3 Week Health Challenge

*For those of you in our Weight Loss Competition (WLC) you'll want to participate after you hear the prize money you can win just for being healthy and losing your weight. We'll announce prize monies on Monday, March 7th, 2011.

Rules of the 3 Week Challenge

Eating Habits

1. No simple carbs or sugars for 3 weeks

2. Each meal will have a lean protein and 2 colors (fruits and/or vegetables)

3. One day per week you can have a higher calorie meal (if you want to)

Exercise Routine

1. Complete 30 min of aerobic (cardio) exercise (or what you can work up to) 4 days per week *Even if you start at 2 minutes twice per day it's better than nothing! Increase each week by 2 minutes. So on week 2 you are completing 4 minutes of cardio twice daily.

2. Complete light weight lifting or toning of the arms 2 days per week

3. Complete 2-3 different abdominal exercises 2 days per week

*Encourage each other by posting progress and stumbling blocks on Fridays!

Sodas and Orange Juice Lead to Gout?

Twenty-two year prospective study which included 78,906 (gout free) women in the Nurses Health Study found intake of sugar sweetened soda increased risk of gout. Women who consumed 1 serving per day of sweetened soda had a 74% higher risk of developing gout than women who consumed less than one serving a month. Women who had 2 or more servings of sugary soda daily had a 2.4 times higher risk of developing gout.

Think your off the hook if you consume Orange Juice? Think again. The study also revealed that women who had 1 serving of OJ daily had a 41% increase risk of developing gout than women who had less than 6 ounces a month. Women who consumed 2 or more servings of OJ daily had a 2.4 times higher risk of developing gout.

There is no way around it, consuming sugary drinks leads to health issues. Remember yesterday's decisions affect your health today; but, today's decisions affect your health tomorrow.

Clinical Advisor 2011

Who's Driving Health Care?

Can you pick out a patient with VA insurance from their medication list? Who's delivering patient care and health care policies? Check this out:

http://tinyurl.com/27mad8u