Health and Medicine

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2015 March 22, 2015 | Health & Medicine

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12 Heart Symptoms Never to Ignore James Dwyer, M.D., interventional cardiologist

H

eart disease is the number one killer of American men and women, accounting for 40 percent of all U.S. deaths. That’s more than all forms of cancer combined.

Why is heart disease so deadly? One reason is that many people are slow to seek help when symptoms arise. Yes, someone gripped by sudden chest pain probably knows to call 911. But heart symptoms aren’t always intense or obvious, and they vary from person to person and according to gender.

Because it can be hard to make sense of heart symptoms, doctors warn against ignoring possible warning signs, waiting to see if they go away or being quick to blame them on heartburn, muscle soreness or other less serious, non-heart related causes. This is especially true for men and people over 65, as well as for people with other cardiac risk factors, such as high cholesterol or blood pressure, obesity, smoking, diabetes or a family history of heart disease.

12 Possible Heart Symptoms Never to Ignore 1. Anxiety. Heart attack can cause intense anxiety or a fear of death. Heart attack survivors often talk about having experienced a sense of impending doom.

2. Chest discomfort. Discomfort in the chest is the classic symptom of heart attack and the number one symptom. But not all heart attacks cause chest discomfort, and chest discomfort can stem from ailments that have nothing to do with the heart. Heart-related chest discomfort often is centered under the breastbone, perhaps a little to the left of center. The feeling has been likened to “an elephant sitting on the chest,” but it can also be described as pressure, squeezing or fullness.

It’s not unusual for women to describe the discomfort as a minor ache. Women, more so than men, also can experience a burning sensation in their chest, rather than a pressure or pain.

3. Cough. Persistent coughing or wheezing can be a symptom of heart failure -- a result of fluid accumulation in the lungs. In some cases, people with heart failure cough up bloody phlegm.

4. Dizziness. Heart attacks can cause lightheadedness and loss of consciousness. So can potentially dangerous heart rhythm abnormalities known as arrhythmias.

5. Fatigue. Especially among women, unusual fatigue can occur during a heart attack as well as in the days and weeks leading up to one. And feeling tired all the time may be a symptom of heart failure. Of course, you can also feel tired or fatigued for other reasons. If you don’t feel well and all the wind is knocked out of your sails, don’t try to figure it out on the Internet or from a book; make an appointment with your healthcare provider.

6. Nausea or lack of appetite. It’s not uncommon for people to feel sick to their stomach or throw up during a heart attack. And abdominal swelling associated with heart failure can interfere with appetite.

7. Pain in other parts of the body. In many heart attacks, discomfort begins in the chest and spreads to the shoulders, arms, elbows, back, neck, jaw or abdomen. But sometimes there is no chest pain -- just discomfort in these other body areas. The discomfort might come and go.

Men having a heart attack often feel discomfort in the left arm. In women, the discomfort is more likely to be felt in both arms or between the shoulder blades.

8. Rapid or irregular pulse. Doctors say that there’s nothing worrisome about an occasional skipped heartbeat. But a rapid or irregular pulse – especially when accompanied by weakness, dizziness or shortness of breath – can be evidence of a heart attack, heart failure or an arrhythmia. Left untreated, some arrhythmias can lead to stroke, heart failure or sudden death.

9. Shortness of breath. People who feel winded at rest or with minimal exertion might have a pulmonary condition like asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

But breathlessness could also indicate a heart attack or heart failure. During a heart attack, shortness of breath often accompanies chest discomfort, but it can also occur before or without chest discomfort.

10. Sweating. Breaking out in a cold sweat is a common symptom of heart attack.

11. Swelling. Heart failure can cause fluid to accumulate in the body. This can cause swelling (often in the feet, ankles, legs or abdomen) as well as sudden weight gain and sometimes a loss of appetite.

12. Weakness. In the days leading up to a heart attack, as well as during one, some people experience severe, unexplained weakness.

James Dwyer, M.D., F.A.C.C., F.S.C.A.I., specializes in cardiac catheterization and coronary interventions. He is the medical director of the Flagstaff Medical Center Cardiac Catheterization Lab and a physician at the Heart & Vascular Center of Northern Arizona.

Is there a health topic you’d like to know more about? Please write to Mountain Medicine, c/o FMC Public Relations, 1200 N. Beaver St., Flagstaff, AZ 86001, or visit FlagstaffMedicalCenter.com.

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HEALTH | SURVIVAL AFTER CANCER, EXERCISE AND WEIGHT LOSS COULD LEAD TO INCREASED CHANCES OF LONG-TERM SURVIVAL – AND HELP DECREASE ODDS OF A SECOND CANCER BATTLE

BY BEV BENNETT CTW FEATURES

F

Live Better, Skip the Recurrence

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Health & Medicine | March 22, 2015

or anyone in recovery from cancer, the main goal quickly becomes doing anything to prevent a recurrence.

One strategy may be to improve your lifestyle.

The same steps you take to become healthier and reduce your risk of other serious illness may help you avoid another cancer battle.

Although the findings aren’t conclusive, losing weight if you’re obese, getting physical activity and modifying your diet to include more vegetables and fewer high-fat foods may benefit you, according to recent research.

The link between obesity and cancer recurrence is getting a lot of attention lately.

Cancer experts are seeing that people who are overweight at diagnosis for most cancers have a poor prognosis, according to Wendy Demark-Wahnefried, Ph.D., registered dietitian, professor and Webb Endowed Chair of Nutrition Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Ala. In addition, “people who gain weight after breast cancer have a poor prognosis. It points out that weight is important. That’s why weight is at the top of the list of suggestions to prevent cancer recurrence,” says DemarkWahnefried However, when the question is whether losing weight after a breast cancer diagnosis will improve your survival rate, the research is limited, according to Elisa V. Bandera, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of epidemiology, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, N.J. Dr. Bandera recently served on the expert panel discussing the Breast Cancer Survivorship Continuous Update Project produced by the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) in partnership with World Cancer Research Fund International.

It’s only recently that health experts have started to focus on how lifestyle factors, such as diet, obesity and physical activity affect cancer survival. Most of the data is based on observation, writes Dr. Bandera in an email interview.

“For primary prevention we know losing weight is The Arizona Daily Sun

HEALTH | SURVIVAL “FOR PRIMARY PREVENTION WE KNOW LOSING WEIGHT IS IMPORTANT. BUT WE DON’T KNOW A LOT YET ABOUT WEIGHT LOSS AND SURVIVAL.” — Alice G. Bender, MS, registered dietitian nutritionist, associate Director for Nutrition Programs, AICR, Washington D.C. important. But we don’t know a lot yet about weight loss and survival,” says Alice G. Bender, MS, registered dietitian nutritionist, associate Director for Nutrition Programs, AICR, Washington D.C. But that doesn’t mean you should wait for the final word, say experts.

Losing weight has other benefits as you recover from cancer, according to according Jennifer A. Ligibel, M.D., Senior Physician, Susan F. Smith Center for Women’s Cancers, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Mass.

Being obese may lead to other problems such as fatigue, depression and lymphedema, according to Dr. Ligibel, who works with the American Society of Clinical Oncology to draw attention to the connection between cancer and obesity and to help educate patients about losing weight.

She’s also concerned because many people are more likely to gain weight during treatment than lose it.

Dieting could get you back on a wellness track.

“People feel better and have better fitness after losing weight,” Dr. Ligibel says.

Although Dr. Ligibel doesn’t endorse any specific diet, what you eat does matter.

That means eat more vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts and whole grains and less red meat, say nutrition experts.

Certain substances including saturated fat, cholesterol and trans fat may increase chronic inflammation, which is linked to increased risk for many cancers. Other elements in food such as dietary fiber and natural plant compounds (phytochemicals) work to decrease chronic inflammation.

Women who consumed the most proinflammatory diets were at increased risk for colorectal cancer compared with women who consumed more anti-inflammatory diets, according to a study of almost 35,000 women aged 55 to 69 in Iowa.

Green leafy vegetables, fruit, fish, nuts and

whole grains were among the top foods the antiinflammatory diet group consumed, according to the study, co-authored by Susan E. Steck, Ph.D. M.P.H., registered dietitian, associate professor, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Cancer Prevention and Control Program, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC. You may be able to choose what to eat based on the food’s anti-inflammatory or pro-inflammatory properties thanks to a newly expanded inflammatory index, developed by University of South Carolina researchers.

“The goal of the index was to characterize the whole diet,” says Steck, who presented her findings at the recent annual conference of AICR. A USC team is developing the index as a tool for health professionals and then for consumers.

Exercise, another lifestyle improvement, goes hand-in-hand with weight loss.

As you lose weight you’re starting to chip away at lean body mass, says Demark-Wahnefried.

Losing lean body mass could lead to sarcopenic obesity, a condition in which you have increased body fat along with loss of strength.

“It rears after chemotherapy,” says DemarkWahnefried. Getting more exercise helps preserve body mass and physical functioning, she says.

You may also find that exercise helps ease depression and bolsters your quality of life after treatment.

Whether exercise may reduce the risk for another cancer diagnosis has yet to be answered.

Instead Demark-Wahnefried asks what is going to make a cancer survivor healthier.

“We don’t know if a healthy lifestyle will keep cancer away but it will promote good health.

There’s no downside to exercise, diet and weight control,” she says. © CTW FEATURES

“WE DON’T KNOW IF A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE WILL KEEP CANCER AWAY BUT IT WILL PROMOTE GOOD HEALTH. THERE’S NO DOWNSIDE TO EXERCISE, DIET AND WEIGHT CONTROL.” — Wendy Demark-Wahnefried, Ph.D., registered dietitian, professor and Webb Endowed Chair of Nutrition Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Ala. The Arizona Daily Sun

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Arizona Oncology Reminds Men and Women to get Screened for Colorectal Cancer: Colorectal Cancer is the Second-Leading Cause of Cancer Death in Men and Women Combined

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A BETTER WAY TO FIGHT CANCER. At Arizona Oncology, we know each cancer is unique. Together with The US Oncology Network, we bring the expertise of nearly 1,000 physicians nationwide to the delivery of our patients’ care.

As the largest group of medical professionals in Arizona dedicated exclusively to cancer, Arizona Oncology touches the lives of more cancer patients than any other provider in the state. We believe together is a better way to fight.

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Health & Medicine | March 22, 2015

arch is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month and Arizona Oncology would like to remind both everyone to speak with their healthcare providers about getting screened for the disease. By finding cancer—or polyps that may become cancer— early, it is easier to treat and possibly cure.

“The number of deaths from colorectal cancer continues to decline because of screenings, which detect polyps before they become cancer,” says Arizona Oncology Medical Oncologist Peter Mathern, M.D. “We recommend anyone age 50 and over receive screenings.”

In addition, Dr. Mathern and other oncologists at Arizona Oncology are examining patients who already have colorectal cancer for codons 12 and 13 of the KRAS gene through gene mutation testing, which predicts whether patients will respond to antiepidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) therapies. The KRAS gene is in the oncogenes class, and when mutated, oncogenes have the potential to cause normal cells to become cancerous.

Dr. Mathern agrees with experts that in order to continue treating colorectal cancer, expanded RAS testing is needed. RAS is the name given to a subfamily of related proteins found inside cells, which, when overactive in signaling, can lead to cancer.

Recommended Screening and testing: •

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Colonoscopy - A routine test for problems that can arise in the colon, even if no “symptoms” are present. A screening colonoscopy is the best method for early detection of polyps, colon cancer and other colorectal disorders High-sensitivity fecal occult blood tests (FOBT)

For people with certain risk factors, screening should begin earlier or be done more often. While the exact cause of colorectal cancer is unknown, factors increasing risk for the disease include: • • • • • • • • • • •

Age – chances of being diagnosed with colorectal cancer increase as a person gets older Family history – having close relatives with colorectal cancer increases a person’s risk of developing the disease Diet – diets high in fat and low in calcium, folate and fiber may increase the risk Ethnicity – Jews of Eastern European descent have a higher rate of colon cancer Genetic alterations History of colorectal polyps – common in people over the age of 50, some growths on inner wall of colon or rectum can become cancerous Smoking Alcohol – heavy use of alcohol has been linked to the disease History of bowel disease – a disease called ulcerative colitis increases the risk of colon cancer Lack of exercise Overweight

Having a first degree relative such as a parent, sibling or child with colon cancer approximately doubles your personal risk for colon cancer. If you have a family history of colon cancer or a personal history of colon polyps, your doctor may recommend more frequent colonoscopies. In addition, there are certain inherited genetic syndromes that can increase the risk of colon cancer and other cancers. Talk with family members, and if there are multiple family members with colon and/or endometrial cancer, especially at a younger age, you should meet with a genetic counselor for a cancer risk assessment and possible genetic testing. Knowing your family history can be life-saving.

To learn more about screening and treatment of colorectal cancer at Arizona Oncology, visit ArizonaOncology.com or call 888-234-HEAL(4325).

The Arizona Daily Sun

HEALTH | FAMILY

FAMILY

T

Workout

he workday is done and dinner is in the oven. Exercise may be the last thing on your mind, but experts say family workout time is crucial to forming togetherness and improving health, especially in young kids.

According to the national fitness program Let’s Move, children should get a total of 60 minutes of physical activity each day, and adults need at least 30.

And exercise has never been more important to protecting children from incurring preventable illnesses later in life.

Childhood obesity rates have tripled since the 1980s, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At this rate, one third of all children born in 2000 or later will suffer from diabetes at some point in their lives. Here are some ideas for finding time for a family workout, even if your schedule seems too packed to fit it in.

TAKE A WALK A brisk walk is a great way to burn calories and increase your heart rate. The great thing about The Arizona Daily Sun

TIME

taking a walk is you can do so no matter where you live.

People in large cities can pop out of their apartments for a quick stroll downtown, while people in more rural areas can stretch out their legs in their own backyards or down a safe country road.

You only need a pair of comfortable shoes, and depending on if you have any young children, a stroller or carrying sling. Even your dog can get in on a family walk with the proper leash or harness.

JOIN THEM Are your children fans of video games or activities on the computer? Instead of pulling them away from their hobbies, join them.

Surprise them with a new video game. Just be sure that the game is one requiring physical activity. There are many dance and sports games that call for players to act out specific moves, swings or throws. This will help you and your child enjoy a game together while also sneaking in some exercise.

March 22, 2015 | Health & Medicine

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Local Non-profit Hospice offers Grief Support at No-cost to Northern Ariz. Community

"In both life and loss there are new beginnings to be explored," said Sheldon-Scurlock when describing the value of grief support.

For those whom seek grief support or would like to know more about Northland Hospice's support groups please contact Peggy SheldonScurlock at 928-779-1227.

Written by Northland Hospice & Palliative Care staff

Northland Hospice and Palliative Care, a nonprofit hospice, has been serving the Northern Arizona community since 1983 with compassionate end-of-life care. The mission of the organization is to be a community partner in offering not only compassionate end-of-life care, but social services as well, which includes bereavement support.

Many may be familiar with the Olivia White Hospice home located on Switzer Canyon drive with lush gardens, but most do not know of the grief support that is offered at nocost.

"Having the program be at no-cost is important, so that community members have the chance to move forward in the best way possible for themselves," said Peggy SheldonScurlock,, MA, bereavement counselor at NHPC.

Support Groups Life After Loss Flagstaff, AZ

Peggy Sheldon-Scurlock started as a volunteer at Northland Hospice and Palliative Care 20 years ago.

Those who seek support for a variety of losses, do not necessarily need to be or have been associated with NHPC's services. This service is provided to all ages, including children.

loses can include a move, a separation, and other changes -- Anything that impacts self identity," said

NHPC also collaborates with other organizations to meet these community needs.

Along with individual counseling, NHPC also provides grief and caregiver support groups that are held in Flagstaff, Sedona and Williams.

"Being NHPC we often assist people with death of a loved one, yet

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Health & Medicine | March 22, 2015

The Arizona Daily Sun

HEALTH | DIABETES

HOW TO

Stop DIABETES

BY BEV BENNETT CTW FEATURES

FOR PATIENTS DIAGNOSED WITH PREDIABETES, AVOIDING THE DISEASE IS AS EASY – OR AT LEAST STRAIGHTFORWARD – AS EATING BETTER, EXERCISING MORE AND LOSING WEIGHT

I

f you have prediabetes, take heart.

Consider this condition, in which your blood sugar level is higher than normal though not high enough for a diabetes diagnosis, as your wake-up call.

You may prevent or delay the onset of diabetes if you improve your diet, lose weight, get more exercise and in some cases take medication, say health experts.

Change your lifestyle and you may reduce your risk of diabetes by almost 60 percent, according to Dr. Martin J. Abrahamson, senior vice president for medical affairs, Joslin Diabetes Center, Boston, Mass.

But, continue on the same path and odds are you will develop diabetes.

“Of the people who have prediabetes, if nothing is done, 50 or 60 percent will develop diabetes over the period of 5 to 8 years,” says Dr. Michael Bergman, clinical professor of medicine and an endocrinologist, New York University, New York City.

Don’t take a wait-and-see approach.

“The point is to treat early and aggressively. The earlier one starts, in general, the less one need to rely on medications,” writes Dr. John Buse, Ph.D., professor of medicine, director of the University of North Carolina Diabetes Care Center. Chapel Hill, N.C. The UNC diabetes expert participated in a report that recommended patients with prediabetes be treated as if they had the disease to help prevent or delay the most devastating

“OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE PREDIABETES, IF NOTHING IS DONE, 50 OR 60 PERCENT WILL DEVELOP DIABETES OVER THE PERIOD OF 5 TO 8 YEARS.” — Dr. Michael Bergman, clinical professor of medicine and an endocrinologist, New York University, New York City.

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March 22, 2015 | Health & Medicine

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HEALTH | DIABETES

LOSING 7 PERCENT OF YOUR BODY WEIGHT, GETTING 150 MINUTES OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY A WEEK AND CUTTING BACK ON FATTY FOODS AND SIMPLE SUGARS CAN LEAD TO SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN YOUR BLOOD SUGAR. complications.

You don’t have to make radical adjustments to benefit, however.

“We’ve learned a lot. Lifestyle changes, diet and weight loss are almost twice as effective as medication,” Dr. Bergman says.

Losing 7 percent of your body weight, getting 150 minutes of physical activity a week and cutting back on fatty foods and simple sugars can lead to significant improvements in your blood sugar, according to Dr. Bergman.

He tells patients to lose a pound a week, or at most two pounds a week to get to their goal weight.

“Cut 500 calories a day – avoid bagels, juice, concentrated sugars. It’s very easy to do without feeling hungry,” Dr. Bergman says.

Add exercise to the plan and you’re expending energy, which can facilitate weight loss, according to Dr. Abrahamson.

You may wonder about taking a diabetes 10 Health & Medicine | March 22, 2015

medication instead of altering your habits.

“Medication will reduce the risk of diabetes, but I’m not a strong advocate of medications to prevent diabetes,” says Dr. Abrahamson, who promotes lifestyle modification.

One national study, the Diabetes Prevention Program, compared the effectiveness of weight loss and exercise with medication.

Although both reduced the risk of developing diabetes, the change with medication was less dramatic.

Even so, Dr. Buse cautions that it’s challenging to maintain weight loss and an exercise routine.

“It is totally doable but pretty tough for people to achieve 5 percent weight loss of body weight and keep it off for a year,” he writes in an email interview.

He suggests trying lifestyle changes for three to six months to see if they work for you before considering medications. © CTW FEATURES

The Arizona Daily Sun

I

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n our fourth year of operation we look back and remember our milestones. Including three successful programs at the Orpheum; our “Beans and Rice” fundraiser and the grand opening of our eastside satellite, made possible by the generosity of Carol and Norman Davis of Huntington, West Virginia and private donations from members of the Flagstaff community. The Sunnyside Poore Clinic provides free medical care and the Sid Davis Memorial Dental Clinic’s department provides free dental care to eligible patients.

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March 22, 2015 | Health & Medicine

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HEALTH | AGING LOSING WEIGHT IS NEVER A BAD IDEA, BUT WHEN YOU REACH THE AGE OF 60, HOW YOU GO ABOUT IT MATTERS AS MUCH AS YOUR WAISTLINE

BY BEV BENNETT CTW FEATURES

E X ER CISE CAU T ION A ft e r 60

W

hen the need arises, you have no hesitation about losing weight.

If dropping 20 pounds will make you look better at the class reunion or ease the joint pain in your knees, you’re ready to embrace whatever diet promises results.

But when you hit a certain age you should rethink your casual approach to dieting, say health experts.

Although you may still benefit from losing weight, you could inadvertently create risks for your wellbeing.

Losing weight once you’re age 60 or older could

accelerate the loss of lean body mass and bone mass, according to Lauri Wright, Ph.D., registered dietitian nutritionist, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics spokesperson.

Although you face a natural loss of muscle as you age, dieting could speed the process, according to Wright, assistant professor, University of South Florida, College of Public Health, Tampa, Fla. Sarcopenia, a condition in which you lose muscle mass and strength can be a serious problem for older adults affecting their ability to do everyday activities, she says.

In addition, dieting could lead to greater bone mass loss, according to Wright.

E XERCI S E CAU T I O N Afte r 12 Health & Medicine | March 22, 2015

The Arizona Daily Sun

HEALTH | AGING Does that mean you should toss the scale once you hit age 60?

No, Wright says.

If your weight increases health risks or interferes with your quality of life, dieting makes sense.

However, “if you’re a few pounds overweight but functioning well, it’s not an issue,” says Dr. Henry S. Lodge, co-author with Chris Crowley of “Younger Next Year” (Workman Publishing, 2004).

In fact, Dr. Lodge suggests that your weight should not be your only measure of wellness.

He is concerned about getting enough exercise to maintain your muscle mass as long as possible.

“There’s a lot of research saying you can maintain muscle mass into your 80’s. Getting old and getting weak should not be synonymous,” says Dr. Lodge, Robert Burch family professor of medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York City.

He recommends strength training, especially those routines that develop your legs and core.

“You can’t live without strong legs and core. Legs really matter,” Dr. Lodge says. © CTW FEATURES

“There’s a lot of research saying you can maintain muscle mass into your 80’s.

Getting old and getting weak should not be synonymous.”

— Dr. Lodge, Robert Burch family professor of medicine

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March 22, 2015 | Health & Medicine

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HEALTH | AGING

W

hen you think physical health, you may start with the skin, hair or teeth, because these are the parts of the body you can see.

But sitting beneath the surface are the vital pieces making up the ultimate structure of your body — the bones. They play many crucial roles in the body, including protection of organs, anchoring of muscles and storage of calcium.

Taking care of your bones is a practice that should start in childhood and continue throughout your life.

KEEP YOUR BONES STRONG

14 Health & Medicine | March 22, 2015

THE NUMBERS Why is bone health so important? The Office of the Surgeon General reports an assortment of statistics that call for healthier, bone-focused diets to help the country’s population.

How likely you are to develop osteoporosis — a condition that causes bones to become weak and brittle – depends on a variety of lifestyle, diet and exercise factors.

According to the Surgeon General: • The risk of a fracture increases with age and is greatest in women. In fact, roughly four in 10 Caucasian women ages 50 or older in the United States will experience a hip, spine or wrist fracture sometime during the remainder of their lives.

• Osteoporosis is the most common cause of fractures.

Roughly 10 million individuals over age 50 in the United States have osteoporosis of the hip.

• By 2020, one in two Americans over age 50 is expected to have or be at risk of developing osteoporosis of the hip.

CALCIUM Calcium is a mineral needed by the body for healthy bones. Since the body cannot produce calcium, it must be absorbed through food or vitamins.

Good sources can include low-fat dairy products, dark green leafy vegetables and calcium-fortified products such as orange juice, cereal and bread.

The daily recommended amount of calcium varies for individuals, so check with your physician to see how much you should be taking in.

PHYSICAL Bones also can be strengthened through regular physical activity. Weight-bearing physical activities cause muscles and bones to work against gravity. This can be strenuous, so consult your physician before increasing the amount of weight-bearing exercises.

These exercises can include simple walking, jogging or running. More vigorous activities can include field hockey, hiking and weightlifting.

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HEALTH | TECHNOLOGY

THERE’S AN APP FOR That!

Not every app is created equal and wading through the hordes of them can be pretty overwhelming. Here are a few suggestions

LOSE IT! Reardon also likes this app (and website), which counts calories and tracks exercise to help users lose weight. It is compatible with many of the popular devices and features a strong community of support.

FIGWEE Bruce Metcalf, owner of MBC Fitness in Chicago, likes Figwee.

This nutrition-related app helps users properly size up food portions (as in, users can actually see portions and increase or decrease them and assess the related nutritional content). This can be particularly helpful for those with health conditions in which it is essential to be consumption conscious.

ARGUS OR MOVES Both of these apps are budget friendly options (Moves is free while Argus is $1.99) for those looking to track activity but not willing or able to shell out the cash for an expensive band. The big downside to them is the drain on the phone battery but if you’re looking for a cheaper way to get started, this is it.

MAP MY RUN Susan Reardon, a Boston-based certified personal trainer and lifestyle/nutrition coach, likes this app to map running routes, keep track of routes used, and the searchable database of other routes as well as the ability to connect with others.

DAILY YOGA This free app has a large library of Yoga programs for aspiring yogis of all levels. Even better, if you’re short on time and high on stress, there’s a quickie Yoga session for that.

FROM COUCH TO 5K This interval run/ walk plan eases users into running a 5K by slowly increasing running time and decreasing walking time. For those looking to start an exercise program, it doesn’t get much more inexpensive than running, which requires shoes and motivation. Add the $1.99 for this app and you’ve got a great deal and a goal.

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Advertiser Provided Content

NAU grad students provide mental illness support on campus

G

raduate students at Northern Arizona University are hoping to improve the success of students who cope with mental illness by starting a campus chapter of Flagstaff’s National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) affiliate.

For young adults living with a mental illness, a college education can promise a future of stable employment and financial independence. However, a majority of students who struggle with a mental illness drop out of college because of their condition, and many of them do so because they do not receive accommodations or support services. In 2012,

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a study conducted by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) revealed that more students need mental health services than who actually access them.

The NAMI NAU chapter aims to emphasize support groups where students can find encouragement and resources from peers with shared experiences. NAMI Flagstaff and its programs are open to anyone seeking support for themselves, family members or friends, as well as anyone who wants to advocate for mental health issues.

Visit NAMI-Flagstaff.org or email info@ nami-flagstaff.org.

March 22, 2015 | Health & Medicine

15

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