Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Is Massage Real Medicine?

By Karen Cicero for Completely You

I’ve got a little something for you this Valentine’s Day. It’s not chocolate -- though eating a piece or two of the dark kind this week would actually be pretty good for you. (See my story about it here.) It’s something wonderfully calorie-free: a massage.

OK, I can’t reach through the Web and virtually rub your back. But I can give you a darn good reason to rationalize to your sweetie why you need a massage -- or at least a gift card to get one at a spa.

It all started a couple of months ago when my husband was out of town. He called me one morning, and I was in a great mood: “The spa I love is on Groupon today,” I squealed like a little girl. He didn’t get the significance. Then I explained that I can treat myself to a 90-minute massage at half price. He still didn’t get the significance. “Do you want to buy a Groupon?” he asked. I told him I already did.

To me, a massage (at least one from a pro) is major luxury; the discount gave me a reason to splurge. But a couple of days later, while scanning the health headlines, I came across a study from the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami (can you believe that there’s such a place?) that suggested massage was worth my money as much as a gym membership. The study found that a single massage can raise your level of the feel-good hormone serotonin, lower stress hormones and jumpstart immune-boosting cells.

I had to know more. So I called Tiffany Field, the institute’s director. She told me that her group has literally done hundreds of studies on massage. (Um, if you need volunteers … ) “We’ve shown that massage helps fight depression, anxiety, headaches, asthma, immune diseases and cancer,” said Field.

“But how?” I asked. “When you stimulate the pressure receptors in your skin, you slow down heart rate and blood pressure and lower the amount of the hormone cortisol being produced by your body,” she explained. “Cortisol destroys your body’s natural killer cells -- the ones that help to fend off infections, viruses and even cancer.” So reducing it is extremely healthy.

Oooh. This was sounding really good. Before Field had to go, I squeezed in one last question: “What kind of massage do you recommend?” (I was hoping she’s a fan of deep-tissue -- my favorite type.) “Actually, it doesn’t matter,” she said. “As long as at least moderate pressure is applied, the benefits are the same.”

And then she recommended that couples make an appointment to get a professional massage at least once to learn some basic techniques that they can use on each other weekly. Now, that’s one doctor’s order it will be a pleasure to follow!

Want to get started? Here are some Swedish massage strokes to prepare you for Valentine’s Day:
YouTube.com


Got a question you’re dying to ask a health expert? Don’t keep it to yourself! Comment below or message me @Completely_You

Karen Cicero is Completely You’s “Need to Know” blogger. A health journalist and magazine editor with more than 15 years of experience, she has contributed to such publications as Prevention, Self and Health, and has edited the dental column for Heart & Soul magazine.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Why Are There so Many Product Recalls?



I’m checking my email on my iPhone 4S (don’t you love Siri?) and click on “an important message” from Build-A-Bear Workshop. I think it has something to do with my daughter Kate’s online game account. Nope. It says that one of the stuffed animals I bought has been recalled because parts of it present a choking hazard and that I should bring it back to the store for an exchange. I look at the picture, and sure enough, I have seen that bear before … on Kate’s bed.

I’m actually trying to decide whether I should kidnap the bear and return it to the store (will she ever miss it among the pile of other teddies?) when I scroll further down my email. More bad news: Pottery Barn Kids sent me an email about the bed I bought for Kate three years ago. It says several canopies have fallen down on children and urges me to remove it immediately while I wait for replacement parts. What the heck! I think she’ll notice that the top of her bed is missing!

I appreciate getting recall notices. I really do. I don’t want my daughter playing with dangerous toys, sleeping on a hazardous bed or eating contaminated food. But, geez, why couldn’t they get it right the first time? I vent to Nychelle Fleming of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the agency that tracks all the nonfood recalls and advocates for stronger safety standards: “How widespread is the problem?”

Fleming shoots me off a list of the recalls for the last month: rattles (choking hazard), lunchboxes (problems with the cool gel), desk chairs and stools (lead paint), gas grills (fire hazard), even bike helmets (don’t meet standards to prevent injury). In the first three weeks of January, in fact, there were nearly 20 different types of products recalled, representing almost 1/2 million items sold. Honestly, with as much stuff as we have in our house (send me your de-clutter tips!), it’s no wonder I don’t own more recalled items. Fleming actually thinks I might. “Do you check regularly for recalls?” she asks.

I confess; I don’t. I knew about the stuffed bear and the canopy because the companies sent me emails. More and more businesses, she says, retain purchase records and alert consumers to a problem. In addition, Fleming thinks I should also fill out product information cards on items I buy. I often resist doing this -- I get plenty of junk mail already -- but she says a recent law prevents companies from doing anything else with the info except contacting you if something goes wrong. Of course, she says the CPSC also posts all the recalls on its home page, CPSC.gov. And for food recalls, you can look at Recalls.gov/Food.

The CPSC doesn’t think there will be a drop in recalls anytime soon -- standards are higher, and reporting of injuries is better than ever -- so it’s just something we’ll all have to deal with. Grrr. But at least so far in my experience, companies are trying to make things right. Kate got a cute new bear, and Pottery Barn Kids is sending a repairperson to my house to fix the hardware on the canopy. And with the millions of dollars recalls must be costing big businesses, it’s certainly in their best interest to make their products safer the first time around.

Were the products you got for your family recalled? Here’s how to know: YouTube.com


Like this post? Connect with me @Completely_You
For more great health & lifestyle content, visit the parent site of my blog,
Completely You


Photo: @iStockphoto.com/sampsyseeds
Karen Cicero is Completely You’s “Need to Know” blogger. A health journalist and magazine editor with more than 15 years of experience, she has contributed to such publications as Prevention, Self and Health, and has edited the dental column for Heart & Soul magazine.

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Are Dental Sealants and Fillings Safe?


By Karen Cicero for Completely You

A couple of weeks ago, I told you if you had any questions for health experts to ask away -- and I’d see what I could do. Well, the topic for today’s post is thanks to my friend Kristin, who asked me to find out about BPA (bisphenol A) in dental fillings and sealants. Kristin is the “greenest” of all my friends; she even has solar panels on her house and gushes about how much it has saved her family on utilities. I’ve got to admit I wish I had her electric bill!

Back to BPA: Kristin and I tossed our kids’ plastic cups and dinnerware years ago after some preliminary research suggested that the chemical could leach out of plastics when heated and cause health problems, especially for babies and young children. I’ve been buying BPA-free water bottles and other plastics ever since, but it never occurred to me that there would be BPA in those white composite fillings or dental sealants (used to protect kids’ teeth from cavities) until Kristin, fresh from her kid’s teeth-cleaning, asked about it.

I called Julie Anne Barna, a dentist and a spokeswoman for the Academy of General Dentistry, to find out what’s going on. She said that though sealants and fillings don’t contain BPA per se, they do have compounds that can turn into BPA when they’re first put in the mouth. However, she assured me that a quick wipe and rinse of the dental work -- a routine practice -- removes the potential hazards. In fact, a study published last year in Pediatrics by researchers at Children’s Hospital Boston found that scrubbing and rinsing sealants eliminates 88 to 95 percent of the BPA-causing compounds.

I wish it were 100 percent, of course, but 90-something is good enough for me. The real risk of having a cavity (and other dental problems that might lead to down the road) outweighs the theoretical risk from BPA. Now, please excuse me, I’m off to tell Kristin.

Want more about BPA? Check out this week’s slideshow


Got a question you’re dying to ask a health expert? Don’t keep it to yourself! Comment below or message me @Completely_You

Photo: @iStockphoto.com/RichVintage

About Karen Cicero 
I'm
Completely You’s “Need to Know” blogger. A health journalist and magazine editor with more than 15 years of experience, she has contributed to such publications as Prevention, Self and Health, and has edited the dental column for Heart & Soul magazine.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

How Much Energy Does Coffee Really Give You?

By Karen Cicero for Completely You

I fully admit that I can’t function without my morning coffee. My brain seems foggy, and I’m bleary-eyed (even if I’ve gotten plenty of sleep). Just ask my family what my mood is like -- my daughter even knows when “Mommy hasn’t had her coffee yet.”

I’ve always assumed that the caffeine in my java had some kind of power over me, but I was OK with that because I like the taste of coffee and how it makes me feel. And let’s face it: It’s not hard to get, and it’s not expensive if you brew it yourself. Plus, I’m comforted by the studies that show that drinking a cup or two of coffee daily can actually be good for your health, reducing the risk of certain kinds of cancer and heart problems.

Then, a couple of weeks ago, I ran across some research that made me question my assumptions. Doctors at the University of East London gave coffee drinkers a cup of joe and then asked them to play a series of games that tested their attention and reaction time. So far, no biggie. But only half of the participants drank regular coffee; the rest unwittingly received decaf! When doctors analyzed the test results, they found that the decaf group performed just as well on the tests as those who got the regular java. Now I’m worried: Is the boost I get from coffee all in my mind?

I asked Lynne Dawkins, the lead author of the study, that very question. “Well, yes and no,” she said. “It’s the result of conditioning. The taste and smell of coffee can trigger the same feel-good brain chemicals as the caffeine itself.” She added that if the participants had known they had received decaf, the results of her study would likely have been different.

I’d like to think of it this way: The boost I receive from coffee is real. But if the barista at Starbucks accidently pours me a decaf one day, I still should be as ready to face the world as I usually am.

Like this post? Connect with me @Completely_You
For more great health & lifestyle content, visit the parent site of my blog, Completely You


About Karen Cicero:
I’m Completely You’s “Need to Know” blogger. A health journalist and magazine editor with more than 15 years of experience, I’ve contributed to such publications as Prevention, Self and Health, and have edited the dental column for Heart & Soul magazine.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Getting Braces: How to Find an Orthodontist You Can Trust

By Karen Cicero for Completely You
First things first: I hope you had a wonderful holiday. My 9-year-old daughter, Kate, believes in Santa, so the last couple of weeks of 2011 were filled with wonderful anticipation (“Will he bring me a Harry Potter wand?”) and good behavior (the Santa card is better than any time-out chair). Speaking of magical creatures that leave presents, Kate is also fond of her visits from the tooth fairy. And that brings me to what I’d love to share with you today.

I wasn’t prepared for what happened at her pediatric dentist’s office recently during a routine cleaning. Her dentist checked the teeth for cavities (none -- yay!), put on a couple of sealants, told her she needs to floss a little better (we’re working on that -- thanks, Disney Princess Flossers!), and then the surprise: She handed me a couple of business cards for local orthodontists. I must have stood there with my mouth wide open, but words weren’t coming out. What was in my head: My kid has lots of baby teeth left! Why on Earth would she need to see an orthodontist now? The dentist suggested that Kate get a consultation before her next visit -- and then got called away for an emergency.

I’m sure I could have phoned the dentist the next day to follow up, but I hit the Web instead. And I found out that the American Association of Orthodontists recommends that kids see an orthodontist by age 7 to check for crowded teeth or misaligned bites. The crowded-teeth issue actually rang a bell; I remember from previous visits that Kate’s dentist suspected that her mouth might be too small for her big-kid chompers. But I was still feeling uneasy because I’ve heard from my friends who have older kids that you can go to three orthodontists and get three different opinions. So I decided to call Ted Sherwin, a family dentist in Orange, Va., and spokesman for the Academy of General Dentistry, for some straight answers.

Sherwin acknowledged that it can be difficult for parents to reconcile the treatment recommendations from various orthodontists, but he also pointed out: “There is more than one path to successful results.” Hmm. Sherwin added that an orthodontist recommendation from a family dentist you trust is golden. And you don’t have to stop there. After a little more digging, I found that HealthGrades.com, an independent website, allows patients to comment on the medical or dental care they receive from a particular practitioner.

As it turned out, one of the business cards Kate’s dentist handed me was for an orthodontist that my friend had also recommended. With two thumbs up, it seemed smart to try him first. We’ve got an appointment in a few weeks.

In the meantime, Kate is eagerly anticipating another visit from the tooth fairy. “Do you think that instead of giving me money, she can get Daniel Radcliffe to call me?” asked Kate. My response: “No, sweetie, the tooth fairy doesn’t take special requests.”

How did you find an orthodontist? Write to me below or tweet @Completely_You
For more great health and lifestyle info, visit the parent site of my blog,
Completely You


About Karen Cicero:
I’m Completely You’s “Need to Know” blogger. A health journalist and magazine editor with more than 15 years of experience, I’ve contributed to such publications as Prevention, Self and Health, and have edited the dental column for Heart & Soul magazine.

Friday, January 13, 2012

Are Your Dinner Plates Too Big?

By Karen Cicero for Completely You
Yesterday, I was standing in my office (see last week’s post) when some Australian news caught my eye. (You have my word that I wasn’t Googling Hugh Jackman.) I ran across a study that three researchers from Down Under did comparing the sizes of one of my favorite things to drool over at Macy’s: dinner plates.

Their premise was pretty simple: They wanted to see how many calories 8-inch plates would hold compared to 10-inch ones. The results made my jaw drop: If the bigger plates were flat, they stashed 67 percent more calories than the smaller ones; if they had a little depth to them, the 10-inchers could hold twice as many calories as their tinier counterparts. I ran into the kitchen with my daughter’s Hello Kitty ruler, swung open the cabinet door and started measuring my dinner-plate stash. Twelve inches for Martha! Eleven inches for Mikasa! Ten inches for Williams Sonoma! OMG!

Once the shock wore off, I shot off an email to the study’s lead researcher, Steve Pratt, nutrition and physical activity manager for the Cancer Council of Western Australia. I wanted to know if the plates hold more, does that mean I’ll take more, eat more and, ultimately, weigh more? His answer in a nutshell: Yes. He pointed out that other studies, including those at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., suggest that people consume hundreds of calories more a day when plates are just 2 inches wider, and that the reverse is true too. If I ditched my 10-inch plates for 8-inch ones, then I’d probably save myself at least 200 calories a day -- enough to lose 2 pounds a month.

I was dreaming of a Macy’s shopping spree for smaller plates and, down the road, smaller clothes, when I got to the last line of Pratt’s email: “Try using your salad plate for everyday meals, and save your bigger dinnerware for special occasions.” Back to the cabinet with Hello Kitty. My salad plates are, in fact, 8 inches wide. I set the table with them tonight while making pork tenderloin, roasted sweet potatoes, and green beans. As soon as I called everyone to dinner, my daughter asked in a concerned voice, “Mom, did you shrink the plates in the dishwasher?”

Oh, well.

Everything seemed to be going OK until we all rationalized that we deserved seconds because “our plates were so small.” In the end, I think we probably ate about the same as usual -- maybe a little less. At least for us, switching to a plate that was 3 inches smaller was too drastic. But I’m not back to square one: I’ve decided to phase in downsized dinnerware. I’ll start doing what Pratt suggested: saving foot-long plates for special occasions. For now, we’ll eat on 10-inch plates, and I’ll put 9-inchers on my birthday list. By spring, I’m guessing that going 1 inch smaller won’t seem like a big deal -- and will help me lose countless inches elsewhere! Stay tuned!

How big are your plates? Share below or tweet me @Completely_You


About Karen Cicero:
I’m Completely You’s “Need to Know” blogger. A health journalist and magazine editor with more than 15 years of experience, I’ve contributed to such publications as Prevention, Self and Health, and have edited the dental column for Heart & Soul magazine.

Thursday, January 12, 2012


We’re going on a trip soon, so I bookmarked this article about airports with the healthiest food. You’ll never guess which airport won: USAToday.com

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