Last week, our Wellness Director, Kendra Kainz, had a question of the day that related to Women’s health. Members were able to drop their guess into a box for prizes. Every question related specifically to women. Here are the questions for you to try to answer. The answers will be listed at the bottom of the page, but how many of them did you get right?
Question #1: Often Called the “The Silent Disease”, it is estimated as many as 8 million women are diagnosed with this disease in the United States.
Question #2: One in four women within the US die of this disease, making it the leading cause of death among women. That’s more than all cancers combined. The older a woman gets, the greater her risk.
Question #3: It’s estimated that 1 in 8 women are diagnosed with this health issue and it’s the 2nd leading cause of death. However, early detection and treatment can increase survival rates
Question #4: This health threat is responsible for almost 8 percent of all female deaths and leading cause of long-term disability in the United States. Almost 55,000 more women have this each year, and about 60 percent that die from this are women.
Question #5: This treatable endocrine disorder affects 20 million people in the US, mainly women. Left untreated, this disorder can cause several other health issues.
Answers:
Question #1: Osteoporosis
Question #2: Breast Cancer
Question #3: Heart Disease
Question #4: Stroke
Question #5: Thyroid Disease
Next month, we will be doing a similar activity during Men’s Health Week so stay tuned and keep your out for the table for your chance to win fun prizes.
Diet & Nutrition, Fitness Advice, Health News, Lifestyle, RECAP, Women's Health
Breast Cancer, heart disease, Osteoporosis, stroke, Thyroid Disease
Most of us at Seattle Athletic Club are swimming, running or lifting because we want to increase our odds of living today and tomorrow with strength, vigor and flexibility.
It could be, though, that we are overlooking one of the most important variables contributing to good health: the quality of our primary relationships. A good relationship is the single best recipe for good health and the most powerful antidote to aging.
Research shows:
Men gain health benefits simply by getting married. Their health status improves, negative physical symptoms decrease, and positive behaviors increase.
For each year of marriage, a woman’s risk of dying prematurely decreases.
Consistent emotional support lowers blood pressure and bolsters the immune system. It appears to reduce the death rate from cancer as well as the incidence of heart disease and infectious disease.
A secure connection significantly lessens susceptibility to anxiety and depression and makes us more resilient against stress and trauma.
Close connection is the strongest predictor of happiness, much more than making masses of money or winning the lottery.
A successful, long term relationship may do as much for your longevity, mood and physical resilience as the hours you spend working out. However, a lack of attention to your relationship may have the same negative consequences as inactivity:
Men who are divorced experience health risks equal to smoking a pack of cigarettes a day.
Women‘s health appears to be more susceptible to marital discord than men’s health. For women, poor relationship quality is associated with an increased risk of premature mortality and an increased risk of heart disease.
Obviously not everyone wants to be in a relationship, nor is it easy to find the right person even if you want to do so. Many people persist in relationships while feeling lonely, angry or hopeless. They have done whatever they can to improve their relationship but their efforts have been unsuccessful. Resignation seems the only possible outcome.
However, we now know more about strengthening the underlying bonds of marriage for straight, gay or transgender couples than we ever have. We understand that the attachment bond that defines the parent/child bond also defines the underlying bond of adult commitment. We see the power of that bond to build resilience in adults. We know what happens when the bond is broken—and we now know much more about how to repair it.
John Gottman, PhD, here at the University of Washington, did pioneering work describing what happens in the interactions of marriage. While Gottman studied thousands of hours of couples trying to get along, Sue Johnson, PhD, watched thousands of hours of couples in marital therapy and figured out what works. She developed Emotionally Focused Therapy, a theory and practice of couples therapy that has an extensive research record demonstrating its effectiveness. She also wrote a book: Hold Me Tight, which gives consumers a theory and outline for improving their relationships.
Sue Johnson also developed a consumer workshop based on her book:
Hold Me Tight: Seven Conversations for Connection®. This workshop is also evidence-based. It is now being offered all around the world.
My colleague, Dorsey Green, PhD, and I will be offering this seminar here in the Pike Place Market March 7-8 and May 30-31.
Rob Lauren has seen a direct connection between the mission of the Seattle Athletic Club and a focus on relationship health as related to physical health. We are appreciative to him for his willingness to partner with us this spring. SACDT members may attend Hold Me Tight: Seven Conversations for Connection at a discounted rate. This program is nonjudgmental (neither of you will feel blamed) and intimate (10-15 couples with significant time spent talking 1:1 in a structured way).
Interested? You can learn more about the workshop as well as see comments from past participants on our website: www.holdmetightseminars.com.
Still curious? Click on this four minute video—What Is a Healthy Marriage? http://www.holdmetightseminars.com/what-is-a-healthy-marriage/
Lastly, the video below explains a very powerful research study that describes how love and trust change our neurochemistry and resilience to pain:
Soothing the Threatened Brain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2J6B00d-8lw
**Research references available upon request
Diet & Nutrition, Fitness Advice, Health News, Motivation, Women's Health
aging, antidote, blood pressure, health, heart disease, men, relationships, women
Did you know that 86 million Americans – 1 in 3 adults have pre-diabetes? Shockingly, 9 out of 10 don’t know they have it. What is it? In general terms, your blood sugar has been tested in a higher than normal range and you haven’t been officially diagnosed with diabetes.
Pre-diabetes increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and stroke. More specifically, 15-30% of those with pre-diabetes will develop type 2 diabetes within 5 years without any lifestyle changes. The good news is that If you’re overweight or obese you can cut your risk in half by a) losing a modest amount of weight (5-7%) and b) maintaining 150 minutes of moderate activity per week (includes brisk walking).
This is a great time to focus on small changes you can make to your diet that can add up to sustainable weight loss. Here are the diet principles that can maximize your weight loss potential while stabilizing your blood sugar.
- If you work out first thing – have a pre-workout easily digestible carbohydrate. If you don’t have any calories your body will break down muscle for energy (glucose).
o Examples: yogurt or banana or toast or granola bar
- Have breakfast consistently to wake up your metabolic rate and prevent muscle loss.
o Best to add protein: egg, protein powder, milk, yogurt, protein-rich cereal, nuts, peanut butter, a bit of cheese.
- Eat every 3-4 hours
- Balance your plate at lunch and dinner: 1/3 protein, 1/3 grain or starchy vegetables, 1/3 vegetable/fruit.
- Stay hydrated – goal slightly clear urine throughout the day.
If you keep it simple and use healthy eating principles vs. following a strict diet you have truly made a sustainable lifestyle change and can look forward to maintaining your weight loss. If you have any other questions about managing pre-diabetes or diabetes with nutrition principles (or any other nutrition-related topic) – please email Kathryn at kreed@sacdt.com .
Diet & Nutrition, Health News
heart disease, hypertension, pre-diabetes, stroke
Recently I reviewed the National Center for Health Statistics data on the major causes of death in Western society. It was not surprising to find 4 of the top 7 were indications of chronic lifestyle-related conditions; heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes among the top 7 listed. It is interesting to note, only 100 years ago, the leading causes of death were primarily infectious diseases such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, diarrhea, liver disease. As improvements in medicine and health care advanced, the incidence of the diseases reduced, only to be replaced by the choice of unhealthy lifestyles.
I bring this up because the majority of the unhealthy lifestyle related causes are preventable. According to The Healthy People 2010 review, physical activity or exercise, nutrition and stress management are considered the priority to optimal health and wellness and primary changes for longevity. Data collected in the Healthy People review suggest that modest changes in physical activity patterns and nutrition can prevent more than 400, 000 death annually! Modest changes in physical activity and increases in exercise are a small price to pay for illness prevention and premature causes of death. Keep yourself healthy and well by continuing to incorporate exercise as part of your lifestyle.
For tips or more information on how to make changes to your exercise routine, please feel free to contact Kendra Kainz.
Fitness Advice, Health News, Lifestyle, Weight Loss, Women's Health
cancer, diabetes, Health Statistics data, heart disease, infectious diseases, stroke
