8.18August

Would You Like a Flatter Tummy?
By: Mary Richard / Health Fitness
OK, summer is upon us and that dang
tummy is just not as flat as we’d like!
Yes, there are exercises, but there are also other
methods to help flatter that tummy.
One helpful hint is to shave off a pound a week by cutting just 500
calories a day. But do be careful to eat enough otherwise your body will
start to store energy as fat.
You can also do the following:
1. Log your meals, snacks and drinks. You can use a notebook,
calendar, or anything that will assist you in keeping track of what you
eat and drink. You’ll be surprised when you start tracking how many
calories you are consuming!
2. Have a little protein with every meal and snack. This helps
stabilize your blood sugar level, helping to stave off your hunger pangs.
Nuts, eggs, lean meats, chicken, fish, tofu and low-fat yogurt are all
good sources.
3. Avoid tummy fatteners – like foods high in sodium, sugar and
carbonated beverages. They can make you gassy and “pooch” up your
tummy.
4. Eat your veggies. They are fiber-rich and can help you feel fuller
faster. Eating lots of fiber-rich foods will assist in digestion.
5. Drink lots of water. This helps to also make you feel a little fuller
and helps with digestion. Rule of thumb: take half your body weight,
divide it in half and that is your “normal” amount of ounces per day. If
you exercise or are outside for any amount of time, additional ounces
of water are needed.
Some exercises for tummy-flattening:
1. Using a 2 pound weight, stand with feet shoulder-width apart, hold
the weight above your head with both hands. Pulls abs in tight, then
lift arms straight overhead, actively reaching as high as you can for 10
counts. Lower arms; repeat five times.
2. Lie on your back with knees bent and press a 2 pound weight to
the ceiling while pulling abs in. Slowly lift your right leg, with knee still
bent, until leg is perpendicular to your body. Keeping abs tight, lower
your right foot to the floor as you simultaneously lift your left leg.
Do two sets of 10 reps.
Positive attitude and good health to all!
Mary Richard was crowned Ms. Senior Nevada 2006, was first
runner-up for Ms. Senior America 2006 and is a life-time
dancer. Mary can be reached at mary-vegasvoice@cox.net.
30
August 2018
When What You Don’t Know Can
Hurt You - Part I
By: Kyo Mitchell / A Healthier You
have decided I want to do surgery. I do not
I have any formal training in surgery but I
have read parts of a few books and I’ve seen it on TV. It does not look
that hard.
I think I am ready to do surgery. Would you like to volunteer to be my
first patient?
Where this may sound either funny or frightening to you, (no, I will
not actually be doing surgery), there is something similar taking place
in the health care field right now. Physical therapists are performing a
technique they have named “dry needling.”
Similar to acupuncture, dry needling is the insertion of a needle for
therapeutic purposes. The level of required training however, is quite
different.
The first rule of medicine is “Do no harm.” For this reason, anyone
practicing acupuncture must undergo 705 hours of classroom training
in oriental medical theory, diagnosis and treatment techniques in
acupuncture and related studies.
They must also undergo 500 hours of supervised clinical training
to make certain they can safely and effectively treat patients. Once
completed, they must take four national exams - one specific for
acupuncture and the Nevada state exam before they can treat patients
in Nevada.
By contrast, the current legislation being submitted by the Nevada
Board of Physical Therapists requires no formal training of a physical
therapist to perform dry needling. They are leaving the amount of
training required up to the individual physical therapist’s discretion. As
such, they can choose to insert needles into patients with zero hours of
training or clinical supervision.
In a survey given to physical therapists who currently perform dry
needling, 51% stated that they did not receive their training in school,
through continuing education or from a colleague. If they did not
receive it in school, through continuing education or from a colleague,
where did they learn it and how safely is it being done?
Does this frighten you? It frightens me.
Next month: the research based explanation I presented to the
physical therapy board about how dry needling could pose potential
risks to patients. Please pass this on to anyone receiving dry needling.
Dr. Kyo Mitchell served as faculty at Bastyr University in Seattle
and Wongu University in Las Vegas for over a decade. Dr. Mitchell
practices in Summerlin and can be reached at 702-481-6216 or
rkyomitchell@gmail.com.