Video games beat TV
If your children have a choice between watching television and playing video games, let the games begin, say researchers at the University of Miami. Apparently, it’s better for their health, they conclude, in the August issue of the Harvard Health Letter.
In a study of 21 boys ages 7 through 10, the researchers measured their body responses as they played a martial arts-style action video game for 15 minutes. During play, the boys’ heart rates and systolic blood pressure went up by 19 percent on average, and their breathing rate rose 55 percent. The researchers say the energy expended equaled that of walking 2 m.p.h. for the same length of time.
While playing outdoors clearly is better than punching buttons on a controller for hours on end, this type of activity is still better than sitting still while watching TV. If your kids like games, get them one called Dance Dance Revolution, which requires the player to dance around to music.
There’s soon to be another option. This fall, Nintendo will release a game system called Nintendo Wii, which comes with game controllers with built-in gyroscopes and motion detectors. To play the games, players must move their entire bodies. Hey, it’s a start.
Cheaper foreign care
More than 55,000 people annually travel outside the United States for elective surgeries, where medical care can be much cheaper. For example, in India it costs $5,500 for total knee replacement compared with $48,000 in the States. In Singapore, an angioplasty costs $15,000, compared with $80,000 in the U.S. And in Thailand, you can repair a herniated disc for about $3,500, instead of the $30,000 to $90,000 here, according to a feature in the Aug. 15 Bottom Line Personal.
Obviously, safety issues are key, says Rudy Rupak, founder of PlanetHospital (planethospital.com),a company that helps to arrange affordable surgeries overseas. To be sure the hospital you select is of highest quality, check with the Joint Commission International (www.jointcommissioninternational.org), the global arm of the group that accredits hospitals in the U.S., based on patient care, medication safety and infection control.
Here is a sampling of hospitals Rupak would trust with his own health:
– India–Apollo Hospitals for heart-related procedures; Wockhardt Hospitals Group for heart, eye, bone, brain and spinal surgeries.
– Thailand–Bumrungrad Hospital for endocrinology, nephrology and neurology; Samitivej Hospitals for cardiac and cancer surgeries.
– Singapore–Parkway Group Healthcare for cardiac surgery and neurosurgery.
Microwave plastic
Yes, there are plastics that you can safely use in the microwave, but you must know which ones, says the U.S. Department of Agriculture in the August issue of the Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter. Look for products such as plastic wraps, wax paper, parchment paper and white paper towels that say “microwave safe,” but don’t let any plastic touch the food being cooked in the microwave.
Beware of plastic storage containers, however, such as those that contain margarine or whipped topping. These can melt, allowing harmful chemicals to seep into the food. Also avoid using brown paper or plastic grocery bags and newspapers.
Vegetable sabotage
Vegetables may be your favorite snack food, but you could sabotage your diet if you select the wrong condiments to dip them in. One fast-food packet of creamy Caesar dressing, for example, has more fat than a cheeseburger. A story in the September issue of Glamour lists commonly used dips and how many calories and grams of fat they contain.
Here are some good choices for 2-tablespoon portions:
– Bean dip–25 calories and 0 grams of fat.
– Hummus–50 calories, 3 grams of fat.
– Honey mustard–45 calories, 0 grams of fat.
– Barbecue sauce–60 calories, 0 grams of fat.
What not to eat:
– Thousand island–130 calories, 12 grams of fat.
– Sour cream and onion dip–130 calories, 14 grams of fat.
– Processed nacho cheese dip–90 calories, 8 grams of fat.
