Premiere Issue Boulder Healthy Cells 2011
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Transcript of Premiere Issue Boulder Healthy Cells 2011
New Hope for Pets with
Cancer page 17
Skin Cancer Awareness &
Prevention — While Living a
Mile High page 22
Wise Life Insurance Decisions
page 25
Premiere issue 2011 FREE
PromotingHealthier Living in Your Community
• Physical
• emotional
• Nutritional
GREATER BOULDER COUNTY
HealthyCellsM A G A Z I N Ewww.healthycellsmagazine.com
TM
Alleman Family DentalTaking the Scare Out of Dental Care
page 14
Premiere Issue 2011 — Boulder County — Healthy Cells Magazine — Page 3
welcome letter
Welcome to the Greater Boulder County Healthy Cells Magazine premiere issue.
BoulderCounty isblessedtohaveaccesstosomeofthegreatestoutdooractivitiesinthecountryandmoreimportantlypeoplewhotakeadvantageof theseactivi-ties.Beingphysicallyactiveisagreatstartindevelopingyourownpersonalhealthprogram.Weneedtobeequallyawareofouremotionalandnutritionalhealthneeds. Healthy Cells Magazine brings a unique perspec-tivetothehealthconscienceindividual.Themajorityofthearticlesarewrittenbylocalhealthcareprofessionalsandbecauseof this they tend to appealmoredirectlyto the needs and concerns of people in and aroundBoulderCounty.Howweasindividualsdealwithourhealthdecisionscanbegreatlyinfluencedbythosearoundus.Healthy Cells Magazinewillpresentapositiveandinforma-tivehealthbasedcontentfromlocalpeoplewhoknowthelocalcommunitybest. When dealing with your personal or loved one’shealth it is importanttokeepinformedofhealth indus-tryresearchandtechnology.Betterawarenessofyourphysical,emotionalandnutritionalneedswillhelpyoumakebetter decisions, stay healthier and indoing sohelpthosearoundyou. LookforyourownFREEissueofHealthy Cells Maga-zineathundredsoflocationsthroughoutBoulderCounty.Feel free to takeacopywithyouandpass it along tosomeonewhomayalsobenefit fromit.TheadvertisersinHealthy Cellswouldlovetohearfromyouorhaveyouvisit.Boththeadvertisersandauthorsarecommittedtohelpingyouwithyourhealthneeds,questionsandlifestyle.Mythanksgoesouttothemandtoyouasthereader. Iamexcitedtobringyouthisfirstissueandlookfor-wardtomanymoredowntheroad.Feelfreetocontactmewithanyquestionsatbrian@healthycellsmagazine.com.Havefunandstayhealthy!Sincerely,
BrianCoates,OwnerHealthyCellsMagazine,GreaterBoulderCounty
“Our goal is to
provide you with
the information
you need to live a
healthier life.”
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Welcome Letter:FromTheOwner
Hearing Technology:Tinnitus
Emotional:ABriefBehavioralInterventionCanReduceDepressioninStrokeSurvivors
Nutritional:HeartHealth
Physical:“WhenShouldIFixMyBunion?”
Environmental Health:Earth-FriendlyHouseholdTipsMadeEasy
Salt Therapy:SaltGivesBreathofLifetoGirlWithCysticFibrosis
Veterinary Technology:NewHopeforPetswithCancer
Children’s Health:KnowtheGLOW
Healthy Benefits:MoreOliveOilinDietCouldCutStrokeRisk
Family Health:WarmWeatherSafetyforOlderAdults
Healthy Aging:SkinCancerAwarenessandPrevention
Women’s Health:StrangeMigrationsandKillerCramps
Healthy Living:Carl’sCalltoBike
Future Planning:WiseLifeInsuranceDecisions
P R E M I E R E I S S U E
Mission:TheobjectiveofHealthyCellsMagazineistopromoteastrongerhealth-consciouscommunitybymeansofofferingeducationandsupportthroughthecooperativeeffortsamongesteemedhealthandfitnessprofessionalsinBoulderCounty.
HealthyCellsMagazineisintendedtoheightenawarenessofhealthandfitnessinformationanddoesnotsuggestdiagnosisortreatment.Thisinformationisnotasubstituteformedicalattention.Seeyourhealthcareprofessionalformedicaladviceandtreatment.Theopinions,statements,andclaimsexpressedbythecolumnists,advertisers,andcontributorstoHealthyCellsMagazinearenotnecessarilythoseoftheeditorsorpublisher.
HealthyCellsMagazineisavailableFREEinhightrafficlocationsthroughouttheGreaterBoulderCounty,includingmedicalfacilitiesandotherwaitingrooms.HealthyCellsMagazinewelcomescontributionspertainingtohealthierlivingintheGreaterBoulderCounty.LimelightCommunications,Inc.assumesnoresponsibilityfortheirpublicationorreturn.Solicitationsforarticlesshallpertaintophysical,emotional,andnutritionalhealthonly.
HealthyCellsMagazineisadivisionof:
1711W.DetweillerDr.,Peoria,IL61615•Ph:309-681-4418Fax:[email protected]
Foradvertisinginformation,contactBrianCoates,ownerat720-398-0968,[email protected]
2011This Month’s Cover Story:
Taking the Scare Out of Dental Care page14
Premiere Issue 2011 — Boulder County — Healthy Cells Magazine — Page 5
Onein6AmericansSufferfromTinnitusandmosthavebeentoldthereisnothingthatcanbedoneabout it. Ifyousufferfromringinginyourearsoranyotherpersistentnoisesuchasahigh
pitchedwhining,buzzing,hissing,humming,whistling,ticking,clicking,roaringorothersoundsyoumayhavetinnitus. Theconstantnoisefromtinnituscancauseserioushealthprob-lems,includingemotionaldistress,anditmayhaveanenormousim-pactoneverydayliving. Tinnituscanbeasymptomofanotherphysicalproblem,aresultofanaccidentorasideeffectofmedication.Manytimestinnitushasnodeterminablecause.Assuch,manyhavebeentoldthereisnothingthatcanbedoneandthatit’ssomethingtheymustlearntolivewith.Thisissimplynottrueinmostcasesandtinnituscanbesuccessfullyevaluatedandtreatedbyatrainedprofessional. Treatmentplans for tinnitusshouldbecustomized for the indi-vidual,theirlifestyleandtheseverityofthetinnitusitself.Forexample,oftentimespeoplewithtinnitusalsohavehearing loss.Newhearingaidtechnologycanbeveryeffectiveatmakingindividualswithhearinglosslessawareofthetinnituswhilewearingthehearingaids.Hearingaidsmaymakeiteasiertohearoverthetinnitussoyoudonotneedtostrugglewithhearinglossandtinnitussimultaneously. Hearingaidstypicallyworkbyblockingoutannoyingenvironmentalnoisessuchasfannoise,carnoiseoranyothersteady-statenoise,butforpatientswithtinnitus,thismaymakethesoundsoftinnitusmoreno-ticeable.Manypeoplewithtinnitusalsohavesensitivitytoloudsounds(hyperacusis),sohearingaidsneed tobespeciallyprogrammed toensurethatsoundsarewithinthepatient’sloudnesstolerancelevels.Aprofessionalhearingaidfittingcansolvethistrickyproblem. Ifyouhavebeentoldthatthere’snothingthatcanbedonetostoptheaggravatingnoiseinyourhead,takeheart.
Medical Breakthrough in Tinnitus Treatment EnterNeuromonics-adevicedesignedspecificallyforthetreatmentoftinnitus.Neuromonicsisnotahearingaidoradevicetomaskthesound.
It’satechnologicalbreakthroughintreatmentforthisdebilitatingdisease.Neuromonicsreducessymptomsquicklyandlastslong-termbecauseitaddressestheunderlyingneurologicalcausesoftinnitus.Itisalsotheonlyclinicallyvalidated,FDA-clearedtreatmentforpeople18andover.
Neuromonics 101 Neuromonicsisanon-invasiveprocedurethatrequiresnomedicineorsurgery.Neuromonicstreatmentbeginswithathoroughhearingevaluationtodeterminetheexactfrequencyandpitchofthesoundthatisbothersome.Thatpitchisthenembeddedintomusicforyoutolistentoonadevicesimi-lartoanMP3player.Thecustomizedmusichelpstore-trainyourbraintoignoretheannoyingsounds.Neuromonicsoftenprovidesimmediate,andmoreimportantly,long-lastingrelief.TherevolutionaryNeuromonicsTinnitusTreatmenthasbeenshowninclinicaltrialstoresultinasignificantimprove-mentintinnitussymptoms.Over90%ofpeoplewhosufferfromtinnitusexperiencedarelieffromtinnitus,animprovedabilitytofallasleep,asenseofcontrolovertheirtinnitus,andreduceddisturbancefromtheirtinnitus. TheNeuromonicsTinnitusTreatmentPlan involves listening to anacousticsignal,embeddedinmusic,whichiscustomizedforeachperson’suniquehearingprofile.Thispleasantandrelaxingsignaltargetsyourbrain’sneuralpathwaysandre-programsthemtofilteroutthetinnitussoundwhilereducingthedisturbanceandimpactoftinnitusonyourqualityoflife. Overaperiodofsixmonths,thetreatmentisdeliveredbylisteningtoapersonalizedmedicaldevice-theNeuromonicsProcessor-foracoupleofhoursaday.Itiscompactandlightweightwhichmakesiteasytoincorporatetreatmentintoyourlifestyle. ThereareveryfewAudiologistsinColoradowhospecializeinthetreatmentoftinnitus.Dr.JulieEschenbrenner,Au.D.hasundergonespecialtrainingintheevaluationandtreatmentoftinnitus.AprogramofvisitswithDr.Eschenbrennerhelpstoguideandsupportyourprogressthroughouttreatmenttoensureyoureceivemaximumbenefits.
For more information on Dr. Julie visit our website: www.flatironsaudiology.com or call 303.664.9111
hearing technology
TINNITUS: What’s That Ringing
In My Ears? Submitted By Flatirons Audiology
Page 6 — Healthy Cells Magazine — Boulder County — Premiere Issue 2011
emotional
Anurse-ledbehavioralinterventioncanreducethe incidenceofdepression instrokesurvi-vors,accordingtotheresultsofastudypub-
lishedintherecentissueofthejournalStroke.Theintervention,calledLivingWellwithStroke(LWWS),providedindividualizedcounselingsessionsaimedatincreasingpleasantsocialinteractionsandphysi-cal activity as a way to elevate mood, and wasdesignedtobeusedaloneorinconjunctionwithan-tidepressantmedications.ThisstudywasfundedbytheNationalInstituteofNursingResearch(NINR),acomponentoftheNationalInstitutesofHealth(NIH). Astrokeoccurswhen thebloodsupply toapartofthebrainbecomesblockedorinterrupted,leadingtobraindamageintheaffectedarea.Strokesurvivorscanexperiencearangeofaftereffects,in-cludingimpairedmobilityorparalysis,pain,speechandlanguageproblems,andalteredcognition.Asmanyasone-thirdofstrokesurvivorsalsodeveloppost-strokedepression (PSD),whichmay includeintense feelings of loss, anger, sadness, and/orhopelessness. Comparedtostrokesurvivorswithoutdepres-sion, those with PSD tend to have a poorer re-sponsetorehabilitation,alongerdelayinreturningtowork,moresocialwithdrawal,andincreaseduseofhealthcareservices.Theyarealsoathigherriskforsubsequentstrokes,cardiacevents,anddeath.Whileantidepressantmedicationshaveshownvary-ingdegreesofshort-termefficacyforPSDpatients,fewstudieshaveexaminednon-pharmacologicin-terventionsorlong-termoutcomes. Inaclinicaltrial involvingover100strokesur-vivorswhoexhibitedsymptomsofPSD,Dr.Mitch-ell’sresearchteamcomparedLWWSagainstusualpost-strokecare.Thestudyparticipantsrangedinagefrom25to88years,and59percentweremale.Inaddition,over70percenthadexperiencedatleastoneepisodeofdepressionpriortotheirstroke,and60percentweretakinganantidepressantmedica-tionatentryintothestudy.Allparticipantsreceivedstandardpost-strokeinformationandcontinuedtoseetheirprimarycareproviderforongoingmedicalcare. Those assigned to the LWWS program re-ceivedninecounselingsessionsovertwomonthswithaspeciallytrainedstrokerehabilitationnurse.Inthesesessions,thenursetaughttheparticipantsproblem-solvingskillsandhelpedthemdevelopre-alistictreatmentgoals.Inaddition,severalsessionswere devoted to improving mood by helping the
A Brief Behavioral Intervention Can Reduce Depression in Stroke Survivors
Information from The National Institute of Health
Premiere Issue 2011 — Boulder County — Healthy Cells Magazine — Page 7
Stroke Warning Signs
• NUMBNESSORWEAKNESSOFTHEFACE,ARMORLEG,ESPECIALLYONONESIDEOFTHEBODY
• CONFUSION,TROUBLESPEAKING ORUNDERSTANDING
• TROUBLESEEINGINONEOR BOTHEYES
• TROUBLEWALKING,DIZZINESS,LOSSOFBALANCEORCOORDINATION
• SEVEREHEADACHEWITHNOKNOWNCAUSE
Immediatelycall9-1-1oryouremergencyresponsenumbersoanambulance(ideallywithadvancedlifesupport)canbesentforyou.Also,check the time soyou’ll knowwhen the firstsymptomsappeared.It’sveryimportanttotakeimmediateaction.Ifgivenwithinthreehoursofthestartofsymptoms,aclot-bustingdrugcalledtissueplasminogenactivator(tPA)canreducelong-termdisabilityforthemostcommontypeofstroke.tPAistheonlyFDA-approvedmedi-cationforthetreatmentofstrokewithinthreehoursofstrokesymptomonset. A TIA, or transient ischemic attack, is a“warning stroke” or “mini-stroke” that pro-duces stroke-like symptoms but no lastingdamage. Recognizing and treating TIAsmayreduceyourriskofamajorstroke.TheusualTIAsymptomsarethesameasthoseofstroke,only temporary.Theshortdurationof thesesymptomsandlackofpermanentbrain injuryisthemaindifferencebetweenTIAandstroke.
participantsidentifyandincreasetheirparticipationinpleasantsocialeventsandphysicalactivities,suchasbeingwithfamily, listeningtomusic,reading,solvingapuzzle,orlearningsomethingnew. “IndesigningLWWS,wereasonedthatchangingthebehaviorscommonlyassociatedwithdepressionthroughanindividualizedcoun-selingprogramwouldleadtoamoreeffectiveandlonger-lastingel-evationofmoodthanisoftenseenwithmedicationsalone,”saidDr.PamelaMitchell,theprincipalinvestigatorofthestudy. “Individualswhohavesufferedastrokeoftenmustmakeadapta-tionsintheirlivesandlearntocopewithnewlimitations,bothphysicalandcognitive.Depressionduringtherecoveryperiodcaninterferewiththeirabilitytofullyengageintheirtreatmentregimenorreturntofamilyandwork,”notedDr.PatriciaA.Grady,theNINRDirector. DepressionscoresintheLWWSgroupweresignificantlyloweraftertreatmentandataoneyearfollow-upcomparedtothecontrolgroup.Inaddition,moreparticipantsintheLWWSgroupachievedremission—withscoresnolongermeetingthecriteriafordepression—comparedtothecontrolgroupbothimmediatelyaftertreatment(47percentvs.19percent),andataone-yearfollow-up(48percentvs.27percent).Attwoyears,depressionscorescontinuedtodecreaseandremissionratescontinuedtoincreaseforbothgroups,althoughthegapnarrowedsothatthedifferenceswerenolongerstatisticallysignificant.Forboththeinterventionandcontrolgroups,patientsinremissionatoneyearhadsignificantlyhigherscoresinperceivedability,recovery,andsocialparticipationthanthosewhowerenot. “ThesuccessofLWWSshowstheimportanceof includingbe-havioralstrategiesinthecareofstrokesurvivors.Webelieveourstudyisthefirst toreportaclinicallysignificantreduction indepression inthesepatientsoveralongterm,”saidDr.Mitchell.“Wealsoshowedthatachievingremissionfromdepressionbyanymeansisanimportanttreatmentgoalthatcouldpromoterecoveryandsociability.” “Thisstudyhasthepotentialtoaddanothertoolforhealthcareprofessionals touse inhelping individualscope followingastroke,”addedDr.Grady.“Alsoofnote,theLWWSprogramincludedinstruc-tion to help family members and other informal caregivers identifyresourcesandsupportservicesasawaytoreducetheircaregivingburden,animportantaspectofcomprehensivepost-strokecare.” NINR supports basic and clinical research that develops theknowledgetobuildthescientificfoundationforclinicalpractice,preventdiseaseanddisability,manageandeliminatesymptomscausedbyill-ness,andenhanceend-of-lifeandpalliativecare.FormoreinformationaboutNINR,visittheWebsiteatwww.ninr.nih.gov. TheNational InstitutesofHealth (NIH)—TheNation’sMedicalResearchAgency—includes27InstitutesandCentersandisacom-ponentoftheU.S.DepartmentofHealthandHumanServices. It istheprimaryfederalagencyforconductingandsupportingbasic,clini-calandtranslationalmedicalresearch,anditinvestigatesthecauses,treatments,andcuresforbothcommonandrarediseases.For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov
“ThesuccessofLWWSshowsthe
importanceofincludingbehavioral
strategiesinthecareofstrokesurvivors.”
Page 8 — Healthy Cells Magazine — Boulder County — Premiere Issue 2011
nutritional
Louisiana Chicken and VegetablesServes 4; 3 ounces chicken and 1/2 cup vegetables per serving
Takeacolorfulbreakfromrice,potatoes,andpasta—usecorninstead.Itisawholegrainandprovidestexture,fiber,andgreattaste,too!
4boneless,skinlesschickenbreasthalves(about4ounceseach),allvisiblefatdiscarded2teaspoonssalt-freeCajunorCreoleseasoningblend1/2teaspoondriedthyme,crumbled1/2teaspoonsalt,divideduse1tablespooncanolaorcornoil,divideduse11/2cupsfrozenwhole-kernelcorn,thawedandpatteddry
1cupchoppedredbellpepper1/2cupcarrotinmatchstick-sizepieces1/2cupchoppedonion(yellowpreferred)1/4cupwater1/4teaspoonblackpepper(coarselygroundpreferred)Redhot-peppersaucetotaste(optional)
Sprinklethechickenonbothsideswiththeseasoningblend,thyme,and1/4teaspoonsalt. Inalargenonstickskillet,heat1teaspoonoilovermedium-highheat,swirlingtocoatthebottom.Cookthechickenfor3to5minutesoneachside,oruntilnolongerpinkinthecenter.Transfertoaservingplatterandcovertokeepwarm. Addtheremaining2teaspoonsoiltotheskillet,swirlingtocoatthebottom.Cookthecorn,bellpepper,carrot,andonionfor4to6minutes,oruntilbeginningtobrownontheedges,stir-ringfrequently.Removefromtheheat. Stirinthewater,blackpepper,andremaining1/4teaspoonsalt.Spoonaroundthechicken.Servewiththehot-peppersauce.
Cook’s Tip:Ifsalt-freeCajunorCreoleseasoningblendishardtofind,youcanmakeyourowninajiffy.Justcombinethefollow-inginasmallbowl:11/2teaspoonseachchilipowder,groundcumin,garlicpowder,onionpowder,paprika,andblackpepper.Forahottermixture,stirinupto3/8teaspooncayenne.Use2teaspoonsoftheblendforthisrecipeandstoretherest inanairtightjartoseasonawidevarietyoffood,suchasbakedfries(whiteorsweetpotatoes),othervegetables,orseafood,includingcatfishandshrimp.Youmaywanttoturnonyourexhaustfanwhenusingthisandotherblackeningseasoningsovermedium-highorhighheat.
NUTRITIONANALYSIS(perserving)Calories 243TotalFat 5.5gSaturatedFat 0.5gTransFat 0.0gPolyunsaturatedFat 1.5gMonounsaturatedFat 2.5gCholesterol 66mgSodium 381mgCarbohydrates 20gFiber 3gSugars 5gProtein 29g
DietaryExchanges:1starch,1vegetable,3leanmeat
These recipes are brought to you by the American Heart Association’s Face the Fats campaign. Recipe copyright © 2009 by the American Heart Association. Look for other delicious recipes in American Heart Association cookbooks, available from booksellers
everywhere, and at deliciousdecisions.org.
Heart Health
Premiere Issue 2011 — Boulder County — Healthy Cells Magazine — Page 9
Grilled Chicken with Strawberry and Pineapple SalsaServes 4; 3 ounces chicken and 1/2 cup salsa per serving
Grilled pineapple and fresh mint and strawberries combine with tangy lemon and a bit of hot pepper flakes to make an interesting salsa for grilled chicken.
1teaspooncanolaorcornoil
Salsa2slicesfreshpineapple,each1/2inchthick,patteddry1cupwholestrawberries(about5ounces),diced1/4cupfinelychoppedredonion3to4tablespoonschoppedfreshmintleaves1to2teaspoonssugar1/8teaspooncrushedredpepperflakes1mediumlemon
Chicken4boneless,skinlesschickenbreasthalves(about4ounceseach),allvisiblefatdiscarded
2teaspoonssalt-freesteakseasoningblend1/4teaspoonsalt
Preheat the grill on medium high.Brushagrillpanorgrillrackwiththeoil.Heat thegrillpanorrackonthegrill forabout2minutes,oruntilhot.Grillthepine-applefor2minutesoneachside.Trans-fertoacuttingboardandletcoolslightly,about2minutes,beforechopping. Meanwhile,inamediumbowl,stirtogethertheremainingsalsaingredientsexcept the lemon. Grate 1 teaspoonlemon zest, reserving the lemon. Stirthe zest and chopped pineapple intothestrawberrymixture.Setaside. Sprinklebothsidesof thechickenwiththeseasoningblendandsalt.Grillfor
5minutesoneachside,oruntilnolon-gerpinkinthecenter.Transfertoplates.Squeeze the reserved lemon over thechicken.Servewiththesalsaontheside.
NUTRITIONANALYSIS(perserving)Calories 191TotalFat 3.0gSaturatedFat 0.5gTransFat 0.0gPolyunsaturatedFat 0.5gMonounsaturatedFat 1.0gCholesterol 66mgSodium 223mgCarbohydrates 14gFiber 2gSugars 10gProtein 27g
DietaryExchanges:1fruit,3veryleanmeat
Page 10 — Healthy Cells Magazine — Boulder County — Premiere Issue 2011
physical
Oneofthemostcommonlyencounteredstructuraldeformitiesof the foot is referred toasabuniondeformity. Theword“bunion”referstoanenlargementofthegreattoejointwhich
isaccompaniedbythebigtoedriftingtowardsandusuallyunderthesecondtoe. Reconstructivefootsurgeryisoneofthefocalpointsofmyprofes-sionallife.Asyoucanimagine,Iamsomewhatopinionatedastotheanswertotheabovequestion.Mygoalinthisarticleistobrieflyexplainthebasicprocessofevaluationofbuniondeformityandthedecision-makingprocesswhichinfluencesthechoicebetweenconservativeandsurgicalcare. Thefirstjobforanyoneconsideringtreatmentfortheirbunionistobecomeawellinformedconsumer.Whenyougotoseeaspecialisttoevaluateyourfeet,don’tgoinwiththeideathatyou’regoingtobeschedulingsurgicalrepairofthefootdeformity.Rather,goingwiththemindsetthatyouaretheretolearn,inasgreatdetailaspossible,aboutthecauseof thedeformityandtheentireconservativeandsurgicaltreatmentparadigmaswellastherisk/benefitratioofeach.Seekingreferralsfromfamilyandfriends,physicaltherapistsandespeciallyfromyourprimarycarephysicianisagoodwaytostartyoursearch.TheInternetcanalsobequiteinformativeasweallknow,andifyouwork
yourwaypastallofthefluffandslickadvertising,andfindyourwaytoreputablepeerreviewedorevidence-basedmedicalinformation,youwillfindyourselfwithaverysoundbasisforyoureducationalprocess.Iampersonallyanadvocateforandverysupportiveofobtainingmultipleopinionsaswell. I findmyselfblessedtopractice inapartof thecountrywherethepopulationisextremelywell-informed,health-conscious,activeandgenerallyquitefit.Overmymanyyears inprivatepractice,thishasstronglyinfluencedmewhenconsideringsurgicalversusconservativecareinmyrecommendations. Averybasicclassificationforbuniondeformitymightbe“mild,mod-erateorsevere”.Buniondeformitiesgenerallywillprogress“very,veryslowly”overtheyears,andatsomepointtheprogressionofthedefor-mityincreasesto“slowly”.Thatistosay,youwillnotexperiencearapidchangeinashortperiodoftimehoweverthereisarelativeincreaseintherateoftheprogressionofthedeformity.Ihavehadmanypatientswhohavesaid“youknow,I’vehadthisbunionmywholelifebutIreallyseethebigtoestartingtodriftovermoreandnowmysecondtoeisstickingupintheairandIthinkit’stimetofixmybunion”.TypicallywhenIevalu-atecasessuchasthis,IfrequentlyfindmyselfwishingthatIhadmetthisfootseveralyearsbeforewhenthedeformitywasnotassevere.
“When Should I Fix My Bunion?”By Dr. Thomas E. Shonka, Foot and Ankle Care Boulder County
Premiere Issue 2011 — Boulder County — Healthy Cells Magazine — Page 11
Myratherstrongbiasisfoundedintheawarenessthatrepairofabuniondeformitycanbecomparedtocarpentrywork.Thelessseverethedeformity,thelesscomplextherepair.Icanhonestlystatethatmyskillsasacarpenterarechallengedonaregularbasis;bythisImeanthatmanypeoplewilltendtoputoffrepairofabuniondeformityuntilitrequiresamorecomplexrepair.Themorecomplextherepair,thegreaterthemarginoferrormaybecome.Generally,themorecomplexthecarpentryworkthegreaterthehasslefactorforthecarpenteraswellasthepatientinthepostoperativecare.Thebestexampleisthatthemoreseveredeformitiesmostfrequentlywillrequireextendedperi-odsofnon-weight-bearingaftersurgery. IhaveadefinitionofwhatIconsidera“perfectbunion”.IfIseeamoderatedeformitywhichisattachedtosomeonewhoishealthy,youngand fit, that’smy idealscenario in theoperating room. Therepairworkislesscomplexandmorereproducible.Thereisasmallermarginoferror.Healthyandfitpatientsaremotivated,theytendtohealquickerandwhenIamabletoworkwithgoodbonedensitythingsaremoresecureandpredictable.Ihaveseenmanyelderlypatientsovertheyearswithadvancedfootdeformitiesthatsignificantlyimpacttheirhealthandqualityoflifebecauseoftheimpactontheiractivitylevelastheyage.Thisistheindividualwhowouldhavebeenbestservedbyaddressingtheproblemearlierinlife. Typicallybuniondeformitiesarerepairedinanoutpatientsetting,underlocalanesthesiawithintravenoussedationprovidedbyanan-esthesiologistwhomonitorsthepatientcontinuously.OurpatientswillreturnhomeimmediatelyafterthesurgeryandIliketotellthemthattheyshouldbe“captainofthesofateam”forthefirstweekorso.Su-tureremovalwilloccuratapproximately10daysandwhentheincision
iswellhealed,aroundtwoweeksaftersurgery,Iencouragemypatientstogetintothepooltostartswimmingandbeginasupervisedphysicaltherapyrehabilitationcourse.Crutchesmaybeusedforseveraldayswhenalessseveredeformityisrepairedorfrom4to6oreveneightweeksinsomecasesofmoreseveredeformity.Regardlessofthetypeofrepairperformed,I liketotellmypatientstothinkoftherecoveryasa“six-monthhealingjourney,”mostlycompletedinthefirsteightweeks.Abouttheeighthpostoperativeweek,youwillgenerallyseeabout80%ofthehealinghasoccurred.Thefootisstillthickerthanthenon-operatedfootandwitheverystepyoutakethereisapartofyourbrainthattellsyou,“becareful-youhadsurgeryeightweeksago,”howeveryou’restartingtolookatthelightattheendofthetunnelandmostofyouractivitieshavecomebackintoyourlife.Theslopeofthehealingcurveisrathersteepandpeopleseerapidimprovementinthefirsteightweeks,andthenafterthatthingsslowdownandthefinalap-proximate20%ofhealingoccursinthenextfourmonths.Anathleteactiveinrunningsportsmostfrequentlywillreturntofullspeedabouthalfwaythroughthissix-monthjourney. Adetailedhistoryandphysicalexaminationalongwithx-rayevalu-ationisessentialinevaluatingbuniondeformity.Beingawareofthede-greeofthedeformity,thepotentialforprogressionandtherepairoptionswillgiveyouthenecessaryinformationtomakeaninformeddecision.
Dr. Thomas E. Shonka is: Fellow, American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons Diplomat, American Board of Podiatric Surgery Fellow and Past Pres., American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine. He can be reached at Foot and Ankle Care of Boulder at 303-449-2000, or visit the clinic’s website at www.facboulder.net.
Page 12 — Healthy Cells Magazine — Boulder County — Premiere Issue 2011
environmental health
According to the U.S. EnvironmentalProtectionAgency,morethan90per-centofAmericanswanttoprotectthe
environment.Despite thedesire tocare fortheearth,only33percentoftrashintheU.S.actuallygetsrecycled,and54percentgetsburiedinlandfills.Withsustainablelivingbe-comingmore top-of-mind,Ziplocwants toempowerfamiliestogetinvolvedinrecyclingefforts. Inanefforttooffsettheamountofprod-uct waste that could potentially end up inlandfillsandmotivatefamiliestodotheirparttoprotecttheenvironmentforfuturegenera-tions,ZiplochaspartneredwithRecyclebank,the leadingsustainableactionplatformde-signedtomotivateandenableindividualstomakeacollectiveimpactontheenvironment.Fromrecyclingandreusingeverydaykitch-enwaretobeingmindfulofwaterandenergyusage,familiescanincorporatethesesimple,earth-friendlytipsintotheirkitchenroutines:
Increase Recycling Efforts Recycle itemsthatyounolongerneedand participate in community recycling ini-tiatives.Communitysupportforrecyclingofcommon and uncommon goods can varyfromplace toplace. In fact, cleananddryZiplocBrandSandwich,FreezerandStorageBagsarenowacceptedatexistingin-storerecyclingbinsthatacceptplasticshoppingbagsforrecyclingatapproximately18,000participatingretailersnationwide.
Use “Smart” Kitchen Supplies Whenbuyingsuppliesforyourkitchen—whetheranappliance,cookingpanorpieceofcutlery—choosedurableandhighqualitykitchenwaretowithstandthetestoftime.Also,saveenergy(andpo-tentiallyreduceyourgasbill)byusingsmallerapplianceswhencookingsmallamountsoffood.Forexample,heatingwaterinanelectrickettleratherthanateapotonthestoveorcookingsmallormediumsizedportionsoffoodinthemicrowaveinsteadoftheregularovenuselessenergy.
Store Meals in Reusable and Multi-Purpose Containers Whenpreparingandstoringmealsforthefamily,tryusingZiplocBrandContainers,whichareavailableinavarietyofsizesandshapes.Theynotonlyhelpfamiliesstayorganizedandgetmoreoutofmeals(andreducewaste)bykeepingfoodfresh,buttheyarealsomicro-waveable,freezer-safeandareperfectforstoringleftoversorcarryinglunchtowork.
Conserve the Household Water Supply Foracoldbeverage,keepacoolpitcherofwater in the fridge insteadof letting thetaprununtilwatergetscold.Refillonewaterglassorreusablebottlethroughoutthedayso therewillbe fewer items towash.Aftereating,don’trinsedisheswithwater—justscrapeofftheexcessfoodandloaddirectlyintothedishwasher.TestsbyConsumerRe-ports showed that pre-rinsing usually isn’tnecessaryandbyskipping ityoucansave20gallonsofwaterperload.
ThroughitspartnershipwithRecyclebank,Ziplocisofferinganotheroptiontogetinvolvedandhelptheenvironmentbyincentivizingfami-liestoinspirechange.Together,theyarecom-mittedtomotivateandrewardconsumerswhotakesustainableactions.Toearnrewards,visitwww.recyclebank.com/ziplocandpledgetore-cycleZiplocBrandBagsandpackaging.Soon,speciallymarkedpackagesofthebagswillbeavailableforpurchase.Simplyenterthecodefrominsidethemarkedpackagesatwww.Re-cyclebank.comandstartearningpointswhichcanberedeemedforprizes.LearnmoreaboutZiplocandRecyclebankrecyclingeffortstodivertmillionsofpoundsofwastefromlandfillsatwww.ziploc.com/sus-
tainability.Additionally,sharerecyclingandearth-friendlytipsbyjoiningtheFacebookcommunityatwww.Facebook.com/Ziploc. Familieseverywherehaveanewoption inrecycling.CleananddryZiplocBrandSandwich,FreezerandStorageBagscannowberecycledatexistingin-storebinsatapproximately18,000participatingretaillocationsthatacceptplasticshoppingbagsforrecycling.It’saneasywaytoprotecttheenvironmentforfuturegenerations.Hereisalistfromwww.PlasticBagRecycling.orgofsomeoftheitemsyoucanrecycleatin-storerecyclingbins:•CleananddryZiplocBrandBags•Plasticgroceryorretailbags•Newspaperbags•Dry-cleaningbags•Breadandproducebags•Toiletpaper,napkinandpaper-towelwraps•Plasticshippingenvelopes•Cleanplasticbagslabeled#2or#4
Contactyourlocalretailerwithacollectionbinoryourlocalrecy-clingcompanyforafulllistofitemsthatcanberecycledinyourcom-munity,astheywilldifferbylocale.
Earth-Friendly Household Tips Made Easy
Photo courtesy of Getty Images
Premiere Issue 2011 — Boulder County — Healthy Cells Magazine — Page 13
salt therapy
Nightafternight,JaymeWarnerwouldanxiouslylieinbedhear-ingcoughing,gaggingandgaspingfromthebedroomdownthehall.Itwasheryoungersister,Katie,strugglingwithcystic
fibrosis,alife-threateninglungdisorder. “Itwasterrifyingtolistento,”saysJayme.“Nooneinourfamilycouldsleep.It’sreallyscarywhensomeoneyoulovecan’tbreathe,whentheyjustcan’tgetenoughoxygenin.” Fortunately,Katiehasfoundreliefthroughaninexpensivesourcesomemayfindsurprising-salt. By inhalingconcentrated,vaporizedsalt twiceadaythroughanebulizer,Katiesuccessfullyfightsthedebilitatingsymptomsofcysticfibrosis.HerrecoverywassodramaticitinspiredJayme,16,towriteanessayaboutthefamily’sexperiencewithsalttherapy. Heressay,“Salt:SavingLivesOneBreathataTime,”wonfirstplaceintheseniordivisionoftheprestigiousDuPontChallengesciencecompetition,whichattractednearly10,000participants. Theessay,andKatie’sstory,isanotherexampleofhowsaltisanessentialnutrient,vitalforgoodhealth,saysLoriRoman,presidentoftheSaltInstitute,theworld’sleadingauthorityonsalt(sodiumchloride). “WehopeJayme’swinningessayshinesabrighterscientificspot-lightnotonlyonsalt’sroleintreatingcysticfibrosis,butonthemanyotherwayssaltisoneofnature’sgreathealingagents,”saidRoman. Katie,now7,continuestouseanebulizertwiceadaytoinhalevaporizedsalt,calledhypertonicsaline,whichisalmosttwiceassaltyasthewater intheAtlanticOcean. It’salsosterile,sotherearenogermsinit. “Throughaprocessofosmosis,”Jaymewroteinheressay,“thesaltwater,orthesaltintheairata7percentconcentration,basicallygoesintothecellsanddrawsoutthemucusfromthecells.It’sloose
inthelungsandeasiertocoughup.” ThisallowsKatietosleepandgotoschool,withlittlecoughingordifficultybreathing.ThedarkcirclesunderKatie’sexhaustedeyesaregoneandawell-defined“six-pack”ofstomachmusclesshebuiltupfromcoughingisalmostgone,too. “She’sstillprettystrong,butit’snotfromcoughing,justfromplay-ing likeakid,”saysJayme,asophomoreat IntechCollegiateHighSchoolinNorthLogan,Utah,whowona$5,000savingsbondandatriptoDisneyWorldforherwinningessay. JaymeandKatiehavebecomesaltevangelistsofsorts.TheytellothersaboutKatie’sdramaticimprovementwithsalttherapyandhowtheirgrandfather’sallergiesalsoimprovedaftermovingtoahousenearthesaltyairoftheocean.
Not only is salt good for you, it tastes good, they say. “Iamadie-hardsaltfan,”saysJayme.“SoisKatie.Inachoicebetweensweetandsalty,it’ssaltyalltheway.Weparticularlylikeseasalts.Weputitonvegetablesbecausenomatterwhatyoudotosomevegetablestheycannottastegoodunlessyouaddalittlebitofsalt.” Jaymeknowshersister’sbodywastellinghersheneededmoresalt.Nowthatshehasit,thehouseisquietatnight,witheveryonesleepingpeacefully. “Toknowsheissafeandwon’tstrugglebreathingisahugerelief,almostasiftheworldistakenoffyourshoulders,”saysJayme.“Shecanrunaroundandplayatrecessbecausesaltgetsthatmucusoutofherlungs.Shecanbeakid.”
For more information, please visit www.aboutcysticfibrosis.com.
Gives Breath of Life to Girl With Cystic Fibrosis
Page 14 — Healthy Cells Magazine — Boulder County — Premiere Issue 2011
Taking the ScareOut of Dental Care
By Christine Venzon
Dentistry isn’t what it was 20 years ago, it’s actually muchnicernow.”SosaysDr.DanielAlleman,DDS.“Materialshavechanged,techniqueshavechanged,andthetimeinthechair
isnotasuncomfortableasitwasinthepast.There’snothingtobeafraidof.” Dr.AllemanandhiswifeDr.BreckglynAlleman,DDS,aretheteambehindAllemanFamilyDental,ageneralandcosmeticdentalpracticeinBoulder.Ifthosecomfortingwordsdon’tcomfortyou,you’renotalone.InarecentsurveybytheBritishDentalHealthFoundation,visit-
ingadentist rankedsecondamongtencommonfears, trailingonlyheights,andaheadofspiders,snakes,flying,andgoingtothehospital.InaMaristCollegepoll,55percentofrespondentssaidtheywouldrathershopforaswimsuitthanseeadentist. It’spartoftheAllemans’goaltoreversethatthinking.Theirstate-of-the-art facility,opened in2008, isequippedwith the latest tech-nology. “It’sphenomenal, it’sgreat. It’s fun tosee theadvances indentistryatthistime.”Andthoseadvancesmakeabigdifferenceinmakingthepatient’sexperienceapositiveone.
feature story
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Premiere Issue 2011 — Boulder County — Healthy Cells Magazine — Page 15
Seeing Is Believing Digital x-rays are oneexample. Computerizedimages of patient’s teethsave time as images aretransmitted directly to thecomputerscreen.Mostim-portantly,they’rebetterfordiagnosis. “We are usingthe computer to zoom inandoutofapicture,”saysDr. Alleman. “It can blowsomethingup.Itcancom-pareittodifferentyears,soyou can see tooth decayprogress.Ifsomeonehasasmallcavitythatmayhavebeen starting a year ago,we can show them thedifference insizefromthisyear.” Alleman Family Den-tal is also among a grow-ing number of practicesthat does early detectionscreeningsfororalcancer,adiseasethatkillsanaverageof one person every hourof every day in the UnitedStates, according to theOral Cancer Foundation.Suspect tissue is identifiedusingaVelscope,ahand-held device that shines ablue light in the patient’smouth.“Itdetectsearlycel-lularchange,”Dr.Allemanexplains.“Ifsomethingisgrowinginthedeeplayersofthetissuethatwecan’tseeunderregularwhitelight,withjustoureyes,itshowsupasadense,darkspot.Itdoesn’tdiagnosecancer,sowecan’tsay,“oh,yeah,that’sabsolutelycancer,”butithelpstode-termineifsomethingneedstobelookedatinfurtherdepth.” Earlydetection iscritical,becauseoralcancerhasan80to90percentsurvivalratewhencaughtearly.Unfortunatelythemajorityofcasesarefoundlate,droppingthesurvivalrateto55percent. “That’swhywedo it for every singleperson thatwalks in thedoor,”Dr.Allemansays,“whethertheysmokeorthey’veneversmokedintheirlife,becausealotofpeoplethink,ifIdon’tsmokethenI’msafe.However,that’snotalwaysthecase.”Also,henotes,“therenowisshowntobeacorrelation(oforalcancer)withHPV,humanpapillomavirus,andtheincidenceofHPVishigherthanitwas25to30yearsago,andgenerallytargetsayoungerpopulation.It’sourjobashealthcareprofessionalstobethereonthefirstlineofdefense,todowhatwecantoreversethatrateofmorbiditythathasn’tchangedinthelasthalfcentury.” Technology can give patients better understanding of what’sgoingon,whichalsocalmstheirfears.Forexample,saysDr.Alleman,“We’vejustinvestedinanintra-oralcamerathatweusetotakepic-turesofpatients’teethsothey’reabletoseewhatwe’reseeing.Wehaveaprogramthatdisplaysanimationscalled‘ToothIQ.’Itshowswhattheprocedureslooklikesothatpeoplecangetavisualofwhatwe’redoing.”
Technologyisn’ttheonlytrickintheAllemanFamilyDentalbag:havingbothafemaleandmaledentisthelps“becausetherearesome(patients)thatpreferawomandentistoramaledentist.It’sthesamethingwiththespecialiststhatweuseforpatientreferrals.Wetrytohaveagoodmixofbothmenandwomen.” Dr.Allemandescribestheirpracticeas“ajointeffort.”Forsomereason,however,“mywifetendstoworkmorewithkids,andifsome-oneneedsarootcanaloratoothtakenout,it’susuallyme.” Stillnotconvinced?“We’regettingsomeLCDmonitorsoverourchairssopatientscanwatchmoviesandjustrelax.” Themixofprofessionalexpertiseandpersonaltouchseemstoreso-natewiththeirpatients.“CheckusoutonGoogle,”Dr.Allemanurges.“Wehaveoverahundredgoodreviewsfrompatients.Wereallyappreci-atethepositivecomplimentsconsideringdentistsaregenerallyfeared.”Brushing Up on Self Care Alloftheseadvancesintechnologyandsciencedon’t letyouoffthehookconcerningpersonalresponsibilityforyourhealth.Quitetheopposite:the latest findingsunderscorethe importanceoftheold-fashionedadvicetobrushtwiceadayandflossdaily.“We’renoticingthatalotofpeoplearereallydoingtheirbesttotakecareofthemselves,”saysDr.Alleman.“Boulder isaveryhealthycity. Iwouldsay,however,thatalotofpeopledon’tfloss.Whenpeoplestart to incorporate that into their routine,weusuallyseea lotofimprovementwithgumtissuehealth.”
Page 16 — Healthy Cells Magazine — Boulder County — Premiere Issue 2011
Healthygumsdomorethanhelpyoukeepyourteeth.AsDr.Allemanpointsout,“Yourmouthistheopeningtoyourbody.Withunhealthygumtissue,therearealotofbacteriainthemouththat’sbadbacteria,whenyou’reswallowingandtakingitinsystemicallyitcanleadtootherproblems.Therearestudiesthathavecorrelatedperiodontal(gum)diseasewithheartdisease.” Howso? It’sthoughtthatthesamebacteriathatcausegumdiseasealsocontributetofattybuild-uponarterywalls.Theycouldalsoleadtoinflammationofthebloodvessels.Bothconditionscanincreaseyourriskofhavingaheartattackorastroke. “Wedon’twantthattobetaken lightly.Westressthe impor-tanceofcleaningthoseareasverywellandmakesurepeopleun-derstandwhyit’simportanttoflossonadailybasis,brushtwiceaday,andnotignoresomethingforalongperiodoftime.”Calling Boulder Home TheAllemanshavebeenBoulderitesonlya fewyears.TheymetasdentalstudentsatStateUniversityofNewYorkatBuffalo,but“I’vealwayswantedtoliveinColorado,”Dr.Allemansays.TheOhionativecametolovethestatefrombackpackingthroughthemountainswithhischurchgroupasateenager.HeandBreckglyncompletedtheirresidenciesinAlamosainthesouthernpartofthestatein2007“andwedecidedthatwewantedtostay.WefoundaplaceinBoulder,andhereweare.” In thatshort time, thecouplehasmadeaheftypersonal in-vestmentinthecommunity’squalityoflifebeyonddentalcare.“As
apractice,wesponsoracoupleofdifferent teams in theyouthbaseball leagues, theBoulderYouthSportsLeague,mainly thefallsports. I’mnowthevice-presidentofourcountydentalsoci-ety.We’re just tryingtogiveasmuchbacktothecommunityaspossible.WereallylikeBoulder.It’sagreatplace.Coloradoisanawesomeplacetolive.” Their latestcontributiontothecommunity:anine-month-olddaughter. “We’re trying tobalanceherwithworkandeverythingelse,”saysDr.Alleman.“Wetrytoleaveworkatwork,butsome-timeswe findourselvesworkingonpaperworkathome,on theweekends, things like that. We always try to carve out time tospendwithfamily,becauseasI’mwatchingmydaughtergrow,Ithinkwow,she’sgrowingreallyfast!SoI’vegottomakesurethatIspendasmuchtimewithheraspossible.”And,hestresses,“Mywifedoesthesame.She’sdefinitelydoneagreatjobwithbalanc-ingworkandhome.”
For more information about Alleman Family Dental, call 303-499-7133
or visit us at www.allemanfamilydental.org. We are located at 2760 29th Street,
Boulder, CO. Make your appointment today.
feature story continued
Premiere Issue 2011 — Boulder County — Healthy Cells Magazine — Page 17
veterinary technology
Doyoucurrentlyownapet?Doyoucon-sideryourpettobeamemberofyourfam-ily?Ifyouansweredyes,thenyouarenot
alone.Recentsurveyshaveshownthatover80%ofpetownersviewtheirpetsasmembersofthefamily,andmoreandmorepeopleareseekingthehighestqualityofcaretotreattheirpetsforseri-ousillnesses. However, in spiteof tremendousadvance-mentsinhumanmedicineoverthelast20years,surprisinglyfewhumantreatmentsareeveropti-mizedforuseincompanionanimals.Forexample,whileover900drugsareindevelopmenttotreathumancancers,therehavebeenonly3approvedcancerdrugsfordogsandcats.Itisparticularlyfrustratingforthosewhohavelostabelovedpettoaseriousillness-knowingthattheirpetmighthavelivedlongerorsufferedless-hadsomeofthose human advancements been adapted forveterinaryuse. Severalnewcompanies(oneofwhichisbasedinFortCollins)havefoundawaytocapitalizeonthisproblem–byadaptingpromising,butexploratorynewhumantherapiesforuseindogsandcatsintherapidlygrowingveterinarymarketplace. Manynewhumantherapieshavegreatpo-tentialtobenefitanimals,whichoftenexperiencesimilardiseasesandrespondtosimilartreatments.For example, companion animals can developcancer just likepeople - theygetbrain,breast,bone& lungcancer, lymphomaandmelanoma,andscientistshavediscoveredthatthemalignantcellsareoftenbiologicallycomparable. CancerisaleadingcauseofdeathinpetsintheUSovertheageoftwo,anditisestimatedthatalmosthalfofallpetsovertheageof10willde-velopcancer.Lymphomaisoneofthemostcom-monanddeadlycancersindogsandcatstoday.Whilehumanchemotherapydrugsareoftenuti-lizedinitially,nearlyallanimalsultimatelyrelapse,leavingveterinarianswithfewviablemedicalop-tions. Current efforts are underway to developveterinary-specific cancer treatments for lym-phoma,whichcouldprovidenewalternativesforpetssufferingfromthisdeadlydisease.Onedrugcurrentlybeingexploredworksbyspecificallytar-geting,andultimatelykilling,cancerouscellsfoundinlymphoma. FurtherworkisbeingplannedinconjunctionwithpetownersandveterinariansattheCSUVet-erinaryTeachingHospital.CSU’sCollegeofVeter-inaryMedicineranksamongthetopinthenation,and itsAnimalCancerCenter isconsidered thelargestcompanionanimalcancerresearchcenterintheworld. Theultimategoalistorevolutionizethetreat-mentofcancerfordogsandcats.
For more information on the latest efforts to treat cancer in companion animals, please go to www.vet-dc.com or www.csuanimalcancercenter.org
New Hope for Pets with Cancer
Page 18 — Healthy Cells Magazine — Boulder County — Premiere Issue 2011
children’s health
When Megan Webber downloaded family photos offherdigitalcamera,shefoundtheusualproblemsthatneedtouchingup—someweretoodark,somewere
alittlegrainy,andsomeneededalittlered-eyeremoval.Someofthepicturesofher5-year-oldson,Benjamin,hadagoldenglowinhislefteye. “Benjaminhasalwayshadafreckle inhis lefteye,”saidMegan,“soIthoughttheflashwasjustadifferenceduetothecoloringofhiseyeandignoredit—Ievendidred-eyecorrec-tiontoremoveitfromphotos.”Butwhenhersisternoticedthatsameglowinsomefamilyvacationpicturesshehadtaken,shegaveMeganaconcernedcall. “Shesaiditwasprobablynothing.ButshehadseenonatelevisionshowthatthiscouldbeasignofatumorintheeyeandrecommendedIhavehimseen,”saidMegan. Benjamin’spediatriciandidn’t findanything,buthesentthemtoaspecialistwhourgedthemtocome inrightaway.Theywerestunnedtolearnhewaslegallyblindinhislefteye. “He’dneverbumpedintowallsorrubbedhiseyes—he’devenjustpassedthepaddleeyetestinthedoctor’soffice,”saidMegan.“HislefteyecouldnotseealetterEthesizeofafullcomputerscreeneightfeetaway.” Scansofhiseyeshowedawhitemass,whichhadbeencausing the reflection in thephotograph.After testingandatensefewdays,theydiscoveredthatBenjaminhadCoats’Dis-ease,alife-longdiseasethatcandamagetheeyetothepointwhereeyeremovalisnecessary.Fortunately,Benjamin’sprob-lemwascaughtearlyenoughfortreatment. “WhileBenjaminhashadthreeeyesurgeries,wewereveryluckytohavecaughthisdiseaseintime,”saidMegan.“Had itbeenmoreadvancedBencouldhave immediatelylost his eye. We are so grateful to Dr. Tom Lee and thedoctorsatTheVisionCenteratChildren’sHospitalLosAn-geles.Withouttheworkthattheydosomanyfamilieswouldnothaveaccess to thequalityandcaliberofcare that isprovidedthere.” Benjaminisdoingwell,andisahappy,thrivingfirst-grader.“HewearsprotectiveNikeshatterproofglasseswhichtheother
Clues to Childhood Eye Diseases Could Be Hiding in Plain Sight
Benjamin with his father Brian Webber in The Vision Center at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Photo courtesy of Getty Images and Know the Glow
Premiere Issue 2011 — Boulder County — Healthy Cells Magazine — Page 19
kidsthinkareprettycool,”saidMegan.“Theglassesareprimarilytokeephisunaf-fectedeyesafe,forwithoutthateyehewouldbeblind.”
A vision to help other children Megansaidthatshedoesn’twantanymoreparentstomissthesignsofpoten-tiallylife-threateningeyediseases. “Weareamazedthatsomethingsosimple,justtheglowinaphoto,wasallthatwasneededtospotthisdisease,”shesaid.“Ifthereisawaythroughourfamily’sexperienceweareabletogetthemessageoutabouttheglow,weareanxioustodoso.We’vecreatedacampaigntoraiseawareness.”TheKnowtheGlowcampaigniscombiningtheeffortsofconcernedindividuals,corporationsandphysicianswhoarepioneersinthefieldofpediatricdiseasesoftheeye. “Ican’ttellyouhowmanykidscomeinwithadvancedeyediseases;it’satrag-edy,”saidDr.TomLee,directoroftheRetinaInstituteinTheVisionCenteratChil-dren’sHospitalLosAngeles.“Parentsdon’trealizetheyareanimportantpartofthediagnosis.Theywillseethissignbeforedoctorswill.Everychildhashadthisscreeningprocess—allittakesisforparentstoopenupthephotoalbum.” Thewebsite,www.KnowTheGlow.org,hasinformationonthediseasesthatcanbeindicatedbytheglow.“HadIknownabouttheglowearlier,Dr.LeecouldhavesavedmoreofBen’svision,”saidMegan.“KnowingwhatitfeltliketopossiblyfaceafataloutcomeandknowingthatIignoredsuchahugeredflagthatwasrightthereinfrontofme,Idon’twantanotherparenttohavetosufferthroughthatoranotherchildtoneedlesslylosetheirsightortheireyesduetoalackofawarenessoftheglow!”
Know the Facts•1in80childrenareatriskofgettingTheGlow.•80percentofchildhoodblindnessispreventable.•80percentofRetinoblastomaandCoats’Diseasecasesarediagnosedinitiallybya
parentthroughaphotograph.•TheGlowisanindicatorof15eyediseasesandcancers.•Insomecases,TheGlowcan leadtotheremovalof theeye,blindness,and, in
extremecases,death.
Disorders Related to the Glow Abnormalitiesperceivedthroughtheredreflextest can indicate several types of diseases,suchas:
•Amblyopia•Cataract•Choroidal•Coats’Disease•CongenitalCataract•Coloboma•Norrie’sDisease•PHPV•RefractiveError•RetinalDetachment•RetinalDysplasia•RetinopathyofPrematurity(ROP)•Retinoblastoma•Strabismus•Toxocariasis•Trauma
If you believe you have seen a glow,youshouldobtainareferral immediatelytoapediatric ophthalmologist for diagnosis andtreatment.
TextGLOWto90999todonate$10.
ScanthiscodewithyoursmartphonetowatchavideowithmoreofBenjamin’sstory,orvisithttp://bit.ly/EyeGlow.
RetinoblastomaRetinoblastoma (reh-tin-oh-blast-oma) is a malignant cancer of early childhood that arises from immature retinal cells in one or both eyes. Retinoblas-toma can start growing at any time before birth up until about 3 years of age. Occasionally, it is not detected until ages 7 or 8.
Coats’ DiseaseCoats’diseaseisarareeyedisorderinvolvingabnor-mal development of the blood vessels of the retina,whichlinetheinteriorchamberoftheeye.Asvariouscomponentsofbloodleakintotheretina,fluidaccumu-latesundertheretina.Theresultmaybelossofvision,particularlycentralvision,anddetachmentoftheretinafromotherlayersoftheeye.
Benjamin wears a patch one hour a day to help strengthen his eye.
Page 20 — Healthy Cells Magazine — Boulder County — Premiere Issue 2011
healthy benefits
More Olive Oil in Diet Could Cut Stroke Risk
Seniors who preferred the oil had 41% drop in the attacks vs. those who rarely ate it
Addingoliveoiltoyourdietmayreduceyourriskofstroke,anewstudysuggests.Researchersfoundthatolderpeoplewhousedoliveoilinten-sively--meaningtheyregularlycookedwithitanduseditinsaladdressing
--were41percentlesslikelytohaveastrokethanthosewhorarelyconsumedit. The leadauthorof thesix-yearstudy,CeciliaSamieriof theUniversityofBordeauxinFrance,saidwhyoliveoilmighthelpreducetheriskofstrokeswasunclear.Butitmightresultfrompeoplereplacinglesshealthfulsaturatedfatswithmono-unsaturatedoliveoil,sheadded.“Wecan’tinferfromourstudywhichaspectsofoliveoilpreventstroke,”Samierisaid.But“itmaybeasubstitutioneffect.”Thus,eatingfewersaturatedfatsimprovesthehealthofoliveoilusers.Priorresearchhaddocumentedoliveoil’santi-inflammatorybenefit,sheadded.Propertiesoftheoilitself,includingoleicacidorpolyphenols,couldalsoholdthesecrettotheoil’sprotectiveeffect,saidSamieri,apost-doctoralfacultymemberintheuniversity’sdepartmentofnutritionalepidemiology.Polyphenolsareanti-oxidantnutrientsthatreduceinflammationinthevascularsystem,accordingtothestudy.Oleicacid,afattyacid,makesup80percentofoliveoil. ThestudyispublishedintheJune15onlineeditionofNeurology.Stroke,anoutcomeofpoorvascularhealth,isthethirdleadingcauseofdeathintheUnitedStates,accordingtotheAmericanHeartAssociation.Strokesresultfromvascularbleedingor,morefrequently,ablockageofbloodflowtothebrain.Dietshighinfoodscontainingsaturatedfat,suchasmeatandbutter,havebeenlinkedtostroke.Inthestudy,researcherslookedathowmucholiveoil7,625Frenchpeopleaged65yearsandoverroutinelyused,rangingfromnone (23percent) tomoderateuse incookingordressing (40percent), tointensiveuseincookinganddressing(37percent).Theparticipantsprimarilyusedextra-virginoliveoil,andthestudycontrolledforstrokeriskfactors,suchashighbloodpressure,exercise,smokingandalcoholuse. Afternearlysixyears,148strokesoccurred.Butthosewhousedoliveoilthemosthada41percentlowerriskofstroke,comparedtothosewhousednone.Theoverallstrokeratewas1.5percentfortheoliveoiluserscomparedto2.6percentfortheothers,accordingtothereport.Asecondstudysamplehadsomecontradictoryfindings,theresearchnoted.Oleicacidwasmeasuredinthebloodof1,245participants.Amongthatgroup,27strokesoccurred,witha73percentreducedriskofstrokefoundinpeoplewithhigherlevelsofoleicacid,thestudyfound.Butthehigherlevelwasalsolinkedtohighercon-sumptionofbutterandgooseorduckfat,which“mayexplaintheunfavorablepatternofriskfactorsassociatedwithhigherplasmaoleicacid,”accordingtothefindings.Anutritionexpertcautionedthatpeopleshouldnotoveruseoliveoilinanefforttoimprovehealthbecauseitisahigh-caloriefat. “Thetakeawayfromthestudyisthatadiethighinoliveoildoeshaveapro-tectivebenefit,butweneedtolookfurthertofindouthowmuchisbeneficialwhilestillmaintainingalow-fatdiet,”saidHeatherDavis,aclinicaldietitianatLenoxHillHospitalinNewYorkCity.ShesaidthattheAmericandietisrarelylackinginfat,whichisneededforhealthyskinandhair,andforprocessingcertainvitamins.“Weneedtolookfurthertoestablishanupperlimit,”saidDavis.Whiletheresearcherswereunsuccessful inestablishinganumericalvalueforoptimaloleicacid,“it’sgoodthattheideaisoutthere,”shesaid.Shesaiditisimportanttocontinuetheresearch.“Weknowoliveoilisbeneficial,butitwouldbeadvantageoustobeabletodetermineaprotectiverangeinapatient’sblood,”Davisnoted. FundingfortheresearchcamefromtheFrenchgovernmentandLipidsforIndustry,SafetyandHealth,anallianceofacademiaandindustry.
To learn more about stroke, visit the U.S. National Institutes of Health.
Premiere Issue 2011 — Boulder County — Healthy Cells Magazine — Page 21
family health
During the warm sum-mer months the desiretobeoutsideconsumes
much of the general public.Thisyearningforthesunresultsin numerous positive physi-calbenefitsas longascertainsafetyprecautionsarefollowed.Althoughthesunprovides thebody with essential nutrientslike Vitamin D, it can be verydangerous if thebody isover-exposed.Thisistrueespeciallyinolderadults.Whenthetem-peraturehits the low90’s, theheatcanbeaserioushealthriskfor everyone, especially thosepeopleovertheageof65. Aswegetolderourbodiesbecome much more suscep-tible todehydration andheat-related illnesses. This is due,in large part, to a number ofcharacteristics brought aboutby aging. One such charac-teristic isthatthirstsensationsdiminishovertheyears,inhibit-ingtheabilityofpeopletorec-ognize when they are nearingdehydrationandallowingforaseriouslossofwaterfromthebody.Also,theagingbodylosestheabilitytocoolitselfatarapidpacelikeitcouldwhenitwasyounger.Thisfactisespeciallydangerousbecausesometimesolderadultsdonotfeeldrasticrisesordropsinheatlevels,whichmeanstheycouldfeelfineevenwhentheweatheristoohot.Thiscouldresultindehy-dration,heatcramps,heatexhaustionorevenheatstrokebecauseofthebody’sinabilitytoeffectivelycoolitselfatanefficientrate.Anothercharacteristicincludesthethinningoftheskininolderadults.Astheskingetsthinner,itprovideslessprotectionagainsttheharshnessofthesun’srays. Healthissuesresultingfromthesuncanbeavoidedifanumberofsimple,butimportantsafetymeasuresaretaken:•Stayindoorsasmuchaspossibleduringthelatemorningandafter-
noonhours.•Ifyouexerciseoutdoorsmakesuretodosoduringthecoolerhours
oftheday—earlymorningandevening.Also,makesuretoconsultyourphysicianbeforestartinganexerciseroutine.
•Itisextremelyimportanttostayhydratedsodrinkalotofwaterandotherfluidsthroughoutthedayevenifyouarenotthirsty.
•Stayawayfromalcoholicbeveragesorthosethatcontaincaffeine,astheycanincreasetheriskofdehydration.Sportsdrinksaregood
becausetheycanhelprestoreimportantsaltsandnutrientsintoyourbodyandfightdehydration.
•Trytostayintheairconditioningifatallpossible.Ifyoudonothaveairconditioning,considergoingtoplacesthatdolikethemall,library,grocerystoreormovietheater.
•Ifyougooutside,wearahatthatcanhelpshieldyourfacefromthesun.Also,wearsunglassesandsunscreenwithSPF15orhigher.
•Donotwearheavyordarkclothing.•Donotdoanyheavyliftingorotherlaborioustasksduringthehotter
partsoftheday.•Ifyoucannotstayintheairconditioningduringthehothoursofthe
day,trytakingcoolbathsandshowerstokeepyourbodytempera-tureatanormallevel.
•Donoteat largemeals. Tryeatingsmallermeals inshorter timeintervals.
•Make sure to consult yourphysician to seehowmuch time youshouldspendinthesuneachday.
Provided by HCR ManorCare, a leading provider of short-and long-term health care.
Warm Weather Safetyfor Older Adults
Page 22 — Healthy Cells Magazine — Boulder County — Premiere Issue 2011
healthy aging
Skincancer,according toTheSkinCancerFoundation, is themostcommonformofcancerintheUnitedStates,withmorethanonemillioncasesdiagnosedannually. It isapotentially
deadlycancer,andaccordingtotheColoradoDepartmentofPublicHealthandEnvironment,Coloradanshavea30%higherrateofmela-nomathantherestofthecountryandthatrateisrising.Thisisbe-causeweliveinasunnyclimateandatahigherelevationlevel.It isimportant forColoradanstobeawarethatUV(ultraviolet) radiationincreases10-12%every3,000feetinelevationgain. Skincancerinnotonlyincreasinginthepopulationasawhole,butmelanomahasnowbecomethemostprevalentformofcancerinwomenages25to30nationwide.Skincancerfallsintotwomaincate-gorieswhichincludemelanomaandnon-melanoma.Non-melanomasaremostcommon(suchasbasalcellcarcinoma)andarenotfatal,butneedtobetreated.Melanomasappeartobeincreasingandcanbefatal. Fortunately,skincancer ispreventableandtreatablewhende-tectedearly.ThemajorityofskincancersarefromtheexposuretoUVraysfromthesunortanningbeds.YoucanreduceyourriskofskincancerbyavoidingorlimitingyourexposuretoUVradiation.
Prevention:•Protectyourskinfromthesunbywearingprotectiveclothingsuch
asbroad-brimmedhats,long-sleevedshirtsorpants.LookforthoseproductsthatprovideaUPFrating(ultra-violetprotectionfactorforfabricwhichisdifferentthanSPFforsunscreen).UPF50+protectionblocks97.5%ofthesun’sharmfulUVrays.
•Wearabroad-spectrumsunscreen(blockingUVAandUVBrays)thatisaSPF30orhigherandreapplyaftertwohours.Applysunscreenone-halfhourbeforesunexposure.Don’tforgettowearsunscreeninthewinterandoncloudydays.Cloudsonlyblock20to40%ofUVrays.Itisalsoimportanttorememberthatsnowisasunreflectivesurface.
•Avoidexposure to thesunbetween10amand4pm.Stay in theshadeorindoors.
•Checkyourskinonaregularbasisforanychanges.Thiscanhelpdetectskincanceratitsearlieststages.Warningsignsarespotsontheskinthatchangeinsize,colororshape.Earlydetectiongivesyouthebestchanceforsuccessfulskincancertreatment.
•Wearsunglassestoprotectyoureyes.UVradiationcanleadtocata-racts,degenerationoftheretinaandevenmelanomaoftheeye.Lookforsunglassesthatblock99to100%ofUVAandUVBradiation.
For more information about skin cancer prevention, visit:American Academy of Dermatology, www.aad.orgAmerican Cancer Sociey, www.cancer.orgMelanoma Research Foundation, www.melanoma.orgShade Foundation, www.shadefoundation.orgSun Safe Colorado, www.sunsafecolorado.orgThe Skin Cancer Foundation, www.skincancer.org
For more information about Wallaroo Hat Company and the Wal-laroo Sun Protection Commitment, a donation program to benefit skin cancer research, education and prevention in the United States, visit www.wallaroohats.com.
Skin Cancer Awareness and Prevention While Living A Mile High
Submitted by Lenya Shore, Wallaroo Hat Company
Premiere Issue 2011 — Boulder County — Healthy Cells Magazine — Page 23
women’s health
Endometriosis islinkedtopainandinfertility formany
women. Itariseswhencells likethosethat linethe uterus (the endo-metrium)attachtoothertissuesandgrowinsidethe lower belly. Theseout-of-place cells maybe just the start of aproblemthat,forsome,lastsalifetime. Endometriosis af-fects up to 1 in 10women of childbearingage.Thepainitcausescanrangefromextremetobarelynoticeable. Awoman may not knowshehasthediseaseuntilshehas troublegettingpregnant and her doc-tormakesthediagnosis.About 40% of womenwithinfertilityturnouttohaveendometriosis. “Endometriosis isan incredibly complexdisease.Itscauseshavebeenkindofamystery,andwe’renotsurehowtopreventit,”saysNIHscientistandgynecologistDr.PamelaStratton.SheandotherNIH-fundedresearchershavebeengraduallyaddingtoourunderstandingofthecondition.They’reworkingtofindbetterwaystodiagnoseandtreatendometriosis,andmaybeevenpreventit.Manyscientiststhinkthatendometriosisresultswhensomeoftheendometrialtissueshedfromtheuterusduringmenstruationflowsbackwardintothepelvis.Thisstrangemigration—calledretrogrademenstrualflow—likelyhap-penstomostwomen,butitdoesn’talwaysleadtoendometriosis. Researchersaretryingtofigureoutwhysomewomenhaveendo-metrialcellsthatstickandgrowwheretheydon’tbelong,andwhyotherwomendon’t.Thesemisplacedcells—sometimescalledlesionsorim-plants—canalsoformscarsbetweentissuesandorganslikethebladder,intestineorovaries.Surprisingly,scientistshavefoundthatthenumberandsizeoflesionsaren’trelatedtohowseverethesymptomsare. Todiagnoseendometriosis,doctorsoftenuseimagingtestslikeultrasoundandMRItolookforsignsofinternallesions.Buttheonlywaytobecertainyouhaveendometriosisiswithsurgery,usuallylapa-roscopy.Forthisprocedure,thesurgeonmakesasmallcut intheabdomenandinsertsatinylightattheendofatube,orlaparoscope.
Strange Migrations and Killer Cramps
From www.NIH.gov
The instrumentallows thedoctor toviewpatchesofendometriosisinsidethepelvicarea.Somelesionscanberemovedduringlaparos-copy.Removinglesions—especiallydeeplesions—sometimeshelpstorelievepain. Mostoften,though,endometriosispainistreatedwithhormonetherapy,usuallybirthcontrolpills.Thesemedicationscansuppressthebody’snaturalproductionofreproductivehormonesandlightenthemenstrualflow,whichcanhelpeasepain. “There’salotofactiveresearchintothebasicbiologicalmecha-nismsofendometriosis.There’ssomuchwedon’tyetknow,”saysNIH’sDr.EstherEisenberg,anexpertinreproductivehealth.“Onceweunderstandthemechanisms,we’llhavebettertoolstohelpwomendealwiththisseriousproblem.” Sinceendometriosistendstoruninfamilies,researchershavebeensearchingforculpritgenes.Somearealsolookingformoleculesinthebloodthatmighthelpdetectendometriosiswithouttheneedforlaparos-copy.Othersaretestingpotentialnewtreatmentsinclinicaltrials. Whilethere’scurrentlynocureforendometriosis,therearewaystominimizeitssymptoms.Workwithyourdoctortoexploreyourtreat-mentoptions.
Page 24 — Healthy Cells Magazine — Boulder County — Premiere Issue 2011
healthy living
Carl’s Call To BikeBy Carl Edwards
Despiteallthepositiveattributesassociatedwithbiking—gettingactiveandfit,reducingstress,burninglotsofcalories,andde-creasingtrafficcongestion—manycitiesandtownsnationwide
havestillnotembracedtwo-wheeledvehicles.Eventhoughthenum-berofadultswhoride towork is increasingnationwide—accordingtoU.S.Censusfigures, in2008therewasa43percent increase inbikecommutingfrom2000—thenumbersarestill low(lessthanonepercentofAmericans)andmanyareasstilldonothaveprotectedbikelanes,connectedtrailsandbikeboulevards,adequatebikeparking,orbike-friendlylaws. Ifwewanttoleveragethebenefitsofcycling—andtherebyhelpchildrenandadultsgetthephysicalactivitytheirbodiesneed—stateandlocalofficialsmustbecommittedtomakingourcitiesandtownsmorebikefriendly.Thiscanbedonebyprovidingsafeandconve-nientroutesforpeopletoride.CitiesaslargeasNewYorkCity,SanFrancisco,andWashington,D.C.,aswellassmallercommunitieslikeBoulder,Colorado,SaltLakeCity,Utah,andPortland,Oregon,areallrealizingthesebenefits.That’swhytheyarecommittingfundingandresourcestobuildnewbikelanes,installmorebikeracks,createtrails,provideeducationprograms,andsupportotherincentivesthatencour-ageevenmorepeopletoconsidertakingupriding.
The health benefits of cycling Today,adultsspendhoursatworksittinginfrontofcomputers,andchildrenspendupwardsofsevenandahalfhoursadayinfrontofascreenwatchingTV,playingvideogames,using theirmobilephones,orsurfingtheweb.Fewfamiliesspendimportanttimeout-sidebeingactive. Consequently,manyAmericansareexperienc-ingserioushealthissues,includingobesity,heartdisease,diabetes,cancer,andhypertension. Butbikingcanhelp. Notonlydoes itburnseveralhundredcaloriesperhourbutitisalsoanidealphysicalactivityforAmericansofallages,regardlessoffitnesslevel,becauseitlimitsstressonthelowerbody. It’swhybikingisalsoasafeactivityforoldergenerations.Physicalactivityforthose65yearsofageandolderhelpspreventorminimizehealthproblemsthatcomewithaging.Inarecentinternationalstudy,evidencesuggestedthatseniorswhoareactivedailyhaveareducedriskofdevelopingabout24healthissuessuchasosteoporosis,type-2diabetes,depression,variousformsofcancer,anddementia. Inaddition,cyclingallowschildrenandadultswithmobility limi-tationsandintellectualorlearningdisabilitiestotakepart inphysicalactivity.Theyareatgreatestriskforobesity,butthankfullyadaptiveandspecialequipmentisbeingdesignedtomakeitpossibleforthemtoenjoybikingoutdoors,whether itbe through thehelpofProjectMobility:Cycles forLife,whichdeliversspecializedbikestoschoolswithchildrenwithdisabilitiesandrehabilitativehospitals,orReActiveAdaptations,whichisbuildingdurableoff-roadhandcyclesthatallowriderstobikedeepintomountainandoff-roadtrails. Ifgettingactiveandfitisn’tenoughmotivationforpeopletostartriding,I’dliketomentionthatbikingalsohelpstoreducestress.What’smore,bikingmayalsohelpyoutogetaroundfaster.Forthosewhospendtimestuckinrushhourtraffic,theycouldinsteadbegettingtheirdailyphysicalactivitywhileridingthroughcitygridlock.Thismaybeof
particularinteresttoresidentsincitieslikeLosAngelesandChicago,whichwererankedbyForbesmagazineastwoof thetop10moststressfulandcongestedcities.
Making cities and towns more bike-friendly SowhatwouldmakeAmericansmore likely to rideabike towork,toandfromschool,ortorunanerrand?Well, ifcitiesandtowns provide more bike-friendly laws and establish designatedsaferoutesforbikers,peopleintheircommunitiesmaymorelikelytogetoutandride.Remember,everysectorofsociety—families,communities,andbusinesses—playaroleinhelpingAmericansgetphysicallyactive. Businesses that want to help their employees improve theirhealthandwellnesscanlearnfromcompanieslikeSeattleChildren’sHospital,whichhasabicycleprogramfor itsemployees. SeattleChildren’sHospitalprovidesaguaranteed-ride-homeprogram,abike-shareprogram, lockerrooms,bike-safetyeducation,mainte-nanceclasses,andsecurebikeparking.Theygaveaway100bikesandhelmets to employeeswhopledged to ride towork at leastfourdaysaweekyearround.Inaddition,thehospitalpledged$2milliondollarsinwalkingandbikinginfrastructureimprovementstoNortheastSeattle,whichwillprovidesafeplacesforlocalresidentstogetactive. Becauseofmodelprograms likeSeattleChildren’sHospital,moreandmorebusinessesarebecomingbike-friendlyandfollowingtheLeagueofAmericanBicyclists’BicycleFriendlyBusi-nessprogram. IencourageallAmericans to research theiroptions formakingoneortwooftheirworktripsbybike.Findoutwhichstreetsarebike-friendlysothatyoucanplotyourcoursetowork.Ifbikecommutingisnotanoptionforyou,insteadbiketoafriend’shouse,tothegym,orgetyourfamilyonabikeafterdinnerandgetridingtogether.
Carl Edwards is a championship NASCAR driver and a member of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition (www.fitness.gov). He is also an avid cyclist.
Premiere Issue 2011 — Boulder County — Healthy Cells Magazine — Page 25
future planning
What is the firstthing you thinkaboutwhenI
say “Life Insurance?”NearlyeveryoneanswersthatitissomethingIpayfor that someone elsebenefitsfromwhenIdie. This series of ar-ticles will explain whysome families continuetogetwealthier,astheyprotect their wealthacross generations. Itwill showhow thesav-viestfamiliesuselifein-surance as a separateassetclass.Itwillshowhow life insurance isprettymuchthelasttaxadvantagedassetclass. Let us begin bydefining the kinds oflife insurance. One issimply term insurance.Terminsuranceistem-porary insurance thatonly lasts foracertainnumber of years. Asyou get close to theendofyourlifeexpectancy,itisnolongeravailable. ThesecondisPermanentInsurance.PermanentInsurancewilllastforyourentirelife,andbuildscashvaluethatyoucanuseduringyourlifetime.Thecloseryouaretotheendofyourlifeexpectancy,themoreitisworth. Permanentlifeinsuranceisalmostalwayspassedontothenamedbeneficiarywithouttaxation.Itcanbeusedduringyourlifetimetoutilizeprincipleandinteresttaxfree!This isdonethroughtheuseofsur-rendersandloans.Theloansarepaidbackfromthedeathbenefitsettlementafteryoudie. Permanentlifeinsuranceisaplacewhereyoucanwarehousedol-larsthatwillgrowatinterestwhichcanthenbeusedforanypurposeyouwant.Themoneycanbeusedtofundcollegeeducation,buyacarorahouse,oritcanbeusedtoensurethatyouonlyusethesmallestamountoftaxableincomeduringyourretirementyears,givingyouawaytostayinthelowesttaxbracket. Plansthatareproperlystructuredtobuildcashvaluecanusuallybeusedtoproducealifetimeincomethatexceedstheamountpaidin.Sometimesitcanprovidetaxfreeincomefortherestofyourlife!
Forinstance,a50yearoldclientthatwillpayin$10,000peryearforthenext15years($150,000)willthenreceiveataxfreeincomeof$245,389atage70withoutanyadditionalpremiumafterage65!Shecoulddraw$1,000amonthfortherestofherlifeandneverrunoutofmoney!Thisisinthemostconservativekindofpermanentpolicyavail-able.Withadifferentstrategy,thereturncouldbesignificantlyhigher. Thebottomlineis,ifyouarefedupwithputtingyoursavingsintoataxdeferredvehiclethatlosesmoneyeverytimethestockmarketcrashes,youshouldconsiderhavinglifeinsuranceasaseparateassetclass. Lifeinsuranceisanassetclassthatdoesnotgodownwhenthemarketgoesdownandthis iswhatdefinesanon–correlatedassetclass. It is alsoanassetclass thatcanbeusedwithouthaving topaytaxesasyouuseit.Itisanassetclassthatcancontinuetogaininterestdespitethefactthatyoumaybeusingthemoneyalreadyforsomethingelse!
If you have questions about insurance, THINK BIG – Boulder Insurance Group, please visit www.thinkBIGboulder.com.
Great Financial Health Includes Wise Life Insurance Decisions
By Matt DeYoung, Owner, Boulder Insurance Group
Page 26 — Healthy Cells Magazine — Boulder County — Premiere Issue 2011
Community Physicians Pavilion300 Exempla Circle, Suite 365
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3 0 3 . 6 6 4 . 9 1 1 1 www.flatironsaudiology.com
1 in 6 Americans Suffer from Tinnitus and most have
been told there is nothing that can be done about it.
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