The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality suggests patients quiz their doctor or pharmacist about their prescription medications.






  1. Bullet  What are the drug’s generic and brand names?

  2. Bullet  What is it supposed to do?

  3. Bullet  Is it okay to substitute a less expensive generic medicine for the brand-

  4.         name version that will achieve the same effect?

  5. Bullet  What’s the proper dosage?

  6. Bullet  Are there foods, drinks, supplements, medicines, or activities I should

            avoid while taking this?

  1. Bullet  What are the possible side effects of the medicine and what should I do

            if they occur?

  1. Bullet  What should I do if I miss a dose?

  2. Bullet  What should I do if I accidentally take more than the recommended

            dose?

  1. Bullet  How many refills can I get?

  2. Bullet Is there any written information I can take home with me?

by Kathleen Slattery - Moschkau


Source:  Humana Active Outlook Magazine Summer 2007



In his best-selling book YOU on a Diet:  The Owner’s Manual for Waist Management, Michael Roizen, M.D. and his co-author, Mehmet Oz, M.D., indicate just how lucky we are to live in a time when the scientific world has started to unlock the biological mysteries that have caused us to store fat and gain weight.  Their plan avoids the dangerous yo-yo cycle of weight loss and weight gain that so often accompany traditional dieting.


“Focus on waist, rather than weight, management,” says Dr. Roizen.  Because of its proximity to vital organs, belly fat is the most dangerous fat you can carry, and it is one of the strongest predictors of health risks (heart disease, diabetes, and other) associated with obesity.  Ideal waist size is 32 1/2 inches or less for women and 35 inches or less for men.  The risks really start to increase when a woman’s waist — measured at the belly button when sucking in — exceeds 37 inches or a man’s 40 inches, and the risk is equivalent at age 55 to breast cancer at a waist of 41, or prostate cancer at a waist of 44.  So a trim waist is no more a cosmetic issue than the color of the wiring inside the walls of your home is.












You really need only two things to build muscle, burn fat, slim your waist, subtract years, boost heart health, and reduce stress — and both are free:  your body and the know-how to use it.  Start by walking 30 minutes a day.  No excuses.  “It’s as important as daily sleep, and call someone after you do it — that support person helps rally you and helps you be accountable to yourself,” says Dr. Roizen.











Find Support

It’s really much easier to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight when you enlist a friend or family member to support you.


Source:  O, The Oprah Magazine July 2007

 

WALKING

The sum of the whole is this:

    Walk and be happy;

    Walk and be healthy —

The best way to lengthen out

our days is to walk steadily and with

a purpose.  —Charles Dickens

CURIOSITY CAN SAVE YOUR LIFE

10 QUESTIONS YOU SHOULD ASK

ABOUT PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

Tips For Better Teeth Cleaning


Whichever brand of toothbrush, toothpaste, or floss you choose, using proper brushing and flossing techniques is critical for adequately removing plaque, which cause cavities and gum disease.


Brushing Up On Brushing


  1. Bullet  What to use: Choose a brush with soft or medium bristles, which are gentler on the gums and may clean better because they’re more flexible. The brush design does not appear to influence effectiveness, so choose any one you like. Among toothpastes, Ultrabrite cleaned the best in CONSUMER REPORTS’ latest test, published in August 2006.

  2. Bullet  How often:  Brush twice a day, 2 minutes each time. And rinse your mouth after sugary or starchy snacks.

  3. Bullet  How to brush: Position the toothbrush with the bristles angled 45 degrees toward the gum line, so one row of bristle tips can slip slightly under the gums. Jiggle the brush head with a short, vibrating motion, then move on to the next spot. Finally, scrub the chewing surfaces.

  4. Bullet  Remember: Brush gently to avoid harming the gums; removing plaque doesn’t require much pressure. Brush both the outer and inner surfaces of your teeth and the tops of molars. Brush your tongue, too, to remove bacteria and freshen breath (or use a tongue scraper, sold a drugstores for about $1 each).


Flossing Fundamentals


  1. Bullet  What to use: All flosses clean effectively. But if you find flossing uncomfortable, consider a slippery one like Glide.

  2. Bullet  How often: Floss once a day to remove plaque and food particles your brush can’t reach.

  3. Bullet  How to floss: Break off about 18 inches of floss and wind most of it around a finger; wind the rest around the same finger on your other hand. Use a careful sawing motion to slide the floss between your teeth down or up to the gum line; then gently move the thread slightly under the gums. Next, curve it into a “C” shape against the side of one tooth and sweep it up and down. Repeat for both sides of each tooth, unwinding clean floss from the first hand.


Source: CONSUMER REPORTS Magazine, 2007

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