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November Personal Best is online

The November issue of the Personal Best health and wellness newsletter is now online.

Are You Pre-Diabetic? If you are, your blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be called diabetic. Pre-diabetes cases in the U.S. recently rose from an estimated 16 million to 41 million, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. This month's cover story has more on when and how often a person's blood glucose level should be screened and what to do to reduce the risk of diabetes.

The decision to have surgery is not an easy one. Any surgery can cause anxiety, whether the procedure is diagnostic, exploratory or curative. If surgery involves a hospital stay, there are several things a person can do to feel more confident before being admitted. Read eight suggestions in Getting Ready for Surgery.

Feeling a little stiff? Incorporating stretching into the daily routine may help. Flexibility is key to mobility, healthy joints and injury prevention. The Personal Best Fitness column this month has some guidelines for safe stretching along with 'Good Morning Stretches.'

The Lifestyle file looks at the many emotions people deal with on a daily basis, and also gives some tips on how to improve mental health based on advice from the National Mental Health Association.

Fitting in family and personal time can be a challenge for those who work nights when many family oriented activities are scheduled. In this month's Personal Best, read some suggestions for improving or increasing family times in Shiftworkers: Find Time for Fun and Family.

In Body Matters, read about some possible root causes for short spells of drowsiness during the day. If the lethargy lingers, impairs performance, or leads to an injury, then an evaluation for excessive wake-time sleepiness may be needed.

Also in Body Matters are some ideas on how to help overweight kids. Lack of exercise, poor diet and super-sized food portions are the primary factors health professionals blame on the epidemic of overweight and obese children in America. One of the best ways to help overweight children is to introduce positive changes to the entire family.

Disaster often strike quickly, leaving little time for planning. Safety Solutions this month discusses the importance of being prepared in case of an emergency.

For most teens, getting a driver's license is a rite of passage. We all enjoy the freedom of driving. But the mix of youth and inexperience presents a major safety risk to young drivers and others. Safety Solutions takes a look at some of the factors that increase the risk of an accident, and has some suggestions for what parents can do to save lives.

Thanks to non-caloric artificial sweeteners, we can enjoy sugar-free versions of our favorite soft drinks, ice cream and other sweets. Sugar substitutes can help fight cavities and reduce caloric intake. They also can help control blood glucose levels in diabetics. More than half of all Americans consume sugar-free products, and the number is rising. Should we be concerned about safety? Read more in are Sugar Substitutes Safe?

The recipe of the month is Pecan Carrots with Marmalade.

Also in this issue: Cold or allergy? Peanut-butter smoothie; protecting bone mass; restricting salt to prevent high blood pressure; top 10 leading causes of death; the Great American Smokeout; safely thaw your turkey; epilepsy.

Personal Best is published by Scott Publishing in Edmonds, Wash., and is part of the Lab's Positive Health Directions Program in Occupational Medicine (HSR-2) and Benefits and Employment Services (HR-B).

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