Tag: health

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Health Risks of Lockdowns

Lockdowns (also commonly known as “mass-quarantine”) have been enacted by over 50 countries around the world. While such measures have been proven effective for containing the outbreak, the stay-at-home mandates have created many unwanted side effects by disrupting social interaction and jeopardizing our personal health, especially in children.

Here are the most undesirable consequences of prolonged lockdown. Please watch for these in yourself and loved ones:

  • Physical Inactivity. Day after day, many of us have overlooked how little exercise we’re getting. But this neglect can be costly, leading to insulin resistance, muscle atrophy, decreased aerobic capacity, increased blood pressure and a higher risk of collapsing upon resuming exercise. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommend at least 150 minutes/week of moderate-intensity physical activity, and performing muscle strengthening exercises (involving the major muscle groups) at least twice a week.
  • Weight Gain. The COVID-19 pandemic has created a food environment that is conducive to weight gain, increasing the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and lower back pain. These problems are further exacerbated by the unhealthy eating habits that accompany prolonged television and gaming. To combat this potential crisis, schools must invest in lesson plans for physical activity that can be accessed on-demand or streaming, so that children can keep active without violating local ordinances. Work with your doctor and design a health plan that includes foods rich in immunomodulatory content such as Vitamin A, C, and D, as well as probiotics.
  • Behavioral Addiction Disorders. Screen-time is only going up — but being stuck indoors for an indefinite period of time is unavoidably accompanied by even more screen time – watching television, online gaming and social networking. These new habits can potentially develop into behavioral addiction disorders. Take control of your electronic environment by implementing external stoppers (any trigger that persuades the user to log off), implement software programs that control your screen time, or even set a simple timer on your smartphone.
  • Insufficient Sunlight Exposure (Vitamin D). Sunlight is essential to your health in the proper amounts. When you go without sunlight for a prolonged period of time you are at increased risk of developing cardiovascular and autoimmune diseases, allergy and asthma, mental disorders and diabetes. People deficient in vitamin D run a significantly higher risk of respiratory tract infections. An interesting fact about the human body is that many of the functions of your immune cells are modulated by Vitamin D. Make sure you’re getting enough Vitamin D through foods such as fatty fish, cod liver oil, egg yolks and/or high quality supplementation.
  • Social Isolation. Social isolation is now regarded as the primary public health concern in the elderly, but has also shown to increase sedentary behaviors in youth, causing depression and anxiety. Self-isolation should be seen as a global healthcare and societal issue. To counteract the burdens of sedentary and depressive lifestyles, use forms of social contact (technology or in-person) that don’t violate your local ordinances, but that will alleviate feelings of isolation and it’s debilitating psychological consequences.

SOURCES

Health risks and potential remedies during prolonged lockdowns for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Giuseppe Lippi, Brandon M. Henry, Chiara Bovo and Fabian Sanchis-Gomar. Diagnosis 2020; 7(2): 85-90. De Gruyter Publishing.

COVID-19—Related School Closings and Risk of Weight Gain Among Children. Andrew G. Rundle, Yoosun Park, Julie B. Herbstman, Eliza W. Kinsey, and Y. Claire Wang. Obesity Journal Volume 28, Number 6. June 2020.

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Keeping clean

We’ve always been passionate about cleanliness and we take your health seriously. We thought it’s important to share with you the following measures we’ve established to protect your health and safety:

Environmental

All high-contact surfaces are cleaned after each use and at the end of each day. This includes things like:

  • Worktables and benches
  • Lab tools and machines
  • Doorknobs and keys
  • Computers and mobile devices
  • Daily vacuuming and dusting

Product

All returned items must pass through a rigorous inspection and disinfection process before being restocked. This 3-step process involves:

1 — Physical evaluation. We inspect the hinges, adjustment and overall condition of the frame to ensure it’s in perfect condition.

2 — Hand wash. Each frame is then washed by hand with an eco-friendly surfactant (soap) and water, then dried with a fresh towel.

3 — UVC disinfection. Finally, all frames are exposed to germicidal UV bulbs that reach every surface of the frame.

Only then are frames repackaged and returned to inventory.

People

All personnel are required to maintain the following protocol:

  • Wash their hands before and after preparing packages or initiating lab work, and regularly throughout the day
  • Masks are required in the office, store room and laboratory
  • Maintain social distancing
  • Daily self-screening and temperature check
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Obesity and how to change it all

America is gaining weight and our children are too. Obesity carries great physical risks:

  • heart disease
  • diabetes
  • hypertension
  • high cholesterol
  • stroke
  • liver/gall bladder disease
  • sleep apnea
  • osteoarthritis
  • depression
  • anxiety

Unfortunately, obese children risk all that and more: bullying, peer disapproval, eating disorders, poor self-image and academic discrimination. The economic impact is estimated at $117 billion per year in medical treatments and lost productivity. How did it get so bad?

It’s become an indoor world. Our exercise and eating habits are in decay.

Mainly, our environment has changed. We are more sedentary at home and the workplace than ever before. Marketing and availability of fast-food coupled with less physical activity has furthered weight gain. In many households, both parents are working, so a dependence on convenience food has emerged. In fact, convenience food now accounts for 53% of the family food budget. Dining away-from-home typically offers larger portions and includes alcohol and soda beverages, which contribute massively to the calories consumed.

Television is also a contributing factor. Each additional hour spent watching TV increases the incidence of childhood obesity by 2%. Advertisements whet your appetite for high-fat, calorie packed foods with little nutritional value. TV steals away time for physical activities and even induces snacking. Meanwhile, studies show that your resting metabolic rate while watching TV is lower than when you’re sleeping!

How to change it all.

Self-Monitoring. Identify your eating behaviors, choices and triggers. For example, if work and travel are enabling poor food choices, invest in a meal-bag. Prepare simple, healthy and delicious meals that are always available. Be aware of your internal state of mind and your external environment.

Cognitive Restructuring. Identify negative self-talk and reframe your thoughts into messages that support the outcome you want. For example: “I don’t have time to exercise,” becomes “I haven’t yet made time to exercise.” “I’m not getting the physique I want,” becomes “Can I make the right food choices today?” The nature of your thoughts will directly influence the outcome of your goals and the quality of your life. Negative thoughts will sabotage, and positive thoughts will motivate and sustain you through hard times. Keep maladaptive thoughts in check.

Goal Setting. Goals give you direction, motivation and a sense of purpose upon completion. Break down your objective into smaller phases, so that the task becomes less ominous. Make sure your goals are:

  • reasonable
  • realistic
  • specific
  • measurable
  • challenging
  • not dependent on another person
  • time limited

Modeling. Social modeling means “observing another person performing the target behavior successfully.” There are two kinds of models: mastery and coping. A mastery model can be described as an athlete or supermodel – the manifestation of an ideal body type. A coping model is someone who once failed, but fought back to overcome obstacles. A coping model may be someone who was morbidly obese, but vastly improved through dedication.

Stimulus Control. Identify and magnify positive triggers to assimilate the behavior you want. Great example: placing your running shoes by the door so they’re ready for the next morning. Schedule notifications to remind you to when exercise or eat, and in time these behaviors will become part of your routine.

Reinforcement. When people first adopt a health plan, they often have a poor attitude towards things like: being at the gym, member fees, muscle soreness or being tired and sweaty. Encourage and positively reinforce the behaviors that aide in weight loss such as cooking healthy meals and staying committed to the plan – rather than the weight loss itself – to build lifelong health habits.

Relapse Prevention. Identify high-risk environments to avoid or prepare for. If you’re going somewhere that doesn’t have a gym, learn some indoor exercises to stay active. In an office building you can walk stairs, in airports you can circle the terminal. Be proactive. Don’t subscribe to an “all-or-nothing” mindset. If you can get 60% of what you normally do, that’s better than giving up.

SOURCES

Examination of the Obesity Epidemic from a Behavioral Perspective. A. Tamlyn Shields, MA, BCBA. International Journal of Behavioral Consultation and Therapy, Vol 5(1), 15 , 2009, 142-158

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Managing mental health in kids

Robust mental health, as well as emotional intelligence, can multiply your child’s opportunities and enhance their quality of life. Clear thinking, less hesitation and enhanced self-esteem are just a few of the benefits.

You’ll need to experiment to find out what works best for your family. Each child has their own attitude and belief system. Here are some great tips to help you get started:

Environment is everything. Make your home a place that’s safe, low-stress and inviting. A clean and uncluttered home will vastly improve their state. But “environment” also includes the people you associate with: keep your children in good company and with families who share your values.

Identify feelings. Don’t bury your problems – bring them to light! When children discuss their emotions in a responsible manner they’re able make choices about how they feel and put things in perspective. One technique we recommend is called the XYZ approach: “When X happened, it made me feel Y, and I would like Z instead.”

Personal space. Giving your children some alone time is great for enhancing focus and creativity. Other times, isolation gives their emotions a chance to cool down, preventing rash decisions that might occur during an “emotional hijacking.”

Project confidence and calm. As a parent you should never panic…it’s contagious! Instead, lead by example: slow down and think-through your own problems to encourage the same behavior in your children.

Thought Tracing. We encounter many thoughts that aren’t based on our own conclusions. Unchallenged, these thoughts grow roots. Children may assume someone doesn’t like them based on some perceived slight – when the real meaning was something entirely different. Keep your children grounded in reason: ask them to examine their thoughts and reach conclusions based on the results of their own thinking.

Review the problem. Once a problem has been resolved, ask your child what knowledge they have acquired to help avoid similar situations in the future. This extra “follow up” will ingrain the lesson in their minds.