July 28, 2010 | filed in: Cooking & Eating
Colorize your diet for a healthier you
Juanita Watts, MD, is our women's health leader in Southern California. She explains how the colors of the rainbow can help you prevent cancer, maintain your weight, and sharpen your mind.
There's an easy way to help maintain a healthy weight and reduce your risk for health conditions such as heart disease and cancer: Eat a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables.
Following are a few of my favorite building blocks for health:
- Ravishing reds. Tomatoes, red bell pepper, watermelon, and pink grapefruit are among the foods that get their color from lycopene. This antioxidant helps lessen the effect of disease-causing free radicals, which are molecules or atoms that can damage cells and genes. For men, lycopene may also decrease the risk of prostate cancer.
- Outrageous oranges. Orange and yellow foods contain beta-carotene, which may help keep your mind sharp. Apricots, peaches, yams, and carrots are some examples that also contain cryptoxanthin, an antioxidant that acts like an anti-inflammatory agent and may lower the risk of arthritis.
- Glowing greens. Leafy greens, such as spinach and collard greens, and broccoli contain vitamin C, beta carotene, folic acid, and many other phytochemicals. These compounds work together to help reduce your risk for cancer and heart disease.
- Blue blends. Dark blue and purple fruits and vegetables—such as blackberries, purple cabbage, and eggplant—contain anthocyanin, a powerful antioxidant that can help prevent tumor growth and protect against vascular disease.
- Brown beanies. Lentils and beans contain both soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber works to lower your cholesterol. Insoluble fiber can decrease constipation and help prevent weight gain.
For local, in-season fruits and vegetables, visit a farmers' market at one of our medical facilities. Find a farmers' market near you.
July 15, 2010 | filed in: State of Health
Four common allergy questions answered
Anne M. Staveren, MD, is an allergist at our Los Angeles Medical Center. She spent some time with us this busy season to answer the four most common questions people have about allergies.
How do I know I have allergies and not a cold?
Many of the symptoms are similar, but there are important differences. Colds usually get better in three to seven days, and they rarely last longer than two weeks. But allergies may last for a month or more. Seasonal allergies occur like clockwork at certain times of year, while colds are unpredictable.
What's the best way to find out if I have allergies?
If you find your seasonal allergy symptoms are more than just a nuisance, especially if you suffer from asthma or other lung conditions, and you are not sure what is causing your allergies, talk to your primary care physician so he or she is aware of your concerns. Your doctor may refer you to a board-certified allergist who is specially trained to diagnose and treat allergic and immunologic diseases. The allergist may recommend skin or blood tests to identify your allergic triggers, like grass pollen, dust mites, animal dander, or mold.
How can I relieve my allergy symptoms?
First: Avoid the offenders. Once you know what causes your allergies, avoid those things if possible. For example, if you are allergic to dogs, you may want to make your dog an outside pet. Or if you're allergic to pine, you can avoid taking walks outside when the pines shed their spores in the fall.
Second: Start preventive medication a few weeks before your seasonal allergies are due and continue it daily during the season.
If you find that you react to an indoor allergen, such as pet hair, dust mites, or pollen that comes in through open windows, try the following:
- Place HEPA filters in air purifiers and vacuum cleaners. They help reduce the number of small particles that can set off your allergies.
- Use allergy bed covers, dust your window blinds, and reduce clutter to limit pollen, dust mites, and animal dander that get trapped indoors.
- If these two actions don't ease your symptoms, allergy shots may help reduce your sensitivity to allergens.
Can allergies make my asthma worse?
Yes. Some allergens can trigger asthma attacks. Gaining greater control of the postnasal drip and secondary sinus infections that often accompany nasal allergies can help you stop asthma attacks. During your season of allergies, take extra care to monitor your asthma so it doesn't get out of control.
May 26, 2010 | filed in: Thriving Communities
Investing in women and girls to improve communities
"Invest in women and girls in your communities and your communities will get better." That, says Barbara J. Mosacchio, CEO of The Atlanta Women's Foundation, is the key to improving communities around the country.
A recipient of multiple Kaiser Permanente Community Benefit grants since 2004, The Atlanta Women's Foundation (AWF) is the only public foundation in Georgia that exclusively funds organizations working to improve the lives of women and girls across Atlanta. Foundation-funded organizations cover everything from homeless shelters and health clinics to support for low-wage earners and domestic violence survivors.
Why women and girls?
The reasons for AWF's focus are many:
- 43 percent of female-headed households in Atlanta with one child have an income below the minimum budget needed for a family of that size. 61 percent of single women with two children earn below this level. (Status of Women in Atlanta: A Survey of Economic, Demographic, and Social Indicators for the 15 County Area, May 2007)
- Georgia has the eighth highest teen birth rate in the nation. The poverty rate for children born to teen mothers who have never married and have not graduated from high school is 78 percent. (Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention, Annie E. Casey Foundation, Kids Count 2008)
- The graduation rate for females in the state of Georgia is just 63.8 percent. (Diplomas Count 2008)
By reducing barriers to health care, education, personal development, and economic growth, the Foundation is helping women and girls "break the generational cycle of poverty."
Barbara Mosacchio says, "The Foundation is making a difference in the lives of women and girls in Atlanta, and no matter where you are, investing in the lives of women and girls is a great idea."
See how this model for social change is making a difference.
May 12, 2010 | filed in: Exercise & Fitness
An Ironman’s tips on training
Scott Power (second from right), a senior brand strategist at Kaiser Permanente, spent six months extensively training to compete in and finish the grueling Ironman Triathlon. He shares the following five tips to help anyone ready to take on a new exercise routine or breathe life into an old one.
Set goals
To begin or refresh an exercise program, start by setting achievable milestones that lead up to your final goal. "Know what you're trying to accomplish and build your program around that," Power says. This will help you measure your progress and keep you motivated along the way.
Stretch
Even if your exercise program is minimal, stretching every day will help you avoid injuries and put a healthy spring in your step. A brisk five-minute walk to warm up before stretching can help you limber up safely.
Build consistency
Power says to start small, build methodically, and make healthy activities a habit. "Do something for an hour every day and make it a routine," he says. The more committed you are to exercising, the easier it gets.
Rest and recover
One thing many people forget when they begin a fitness routine is to rest. Whether it's taking a day off or making sure you take breaks during your workout, "you have to give your body a chance to recover," Power advises.
Be positive
The right mindset is important for your fitness routine and your well-being. Power finds that a positive mantra of "thank you" elevates his sense of motivation and purpose. Taking a moment to feel grateful or thankful for all the goods things in your life can also help you deal with stress and pressure.
