Children who play hard at sports put themselves at high risk for injury, notes a feature in the September issue of Ladies’ Home Journal. Some 2.6 million people ages 5 to 24 have sports injuries serious enough to miss school, according to information from the National Center for Health Statistics.
Particularly vulnerable are kids who play the same sport all year. “Playing the same sport year-round means your teen is likely to be overusing the same set of muscles and joints and so is at higher risk for the injuries specific to that sport,” says Dr. Kevin R. Stone, an orthopedic surgeon in San Francisco.
Every year, have a physician check your child’s bones and joints, reflexes and heart rate. Be sure he or she wears protective gear, such as mouth guards and eye protection. Finally, don’t let a child who’s in pain play. This could make the injury worse and harder to treat, says Dr. David Marshall, medical director of the Sports Medicine Program at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
GI-wise choices
Foods high on the glycemic index, or GI, can play havoc on the body’s blood sugar. But foods with a low-GI number can help with weight loss, improve the body’s sensitivity to insulin, control diabetes, prolong physical endurance and help you feel full longer.
So what the heck is the glycemic index and how do you determine which foods are on the low side? Head to www.glycemicindex.com for reliable and easy-to-follow information from nutritionists at the University of Sydney, Australia.
The glycemic index ranks carbohydrates based on their immediate effect on the body’s blood sugar. Carbs that break down quickly during digestion have high GI numbers, and those that break down slowly have low GI numbers.
In general, it’s best to stick with breakfast cereals based on bran, oats and barley as well as most fruits and vegetables and grainy breads made with whole seeds. The Web site’s database lists 581 foods with high GI numbers that you may want to avoid and 652 foods with low GI numbers that are healthier options. Foods with a GI over 55 are considered high.
You may be surprised by some brand-name items listed. For example, Healthy Choice Hearty 100 percent whole grain bread (sounds good, doesn’t it?) falls on the high side with a GI ranking of 62.
Cut disease costs
Having a chronic disease can be devastating. So can running out of insurance and other resources to pay for treatment. A story in the Aug. 15 issue of Bottom Line Personal offers several effective cost-saving strategies from David Nganele, president of Solutions to Healthcare, a health-education company based in New York City.
Among the ideas:
Contact associations specializing in your condition. They can point you toward low-cost treatment centers and show ways to prevent the condition from worsening.
Look into alternative treatments (such as acupuncture and biofeedback), which may be less costly and more effective.
Consider clinical trials for free treatment with drugs or procedures under investigation. (Contact the National Institutes of Health, www.nih.gov, or call 800-411-1222, for information.)
When hospitalized, have your primary-care physician coordinate your care to avoid unnecessary and often costly procedures.
Consider treatment at a teaching or government-run hospital, which usually charges patients according to their ability to pay. For information, contact the Health Resources and Services Administration, www.hrsa.gov, 800-400-2742.
Final wishes
Terminally ill people often prefer to avoid aggressive medical treatments in their final hours or days. To give your end-of-life wishes a reliable and legal voice, go online for a free “advance directive” from the Web site www.lastactspartnership.org.
The document includes medical powers of attorney and living wills. Fill out the form and have it notarized and/or witnessed, depending on your state’s requirements. Distribute copies to your family members and personal physician.
