Distracted driving is the number one cause of car crashes. Practically everyone knows the dangers of distracted driving, but that hasn’t done much to dissuade drivers from texting or talking on the phone while behind the wheel. Everyone seems to know it’s dangerous, but few people seem to think it’s dangerous when they do it.

A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) survey found that 94% of drivers support laws banning texting while driving, but 14% of respondents admitted to reading texts or emails while driving. A Harris Poll showed that nearly half of drivers under 35 who own cell phones text while driving.

COMMIT TO SAFE DRIV ING

Below are some safe driving strategies that will help ensure the safety of your passengers as well as others on the road:

Make calls and send texts before you start the car. Make that call to ask your spouse a question before you’re on the road. Text your friend that vital piece of gossip, then put away the phone.

Think about what you need before you leave. For instance, program your GPS at the outset, rather than fiddling with it during the drive. Or make sure you have your wallet or purse, so you’re not looking for it in the car while you drive.

Select a designated driver. The idea of a designated driver has caught on for drunk driving, and choosing a substitute can be just as useful for distracted driving. Select a friend to be your designated texter while you’re behind the wheel.

Stow your phone somewhere you can’t peek at it.

D I S T R AC T ED D R I V I N GWhat You Can do to Keep You & Your Family Safe

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Try putting it in the glove compartment (lock it if you must) or inside a purse in the back seat.

Don’t multi-task at stop lights. It’s easy to justify sneaking in a look at your Facebook notifications or adding a swipe of mascara when you’re temporarily stopped, but the truth is you should still be thinking about the road even when you’re not in motion.

Silence notifications that tempt you to check your phone.

Investigate apps that will help boost your willpower. There are several types of apps on the market, some of them free, that allow you to block incoming messages or send automatic responses to let your friends know you’re driving.

Think it through. Consider whether it’s worth risking your safety—and that of others in your car and on the road—to read a text while driving. Then wait until you’ve reached your destination.

Stop driving if it’s urgent. If you absolutely cannot wait, pull over when you can do so safely. Swerving to the side of a busy highway is never a good option, of course. If you are driving on a road with safe places to pull over, use them to stop and text.

KEEPING TEENS FOCUSED & SAFE

WHILE DRIVING

» Teens aren’t experienced drivers. They’re still developing good judgment behind the wheel. For teens, car crashes are the leading cause of death.

» How can parents keep a teen driver safe?

» Be a good example. Be your teen’s role model for good driving. Don’t send texts or take pictures while you’re driving.

» Set the rules for your teen driver. As a parent, it’s your role to set the rules. Don’t allow your teen to use a cell phone while driving.

» Ride along with your teen when you can.

» Limit their driving with other teens. Having other passengers, especially teens, in the car can be dangerously distracting.

Did you know that brain tumors are unlike any other tumors in the body? For one, no one knows what causes brain tumors; there are only a few known risk factors that have been established by research. Second, a tumor in the brain isn’t like tumors in other parts of your body because it has limited room for growth because of the skull. When a brain tumor grows, it can squeeze vital parts of the brain and lead to serious health problems. That’s why learning about the possible symptoms of brain tumors can help you know when to tell a doctor about them.

POSSIBLE SYMPTOMS OF A BRAIN TUMOR

The symptoms of a brain tumor depend on its size, type, and location. The most common ones are listed below. These do not mean you have a brain tumor. But talk with your doctor if you experience any of the following:

» Severe headaches

» Muscle jerking or twitching (seizures or convulsions)

» Nausea and vomiting

» Changes in speech, vision, or hearing

» Problems balancing or walking

» Changes in your mood, personality, or ability to concentrate

» Problems with memory

» Numbness, tingling, or weakness in the arms or legs

BRAIN TUMORS:Signs You Don’t Want to Ignore

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WHAT KINDS OF BRAIN TUMORS ARE THERE?

A tumor that starts in the brain is called a primary brain tumor. People of all ages can develop this type of tumor, even children. And there are many different ways they can form.

There are over 130 different types of primary brain tumors, and about 80,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with a primary brain tumor each year.

Cancer that has spread to the brain from another part of the body is called a metastatic brain tumor. Metastatic brain tumors are far more common than primary tumors.

Both primary and metastatic brain tumors can cause similar symptoms. Symptoms depend mainly on where the tumor is in the brain.

Other symptoms are less obvious. For example, you might notice memory problems or weakness on one side of your body. Until symptoms develop, you may not know you have a brain tumor.

If you have symptoms that suggest a brain tumor, tell your doctor. Your doctor will give you a physical exam and ask about your personal and family health history. You may need to have additional tests. Tumors can be detected by imaging methods such as MRI or CT scans.

Usually, brain tumor treatment requires a team of health care professionals. This may include surgeons, cancer specialists, nutritionists, nurses, and mental health providers. The team does more than treat the tumor. They also try to minimize its impact on a patient’s quality of life.

WHAT IS A TUMOR?

A tumor is a mass of tissue that’s formed by an accumulation of abnormal cells. Normally, the cells in your body age, die, and are replaced by new cells. With cancer and other tumors, something disrupts this cycle. Tumor cells grow, even though the body does not need them, and unlike normal old cells, they don’t die. As this process goes on, the tumor continues to grow as more and more cells are added to the mass.

What’s the Difference Between Benign and Malignant Brain Tumors?

Benign brain tumors are noncancerous. Malignant primary brain tumors are cancers that originate in the brain, typically grow faster than benign tumors, and aggressively invade surrounding tissue. Although brain cancer rarely spreads to other organs, it can spread to other parts of the brain and central nervous system.

You’ve probably already heard it—sitting too much can slowly kill you. Indeed, too much time in the chair can harm your body in multiple ways. Here’s what happens from head to toe:

When you’re sitting, blood flow to the brain decreases. When you’re sedentary for a long time, everything slows, including the trigger of brain and mood-enhancing chemicals. So, if you’re sitting and you begin to feel sluggish and groggy that’s the reason why!

Again, when you’re sitting less blood f lows through your body. A long session of sitting can allow fatty acids in your body to more easily collect and begin to clog your arteries. Prolonged sitting has been linked to high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol. One recent study found that adults who logged more than four hours a day of recreational screen time (i.e., watching TV) had about a 125 percent increased risk of events associated with

cardiovascular disease, such as chest pain (angina) or heart attack compared to adults who spent less than two hours a day in front of the TV.

When we sit, we tend to slouch and moreover the core muscles in our body (the abdomen and lower back) are not engaged or used. Repetitive and prolonged sitting can leave you with weak and mushy abs and a lower back.

Plain and simple, prolonged sitting doesn’t do your vital organs any favors. For example, a study published in 2011 found that the pancreas’ ability to produce the proper amount of insulin (the hormone that delivers energy to your cells) can begin to decline after just one day of prolonged sitting.

Have you ever noticed that after sitting for a while that your legs feel almost numb, or perhaps restless and/

PROLONGED SITTING:What It Does to Your Body, from Head to Toe

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or swollen? When you sit for a long time, your blood circulation almost grinds to a halt, which can cause fluid to pool in your legs. After time, prolonged, repetitive sitting can cause varicose veins or even blood clots in your legs.

Hopefully this information has gotten a rise out of you (literally!). The good news is that you can combat the negative effects of sitting by simply getting up and moving for a few minutes every 60 minutes or so.

SITTING

How Much is Too Much?

It’s definitely clear that sitting too much is harmful to your health—but how much should you aim to get up during the course of the day? How long is too long to be sitting? When it comes to official recommendations for sitting, the guidelines simply aren’t out yet. “Sitting disease” is a fairly new concept within the scientific research community. It took decades of research to determine the physical activity guidelines set forth by institutions like the CDC and the American Council on Sports Medicine—so it may take a few more years before experts provide specific recommendations for sitting.

For now, the key is seeking movement throughout the day whenever you can. If you’re sitting for an hour, try to get up and stretch your legs for a few minutes. Try to incorporate movement throughout your day whenever you can. Even standing and stretching for a few minutes can help get blood f lowing and combat the effects of sitting.

MOVE WHILE YOU SIT!

5 Exercises You Can Do at Your Desk

1. Shoulder shrugs. Simply raise both shoulders up toward your ears, hold for 5 seconds, then relax. Repeat 10-15 times.

2. Arm pumps. While seated, pump both arms over your head for 30 seconds, then rapidly tap your feet on the floor, football-drill style, for 30 seconds. Repeat 3-5 times.

3. Toe raises. Lift your toes while keeping your heels firmly on the ground.

4. Leg extensions. While sitting in your chair, extend your right leg until it is level with your hip. Hold as long as you can. Switch to your left leg and repeat 5-10 times.

5. Leg raises. While sitting in your chair, lift your right foot a few inches off of the floor. Keep your back straight and your knee bent at a 90 degree angle and hold the position as long as you are comfortable. Switch legs.

Maintaining muscle mass is paramount for weight control, metabolic health and overall well-being and quality of life. After all, if you have sufficient muscle mass, you can perform everyday activities like carrying in groceries, picking up loads of laundry, and even just walking with more ease.

As we age, however, we begin to lose muscle mass. In fact, people who are physically inactive can lose as much as three to five percent of their muscle mass per decade after age 30. To be sure, staying physically active and incorporating strength-training (like yoga, Pilates, free weights and weight machines) is the most powerful of all muscle-preserving strategies. You should strive for two 15-20 minute sessions of resistance training a week. But, building and maintaining muscle mass doesn’t end with just physical activity. What you eat plays a big role too.

The International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) reviewed several worldwide studies to identify the most effective nutritional avenues for preventing loss of muscle

mass. Their scientific review identified the following key strategies:

GET GOOD PROTEIN AT EVERY MEAL. As we age, it takes higher doses of protein to stimulate muscle protein synthesis. Unfortunately, most people eat less, not more protein as they age. The ideal intake of daily protein based on the IOF’s evaluation was 1 to 1.2 grams/kilogram of body weight a day. In other words, if you weighed 150 pounds you would need 75 grams of protein a day. Aim for a lean protein at every meal—for example, Greek yogurt for breakfast, turkey or chicken for lunch and salmon with lentils for dinner.

BE MINDFUL OF YOUR VITAMIN D INTAKE. Vitamin D plays a pivotal role in preservation of muscle mass and muscle function, yet most adults don’t hit the daily recommendation of this critical vitamin. To ensure adequate intakes, get regular, safe sun exposure (spend 15-20 minutes outside with sunscreen on), consume vitamin D rich foods regularly (fortified dairy products,

EAT RIGHT, PREVENT MUSCLE LOSS!

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eggs and oily fish) and consider taking a daily vitamin D supplement. Talk to your healthcare provider for their recommendation.

EAT AN ALKALINE-BASED DIET NOT, AN ACID-BASED DIET. Diets rich in meats, sweets and processed grains and carbohydrates are heavily acidic and thus give rise to acidic metabolic by-products. If you eat an abundance of these foods, it’s hard to build and maintain muscle. On the other hand, making fruits and veggies a pivotal part of your daily diet provides an alkalizing effect in the body, which paves the way for healthy muscle mass. For best results, consume an abundance of fruits and veggies while restricting meats, sweets and processed foods.

There is growing evidence that vitamin B12 and folic acid are also important for improving muscle mass and strength. If you are age 50 or older, ask your healthcare provider if they recommend a supplement.