That's Fit

Have you flown the friendly skies recently? For many people, flying is a headache... quite literally.

An Israeli study of 906 people found that 6% report getting headaches when they travel by airplane. Based on that statistic and a few flight numbers/occupancy assumptions, researchers estimate that this translates into more than 100 million flight-induced headaches per year.

There are several things that could trigger a headache during air travel -- stress, pressure changes, poor air quality, and engine noise. (Not to mention noisy passengers!) To help manage air travel-related headaches, be sure to drink plenty of water (as dehydration can contribute to headaches), get up and walk around during long flights, bring books or music or anything else that will help you reduce stress, pack ear plugs if noise bothers you, and bring some over-the-counter pain relievers.

I love berries, which makes it my pleasure to report on any health benefit they so scrumptiously offer.

According to a recent study, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, eating just five ounces of mixed berries a day can lower blood pressure and thin the blood, thus reducing the risk of blood clots and strokes. Blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries are at their peak right now, so why not pick some up and get your dose of potent antioxidants. Woman's Day magazine (July 8, 2008) offers these yummy snack ideas.

• Make a colorful parfait. Spoon alternating layers of fat-free strawberry yogurt and mixed berries into a parfait glass. Top with shaved almonds or chopped walnuts.

• Sweeten iced tea with berry juice. Add a splash of raspberry, black currant, or cranberry juice to a glass of homemade unsweetened iced tea.

• Satisfy a sweet tooth. Drop some raspberries in a bowl and drizzle with melted dark chocolate.

Want more on the benefits of berries. Check out this article.

When you think of the people who've made you mad, done you wrong, sent your blood boiling, do you get all flustered? Does your heart start racing? This is what happens to many folks when they recall a past slight against them, reports a Psychological Science study cited in May's Women's Health magazine.

Blood pressure and heart rates increase to nearly twice the normal rate when some people think about vengeful situations. Conjuring up thoughts of ill will can cause repeated periods of stress and can ultimately lead to cardiovascular damage. The good news is this: When people imagine forgiveness, their stats return to normal.

Next time you get all worked up about a past nemesis, be sure to call up some memories of making amends. If forgiveness is not part of the equation, try to recall what was true about the situation -- leave out all four-letter words -- and focus on wishing your one-time enemy well.

Science has shown us in the past that being married has it perks. Those people are more likely to be healthier, and some folks even attribute longevity to their marital status. But a new study shows that being in a happy marriage can keep your blood pressure in check too. Otherwise, you're healthier off being single according to researchers!

Couples who reported a low level of satisfaction, meaning that their relationship could be turbulent, had a higher systolic blood pressure reading than couples that were happy. Those people in a stressed marriage were shown to have blood pressure approaching an unhealthy level.

But a good level of satisfaction helped the blood pressure of those other couples. This seems like common sense to some people, but it's interesting to observe concrete feedback regarding the heart health of stressed individuals. Of course, there's also that one guy who lived to 100 allegedly thanks to staying single (if only he knew that couples who fight together live longer together).

I love flying but one aspect I don't like the effect it has on my ears. I'm really sensitive to pressure changes, you see, and sometimes the pressure in my ears caused by the altitude change is uncomfortable. If you have the same problems, consider these suggestions:

• Chew gum. Yes, it's the most common suggestion, because it works. If you don't like gum, suck on a candy, sip some water or eat something.
  
• Swallow and yawn, often.
  
• Close your mouth, plug your nose and gently blow through your nose. Gently is the key here -- blow too hard and you can bust an ear drum. Also, don't do this one if you have a head cold.
  
• If you do have a head cold, take a decongestant.
  
• Place a warm, damp towel over your ears. You know, the kind the flight attendants give out to first class. Don't be afraid to ask for one.
  
• Got a baby travelling with you? Try to have them suck on a pacifier during take off and landing.
  

Have any tips of your own? Please share.

People with high blood pressure will love this news: Researchers have just wrapped up a study on a high blood pressure vaccine that would only need to be given two or three times a year. This medication would combat hypertension more effectively than regular drugs, and wouldn't keep you popping pills so frequently.

A vaccine to fix high blood pressure seems far-fetched. But what they've discovered is a method to block a receptor that contributes to hypertension. The results were good! Even though some people experienced flu-like symptoms initially, the vaccine did lower blood pressure.

For patients who have trouble remembering to take medicine every day, or find their current treatment inadequate, this could be a huge breakthrough when it becomes available. Of course, they'll have to roll out a larger-scale study using more people, but let's hope we see this before too long!

I took up running a while back, and one of the major challenges for me has been my knees. I've always had problems with them, and running makes them worse. But I've been doing exercises to strengthen my knees and they've paid off -- I'm usually pain-free when I run, and I'm loving it. If you have the problems with your knees but are aching to be a runner, consider these knee-friendly tips from Fitsugar:

• Lose weight to reduce the pressure on your knees.
  
• Start slowly, and get in good physical condition overall before beginning to run.
  
• Always stretch before and after running.
  
• Wear supportive braces if needed.
  
• Practice good form, running with your knees bent and leaning forward slightly.
  
• Watch where you run -- surface matters!

What have you done to reduce knee pain when running?

Oprah's favorite medical guy Dr. Oz tells Reader's Digest (March 2008) about four lifesaving numbers we simply must know if we plan to say on top of our heart health. Do you know them? If not, you should.

• Blood pressure: It's a major driver of heart disease risk. The lower it is, the better off you are. In a perfect world, yours would be under 115/75 mm/Hg.
  
  

• Cholesterol: HDL is the important type and the higher the better on this one -- strive for over 40mg/dL. While LDL is less important, you should ideally keep it under 100 mg/dL.
  
  

• Blood sugar: Keep this one under 100 mg/dL too. If you can't maintain this, it's likely you'll acquire some form of diabetes.
  
  

• Waist size: Measure at the level of your belly button and make sure it's half your height or less. That's 33 inches if you're 5'6".

Even though sounds that we could be used to hearing during sleep may not be loud enough to wake us up, subtle noises of this nature can also contribute to hypertension. This could be some enlightening news for many people who live next to an airport or sleep next to a person who snores.

Researchers measured volunteers aged 45 to 70 years of age. Using a device for remote assessment, they measured blood pressure during a "noise event" that could be measured right there in the bedroom. These events could be as subtle as a car driving by, or as loud as a plane flying overhead.

They went for the obvious test and used volunteers who lived near airports -- which they reasoned would give the most observable results. To no surprise, aircraft produced the greatest increase in blood pressure. There was a jump in over 6 points for the systolic reading, and almost 7 and a half for the diastolic increase. It's hard to get an absolutely quiet sleeping environment, but on the flip side I wonder if sound machines would produce similar results!

You'd think that after having a heart attack or being diagnosed with something scary like heart disease, people would turn a dietary new leaf. Two new studies have been released which contradict that logic, however. Many heart patients didn't get the fruits, veggies, and fiber they needed.

The fat intake wasn't curbed either. So how would a bunch of scientists know what these people ate anyway? Well, they self-reported the data used in the studies. The first study assigned points based on the healthiness of the diet after having been diagnosed with coronary heart disease or having had a heart attack. Well over 500 people were assessed, and the results showed that the average diet got a score of almost 31 points... out of 80.

This showed that a poor diet was consumed on average by victims of heart attack or disease even a year later. The second study took into account more people. Over 4,000 hypertension patients self-reported what they ate, just like the other study. Knowing that they had high blood pressure, they still did not eat a diet specifically designed to address hypertension. Perhaps only these patients know why they didn't take the steps necessary to rule out future visits to the doctor for conditions they already treated.

If you're interested in lowering blood pressure, you may want to consider trying to enjoy beetroot juice from now on. Researchers out of London have some compelling evidence which suggests a healthy dose of the reddish extract could help beat high blood pressure.

Half a liter was shown to reduce pressure within an hour! Test subjects were asked to drink water, or beetroot juice -- and all volunteers were healthy to begin with. The results point to nitrate being the cause of this drastic lowering of blood pressure, but spinach and lettuce also contain this compound.

Chemical reactions between nitrate and mouth bacteria caused the blood vessels to dilate. This had the effect of increasing blood flow, which in turn decreased pressure. Looks like it is time to pick up another healthy habit, but I wonder if nitrate supplements would have the same results?

Fitzness Fiends is a section devoted to you, the reader! We all have learned so much on our path to becoming more fit, and now it's time to learn from and inspire each other! Fitzness Fiends are constantly working to better themselves. Some are perfect, some are not. All have health on the mind. Please send Fitz your answers to these questions with a photo of yourself. Time for you to be the motivator!

Name: Chris Wilmont

Age: 34

Occupation: Claims Manager

How often do you exercise? Try to keep it between 4 to 6 times a week.

What type of exercise do you do? Mostly weights, but I incorporate cardio to ward off bad doctor visits.

What gets you to workout, even when you're feeling lazy? The inspiration to feel good after accomplishing something for a better me.

Wondering what your chances of catching the flu are today? Check the weather.

The popular weather site AccuWeather (www.accuweather.com) offers health-related information based on weather conditions. Here's a look at just a few of them:

Dropping pressure and high humidity can mean sinus headaches for some people. This is because sinus headaches typically occur on cool (but not always freezing) and damp days, when colds are being spread and the pressure is in flux.

Steady pressure and low humidity can affect people who suffer from asthma. Despite the fact that pollen counts are lower in winter months, asthma attacks are almost just as frequent. Cold outdoor air and dry indoor heat may aggravate symptoms.

Dropping pressure and high humidity can cause arthritis sufferers to experience joint pain. Cold temperatures and moisture can lead to swelling of the joints, irritating nerves and making symptoms worse.

Visit AccuWeather today for your own health forecast.

When something big happens in a bloggers life, their first instinct is to, well, blog about it. But is the stress of needing to keep up-to-date on blogs causing health problems in their writers? Consider this story from the New York Times: Renowned blogger Om Malik suffered a heart attack on December 28th ... and then blogged about it only a few days later on January 3rd to explain his absence. In the wake of his announcement, there's been speculation that being one of the world's more well-known bloggers may have had something to do with the Malik's heart problems.

I can see the connection: When you're a public figure, someone who shares their thoughts with the world almost daily, someone who's job it is to keep on top of stories, someone who feels accountable to thousands of readers, the stress can get to you. And when your name is your business, I can imagine that the pressure of maintaining it can be overwhelming. As a professional blogger, I don't find it overly stressful, but then again, I'm relatively 'small potatoes' compared to Mr. Malik.

I'm curious to know what you think -- is blogging too stressful?