Amazing Every Day Health Benefits Of Pineapple | 7 Reasons to Eat Pineapple Every Day

Pineapple is a juicy, delicious and healthy fruit and there are many great reasons to consume it every day. One of the best things about pineapple is that it’s available in the grocery stores all year round, though the peak season for it runs from March to July. Since pineapple is easy to prepare, you can enjoy it with little effort daily or weekly. Check out seven reasons why you should include pineapple in your daily eating plan.

1. Versatile
There are many things to do with pineapple. You can chop it and mix with jalapenos and avocado for a tasty garnish that brings out the flavor in fish or chicken. I like combining chunks of pineapple with mango pieces, orange segments and kiwi slices for a wonderful tropical fruit salad. Give it a try, and it will be your favorite fruit salad all the year round.

2. Great taste

One of the best reasons to eat pineapple every day is because of its great taste. Pineapples are naturally sweet, juicy and incredibly tasty. You can eat them raw or cook with it. I usually add pineapple to my smoothies, salsa, Greek yogurt and fruit salads. If you can’t eat fresh pineapple, using it in your smoothies will be the best option for you.

3. Rich in antioxidants

We know that antioxidants are found in most vegetables and fruits, including pineapple. It’s essential to get enough antioxidants regularly since they combat free radical damage that plays a big role in heart disease and cancer. Free radicals come from an environmental toxins and poor, unhealthy diet so we cannot completely avoid them. However, adding pineapple to your eating plan will give you a bit of insurance.

4. High in Vitamin C

Vitamin C is essential for our immune system health and pineapple is packed with this vitamin. Getting enough Vitamin C on a daily basis will help you bypass that cold most people have right now. A one-cup serving of pineapple provides you with all the vitamin C you need for the whole day.

5. Low in calories

Fresh pineapple is really low in calories. One cup has less than 100 calories. Although pineapple is super sweet, you can include it in your healthy diet and don’t worry about weight gain. Sticking to a diet plan low in calories is one of the best ways to keep weight gain under control, so eating something that tastes good and contains fewer calories and less fat is just wonderful. Have pineapple with your lunch or eat it as a snack and keep your weight under control.

6. You can cook with pineapple

While pineapple is incredibly delicious raw, you can also cook with it. You can combine pineapple chunks with red bell pepper and chicken breasts in the slow cooker for a tasty sweet and sour chicken recipe. I like cooking chicken with teriyaki sauce and pineapple juice, shredding it up and serving it on buns for a Hawaiian dinner that my family always enjoys. For a delicious dessert, slice pineapple and grill it with honey.

7. Pineapple is easy to peel

Unfortunately, many people don’t buy pineapples because they think it’s difficult to prepare. But they actually aren’t. Just cut off ends of the pineapple, stand it up and slice the peel from top to bottom using a sharp knife. Then, cut the pineapple into 4 chunks, slice the core and cut it in bite-size pieces. Use them for your meals and if you have the leftovers, keep them in the fridge.

Pineapple has a lot of amazing health benefits and if you lead a healthy lifestyle, you should certainly include this fruit in your eating plan. How often do you eat pineapple? What’s your favorite way to enjoy pineapple?
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3D Mammograms: The Future Standard of Care for Breast Cancer

By Elizabeth Chabner Thompson, MD, MPH

 

We’ve been hearing a lot about a new technology in the breast cancer screening and diagnosis arena, and everyone seems a little confused. Let me help lend a little clarity (no pun intended) to 3D mammography, also known as tomosynthesis, or tomo.
The researchers taking the lead with this technology were looking for a way to get a 3D image of the breast without having to do an MRI. MRIs are costly, time consuming, and, for most women, TMI (too much information) ‒ a much more detailed diagnostic than clinically necessary.

The doctors had the brilliant idea of taking hundreds of X-rays of the breast using the “thin slice” concept and compiling them into three dimensions, sort of like a digital flip book. The scientific theory of parallax (using different lines of sight to replicate size, distance, and position of objects) was used to model the technology, and a company called Hologic, Inc. developed the first FDA-approved system using this idea.
The technology allows little cancers to be spotted easily before they have time to grow large and spread outside of the breast. Tissue lying above a little cancer can no longer block it from view. Many experts anticipate that tomo will replace mammography as the standard of care.

New Evidence of Better Cancer Detection

The good news is that a recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) demonstrated that the tomo technology enabled physicians to find more invasive cancers earlier.
Although it’s still premature, tomosynthesis looks very encouraging. In the study, tomo found 4.1 cancers for every 1,000 patients vs. 2.9 cancers for every 1,000 patients with digital mammography alone. That’s a more than 35 percent improvement in detection!
Keep in mind that even digital mammography is considered new compared with the standard hard film x-ray mammography, which is still widely in use.
The second important finding was that re-examination or “call backs” were needed less often, which means a reduction in the number of those dreaded telephone calls that start out with: “We need to take a few more pictures.” This saves lots of hours tracking people down to schedule additional appointments, doing tests, and interpreting results.
With traditional mammography, 107 out of every 1,000 women were called back; with tomo, only 91 out of every 1,000 women needed further study. That’s a drop of about 15 percent and translates into $1.2 billion savings in the United States alone, where about 38 million mammograms are done annually at an estimated cost of $8 billion.
Of the women undergoing tomo in the study, fewer needed biopsies. Of those who did need a biopsy, more women actually had cancer, and more of those cancers were the invasive ones that really needed to be detected at an early stage.
The study’s chair, Dr. Sarah Friedewald, remarked, “We found an increase in invasive cancers, the ones we worry about, that could be lethal.” She added: “We’re picking up the ones we want to be picking up. Overall, it’s very encouraging. We’re also reducing the number of people who have to come back.” So, even though more cancers were found, fewer additional biopsies were done, resulting in fewer “false maybes” and less needless worrying.
While tomo uses slightly more radiation than a traditional 2D mammography machine, the overall dose to a woman is still very low, at about 10 percent of the radiation one would be exposed to when flying from Los Angeles to Paris.

3D Mammograms: Hefty Price Tag Will Limit Availability

If there’s any bad news in all of this, it’s that the 3D mammography, or tomo, system costs about $500,000, about twice the cost of a standard digital mammography machine. Big hospital systems in densely populated areas will be able to get these machines sooner than smaller community or rural hospitals because they have the number of patients needed to support its cost. Obviously, if 100 women can have tomos on one machine each day, it is much more cost-effective than if five women come in for tomo per day in a rural area. Women who are at risk for breast cancer would be wise to travel to a place where they can have a 3D mammogram. It would be worth the trip.
Elizabeth Chabner Thompson, MD, MPH, is a radiation oncologist and founder of BFFL Co (Best Friends for Life), a maker of recovery kits, surgical and recovery bras, and other products for patients undergoing mastectomy and other surgeries or treatments for cancer and other conditions.

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Help Your Kids Love Their Bodies | How To Keep Kids Bodies Fit

Parent-Child Activities for Better Body Image

-- By Liza Barnes, Health Educator

 

Playing, friends, and homework are among the top things a kid thinks about during a day. But increasingly, one's body shape, size and appearance are competing thoughts. According to Kathy Kater, author of the book Real Kids Come in All Sizes (2004, Broadway Books), kids today are more worried than ever about their size. According to her book, nearly half of third- to sixth-grade girls of normal weight say they want to be thinner. And one-third of them have already restricted their eating to lose weight while 78 percent express fear of becoming fat. Females aren’t the only ones to succumb to the pressure to conform to a certain standard. Kater explains that the lean, sculpted male physique is increasingly presented as normal, causing young males to develop body image and eating problems, and worry when they don't have a six-pack.

Ironically, just as this preoccupation with body size is taking over the psyche of our youth, the health of our nation's children is plummeting. For the first time in two centuries, the current generation of American kids may have shorter life expectancies than their parents, according to a new report published in The New England Journal of Medicine. This anticipated drop is primarily due to the prevalence and severity of childhood obesity and its associated complications. So what’s a parent to do? How do you promote a healthy body size without instilling a preoccupation with it? You have to nurture a healthy body image.

“Body Image” is a term used to describe a person's perception of his or her own physical appearance. Someone with a healthy body image accepts his or her body as it is, while someone with an unhealthy body image sees his or her body as being unattractive or even repulsive. There is a broad spectrum of body image issues plaguing youth, and it is a complex problem without a quick fix. However, there are ways to prevent body image issues in your kids. To help your child achieve and maintain a healthy image of her body, it is important to first understand the combination of influences that contribute to an unhealthy body image in the first place. Then you can arm yourself with strategies to overcome them.

There are many influences that contribute to the unhealthy body image in youth, but one influence stands above the rest: the media. Open any magazine and you’re sure to find unrealistic ideals of beauty that could make anyone feel inferior. Turn on the television or a movie and you’ll see more of the same. But the answer is not to shelter your kids from these images. It is to help them understand them.

According to Kater, there are four common myths that parents need to address with their kids. Use the tips and activities below to combat negative influences and nurture the seeds of a healthy body image.

Myth #1: "How I look is more important than who I am.”

• Read “Beauty and the Beast,” and discuss the idea of objectification.
• Explore, together, the history of body ideals—corsets and Chinese foot binding are good places to start.
• Page through a magazine together, noticing the unrealistic images that predominate the pages. Search for realistic standards that promote self-esteem and healthy lifestyles.
• Watch a video that illustrates how the media's images of beauty are often fabricated.
• Emphasize inner qualities in your children. Complement their accomplishments, good deeds and personalities.

Myth #2: “Everyone can be thin if they work hard enough.”

• Teach your kids that every person has their own unique body type, and that complete control over body type and weight is not possible. Teach them that body shape is a lot like height—there’s not much they can do to change it.
• Help them recognize and appreciate the wide variety of body shapes and sizes. Looking at the different body types of athletes make good examples—jockeys, swimmers, runners, wrestlers and baseball players all have different strengths thanks to their body shapes.
• Help then understand that it is normal to experience an increase in body fat during puberty and throughout life. Teach them that this increase has a biological purpose.
• Model respect for diversity by showing appreciation of your own body type. Don’t let your kids overhear you complain about your thighs or lament about how much you overate.

Myth #3: “Dieting is effective.”

• Help them understand that severe caloric restriction is ineffective and unhealthy in the long term.
• Focus on eating more healthy foods rather than eating fewer foods.

Myth #4: “Eating healthy and exercising is too hard, and no fun!”

• Teach the importance of a balanced diet, and the pitfalls of relying on meals that provide little nourishment. The best way to teach this is by example.
• Teach the importance of an active lifestyle, and how it can be fun as well as health promoting. Get active with your kids.
• Choose fun fitness activities for that the whole family can enjoy.

Even when kids eat healthy foods and get plenty of exercise, there will still be a variety of body types, shapes and sizes. By teaching your children to accept and appreciate this diversity, they will become more accepting of themselves.

Cool Indoor Workouts for Hot Days | 5 Hot Days Indoor Workouts

 

 Summer is a great time of year to get outside for some fresh air and physical activity.  Unlike the dark mornings and evenings of winter, summer provides plenty of daylight hours for a walk, run or swim in the pool.  But as the temperature climbs, there could be days when it's just too hot to safely exercise outside.  Does that give you an excuse to skip your workout?  Not a chance!

There are lots of ways to exercise indoors, which can help you stay safe, cool and comfortable.  Then after the hard work is done, you can relax with a cold drink, feeling proud that you stayed consistent with your workout routine.  Here are some ideas to get you started.

Workout Videos
You don't have to spend hundreds of dollars on the latest fitness craze to get a good workout from at home. Exercise videos can add variety to your routine for little to no money. Coach Nicole created a variety of free fitness videos for SparkPeople, including strength training, cardio, Pilates and more.  Many of them are 15-minutes or less, so they can easily be incorporated into your busy schedule.  YouTube and your local library are two other places to look for free video options.

If you are planning to spend money to purchase videos, check out the reviews first.  Amazon offers a rating system so you can see what other people thought of the workout.  This way you know your money will be well spent.

Create Your Own Circuit
Circuit training is a great way to combine cardio and strength training into one efficient workout.  Here is one easy way to create your own at-home routine:

1. Make a list of cardio and strength exercises you can do at home with whatever equipment you have available. 
2. Choose 3-5 cardio exercises and 3-5 strength exercises for your routine.
3. Start with a 5-minute warm up, followed by the first strength exercise for 8-12 repetitions, then the first cardio exercise for 30-90 seconds.  Alternate strength and cardio exercises for the duration of the workout, followed by a 5-minute cool down and stretch at the end. 

You can add additional sets to each strength exercise, vary the length of each cardio burst, and do as many different activities as you'd like for the duration of the workout.  This way you can customize the workout to meet your needs and fitness level.

Create a Basic Home Gym
It would be nice to have a treadmill, stationary bike or elliptical at home for days when the temperature soars, but few of us have the funds—or the space—for all that pricey equipment.  However, resistance bands, hand weights (dumbbells), a jump rope or stability ball can work your body head-to-toe for less than $25 per item.  Here are some other tips for building a home gym on a tight budget.  This investment gives you good options for days when it's too hot, too cold or you're too tight on time to leave the house for a workout.  
 
Turn Your Chores Into a Workout!
Housecleaning is a necessity of life, but not something most of us enjoy.  Why not check two tasks off your to-do list by turning your chores into a workout?  Take extra trips up and down the stairs to do laundry, add in some squats when you unload the dishwasher or calf raises while you're cooking at the stove.  Remember, all of this extra movement throughout the day adds up.  Find some other fun ways to get a great workout by cleaning house.
    
Consider a Gym Membership
Since the January gym rush is long over, summer is often a good time to find a deal on a local gym membership.   Visit the gyms in your area to see what kind of specials they are running (including month-to-month or short-term contracts), and don't be afraid to ask for a better deal.  Many times gyms are willing to negotiate in order to get your business.  Here are some other ways to save money when joining a gym. 

Have a Plan
As the seasons change, you can expect that there will be days when you can't get outside to exercise.  Instead of letting it frustrate you or derail your routine, plan ahead.  Have a few videos on hand (either DVDs or streaming online workouts) or print out a few of the workouts on SparkPeople (such as the Rainy Day Workout, The Bikini Workout or Over 110 Cardio Workout Ideas.)  With a little planning and creativity, the possibilities for cool summer workouts are endless!

Exercising in the summer heat: Do you love it or hate it? What are some of your favorite indoor or  no-sweat workouts for hot weather?  Share them below!