Know your fish
Something fishy may be going on at your local seafood restaurant. While their seafood may be tasty, the offerings could be among the types that are overfished or that could cause health concerns due to high levels of mercury.
The March/April issue of Eating Well offers two Web sites that can help you determine which fish to order. The Blue Ocean Institute, at blueoceaninstitute.org/seafood, color-codes fish by species in its Guide to Ocean-Friendly Seafood. Green is for fish that are relatively abundant and are fished or farmed in a way that does little to natural habitats and other wildlife.
Fish in the red category, however, should be avoided because they either are overfished or farmed in a way that hurts the environment. Fish ranked yellow fall in between.
This guide can be downloaded into a handy wallet-sized card so you can refer to it before placing your order. It also can be accessed by entering fishphone.org into your PDA browser.
A second site is run by Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch. It ranks fish based on current scientific data on environmental and health concerns and has direct interactions with fishery and fish-farm operators. The information can be found at montereybay aquarium.com or through your cell phone at seafood watch.org.
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Salon-induced stroke
A stroke from a salon hair wash? It can happen, says a report in the March issue of Health magazine, when a carotid artery is torn by tilting your neck too far back into the sink. (Ask for a towel for support.)
And there are other unusual causes for women, who, between ages 45 and 54, are more than twice as likely as men to have a stroke, shows research from the University of California at Los Angeles. Strokes can be triggered by chiropractic neck adjustments, pregnancy, oral contraceptives or a ride on a roller coaster.
The strongest link to stroke, however, is the development of clots due to blood vessels damaged from high blood pressure. Here are five ways to help keep your blood pressure under control:
* Exercise regularly.
* Drink no more than two alcoholic drinks daily.
* Don’t let your weight creep up.
* Avoid foods high in saturated fat, cholesterol and salt, and eat more fruits and vegetables.
* Ditch the cigarettes.
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Senior info on the Net
Older adults can find great health information at a new Web site called NIH SeniorHealth, at nihsenior health.gov.
The site was created by the National Institute on Aging and the National Library of Medicine, both part of the National Institutes of Health.
This reliable, easy-to-understand site covers a wide range of topics for seniors, such as exercise, falls, high blood cholesterol, problems with smell or taste and shingles.
It also offers a guideline on taking medications and talking with your doctor as well as information on Medicare prescription drug coverage.
Those seeking inspiration to exercise can click on “Exercise Stories.” Here they can read the personal stories of various people age 60 or older to learn what activities motivate them.
