total For Members of United Service Association For Health Care HEALTH&wellness 2016 SPRING Mario Lopez Driven to Succeed—With a Dedication to Fitness, Health, and Making a Difference plus The Sun: Health Friend or Foe? and Playtime Improves Your Health— At Any Age total For Members of United Service Association HEALTHFor Health Care [ cover story ] &wellness Mario Lopez SPRING 2016 focuses on fitness Mario Lopez and giving back. Driven to Succeed—With a Dedication to Fitness, Health, page 10 and Making a Difference plus The Sun: Health Friend or Foe? and Playtime Improves 5 8 Your Health— At Any Age 5426M_USA_SP16.indd 1 3/29/16 5:30 PM TOTAL HEALTH & WELLNESS Executive Director: M. Cranon Director of Operations: T. Barton Director of Operations: R. Davis Staff Support: C. Mangrum and B. Mayer Total Health & Wellness is published by 13 16 18 United Service Association For Health Care. This information is intended to educate the public about subjects pertinent to their health, not as a substitute for consultation with a personal physician. © 2016 Printed in the U.S.A. 3 Playtime Improves Your Health—At Any Age United Service Association For Health Care is an organization that provides privileges and 4 For Better Health, Prescribe Yourself Some Exercise services that promote the health and welfare of its members. For more information, please contact: 5 How to Read Your Blood Test United Service Association For Health Care P.O. Box 200905 6 Produce May Be the Key to Happiness Arlington, TX 76006-0095 800-USA-1187 8 Want to Avoid Back Surgery? Quick, Head to Physical Therapy EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD David S. Alkek, M.D., Clinical Professor of Dermatology, The University of Texas 9 Are You Using Aspirin Inappropriately? Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX Joseph D. Beasley, M.D., Director, The Institute of Health Policy and Practice, 13 5 Reasons Your Vision Is Changing Amityville, NY Kathie Davis, Executive Director, IDEA Health & Fitness Association, San Diego, CA 14 Being Mindful at Work Sidney Friedlaender, M.D., Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 15 Sit Less, Live Longer: Fit More Motion into Your Day Charles M. Ginsburg, M.D., Professor and Chairman of Pediatrics, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 16 A Trip to the Doctor’s Isn’t a Walk of Shame Susan Johnson, Ed.D., Director, Continuing Education, The Cooper Institute, Dallas, TX 17 Is Your Pet Helping or Hurting Your Health? Julie Waltz Kembel, M.S.Ed., CHES, Education Director, Canyon Ranch, Tucson, AZ Don R. Powell, Ph.D., President and CEO, 18 The Sun: Health Friend or Foe? American Institute for Preventive Medicine, Farmington Hills, MI 20 Stretch Your Grocery Budget Without Stretching Charles F. Seifert, Pharm.D., Director of Clinical Pharmacy Services, Rapid City Regional Dollars Hospital, Rapid City, SD Kathryn K. Waldrep, M.D., F.A.C.O.G., Medical City Dallas, Dallas, TX Arthur H. White, M.D., Medical Director, San Francisco Spine Institute, Daly City, CA Cover photo: Dan MacMedan/Contour by SPRING 2016 Getty Images [ HEALTHY LIVING ] Playtime Improves Your Health—At Any Age Growing up typically means trading jungle gyms for treadmills, crayons for keyboards, and tiddlywinks for taxes. But it doesn’t have to mean all work and no play. A TAKING TIME TO PLAY KEEPS ADULTS Color In—Or Out of—the Lines Not into group exercise? Head to the YOUNG AT HEART IN MORE WAYS THAN The latest coloring books aren’t just for park and use equipment like monkey ONE. Research increasingly suggests kids. Use colored pencils, crayons, or bars and park benches to build strength childlike pursuits—from coloring to fine-tipped markers to shade in designs and agility. checkers—protect against serious adult like butterflies and tranquil landscapes. diseases. These include anxiety disor- Beyond the fun involved in creative Roll the Dice ders, obesity, heart disease, and demen- expression, coloring intricate designs From bingo to bridge, board and parlor tia. Here’s how to reap the rewards of called mandalas might even ward off games offer more than a good time. recreation, at any age. anxiety. That’s according to a study in Playing them can also shore up your Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art cognitive reserves, stores of brainpower Hoop It Up Therapy Association. that ward off signs of dementia. In fact, Hula-hooping gained ground as a child’s older adults who more often played cards, toy in the 1950s. Decades later, there are Hit the Playground chess, and other games had 15 percent compelling reasons for adults to pick Try a fitness class that will transport you lower odds of developing dementia over a them back up. An American Council right out of the gym and right back to 20-year period, found a recent French on Exercise study found spinning one recess. By having fun and competing in study in the journal BMJ Open. They also around your hips revs up your heart games like hot potato and relay races, had lower rates of depression than those rate and burns about 210 calories in 30 you’ll burn calories, distract yourself who tended to sit out. Ë minutes. In other words, it’s as good a from discomfort, and boost production workout as step aerobics, kickboxing, or of brain chemicals that improve cogni- boot-camp classes. tive function. WWW.USAHC.COM 3 [ HEALTHY LIVING ] For Better Health, Prescribe Yourself Some Exercise Regular physical activity can reduce your risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and bone-weakening osteoporosis. But the list doesn’t end there. Here are other ways exercise is proving to be the best medicine. A Cancer Prevention Physical activity in any form may lower 3 TIPS TO STAY HYDRATED cancer risk, according to the American DURING YOUR WORKOUT Institute for Cancer Research. It helps Staying well hydrated can keep your maintain a healthy weight, which can energy level up, help you avoid muscle reduce your risk for cancer. fatigue, and regulate your body temperature to prevent overheating. A Healthier Nervous System To prevent dehydration when you’re Running may help prevent Parkinson’s working out, practice these important disease, a neurological disease that’s beverage basics: caused by the death of neurons that produce dopamine, a chemical in the 1 Drink before, during, and after your brain that controls movement. A study workout. Drink using these rules: • 16 to 20 ounces of water at least four in Brain, Behavior, and Immunity found hours before exercise that running may protect against • 8 to 12 ounces of water again 10 to inflammation that can lead to the death 15 minutes right before working out of these neurons. • 3 to 8 ounces of water every 15 to 20 minutes during exercise if A Healthier, Longer Life you’ll be working out for less than People who are physically active for 60 minutes, or 3 to 8 ounces of a about seven hours a week have a sports beverage if you’ll be working 40 percent lower risk of dying early out for longer than 60 minutes compared with those who are active for • 20 to 24 ounces of water within less than 30 minutes each week. two hours of your workout for every pound you’ve lost—weigh yourself Exercise Rx before and after your workout to track your fluid loss For better health, try to log in 150 minutes each week of moderately 2 Water is all you need for workouts intense activity, such as brisk walking, lasting an hour or less. or 75 minutes per week of vigorous exercise, such as jogging or running, 3 Don’t overhydrate during exercise, and at least two weekly sessions of either. It can be just as dangerous as strength training. Ë dehydration. Don’t drink more than 1 quart (32 ounces) of fluid per hour of exercise. 4 TOTAL HEALTH & WELLNESS SPRING 2016 [ HEALTHY LIVING ] How to Read Your Blood Test When you visit your doctor, he or she may recommend certain tests to assess your well-being. One example is a blood test, or what’s formally called a complete blood count (CBC) test. A YOUR DOCTOR MAY SUGGEST THIS TEST them. Tests from different labs may vary Understanding Reference Ranges IN ORDER TO: in format but should have the same Receiving test results outside the normal • Evaluate your general health information. range, known as the reference range, • Diagnose conditions such as anemia, Most likely, a CBC will contain: does not indicate you are ill. Rather, it’s infection, and bleeding disorders • Test results written as numbers a sign that further tests are needed to • Monitor an illness to determine if a or text determine why your test showed given treatment is effective • Highlighted abnormal results abnormal markers. • Results that are critically abnormal Many conditions can increase or A CBC provides data on three kinds of and that require immediate attention decrease red and white blood cell cells that circulate in the blood—white • The lab’s interpretation of the test production, and some of these blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. results conditions may or may not need • A list of medications and health treatment. If you are confused about Deciphering Your Blood Test supplements that may affect the any figures in your blood test or what If you get the results of a CBC in the results steps you should take next, speak with mail, you may need help deciphering your health care provider. Ë WWW.USAHC.COM 5 [ HEALTHY EATING 101 ] Produce May Be the Key to Happiness The old saying goes “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” But more than just keeping your body healthy, new research says fruits and vegetables may help improve your mood, too.