=========================== JeffNEWS, February 21, 1995 =========================== You and Your Health and Safety Learn How to Eat Healthier For a Healthier Life ----------------------------------------------- The Health Awareness Program offers Jeffersonians a five-session course, "Healthy Eating: Fueling for Optimal Living," starting Monday, March 13, from noon to 1 p.m. in 218 Curtis. The course, which teaches basic nutrition principles, is $20 for employees and students. Employees who attend all five classes receive a $10 rebate. March 10 is the preregistration deadline. For a registration form or more information, call 6319, or look for a flier in your interoffice mail. Increase Your Street Savvy With This Free Jefferson Training Center Course -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Would you like to increase your street savvy? Well, you can if you take the free course, "Your Personal Safety on the Streets," offered by the Jefferson Training Center in cooperation with Jefferson's security department. The instructor for this course is Joseph Gariffo, security department investigator. Mr. Gariffo will help you become more aware of your surroundings and give you information you can use to protect yourself better on or off campus. He will cover topics such as common "scams" that thieves and pickpockets use and how to avoid them; suggestions on behavior and dress when you go shopping; how to avoid being victimized by carjackers, and what to look for so you can park safely. He will also cover security services the department offers to Jeffersonians. You'll also see a video called "Street Smarts," showing how changes in your behavior can make you less vulnerable to crime. Remaining class dates are: o Thursday, March 16, from 2 to 3:30 p.m., at 105 Bluemle Life Sciences Building o Thursday, May 3, from noon to 1:30 p.m., at 107 Bluemle Life Sciences Building To register or for further information, call 8700. Boning Up On Milk Truths ------------------------ While there are health advantages to reducing fat intake, you may risk losing the nutritional value of dairy products if you exclude them from your diet. The key is choosing low-fat dairy products, says Jefferson dietitian Lisa Taormina, RD. Here are some facts about milk products that may surprise you. o Milk products are not the primary source of fat in our diet. Most of the fats we consume come from meat and the fats and oils used in the preparation of foods. o Dairy products are the best sources of calcium. To get the equivalent amount of calcium in one cup of milk, you would have to eat two cups of broccoli or 3 cups of beans. Our bodies absorb calcium from milk and milk products more easily than from vegetables and grains. o Calcium isn't just for growing kids. While your body uses most of the calcium it gets for bones and teeth, one percent is used to keep your heart beating, your muscles contracting and relaxing, your blood clotting and your nerves transmitting messages. If your body doesn't get enough calcium, it takes what it needs from your bones, putting you at risk of osteoporosis. o For most people, milk is the main source of riboflavin. Riboflavin is needed to promote the body's growth and repair. o Cheese provides as much protein as meat. A one-ounce serving of cheese is equivalent to an equal amount of chicken, fish or other meat. o New products help those people who can't tolerate lactose, the sugar found in milk, to enjoy dairy products and meet their nutritional requirements for calcium and riboflavin. Look for lactose-reduced dairy products and lactase enzyme droplets and caplets on your grocer's shelves. Understanding Pap Smears ------------------------ It's natural to give up some things as we grow older, but no matter a woman's age, she should always have an annual Pap smear, urges Jefferson gynecologic oncologist Charles Dunton, MD. That's because the Pap smear is one of the most effective screening tests in medicine. Yearly exams pick up preinvasive and invasive cervical cancers. What's more, there are secondary benefits to getting an annual examination. "Scheduling a yearly checkup with your gynecologist assures that you'll get a professional breast exam, a pelvic exam to check for early ovarian lesions as well as a Pap smear," says Dr. Dunton. About 10 percent of Pap tests don't come back normal. Women who have the human papillomavirus (HPV), the virus that causes genital warts, are at higher risk for abnormal Pap smears. Women whose results are atypical have two options. They can take a more conservative route and repeat the Pap smear in six months or opt for a more aggressive approach and have a colposcopy, a procedure in which the doctor examines the cervix through a magnifying instrument and removes any suspicious looking tissue for microscopic examination. Dr. Dunton notes that certain Pap smear results will require a colposcopy. If the colposcopy test results indicate cancer or a precancerous condition, several treatment options are available. Mild dysplasias can be merely followed or treated using cryosurgery (freezing cells with liquid nitrogen), laser or a heated wire loop. Advanced dysplasias are treated by cone biopsy or loop excision, a procedure that removes a portion of tissue from the cervix. A hysterectomy is generally recommended only when tests indicate invasive cervical cancer or repeated precancerous lesions. (Women who have had a hysterectomy should continue to see their physician at least once a year.) Since most cervical cancers are slow growing, women who have regular Pap smears will most likely have problems detected when they are still at the easily treatable precancerous stage. Ten Heart Healthy Tips ---------------------- There are practical things you can do that can have a profound influence on reducing your risk of heart disease. Jefferson cardiologist Albert N. Brest, MD, shares his top 10. 1) Dig into your past and uncover your family's medical history. Conditions such as high blood pressure and coronary heart disease often run in families. 2) Know your blood pressure. Normal blood pressure for an adult is between 140/90 mm Hg and 160/90 mm Hg. If yours is elevated, talk to your doctor about dietary and lifestyle changes you can make to help nudge it down. 3) Know your blood sugar. Even mild diabetes can damage blood vessels and contribute to atherosclerosis, heart attack and stroke. If you have high levels of blood sugar, a landmark study last year suggests that keeping blood sugar closer to normal levels can reduce and delay diabetic complications. 4) Know your cholesterol and the company it keeps. A high total cholesterol, coupled with a high amount of "bad" cholesterol (LDL) and a low amount of "good" cholesterol (HDL), is more reason for concern than a high total cholesterol and a high level of "good" cholesterol. 5) Be aware of and beware of cigarette smoking. Smoking is a serious risk factor for heart disease, lung disease, stroke, and peripheral artery disease. 6) Exercise in moderation. Walking two miles in 25 to 30 minutes, either daily or at least every other day, is all you need to keep your cardiovascular system healthy. 7) Use alcohol in moderation. 8) Avoid excess caffeine. Caffeine is a stimulant, and too much of it, combined with a high stress level and inadequate rest, provokes cardiac rhythm disturbances. 9) Avoid overeating. Overeating followed by exercise and/or exposure to cold weather increases the risk of heart attack. 10) Talk to your doctor before trying hip alternative therapies currently in vogue, such as high doses of zinc or garlic, to ward off heart disease. Many are more hype than help. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Information provided by: Editor, JeffNEWS (215) 955-6204 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------