Month: October 2017

Categories
Public Health

Learning Spanish ways…

As you probably know, I’m spending a couple of months in Spain. I’m quite fascinated by several distinct differences in culture and lifestyle between here and North America – differences that could have an impact on health – some positive and some not-so-positive!

This is at the top of Gibraltar. We took the cable car up then walked all the way back down, visiting interesting caves, monkeys and remnants of armies of the past as we went. I had sore muscles for 3 days after but saw and experienced so much it was worth it…

First, I’ve noticed that people use public transit much more than we do in most areas of Canada and US. Streets in old European cities are extremely narrow (many cars have dents!), and parking is hard to find and often expensive. We’ve seen cars parked in the strangest places… Many city apartments simply don’t have parking, leaving tenants with cars to park on the street, wherever they can find a place. The old section of Marbella, where we are staying right now, actually allows only delivery vehicles in the narrow streets. We had to pull our suitcases along cobbled walkways to get to our apartment as our taxi had to drop us off outside the Casco Antigua de Marbella (the Old City of Marbella)!

Besides the obvious decrease in pollution from car exhaust, though, using public transit means you are walking a lot more – even if it’s just to the bus stop, and then from the stop to your destination. This can build a significant amount of exercise into your day, without needing to think about it.

Cities here tend to be more densely populated, and every neighbourhood has its grocery store, bakery, fish shop etc. so you can easily walk to do your errands. Many people, especially the elderly, have shopping bags on wheels to take their purchases home easily, pulling them behind as they walk. Neighbourhood stores are busy because a lot of people live nearby and support the convenient local shop. It seems like cities are set up so you really don’t need or even want a car!

This contrasts sharply with home and with many North American vacations we’ve taken, where it’s too far to walk to any type of shopping. While I’m sure our winter weather in Canada and northern US encourages us to use cars more, we also tend to have only a few large grocery stores that serve an entire city rather than many smaller local neighbourhood shops that service a small area. The result is, we drive everywhere rather than fitting our exercise into our daily routine, then need to add in exercise time. Sometimes we even pay to be able to get our exercise!

Of course, this stretch of land on the southern coast of Spain, the Costa del Sol, is so beautiful with the Mediterranean on one side and the mountains (that block the cold northern winds, creating a warmer climate) on the other. We enjoy simply wandering around, soaking up the beauty of the area, people watching and sight seeing. We’ve visited several neighbouring cities, travelling there by bus, and spent the entire day walking… often up small mountains it seems, then back down again, of course!

The tourism office nearby has been very helpful in sorting out bus schedules and stops, and we haven’t had any problems getting where we want to go. Choosing a vacation in a place like here, with comfortable temperatures that encourage you to be outside walking all day, may mean you will go home in better physical shape than you were when you arrived. I know I will!

Ronda, Spain, high up in the mountains

Another interesting tradition in Spain is the siesta – many stores close in the afternoon for several hours. I still haven’t quite figured out whether the siesta time is the same for all businesses, but have been caught walking to a store to make a purchase, only to find them closed. It seems that the siesta is such a long-standing tradition that many stores don’t post the hours they open and close in the afternoon – only posting the morning opening and the evening closing times – while other stores no longer participate in the traditional siesta at all, and just stay open.

But this tradition is all about lifestyle and is good for workers (especially those who are running a small business themselves, and trying to offer service to morning shoppers as well as the evening crowd). It gives them time to relax, spend time with family, and eat a healthy meal during the day while still being open for the busiest parts of the work day. Mid-afternoon is also the hottest time of day and probably the quietest for business. However, tourists beware! Better indication of hours of operation would certainly help visitors like me to accommodate but regular customers seem to have adjusted to the system without problem.

On the “down side”, I am amazed at how many people, especially young people, still smoke here. It’s made me realize that policies that ban smoking in restaurants, vehicles and in public places make a difference in how acceptable it is to smoke, effectively “denormalizing” it, in North America. Here in Spain it is normal to see people smoking everywhere, and it seems strange compared to Canada where the activity is banned in so many public places. It is easy to see that passing these types of laws, making smoking much less acceptable, results in fewer smokers overall and certainly decreases exposure to second hand smoke that has been shown to affect the health of non-smokers. While actual smoking rates are lower in US and Canada (approximately 16-17%) compared to Spain and France (at 24%) and even higher in northern Europe, the additional difference in where they are allowed to smoke makes smoking appear even more prevalent.

So, what I’ve learned so far from this experience in Spain (besides quite a few Spanish words), is that working to build activity into every day, rather than thinking of activity as a “task” that you need to find time for, may be a better approach to staying fit. The design of cities and neighbourhoods, and the laws we pass (like those for restrictions in smoking) can make a difference in the behaviours and the health of the entire population. Comparing lifestyles in different countries, can help us to gain new perspectives and ideas to incorporate into our own communities, helping to create a healthier population.

Can you think of ways you can change your lifestyle and your community to make it easier for you and your neighbours to stay healthy and fit?

Reference for smoking statistics: Tobacco in Australia

Categories
Book review Health

No-one likes the Mr. Throat picture…

This week, I want to share an article about smoking…not about quitting, but about why people smoke and how much they love it… And how it takes over the smoker’s life… And how hard it is to quit.

I was never a smoker. I tried a few cigarettes in my younger days when out to a bar with smoking friends, but I never formed that love/dependency relationship with “smokes”, as the writer of the article fondly refers to them. As a pharmacist, I learned about medications to help people quit, how difficult the process is and things I could do or say to help people overcome the habit (or let’s call it what it is: an addiction). But I often would wonder why so many people, roughly 20% in Canada, still choose an activity that might kill them.

The article, written by a long-term smoker and posted in a blog called “LongReads”, fascinated me as a non-smoker and health professional, and I found it helped me understand why people smoke in spite of all the evidence that it is slowly damaging their health. I’d recommend the article, not only for smokers, but for those who would like to help people quit. Understanding “why” can sometimes be the key…

Spoiler alert: the photos on the cigarette package, especially the photo of a man with throat cancer, are the most negative part of the writer’s smoking experience. The title of the article is: “Mr. Throat and Me”.

You’ll find the article here: LongReads “Mr. Throat and Me”.

Categories
Environment Public Health

Something fishy going on…

Researchers at the University of Buffalo have discovered that human antidepressants and their breakdown products are building up in the brains of fish in the Niagra River that flows between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. Researchers at two universities in Thailand have confirmed these results.

The researchers started out by looking for a variety of chemicals that are in human medications and personal care products. They checked the organs and muscles of 10 species of fish, and antidepressants stood out as the major problem. All 10 species they checked had detectable levels of these drugs.

How is this happening?

The drugs they found: Zoloft, Celexa, Prozac and Sarafem, are widely used in both US and Canada. Usage increased by 65% between 1999 and 2014, according to the US National Center for Health Statistics. The drugs people take do not magically disappear – a significant amount passes out of the body through the urine, sometimes intact and sometimes changed to a slightly different form that may be more or less active than the original drug. Water treatment systems do not remove these drugs, allowing them to flow into lakes and rivers where the fish live, along with treated waste water.

Worse, levels of antidepressants found in fish brains were several times higher than the concentration in the water, suggesting that the drugs are accumulating in fish over time. When fish are exposed to a drug but cannot break it down or clear it from their bodies, this can result in gradually increasing amounts being stored…in this case, in the fish’s brains.

The species tested were smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, rudd, rock bass, white bass, white perch, walleye, bowfin, steelhead and yellow perch. The rock bass had the highest concentrations of antidepressants, but several fish had a variety of drugs in their bodies and all 10 species tested were found to have some level of antidepressants.

What about humans?

The good news (if you can call it that…) is that we don’t eat fish brains, so this is unlikely to affect humans. But what about the fish? It is not yet known how these drugs might affect their health and behaviour, but other studies suggest they can affect feeding behaviour or survival instincts (for example, not noticing predators as readily).

However, if your drinking water originally comes from a lake or river, chances are you’re being exposed to a low-level cocktail of drugs, too. Many experts have felt that the drug levels in drinking water, being much lower than a person would take as treatment, could not have a significant effect. However, no one really knows whether a mixture of many active drugs, consumed at low levels over a lifetime, is a risk to people’s health.

A group of researchers found drug levels high enough to be “of environmental concern” in the Great Lakes and Minnesota River that included traces of acetaminophen (Tylenol), codeine, antibiotics, hormones, steroids, anti-epileptic drugs and dozens of other chemicals.

Health Canada reportedly found traces of drugs in samples of drinking water that came from lakes and rivers across Canada. Their report has not yet been published but was described in an article on cbc.ca website.

Some experts particularly worry about effects on the hormone and immune systems. Researchers have discussed a possible link between hormones from birth control pills that end up in the environment and increased risk of prostate cancer. Other compounds with estrogen-like activity, such as certain pesticides likely add to this risk.Scientists have already proven that these chemicals are creating “intersex” fish – male fish who have developed eggs in their testicles – putting the survival of certain species at risk in some waterways.

What can we do about it?

Wastewater treatment plants focus on killing disease-causing bacteria and removing solid matter, nitrogen, phosphorus and dissolved organic carbons. However, they pay little or no attention to drugs, hormones and chemicals that might be in human urine. Fish, especially those who live near sewage outlets, are being exposed to a cocktail of drugs 24 hours a day and it is not known whether humans exposed to a low level mixture of active drugs could be affected…

Its time to upgrade our sewage treatment systems and find ways to remove these chemicals from waste water, preventing their release into the environment. Treatment of waste water needs to be improved! Make your voice heard – ask for improvements to the waste treatment systems in your area.

Reference articles:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/human-antidepressants-building-up-in-brains-of-fish-in-niagara-river-1.4274735

http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/drinking-water-contaminated-by-excreted-drugs-a-growing-concern-1.2772289

Categories
Health and Beauty

8 Ways to Keep Your Skin Younger and Healthier

Your genes will always have some influence on skin getting drier and thinner regardless of what you do, but there are preventive actions you can take to slow the effects of “extrinsic” aging, the aging caused by factors outside your body… limiting the effects of environment and making the best lifestyle choices for healthy skin!

Here are 8 ways to help keep your skin as healthy and youthful as possible:

  1. Protect your skin from the sun every day – sun or cloud, winter or summer.

    1. UVB rays result in a tan or sunburn and are largely blocked by cloud, while UVA rays can often pass through cloud or glass damaging skin without causing a visible burn or tan.

    2. Use a cream or lotion daily that contains SPF 15 to 30, depending on the sensitivity of your skin to sunlight, plus an effective UVA blocker (Note that “SPF” refers to effects on UVB rays only). Apply daily to your face and hands – the most exposed areas of the body.

    3. Wear a wide-brimmed hat to further reduce sun exposure to the face and neck.

    4. Like a tanned look? Try a self-tanner – they’re much improved from earlier versions, giving a more natural skin tone and won’t damage your skin.

    5. Avoid tanning beds and lamps – they also cause skin damage and aging.

    6. Remember the sun is strongest between 10am and 3pm, and you will need greater protection during these hours.

  2. If you smoke – stop!

    1. Toxins in cigarette smoke speed skin aging.

    2. Smoking can cause a dull, sallow complexion and decreased blood flow to the face resulting in less healthy skin.

    3. Preventing aging is yet another good reason to quit!

  3. Pay attention to your facial expressions – especially frowning…

    1. Repeated frowning, squinting or pursing of lips creates skin folds or lines that eventually become permanent.

    2. Watch for lines that indicate facial muscles you frequently use:

      1. Between brows – frowning

      2. “Crows’ feet” at corners of eyes – squinting (wear sunglasses to reduce this)

      3. Lines radiating from your mouth – pursing lips

    3. Smiling uses far fewer facial muscles, so avoids potential lines and wrinkles…and brightens your day and that of everyone around you at the same time!

  4. Eat a healthy diet

    1. Fresh fruit and veggies provide nutrients needed for healthy skin:

      1. Vitamin C is needed to form collagen, part of the support structure of skin.

      2. Vitamins E, A and Biotin (a B vitamin) are also important for skin.

      3. 5 to 7 servings of fruit and vegetables daily will generally provide enough of these nutrients to help keep skin healthy (although a new study suggests that 3 to 4 servings may be adequate for maximum health benefit – stay tuned for recommended dietary changes in the future!).

  5. Limit Alcohol – Alcohol is reported to dehydrate skin, making it look more aged.

    1. Avoid binge drinking, drink only in moderation (1 to 2 drinks per day), and keep hydrated by drinking water along with alcohol.

      1. A guideline could be one glass of water for each drink, for example.

  6. Exercise on most days

    1. Exercise boosts circulation and immune function throughout the body, including the skin

    2. Incorporate activity into your daily routine.

      1. It may give your skin a more youthful appearance.

      2. And, being fit looks good at any age!

  7. Cleanse skin

    1. Many references suggest cleansing gently but thoroughly to remove makeup, sweat and bacteria without irritating skin.

    2. However, exfoliating (gently removing the outer layer of dead skin cells) has long been used to give skin a fresher, smoother surface.

      1. Exfoliating before applying a moisturizer may help the moisture to penetrate the skin more readily.

      2. Author’s note: I have used a “buff puff” type sponge to cleanse daily for many years with good success, originally to keep pores open to prevent blemishes, but I continued to use it for its exfoliiant action. This might not be an option, however, for those with very sensitive skin, although “gentle” versions are available.

  8. Apply a facial moisturizer every day.

    1. Even an inexpensive facial moisturizer will help maintain hydration of the skin, giving a more youthful appearance.

    2. Using a moisturizer with sunscreen added can simplify your skincare regimen — 2 steps in one!

    3. Drinking water regularly also helps keep skin hydrated. Avoid bottles or straws that cause you to “pucker up” your mouth when drinking (see #3!)

Having compounded cosmetics for several years in my pharmacy, I have a few “favourite” skin ingredients:

  • DMAE – helps to tighten the tiny muscles that support the skin temporarily (12-24 hours)

  • Glycolic Acid – help loosen dead skin cells on the surface of the skin, creating a smoother surface (not recommended for those with sensitive skin, and use with caution in eye area)

  • Lipoic Acid – reported to help improve dark circles under the eyes

  • Vitamin C Ester – helps with collagen formation to prevent thinning of the skin (the ester form is better in creams as it can pass through skin easier and is less irritating than plain vitamin C)

These are inexpensive ingredients, so you can likely find reasonably-priced creams containing some of these.

Keep in mind that sun exposure is considered the greatest avoidable cause of skin aging and damage. Brown “age” spots (also referred to as “liver” spots) are a visible indication of sun damage. If numerous spots appear, ask for an assessment by a dermatologist. These spots can be removed with a prescription strength peeling agent targeted to the damaged area – ask your doctor!

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