Page 6A | To Your Health!
ThE Record-Review | Friday, October 4, 2013
E-cigarettes Continued
Healthy balance Continued
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make that manufacturers are putting more sugar in products when they’re using it.” Leon said the main problem with both HFCS and other sugars is that they are often added to processed foods. “Dressings, jarred sauces — they have things added to them,” she said. “The sugar is just another form of calories. In general I tell people to cut back on simple sugars, but don’t get too crazy. There’s nothing wrong with using a little bit of sugar. Everything in moderation.” The current “juicing” trend is another area where people get sidetracked from the goal of just eating more whole foods, and doesn’t necessarily lead to better health. “A whole orange is more satisfying than 4 ounces of orange juice,” Leon said. “The whole concept of juicing is probably not the most effective way to stay healthy. Get nutrients in their most natural form.” Dolins said, “Some people find it easier to get their fruits and vegetables in one shot, but when you do that, you’re less likely to eat healthily the rest of the day. If you’re having a piece of fruit three times a day, you’re less likely to have chips.” And if you’re not gluten intolerant, there’s no reason to go gluten-free. “You could be avoiding foods that provide important nutrients for no reason,” Dolins said. “Whole grains are healthful. They’ll give you fiber, energy, vitamins and min-
Experts weigh in:
Best fitness advice Continued from page 1A
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oga addresses your whole self. Iyengar Yoga becomes meditatio n in action, physical fitness with attention and awareness. Guided by attention to anatomical alignment, you connect mind to body while practicing postures that cultivate strength, agility and balance. Practice of conscious breathing re-educates your senses and quiets your nervous system. Nancy Kardon Iyengar Yoga, Scarsdale/Greenwich
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tretching will not only make you feel better, improve posture and help prevent injury, it will make you stronger. When a muscle is tight it doesn’t function as efficiently. Consequently it will fatigue quicker, resulting in less productivity. When stretching hold for a minimum 30-60 seconds. Longer is always better. Joseph Frisenda Push Personal Training, Irvington
erals. Variety is very important in nutrition. When you go gluten-free, you’re limiting that variety.” “Gluten-free has become a buzzword,” Leon said. “We are definitely increasing our awareness of people with celiac disease, and they need to be on gluten-free diets for life, but the problem is when a lot of packaged gluten-free foods are higher in fat and calories and lower in fiber. If you’re not gluten intolerant, it’s actually good to have whole wheat bread, with whole wheat as the first ingredient.” In other words, gluten-free foods that are processed can be just as bad for you as other processed foods. “Balance” is also the word of the day when it comes to exercise. First, exercise should include both strength training and aerobic activity, Dolins said. If you can do that type of balanced exercise routine an hour a day, she said, “you’ll have more energy, less huffing and puffing and an overall better sense of well-being.” Leon asks her clients what’s keeping them from exercising, and said that a lack of exercise is often due to something else being out of balance. “Is it because you’re working 80 hours a week? Or are you just too tired? Something is out of balance if you’re not able to get exercise,” she said. “I say the same thing about sleep. I work with teenagers, and they’re so stressed out. These superachieving kids are not exercising, they’re snacking more than they need to be and they’re out of balance.” And if these changes seem too overwhelming? “Start slow,” Leon said. Walking is a good exercise to start with. “You do what you can. It’s not all or nothing.”
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ow that fall is in full swing, I’m back to my daily routine of juggling the demands of family and running three Pilates and gyrotonic studios. I find myself getting a bit stressed. Luckily a Pilates and gyrotonic workout always makes me feel stronger, leaner and increases my energy level. Donna Singer Center for Movement, Scarsdale
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ow we sit is crucial to our health. To make sure you are sitting properly, sit on your hands and find your “sit bones.” When you sit your weight should be on those bones. You will sit taller and straighter and will be engaging your abs without even realizing it! Valeria Barreto Pilates and More, Dobbs Ferry
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f you’re short on time, interval training is the way to go. Pick four exercises; do each for a minute, without resting in between. After all four are performed, rest a minute and do it all over again. Do this four times and you have yourself a heart pumping workout. Anne Marie Costanzo Little Black Dress Personal Training, Bronxville
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he said. “The new reports are disturbing. They’re not rated by the FDA and mine are made in China. Lord knows what we are actually smoking.” His co-worker would like to quit smoking but feels it’s impossible: “Right now I smoke two or three regular cigarettes a day, but I’m always chewing nicotine gum. I have thought about switching to the ecig because I hate this incessant chewing, which makes me feel like a cow. However, I do like the way the gum wakes me up in the morning. Not sure the e-cig would do the same.” A man from Westchester reports he’s been using electronic cigarettes since he quit smoking regular cigarettes last January. “I find them more satisfying than nicotine gum or the patch, and very easy and convenient to use,” he said. “Most importantly, I haven’t had a cigarette this entire year and I’m sure I never will again. As time goes on, I find I need the e-cigarette less and less, but I still do use them daily.” A Pound Ridge man who has been smoking since his college days, about 30 years, said “I’ve been using them [e-cigarettes] for about a year. At first my use was sporadic, but it’s become more regular recently. I really am trying to transition.” He made the switch primarily for professional reasons: “It’s become such a chore to smoke at the office. They made our work campus tobacco free. For those people who can’t or won’t quit, this has had the perverse effect of increasing smoking. Instead of stepping outside for a quick smoke, now people have to jump in their car and drive to an adjacent mall or shopping area and smoke numerous cigarettes in a row since most of the day is filled with meetings. E-cigarettes help bridge the gap on a busy day and do seem to help in reducing smoking if you are conscientious about alternating or substituting.” While he still does smoke Merit Ultralights that he alternates with e-cigs, he said, “Less smoking definitely feels better and I do want to cut down. Gradually I seem to be using the e-cigarettes more frequently and don’t miss my regular cigarettes as much.” The glamour of cigarette smoking may have been tamped down in the past two decades, but it never has gone away, despite the health risks involved. Cable television shows such as AMC’s “Mad Men” make smoking look downright sexy again. “If you search The New York Times, you will find an article about a popular shop in Paris with over 60 flavors,” Sut-
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articipate in functional, core-based exercise regimes with resistance and flexibility training that are safe and challenging, plus cardio. Eat less quantity; no nutritional deprivation. Find a credentialed fitness location/person that is convenient, cares about your success and cultivates commitment resulting in regular attendance. The most important action! Gabriela St. Denis, Small Group Fitness, Katonah
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ncorporate strength training into your workouts. And don’t be afraid of heavier weights (women included). There are numerous studies showing the benefits of strength training, such as reducing body fat, including visceral fat, staving off osteoporosis and muscle loss, and improving insulin resistance. Kimberly Holzmann-Krolick, Corelab, Katonah
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ach and every movement taken in your workout should be done with thought and intent. As with anything, the more focused you are, the greater your achievement. Ceres Opanowski Rivertown Pilates, Tarrytown
“Instead of helping people stop smoking, e-cigarettes have just become another addictive product on the market. The longterm effects of inhaling pure high dose nicotine won’t be known for years, but can’t be good, the same for the artificial smoke.” Dr. Ira Sutton of Scarsdale Family Doctors
ton said. “Instead of helping people stop smoking, e-cigarettes have just become another addictive product on the market. The long-term effects of inhaling pure high dose nicotine won’t be known for years, but can’t be good, the same for the artificial smoke.” Anna Jade Flournoy Latimer is a college freshman who recently switched to ecigs in an effort to quit smoking entirely. “It’s been a very emotional process for me, since smoking calms my nerves,” she said. She said she never was a big smoker, “maybe 2-3 cigarettes a day.” Her brand of choice is American Spirit, which are higher in nicotine than other filtered brands. “When you smoke a cigarette with a higher nicotine, you smoke less because the craving for nicotine is more easily satisfied,” Latimer said. About e-cigarettes, she said she purchased hers at DeCicco’s Supermarket where the choice was between the brands Blu and Logic. “The brands you get at the
gas station, the disposables, are a horrible investment,” Latimer said. The first e-cig she tried was Logic. “Within two days I had canker sores and a cough and my chest felt sore,” she said. “That was creepy, because I never had a smoker’s cough.” She said she checked the list of ingredients and researched propylene glycol: “People keep saying it’s safe, but when I did some research online, I found out that there is a relationship between propylene glycol and antifreeze. Heating it converts it or something I don’t trust or understand.” Her second choice was Blu, another disposable, but, she said, “There were no side effects. Also no propylene glycol.” Blu satisfied her craving for nicotine, she said, but the device isn’t built to last. Latimer said that she reads all the disclaimers on the e-cigarette brands. “They all say something about not being a way to actually quit nicotine addiction, but rather are a healthier alternative to tobacco
smoke, which creates tar,” she said. “My personal opinion is that since I bought a good quality rechargeable e-cig with a wise choice of vapor such as Virgin Vapor, it is helping me quit. I’m at 12 mg right now, and plan to keep buying lower and lower nicotine vapors until I’m at 0 and from there it will only be the mental attachment to master, which is much less tormenting than the chemical addiction. “There are different nicotine levels to choose. If you’re trying to use e-cigs to wean off of the nicotine addiction, you can buy 36 mg or 0 mg, or anything in between.” A site she likes is Virgin Vapor at www. virginvapor.com: “They have certified organic flavors in a vegetable glycerin base and water, as opposed to the usual propylene glycol and water base. You can even get flavorings without alcohol. Most flavorings have alcohol, by the way.” Latimer shared a personal anecdote about cigarettes and their coolness factor. “I was at a frat party in the city and a girl came up to me and asked if she could try my e-cig,” she said. “I asked her if she was a smoker and she said, ‘No, but I keep seeing these and want to see how they taste.’ So I let her try it, but told her to not start smoking them. Or if she felt like she had to for social reasons, to get the one with no nicotine.” If nothing else, e-cigarettes will be appreciated by those around you who don’t want to stink like a smoker.
Five ways to fight fall allergies
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utumn is a season filled with crisp air, falling leaves, pumpkin carving and, of course, hay fever symptoms. Hay fever affects 23.6 million American adults and children, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI). Symptoms commonly appear during the spring and fall months. “Ragweed blooms from August until November, and is unfortunately lasting longer every year,” said Dr. Michael Foggs, an allergist and ACAAI president-elect. “Research suggests the season lasts up to three weeks longer than it used to, and the further north you live, the longer you have to wait for relief.” To help sufferers fight fall allergy symptoms, ACAAI offers these tips: • Know the culprits: The most common sneeze and wheeze trigger during the fall hay fever season is ragweed pollen. Ragweed can begin blooming as early as August in some regions. A single ragweed plant may release 1 million pollen grains in just one day, and one grain can travel up to 100 miles. Mold can also be particularly bothersome this time of year. Unlike pollen, mold doesn’t die with the first frost. Rather, spores stop growing during this time. • Avoid triggers: Ragweed pollen and mold spores can float in the air and linger on fallen leaves. After spending time outdoors, shower and change and wash your clothes. Clean your nasal passages, too, by using a salt water rinse. While working outdoors, wear a pollen mask,
such as a NIOSH-rated 95 filter mask. Be sure to also keep your car and home windows closed. • Find relief: If you wait until the first sneeze to take your medication, you may be too late. Allergists recommend taking your medication two weeks before symptoms begin, and continuing for two weeks after the first frost. Because of the nasal and eye symptoms associated with ragweed allergies, symptoms can linger after the pollen is no longer detected in the air. • Get tested: While hay fever may not seem serious, self-diagnosis and selftreatment can be. Many popular overthe-counter medications can cause sleep disturbances and mental impairment. If you have symptoms, make an appointment with an allergist for proper testing. Allergy testing can be done as skin tests or as blood tests, with positive results
usually appearing in about 20 minutes. • Arm yourself: Allergy symptoms can be bothersome enough without flu symptoms getting in the way. Because the flu season overlaps with fall allergy season, be sure to get a flu shot. Recent studies have found even those with an egg allergy can safely get a flu shot. An allergist may also prescribe immunotherapy (allergy shots) to provide you with allergy relief during the fall months. While there is no cure for hay fever, this form of therapy can prevent and modify disease progression. Seasonal allergies and asthma are serious diseases that should be properly treated by a board-certified allergist. More information and free allergy tools, including the My Nasal Allergy Journal, can be found at www.AllergyAndAsthmaRelief.org. — Brandpoint
— Compiled by Todd Sliss
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