Cell Phone Risk?

You may have read it in the news or had a discussion with a friend or two about the risk of using a cell phone on a regular basis. It seems reasonable to say that the evidence proving cancer risk and cell phone use is not conclusive. However, there is enough to indicate that we should be cautious about the way that we use it. How many debates over human and environmental health have begun with just this type of story and ended up with the evidence tipping the scale in the direction of proving it to be a known hazard? Who wants to be the guinea pig? Presumably, no one. We think that it is possible to limit the potential of anyone having to take on this role!

As of May 31, 2011, the International Agency for Research on Cancer made a statement classifying radiofrequency electromagnetic fields as possibly carcinogenic to humans based on the increased risk for glioma in wireless cell phone users. No one is advocating throwing the cell phone out the window, but taking precautions to reduce your exposure to this radiation is an easy and wise step. One of our research-based advocacy groups has compiled a simple list of to-do's that will accomplish just this. This list from Women's Voices for the Earth, is something you can start implementing today with some easy changes to how you use your cell phone. And we would love for you to pass it on!

Happy Joints and Flexible Muscles!

Joint pain is one of the most common ailments that individuals experience as they age. Lack of activity or too much activity without countering the effects of these can lead to dysfunction that determines the stability and mobility of the joint. If a joint moves poorly due to tightness of the connective tissue or inflexibility of the muscles that move it, it will lose it's capacity to create fluidity of the body's skeleton. Our bodies are intended to move using sequential patterns of muscle action for functional and athletic activities. When mobility is restricted, these normal patterns are interupted and what replaces them are compensations that tend to be hard on the musculoskeletal system and can be a source of pain.

What is the solution to this aging issue? We can manage the change in function by performing exercises that mobilize and open the joints and improve the flexibility of the muscles and their connective tissue called fascia. This allows a joint to move fluidly through it's range of motion without undue pressure on anyone particular portion of it which can ultimately reduce the degree of wearing. Flexibility is as critical to the function of your joints as air is to the function of your lungs. Enabling the body to find correct movements by improving posture and flexibility is a long-term ticket to a healthy skeleton. This means that appropriate physical activity is essential to function. And while the skeleton is the particular topic of the moment, activity also facilitates optimal function of the other major systems of the body such as the immune and endocrine systems and the organ of the skin.

The best way to identify your areas of tightness and mis-alignment is to be evaluated by a professional such as a physical therapist. They will be able to assess the mobility of your joints and manually release and prescribe exercises that bring them back into their intended neutral positions. In addition, learning and maintaining good posture will support the balance of the muscles around the joints. When standing, the feet should be parallel to one another and at hip width unless there are issues of balance and then a wider stance is necessary for safety. Finding weighting in the feet on the 3 balance points will help you evenly activate the muscles up the leg and position the pelvis properly. These 3 points are the ball of the big toe, the ball of the little toe and the center of heel. This should allow the hips to have a slight bend in them with the middle of the shoulders lined with center of the hip when looking at the profile. Finally, the middle of the ear should align with the shoulder with the gaze level. Of course this is an ideal stance that you will not be able to hold all of the time, but the more your body learns proper position on a moment to moment basis, the more it will adopt these healthier patterns. And importantly, take the time to see a professional that can help you improve your flexibility in an effective manner that will help you maintain happy joints and muscles for life!

Sunshine and Vitamins

The vast research that has been conducted on the role of Vitamin D and health has served to resolve the issue of inadequate sun in colder climates. The dilemma has arisen from the vitamin deficiencies seen in individuals at latitudes greater than 30 degrees combined with the change in diet that has resulted in us eating less fatty fish, eggs and other oils that supply this vital nutrient. During the winter months, exposure to the sun above 30 degrees latitude does not provide the quantity necessary to optimize the body's functions. If the diet does not make up for this in any appreciable amount, then there will be a deficiency that can have an impact on an individual's long-term health.

So for years now the debate about supplementing Vitamin D has seen a lot of conflicting views. We do know that supplements can improve the blood levels of usable Vitamin D which research supports a protective benefit against breast cancer. We also know that the body will not absorb the entire quantity that is taken in a supplement. In the absence of appropriate UVB exposure in colder climates, supplementation is an important strategy to support health. However, it should not be the only strategy in higher latitudes. In a recent study from the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research, 70,000 women were followed to evaluate their cancer incidence in relation to their exposure to UVB rays. They found that diet and supplementation played a supporting role in breast cancer risk. The most significant impact on the incidence of this disease came from a regular dose of sunshine.

Being in the outdoors can have a potentially profound effect on an individual's health through a number of different mechanisms. And Vitamin D synthesis is one of the big ones. The time we allow our skin to be exposed to the sun's UVB rays translates not only into Vitamin D production, but the absorption is high because we are following an inherent pathway for utilization. Of course, it is important to be mindful of how much sun we receive and be certain that our skin does not get burned. Sun exposure during the summer months at higher latitudes and year-round in more equatorial regions can provide all the necessary Vitamin D in short bursts. For fair-skinned individuals, 20 to 30 minutes will do. For darker-skinned individuals, it may take 40 to 60 minutes. After you have reached this exposure level, be certain to use a non-toxic sunscreen that provides broad-spectrum protection using a physical block such as titanium dioxide or zinc oxide. (see our sunscreen blog for info.) The other compounding benefits of getting outside are the increase in the "feel-good" hormone serotonin, the increase in activity levels and often the companionship of others if we choose to partner up in our outdoor adventures. So make a commitment to yourself to make time in your day away from the television and computer and offer yourself a reprieve of sunshine for 30 minutes. Although the coming of winter will mean considering Vitamin D supplementation, the sunny days can still brighten your mood and the outdoors can take you to a place that is difficult to go to inside of four walls.