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February Personal Best health, wellness newsletter now online

The February issue of the Personal Best health newsletter is now online.

This month's cover story talks about the benefits of using dumbbells (free weights), rather than weight machines for strength training. Weight machines are great for those who haven't strength trained, but free weights can be more versatile. See the newsletter for ideas on how to utilize dumbbells along with tips on progressive resistance training.

February is Heart Health Month and In A Heartbeat talks about the physiology of a working heart. An effective beating heart is often taken for granted until its function is disrupted. Watch for risks of heart disease, review the checklist of risk factors and read more about the how they affect the risk of having a heart attack.

Most people who experience serious depression don't, or choose not to seek professional help for it. Men are much less likely than women to get diagnosed and treated. Men may ignore the symptoms of depression because they view them as weaknesses and feel ashamed to admit them. Read Depression: Not For Women Only for a list of the symptoms and what to do if you think you may be suffering from depression.

On Your Mind covers talking to teens. Despite all the education and care parents or guardians provide, even smart, self-respecting teens may yield to peer pressure. Experimenting with tobacco, alcohol and other drugs at a young age can quickly lead to addiction. Teen Talk has some suggestions on how to establish trust with teens.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported last year that nearly half of all deaths in the United States can be attributed to preventable behaviors. For example, the leading causes of death in 2000 were tobacco (435,000 deaths; 18 percent of total), poor diet and physical inactivity (400,000; 16.6 percent), and alcohol consumption (85,000 deaths; 3.5 percent). The Power of Prevention Through Lifestyle has more information. Want to change lifestyle behaviors but don't know where to start? Consider taking a Health Risk Assessment, a service offered by the Positive Health Directions Program through the Wellness Center (HSR-2).

This month's nutrition column is about keeping track of consumption of trans fatty acids. After 100 years of use in food processing, the Food and Drug Administration has labeled trans fat "bad" because in excess it can raise the "bad" LDL cholesterol and raise the risk of heart attack. Read about trans fats and how to avoid them in this issue.

The recipe of the month is Chicken Chile.

Also in this issue: Exercise benefits mini-quiz; help for insomnia; homocysteine linked to osteoporosis? Colon cancer prevention; communication saves time; what your doctor wants to know; preventing antibiotic resistance; talking on a cell phone while driving; eye safety; electrical safety; organic food standards; and preventing prostate cancer.

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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