Thursday, May 20, 2010

Musings and news from the health world


I meant to link this article the other day, but decided today to make it a post, for GOOD LUCK

OVERTIME WORK IS BAD FOR THE HEART
"Ecg Who didn't suspect it? Working overtime, according to a long-term study, may do a number on the ticker. The finding, which was published in the European Heart Journal, found that rates of angina, nonfatal heart attacks and death from heart-related conditions was 60% higher in people who worked at least three hours beyond "the normal, seven-hour day" compared with those who didn't work that amount of overtime..... ( We won't quibble about the "normal seven-hour day).

Maybe they were stressed out from all that work (chronic stress is bad for the heart). Perhaps they got less sleep ( sleep deprivation seems to be linked to more and more health problems with each passing day). Maybe lonely people tend to work more overtime. Maybe chronic workers go to work when they're sick instead of staying at home in bed, as they should.

Whatever the answer to the chicken-egg question that these population studies (even the best of them) tend to leave one with, it might be good to play it safe and eschew wee-hour stints at the office in favor of taking a stroll or pulling a weed or two in the garden." Research shows 'normal' work day may be better for your ticker.

42 comments:

Solar said...

Chloe,

Have to run to work. will be a 12 hr day today, and I do think that too much work can effect your heart....thats why I like going out sided a lot...it balances things out...calms and energizes the heart valves....

Did you know that Americans are more likly to be color blind.....we have more cities, more office building etc....than most other countries.....

Countries that are closer to mother earth, or less city dwelling, and more in touch with her....will see more colors (natural ones) than the city dwellers.....

Carol, yes I liked your joke

Carol said...

Won't get any arguements from me there, Chloe. I think I need to cut down to 4 hour work days like I was able to today. I got all my work done, amazing, and came home. Of course I've been on the phone with work ever since I left but I can do while I stare at my river, the antidote.

Carol said...

I'm glad you liked the joke Solar. Was it new to you or had you already heard it?

Anonymous said...

Carol, I'm having a PNut butter and jam (apricot) sandwich for lunch today and it is sooo good. You got me thinking about them, and I do think they make a perfect meal.

Glad to hear that you got some time off work. Just make sure your time off is as stress free as possible.

Anonymous said...

Solar, I don't know how you take those 12 hour day, but glad to hear you've got the work.

I agree that being in touch with Mother Earth is so important, and think you're right. It keeps us centered - and affects every part of our life. You're smart to get outside as often as possible.

I think we can take the stress, as long as we find ways to balance it. Coming here helps me a lot.

Anonymous said...

... hey, anyone feel free to replace this thread with a new one, whenever they want.

Carol said...

Well, I just finished talking to big sis and nutrition is her hobby. She eats, breaths and sleeps it and has for years. She's sending a box of books for us to study for when she gets here. Doesn't want to try and carry them on the plane.

A while back I switched back to oleos because they said they had no trans fats. But some of the stuff that say it is free of trans fats still has hygrogenated fats and that is where I thought the trans fats came from. My peanut butter is. That was what I thought we were suppose to avoid. I am confused. She also said I am better eating whole fat because when they alter the fats, that where some of the problems come in. She better come down and do some explaining.

She is also back to eating healthy meat, no additives. There is this Warden at work who was overweight, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and high blood sugar. I worked with him on some of the sugar issues. He eats strickly high pro, low carb and dropped all the weight, normal blood pressure, normal cholesterol and normal Bp. I have worried what the high protien would do to the cholesterol, but his is now perfect.

Well I think I am back to the butter now. I do eat lots of that oleo, the, I can't believe it is not butter stuff. I slather my veggies is it.

Carol said...

Nope Chloe, we like this one.

Carol said...

And I'm planning on putting a voodoo curse on anyone screwing with the Swamp. I can do it!

Carol said...

And I do now realize our little haunting was most likely a blogger problem but just in case, my potion is ready. OK.

Carol said...

And after big sis comes over and enlightens me with her new nutrition info and I have time to analzye and digest it, I will share it with you guys. We might find out that some of the stuff we like and have been avoiding, we don't have to. Somehow I don't think my floured, seasoned, fried cubed steak that I love so much is going to be in that OK food group.

I do remember that once my sis said she wouldn't eat my BBQed baby back ribs with my homemade BBQ sauce. I think she had to eat those words, and that wasn't easy to do after she ate all those ribs!

Carol said...

Oh, and my sis is going to help me clean out, clear out and organize my house in prep for my new roommate. She has lots of experience since we once counted that she has moved close to 40 times in her life. She has some gypsy in her. Me, I'm not good with change.

Coreen said...

I could live with a shorter workday & 4-day week as well. But honestly, after being home on weekends, I am more tired going back to work...when I'm home, there is always something to be done...and you never get ahead of it....

Carol said...

And Coreen, when you have that extra time at home, you have no excuse not to do all those chores screaming at ya. What did I do with my extra time off today? I did a little couch testing. Wanted to see if it was still as comfortable as it used to be. I also watched Ellen and People's Court. I did water my plants and throw the ducks some corn.

I wasn't totally useless since I did just get back from raking some of the Mimosa tree fussies out of the pool and swept them off the pool deck. The pool was sparkling clean when I went by this morning. I'm waiting for sis to get here to take a swim. She will have me swimming and walking. Always more fun to do with someone else.

Anonymous said...

"She also said I am better eating whole fat because when they alter the fats"

Carol, I think it's just like everything else, it's better to eat the whole unit of food the way nature plans it. That's why they say to eat whole grains, and other foods in their most natural form. I switched over to butter a while back, after being a life long margarine eater (and we find we use a lot less real butter than we did margarine, because it's more flavorful), for the same reason. It doesn't matter if you eat things you love once in a while (like your ribs with the homemade bar-b-q sauce - or a little something sweet, like Jan and I love so much). It's the things you eat almost daily that you have to watch.

And remember, that study on the health problems with hot dogs, said it was the 'processed' meats (altered meats?) that are bad for you. I still think if we keep familiar with Dr. Weil's food pyramid, we've got it covered.

I am looking forward to hearing what you learn from your big sis though.

Anonymous said...

... also, every article I read said it's most important thing is to not be overweight.

Coreen said...

Carol, I find that after coming home from my office, I don't have the energy/desire to do chores, I can sit for a little bit, & then have to get up & do something (but not much), if I want to accomplish anything, I have to start in the a.m. before I go anywhere....

And you are again making my jealous...first the
gardenias now a mimosa tree, I know the leaves
are not particularly attractive, but those tiny
pink spidery flowers, do remind me of a lazy
hazy southern summer day....just like your spanish moss.....

And Carol, I can almost here the joy, excitement & happiness in your voice about your sister's upcoming visit...

Coreen said...

'hear' not here.....what a dummy.....

Carol said...

Don't worry about your spelling Coreen or you're going to make me uncomfortable. A friend checked out our blog one day and was telling me everything I misspelled. I told her ya'll were very familiar with my poor spelling.

Carol said...

And Chloe, that is what my sister was talking about...about eating things unaltered.

Carol said...

I told Maggie that her other auntie was coming to visit and poor baby ran to the window to wait.

jan said...

Wow! you all have been busy on here.

Carol, you do sound so excited about your sister's visit. Your pleasure and excitement is just bustin out of your words.

I too have been reading that it is the processed foods that are bad for us - not the real food - even meats. I eat very little meat any more. I love peanut butter too and other nuts- I eat those every day. I break up a few walnuts in my smoothies and eat it all with a big spoon.

On the today show this morning, a nutrition expert was talking about things that rev up our metabolism. She said green tea is one of those. So I came home this afternoon and had a big cup of green tea. Another effect of that is that I did not eat anything else and I am satisfied.

jan said...

"I find that after coming home from my office, I don't have the energy/desire to do chores, I can sit for a little bit, & then have to get up & do something (but not much), if I want to accomplish anything, I have to start in the a.m. before I go anywhere."

Coreen, ditto to that. Projects at home have to wait until the weekend for me.

jan said...

"... also, every article I read said it's most important thing is to not be overweight. "

Awww Chloe, did you have to say that. Just kidding. This is what I want to work on. I have about 25 lbs to lose and for someone who is 5'1" that is a good bit of weight.

Carol said...

And about that PB, if you're not eating the really healthy kind, which I wouldn't probably like, it is full of fully hydrogenaged fats. Just looked. Don't think that is good??? Might be safer to eat a steak??

George, C2C, was talking about that sausage/processed meat study and he mentioned that beef and pork was not the problem, it's those processed meats. Heck, I might have been doing many things wrong thinking I was doing things right. Well, my cantaloupe, broccoli, nuts, salad stuff is good.

Carol said...

Jan, I have read studies suggesting it's good to go into old age with a little meat on the bones.

Carol said...

But one thing I must insist on, that is that I'm gonna enjoy my food. To live longer, having to eat things that I don't enjoy, ain't what I consider living.

Anonymous said...

Carol, I love all the foods I eat. You just have to find things in those categories that you love.

I also love the all peanuts crunchy peanut butter with salt. Been eating it for years. The best one I've had is the organic one at Kroger's (not the usual brand). Try it, you'll like it.

Anonymous said...

.... the other pnut butter has fats and sugar added - yuk. But I do feed it to Emma for the time being, because it's smoother. I'll switch her over to mine when she's two or so.

Carol said...

Is that the name of that peanut butter Chloe? Who makes it?

Anonymous said...

Carol, This one I like has a big circle on the front that say's Oraganic. On the top of the circle it says Nut'N Better - Ha. It has a red lid and the label has red and yellow on it. I also like the name brand ones, but this one is smoother. They don't have this one at WM, only Krogers (who has a lot more health oriented foods). Their produce is better there too.

Your sister being on the West Coast - they a lot more health oriented there. When I was in California, that's what it was like. I was surprised when I got here, and healthy food was the last thing on their mind. But it's starting to come around now.

Always read labels.

Anonymous said...

nite.

Carol said...

More scary is what is in our food that we don't want, pesticides

Dr. Andrew Weil On Pesticides

Dirty Dozen, better to buy organic:

Celery
Peaches
Strawberries
Apples
Blueberries
Nectarines
Bell Peppers
Spinach
Kale
Cherries
Potatoes
Grapes

Recently dropped off list but still high in pesticide use:

lettuce
carrots
pears


Clean Fifteen, don't need to buy organic:

onion
avocado
sweet corn
pineapple
mango
asparagus
sweet peas
kiwi
cabbage
eggplant
papaya
watermelon
broccoli
tomato
sweet potato

Carol said...

I'll look for it Chloe. We have Krogers here.

Carol said...

Another tough day on the Dylan Ratigan Show. Thumbs up for Maria Cantwell. She's one of those good women!

Carol said...

She's a Dem from Washington State.

Carol said...

Dylan's show is one you almost can't afford not to watch.

Carol said...

I have to watch Dylan's show in pieces, a little in the evening and the rest in the morning, when I get up. Can't stomach all the gory details in one sitting.

Carol said...

What is happening to our Louisiana marshlands from that oil spill is too tragic to even talk about!

jan said...

Carol, I was just reading about the LA marshlands. They are calling it a crime scene.

jan said...

I was watching Gray's Anatomy and finally had to turn it off although I taped the rest. There is a shooter in the hospital. It was so crisis-oriented for the first hour I was hyper-ventilating and I would have to get up and walk around to calm my beating heart. I decided if I watched any more I would not be able to sleep - all of those fight and flight hormones take a long time to go away. I will read something calming before bed and maybe a glass of milk too.

Good night all.

Carol said...

Jan, I'm the same way with any scary or intense movie. I may have to watch it in 10 minute intervals or even less, get up and walk around and come back. It's even taken all weekend to get thru some movies. I think it did for that Lovely Bones. I don't know why I even wanted to finish it. It was very weird but I wanted to see how it ended. The thought of a child being killed like that was too much for me. I was watching on my computer and even hit on another tab so I didn't have to see any picture. Mostly I just avoid those kind of movies.