health for your
YOUR HEALTHCARE PLAN
Staying fit on the road
Eye Injury
Prevention
Month
IT’S EASY TO presume that
most of the 2. 5 million eye injuries occurring in the U.S. each
year happen in the workplace,
as a result of falls or flying
objects or sparks striking the
eye. However, according to an
annual survey conducted by
the American Academy of
Ophthalmology (AAO) and the
American Society of Ocular
Trauma (ASOT), more than 50
percent of eye injuries happen
outside the workplace, often
involving recreational activities
or common household chores.
Key findings of the 2010
survey included:
The yard and garden were the
places people were most
likely to suffer an eye injury at
home (mowing, trimming).
Twenty-five percent of the
eye injuries occurring at home
were due to play or sports.
Another 25 percent were due
to home repair or power tools.
Males sustained 73. 5 percent
of the injuries reported.
About 50 percent the injuries
reported were to people
between the ages of 30 and
64; about 12 percent were to
children 12 or younger.
Wearing protective eye-
wear is an easy way to prevent
eye injury and save sight. The
AAO and ASOT recommend
that every household have at
least one pair of American
National Standards Institute–
approved protective eyewear to
use when performing home
repairs, playing sports or dur-
ing other activities involving a
risk of eye injury.
For more tips and resourc-
es in regard to preventing eye
injuries, visit the AAO website
www.geteyesmart.org.
—David Wight
By Jackie Keller
INDIVIDUALS SEEKING TO shed
pounds are bombarded by a multitude of conflicting diet theories
and weight-loss gimmicks. I would
like to debunk a few popular diet
and weight-loss myths and provide
a few facts worth considering.
Myth 1: Don’t eat after dinner if you are trying to lose weight. In terms of weight loss, it
makes no difference when you eat. While it is
true that individuals tend to be more metabolically active earlier in the day, this doesn’t mean
weight loss will magically occur then. Weight loss
is a function of what and how much
you eat—much more so than when
you eat.
Myth 2: Detox diets jump-start
weight loss. I advise against detox
diets, as they can cause the body to
go into starvation mode and slow
down the metabolism. If you want to
cleanse your body, eliminate bad-for-you, processed foods and replace
them with nutrient-dense foods.
Myth 3: Cutting carbs will help
the pounds come off. The weight
loss that low-carb dieters achieve in
the first two weeks of carbohydrate
deprivation is measurable and not
surprising. Carb-cutting will cause
the body to shed water weight, as carbohydrates
are stored in the body with water. That water
weight will come right back on, and such a yo-yo
weight loss is counterproductive and bad for overall metabolism.
Myth 4: You can’t have any dessert when
you’re on a diet. Chocolate lovers, rejoice: Dark
chocolate is high in heart-healthy flavonoids, so it
is actually good for you. A 1-ounce serving daily
can be a delicious way to obtain the health benefits and a bite of pure enjoyment.
Myth 5: Fat is the enemy. Research shows that
monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats—which
are found in foods such as fish, olive
oil, avocados and walnuts—can actu-
ally improve levels of good cholesterol
(HDL) and reduce the risk of heart dis-
ease. These healthy fats can aid in
weight loss and even delay hunger
pangs when consumed in appropriate
amounts.
licensed and certified wellness coach.
Ultimately, the only eating plan
that is healthy and will help you
achieve long-term weight-loss goals
is one that contains a balance of
favorable carbohydrates, proteins
and fats. C
COMSTOCK
Jackie Keller is a nutrition expert and a
Summer food safety: Get it to go
The Costco
Connection
Costco members will find a selec-
tion of protective eye gear on
Costco.com. Search “safety glasses.”
DO YOU WORRY about egg salad going bad on
hot days? Or how long fried chicken can survive
out of the fridge? Now you can ask “Karen,” the
virtual food safety representative on the smartphone app from the USDA Food Safety and
Inspection Service (
www.fsis.usda.gov). She can
instantly answer questions about proper handling, storage and preparation to help prevent
the foodborne illnesses that rise during the summer months.
“This is an extension of the government’s Ask
Karen website and now that it’s mobile, even more
people will be able to access the information they
need to keep their food safe this summer,” says
Craig Wilson, vice president of quality assurance
and food safety at Costco. “I think it’s great.”
Can mayonnaise in egg salad make you sick
when it’s warm out? Karen says people often
think mayo is the cause of foodborne illness from
chilled foods such as chicken, tuna and egg salad
or on deli-style sandwiches. But since mayon-
naise is made with acid (vinegar or lemon juice),
it tends to prevent bacterial growth. Usually it’s
the meat, poultry, fish or eggs in a sandwich left
unrefrigerated for more than two hours that
becomes the medium for bacteria to grow.
