Live Healthy with Mindy Mosser

This page is filled with some not-so-well-known health facts and information.  This is the dirty truth about your health.  Check back soon for more tid-bits and Did you Knows...

 Did you know that...?

• Type II Diabetes is a degenerative disease.  Meaning that it comes on over a long period of time and is caused by lifestyle choices.  Type II Diabetes is not a genetic disease and if you have diabetes in your family, you are not necessarily pre-destined to develop it.  With people in your family who have developed this deadly disease, you do have a higher risk because you may share similar diet and exercise routines (or lack thereof). 
• Type II Diabetes is also not "caused" by being overweight or obese, but on the contrary... being overweight or obese could be a warning sign that you are already Insulin Resistant or pre-diabetic.  It is becoming insulin resistant that contributes to excessive weight gain and if left untreated, could eventually result in Diabetes. 
• Dr. Ray Strand M.D. has practiced family medicine for over 30 years and during the last 13 years he has integrated nutritional medicine into his traditional medical practice.  Learn more about Dr. Ray Strand at his website www.bionutrition.org.  Dr. Strand explains how 75 % or more of Americans are in some state of insulin resistance, which is the first stage of Type II Diabetes.  Following a Low-Glycemic diet with moderate exercise can reverse insulin resistance and significantly reduce your risk of developing Type II Diabetes.  Learn more on insulin resistance by signing up for the 14-day FREE test drive of the Healthy Edge Program.
• According to a recent study, over 50% of Americans who retired early did so due to a health problem.  They were in some way forced into early unplanned retirement to care for themselves or family members due to health problems.  What's even more astounding is that only 10% of Americans who retired early (before age 65) did so for positive reasons.  How sad is it that so many of us are dealing with health crisis so early in life.
• Obese teens now have a life expectancy that is 10 or more years shorter than their healthy peers.
• A great article here says Teen Obesity Cuts Life Expectancy.  In this article, Dr. Ranveig Elvebakk, a bariatric physician, says that -"It is our culture that makes us fat; it's not genes," she says. "Our gene pool has remained unchanged over the past 59,000 years. There is no change in genes over the last 10 years. What makes us overweight is our lifestyle and the way we think about food, [and lack of physical activity]." 
• According to Dr. Seema Csukas, the Medical Director for Childrens' Healthcare of Atlanta, "Childhood obesity is a problem throughout America, but it’s an epidemic in Georgia, where approximately 37 percent of children ages 10 to 17 are overweight or obese."  This hits especially close to home for me as I am originally from North Georgia.  Dr. Csukas also reports that "Georgia is listed as the third-highest population of overweight and obese youths in the U.S."
  According to this report, as of "July 1, 2009 - Ohio has the 10th highest rate of adult obesity in the nation, at 28.6 percent and the 15th highest of overweight youths (ages 10-17) at 33.3 percent"
• Childhood obesity-related health care in the U.S. costs an estimated $14 billion a year, according to the study by researchers at Thomson Reuters.

Also, did you know...?

• Having live plants throughout your home can help to purify or filter the air and to rid the air you breathe of harmful toxins.
• Some experts say that drinking green tea during pregnancy can inhibit your body's absorption of folic acid.  Folic acid is the vital nutrient for a developing fetus' brain and nervous system.
• Your skin is the body's largest organ, and what you put on your skin can get into your system more quickly than what you ingest.  Most cosmetics and skin care products use some form of parabens as the preservative.  Parabens have been found in breast cancer tissues!!  There is no conclusive evidence that parabens actually cause cancer, but if it goes into your body and it isn't leaving, that's enough for my family to use ONLY paraben-free skin care products and cosmetics.  Check out my product page for the skin care products my family and I trust.  Read your labels and check for poly-parabens, methyl-parabens, ethyl-parabens, and the list goes on...
• Paraben-free is the recent buzz, but don't trust every product that says it is paraben-free.  There has to be some type of preservative or the product will be a breeding ground for bacteria. 
• Exposing plastics to extreme heat such as in a microwave or dishwasher can cause dangerous chemicals to be leaching into your foods and drinks.  If you must use a microwave, opt for the glass dish instead.  "As of December 2008, the Federal Drug Administration agreed to reconsider the health risks of BPA".  Notice the sudden flood of BPA-free baby bottles and pacifiers, cups, plates, and so much more.  I can't even count how many times I microwaved a bottle for a crying baby.  Goes to show, you can't always trust convenience.  The more research I do on healthy living, the more I find that getting back to basics and doing things the old fashioned way is most often the healthiest way.
• Increasing your Protein and Fiber intake can help turn your body into a fat-burning machine!  The Healthy Edge can show you how.

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