Wellness Wednesday Tip #18: Try Some Green Tea

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Happy Wellfie Wednesday Folks!

     Welcome back, and I hope everyone enjoyed their Halloween. This week’s tip is to try some Green Tea! If you’re looking to swap out a daily soft drink, sugary beverage, or even get a small dose of caffeine that’s not from coffee (crazy right, because coffee rocks!), try green tea. Green tea has been found to be one of most beneficial teas available when it comes to improving health.

     Green tea’s health benefits stem from its’ high concentration of flavonoids, which act as antioxidants in the body. The research on green tea is abundant, and most of the studies indicate that benefits are seen with drinking up to 3 cups/day. Findings include:

  • Reducing risk of atherosclerosis (1)
  • Reducing risk of cardiovascular events (2)
  • Lowering total cholesterol (1,3,4,5)
  • Protection against certain cancers (1,3)
  • Help regulate glucose levels (1,6)

A most recent large cohort study in Japan also found that “green tea may reduce the risk of all-cause mortality,” including reduced risk for heart disease in men & women and cerebrovascular and respiratory illness in men. (7)

     The best way to take advantage of the tea’s benefits is to brew it fresh, steeping for 3-5 minutes, as other variations contain less beneficial compounds. (3) Keep in mind that green tea is a herb and could have potential side effects when combined with other herbs, supplements, or medications. (1)

     Let us know how you incorporated green tea into your day! And as always, thanks again for all of the #WellfieWednesday support, be sure to post your pictures again this week and tag Eric (@Eric_in_AmERICa) or myself (@PBernerSPT) and keep the wave of healthy change going!

-       Dr. Patrick Berner, PT, DPT

-       Dr. Eric Uveges, PT, DPT

 

1.     http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/green-tea

2.     Jun Pang, Zheng Zhang, Tong-zhang Zheng, et al. Green tea consumption and risk of cardiovascular and ischemic related diseases: A meta-analysis, International Journal of Cardiology, Volume 202, 1 January 2016, Pages 967-974,

3.     http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/benefit_of_drinking_green_tea

4.     I. Onakpoya, E. Spencer, C. Heneghan, M. Thompson, The effect of green tea on blood pressure and lipid profile: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials, Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases, Volume 24, Issue 8, August 2014, Pages 823-836.

5.     Khalesi S, Sun J, Buys N, et al. Green tea catechins and blood pressure: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Eur J Nutr. 2014;53(6):1299-311.

6.     Liu K, Zhou R, Wang B, et al. Effect of green tea on glucose control and insulin sensitivity: a meta-analysis of 17 randomized controlled trials. Am J Clin Nutr. 2013;98(2):340-8.

7.     Eiko Saito, Manami Inoue, Norie Sawada, et al. Association of green tea consumption with mortality due to all causes and major causes of death in a Japanese population: the Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study (JPHC Study), Annals of Epidemiology, Volume 25, Issue 7, July 2015, Pages 512-518.

Wellness Wednesday Tip #17: Try Meatless Monday!

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Happy #WellfieWednesday friends!

     This week’s tip is to try participating in #MeatlessMonday! Meatless Monday, a non-profit health initiative launched in 2003 by the Center for a Livable Future at the John’s Hopkins School of Public Health, encourages people around the world to go meatless one day a week for their health & the health of the planet.

     According to research from the CLF, Americans eat an average of a half-pound of meat per day, or an average of 182 lbs. of meat per year. Personally, I never thought of the statistics that way, but when I do…it kind of grosses me out. For perspective, I’m a pretty average guy weighing in around 190 lbs. According to this research, that means in a given year I basically eat my weight in meat. Kind of gross, right?

     While you try to get that visual out of your head, consider the research linking processed and red meat consumption to heart disease, cancer, obesity, diabetes, and premature death. Take it a step further and consider the impact these chronic diseases have on our overall healthcare system, accounting for 75% of the 2 TRILLION dollars spent on medical care in the US every year. Take it even another step further and consider the resources (land, water, food, fossil fuel) required to process 180 lbs. of meat for the 3.2 million people who live in the US.

     Now imagine reducing each these categories by 14%. That is the impact that going meatless just one day a week can have on yourself, our country, and the world as a whole. Find more information on the initiative at their website http://www.meatlessmonday.com/ or on social media @MeatlessMonday, and check out the links below for recipe ideas.

     So give it a shot, and let us know how it goes! Thanks again for all of the #WellfieWednesday support, be sure to post your pictures again this week and tag Patrick (@PBernerSPT) or myself (@Eric_in_AmERICa) and keep the wave of healthy change going!

Recipe options:

http://www.meatlessmonday.com/favorite-recipes/

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/22166/vegetarian/must-try/slideshow/meatless-monday-healthy-vegetarian-recipes-you-must-try/

http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/vegetarian/slideshow/easy-vegetarian-dinner-recipes

http://damndelicious.net/2014/12/02/15-best-quick-easy-meatless-recipes/

http://www.thekitchn.com/23-vegetarian-dinners-to-make-meatless-monday-even-easier-230958

- Dr. Eric Uveges, PT, DPT

-Dr. Patrick Berner, PT, DPT

Wellness Wednesday Tip #14: Have a Plan to Prevent Breast Cancer!

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Happy Wellfie Wednesday Folks!

This week’s Wellness Wednesday Tip: Have a Plan to Prevent Breast Cancer!

     As many of us may know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so we wanted to do our part and help spread the message about breast cancer. Here are some of the latest 2016 stats from the American Cancer Society: (1) 

  •  “About 1 in 8 (12%) women in the US will develop invasive breast cancer during their lifetime.”
  • “About 61,000 new cases of carcinoma in situ (CIS) will be diagnosed (CIS is non-invasive and is the earliest form of breast cancer).”
  • “About 246,660 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women.”
  • “About 40,450 women will die from breast cancer” this year.
  • “The chance that a woman will die from breast cancer is about 1 in 36 (about 3%).”

Click here to check out the risk factors for developing breast cancer.

     They include such factors as age, ethnicity, family history, early onset menstruation, late onset menopause, birth control use, being overweight/obese, and the main factor of being a woman. But don’t forget! Men are also at risk for the development of breast cancer.

     Early detection is key to preventing breast cancer. “Regular mammograms can often help find breast cancer at an early stage, when treatment is most likely to be successful. A mammogram can find breast changes that could be cancer years before physical symptoms develop.” (2) 

“All women should be familiar with the known benefits, limitations, and potential harms associated with breast cancer screening. They should also be familiar with how their breasts normally look and feel and report any changes to a health care provider right away.” (2)

“Women ages 40 to 44 should have the choice to start annual breast cancer screening with mammograms if they wish to do so. The risks of screening as well as the potential benefits should be considered.

Women age 45 to 54 should get mammograms every year.

Women age 55 and older should switch to mammograms every 2 years, or have the choice to continue yearly screening.” (2) 

     Aside from early screens, living a preventative lifestyle may also help reduce the risk of breast cancer. This can be done by: (3) 

  • Limiting alcohol consumption
  • Not smoking
  • Controlling your weight
  • Increasing physical activity
  • Consuming a healthy diet
  • Limiting hormone therapies

Here are some additional resources:

     We hope you’ve learned some beneficial information for the prevention of breast cancer; please spread the word! And as always, thanks again for all of the #WellfieWednesday support, be sure to post your pictures again this week and tag Eric (@Eric_in_AmERICa) or myself (@PBernerSPT) and keep the wave of healthy change going!

-       Dr. Patrick Berner, PT, DPT

-       Dr. Eric Uveges, PT, DPT

 

References

1. http://www.cancer.org/cancer/breastcancer/detailedguide/breast-cancer-key-statistics 

2. http://www.cancer.org/cancer/breastcancer/moreinformation/breastcancerearlydetection/breast-cancer-early-detection-acs-recs 

3. http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/womens-health/in-depth/breast-cancer-prevention/art-20044676