery and glamour out of guns by educating everyone in the household about gun safety and hazards. Always take a safety course before purchasing a gun; insist on knowing everything about it and share the knowledge with others in the home. There are a number of gun safety sites for children on the Internet. I like the National Rifle Association Eddie Eagle site at www.nrahq.org/safety/eddie/.
Remember, regardless of our personal views on gun ownership, our responsibilities are to teach our children gun safety, treat all guns with an undying respect, and never treat or view a gun as a toy. Gun ownership is a tremendous responsibility. Know your gun, lock your gun, and know its risk. Guns are not glamorous or cool—they are effective tools of protection and freedom.
Howard Baker, RN BSN
For questions, comments, or suggestions on topics you want to read about please email me at: howard@howardsbaker.com
Why is it that guns are so mesmerizing to young and old alike? Is it because of Hollywood movies from The Alamo to Zombieland and the 1,400+ movies in-between—encouraging the fantasy of guns as glamorous without considering the final consequences of their use? Then of course, there are violent video games depicting a massacre in graphic detail—once again a lot of fantasy without the reality of finality. I watched in utter disbelief as my nephews played the video game, “Call to Duty Modern Warfare,” that they had received for Christmas. I was not fully over my shock of the “Call to Duty” game when my nephew was attempting to put together a gun that he had gotten as a Christmas gift. Suddenly, I found myself hypersensitive about gun safety because of the recent media coverage of the aforementioned accidental shootings, my personal history with guns, and history in the making with my young nephew. I had my nephew pull up on his new iPhone the news story of the two shootings, which he read aloud, and that ended with somber looks and a heightened awareness about the gun in the room.
Gun safety has to start with the mindset that guns are tools and, just like a saw, once the cut is made, it is permanent. My dad taught me from the very beginning that all guns are considered loaded—never think otherwise; never joke or play with guns because they are not toys. Never point a gun at anything you do not intend to shoot; know the target and what’s beyond it. Safety is knowledge, so never touch a gun that you are not intimately familiar with.
Guns are in about half of American households; therefore, even if you do not own a gun, the chance of your child coming into contact with a gun is significant. It is critical that your child knows what to do if he or she encounters a gun:
STOP
Don’t Touch
Leave the Area
Tell a Trusted Adult
Nothing takes the place of a little common sense. If you are not comfortable with or knowledgeable about guns, then a gun is not a great gift idea. If you own a gun, take the mystery and glamour out of guns by educating everyone in the household about gun safety and hazards. Always take a safety course before purchasing a gun; insist on knowing everything about it and share the knowledge with others in the home. There are a number of gun safety sites for children on the Internet. I like the National Rifle Association Eddie Eagle site at www.nrahq.org/safety/eddie/.
Remember, regardless of our personal views on gun ownership, our responsibilities are to teach our children gun safety, treat all guns with an undying respect, and never treat or view a gun as a toy. Gun ownership is a tremendous responsibility. Know your gun, lock your gun, and know its risk. Guns are not glamorous or cool—they are effective tools of protection and freedom.
Howard Baker, RN BSN
For questions, comments, or suggestions on topics you want to read about please email me at: howard@howardsbaker.com
Sunday, January 3, 2010
What's So Funny?
Isn’t it funny how we create special moments, holidays, and traditions throughout our lives? If I were to spend too much time pondering how and why these traditions were set in motion, I am sure it would ruin part of the season’s magic for me. An example of this is the tradition of New Year’s resolutions— how many of us make them? A better question might be how many of us keep them or even remember our well-intentioned resolutions of years past? At first I thought it would be easy to remember my past New Year’s resolutions, so I sat down with pen and paper to write a long list of my personal resolution triumphs. To my dismay and disappointment, I could not recall a single one. I am sure that I have made many resolutions over the years: eat healthy, lose weight, get into shape, and cut out certain foods.
New Year’s resolutions have been around a very long time, dating back to 153 B.C., which is a little further back in history than I would like to cover in this column. In the early 1900s, we really started the New Year’s Eve celebration as we know it today. Nonetheless, the whole point of New Year’s resolutions is about looking forward to something better than we had yesterday; it’s about starting anew with the hope of a brighter, healthier tomorrow.
Here are the most common New Year’s resolutions I have heard recently: QUIT SMOKING, GET FIT, LOSE WEIGHT, GET ORGANIZED, GET OUT OF DEBT, ENJOY LIFE, GET A JOB, and VOLUNTEER. Actually, I like the sound of all of them, and who wouldn’t? They are all worthy routes to better health, better wealth, and better community. So, what do we need to do to stay true to our self promises and bring new joys, wealth, and happiness to our new year? I am glad you asked!
As I sat down to reflect on 2009, set my goals, and make my New Year’s resolution for 2010, I couldn’t help but laugh and that’s when the idea came to me. Laughter may very well hold the key to many of our successes, mentally and physically. It is estimated that the average child laughs 400 times a day, and by my calculations that’s a laugh every two and a half minutes. WOW! What happened in our journey to adulthood that squelched the laughter—robbing us not only of the quick pick-me-ups along the way but of all the many long lasting benefits that laughter has to offer?
Studies have shown that laughter improves oxygen in the blood, stimulates the heart and lungs, and increases endorphins (our natural painkiller) to the brain. A good ol’ belly laugh will heat up our stress responses, increasing our heart rate and blood pressure. When we cool down from the laugher, we’re more relaxed. The stimulation that laughter produces can soothe stomach aches and tension, reducing physical symptoms of stress. Laughter can also help us handle difficult situations a bit easier, decreasing depression and brightening our outlook on life.
In the coming months I will devote an entire column to the health benefits of laughter, which may very well be the link that gives us the power, incentive, and motivation to keep our sights on the things that are truly important, such as building friendships, improving our health, and exercising. In the meantime, think about making your New Year’s resolution something to laugh about. You might be surprised to find that a little laughter may hold the key to a brighter, healthier tomorrow.
Howard Baker, RN BSN
For questions, comments, or suggestions on topics you want to read about please email me at: howard@howardsbaker.com
New Year’s resolutions have been around a very long time, dating back to 153 B.C., which is a little further back in history than I would like to cover in this column. In the early 1900s, we really started the New Year’s Eve celebration as we know it today. Nonetheless, the whole point of New Year’s resolutions is about looking forward to something better than we had yesterday; it’s about starting anew with the hope of a brighter, healthier tomorrow.
Here are the most common New Year’s resolutions I have heard recently: QUIT SMOKING, GET FIT, LOSE WEIGHT, GET ORGANIZED, GET OUT OF DEBT, ENJOY LIFE, GET A JOB, and VOLUNTEER. Actually, I like the sound of all of them, and who wouldn’t? They are all worthy routes to better health, better wealth, and better community. So, what do we need to do to stay true to our self promises and bring new joys, wealth, and happiness to our new year? I am glad you asked!
As I sat down to reflect on 2009, set my goals, and make my New Year’s resolution for 2010, I couldn’t help but laugh and that’s when the idea came to me. Laughter may very well hold the key to many of our successes, mentally and physically. It is estimated that the average child laughs 400 times a day, and by my calculations that’s a laugh every two and a half minutes. WOW! What happened in our journey to adulthood that squelched the laughter—robbing us not only of the quick pick-me-ups along the way but of all the many long lasting benefits that laughter has to offer?
Studies have shown that laughter improves oxygen in the blood, stimulates the heart and lungs, and increases endorphins (our natural painkiller) to the brain. A good ol’ belly laugh will heat up our stress responses, increasing our heart rate and blood pressure. When we cool down from the laugher, we’re more relaxed. The stimulation that laughter produces can soothe stomach aches and tension, reducing physical symptoms of stress. Laughter can also help us handle difficult situations a bit easier, decreasing depression and brightening our outlook on life.
In the coming months I will devote an entire column to the health benefits of laughter, which may very well be the link that gives us the power, incentive, and motivation to keep our sights on the things that are truly important, such as building friendships, improving our health, and exercising. In the meantime, think about making your New Year’s resolution something to laugh about. You might be surprised to find that a little laughter may hold the key to a brighter, healthier tomorrow.
Howard Baker, RN BSN
For questions, comments, or suggestions on topics you want to read about please email me at: howard@howardsbaker.com
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