How to stay healthy when everyone around you is coughing and sneezing?  Reach for vitamin D, which is vital for a strong immune system.

A recent Spanish study found that people with low levels of D have a decrease in cells that kick-start the immune response.  “We experience a drop in vitamin D when there’s less sunlight to help your body produce it, which could be why upper respiratory infections are more common in cold weather,” points out study author Victor Manuel Martinez-Taboada, MD.  Check with your doctor to see how much vitamin D you need to take to stay sneeze-free all season long.

A 2010 study found that athletes were more successful losing weight with a diet that was 35 percent protein than one that was 15 percent protein.  “Protein preserves lean muscle  mass and controls appetite,” says Enette Larson-Meyer, Ph.D., R.D., who heads the University of Wyoming nutrition and exercise lab.

Training: Yoga Works

Spice up your workouts with a dash of Om. More than just stretching, yoga gives you whole-body strength, especially in the hips, core and upper body.  To start, try a class with hatha, gentle, or level 1 in the title.  For best results, do yoga twice a week on nonrunning days.

Break it down:

This year, create mini-goals to help boost your confidence and keep you motivated to push on toward any bigger goals you might have.  Start with a target you know you can achieve-like walking three times a week or jogging at least three miles a day.  Then track your progress with visible reminders of what you’ve accomplished.

Training

Buddy Up…Sign up for an event with a friend.  Training together is incentive to get out-no matter the weather.  Even if you have to go solo, send a text message to your buddy before you lace up so they know you’re heading out.  Teaming up with a friend holds you more accountable, and sharing highs and lows will benefit you both.

USA Weekend – March 23 – 25, 2012

It may be a tough spring for some allergy sufferers: The unusually warm winter has ushered in an early start to seasonal sniffling, sneezing and watery eyes.

Hay fever symptoms are most often triggered by an allergic response to pollen, and a mild winter can cause trees and grass to produce the allergen sooner. Plus, scientists in the Netherlands recently found that hay fever feels worse at the beginning of the season than later in the summer, even when pollen counts are the same.

Hay fever afflicts more than one in five people. It’s not really possible to avoid pollen completely, but here’s how to reduce your exposure and keep springtime allergies under control:

Shift your morning walk. Consider moving it to the afternoon: Pollen counts are usually highest from 5 to 10 a.m., so limit time outside during those hours. And if possible, skip outdoor chores that stir up allergens, such as gardening, or at least wear a mask while doing so.

Shut pollen out. Wind can carry the pollen from trees and grass for miles. So even if you don’t live near a park, it’s best to keep your windows and doors closed when levels are high. Find pollen readings at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology’s National Allergy Bureau (aaaai.org/nab).

Hang laundry indoors. Pollen may cling to your clothes, sheets and towels if you let them air-dry outside.

Ask about nose sprays. Prescription nasal corticosteroids are the most effective hay fever medication for many people; they reduce allergic inflammation, and they are safe for most for long-term use. The same may not be true for over-the-counter decongestant nasal sprays — using them too often for too many days may make your symptoms worse. Talk to your doctor about your best options; other possible medications include antihistamines, cromolyn nose spray and oral decongestants.

USA Weekend – March 16-18, 2012

Diabetes more than doubles your risk of heart disease and stroke. It’s also the leading cause of kidney failure, non-injury-related foot and leg amputations and new cases of blindness. But being diagnosed doesn’t mean you’re destined for such serious health problems; in fact, a new government study reports a dramatic drop in the rate of diabetes-linked amputations in adults, and researchers attribute the improvement to better management of diabetes and risk factors. Here are strategies to help prevent or delay complications:

Commit to your care.

Managing diabetes may seem overwhelming, but if you take it one day at a time and learn all you can about the condition, you’ll be in better control. To keep blood sugar in check, work with your doctor to determine what, how much and when to eat; get active and maintain a healthy weight; monitor glucose levels; and take prescribed medications as directed.

Watch blood pressure and cholesterol.

Blood sugar levels are important, but they’re not the only numbers you need to focus on. High blood pressure can damage blood vessels and, when combined with high cholesterol, can lead to a heart attack or stroke. Keep blood pressure below 130/80; for cholesterol, the goal is less than 100 for “bad” LDL, above 40 for “good” HDL.

Check your feet daily.

More than half of people with diabetes have some form of nerve damage, which can cause loss of sensation in the feet — that means you might not feel a blister or sore. High blood sugar also injures blood vessels; if you have poor circulation, sores can’t heal and could become infected. Untreated infections may lead to amputations. Look for any cuts, injuries or redness, and tell your doctor if you have a sore or foot problem that doesn’t start to heal in a few days.

Get annual eye exams.

Diabetes can increase your risk of cataracts and glaucoma; it also damages blood vessels of the retina, which can lead to blindness. Regular checkups can help keep minor problems from turning major, or catch serious eye problems early so treatment is more effective.

By Danielle Braff

We rounded up the advice from our favorite physical therapists to make sure you never need to see one of them.  Heed their top 10 tips to ward off aches and pains.

10.  Sit up straight  –  Good posture starts from maintaining activation of your transverse abdominals (the deepest layer of your abs). If you have a sedentary lifestyle- or a typical 9-to-5 job – these muscles become less activated as you age, so your lower back loses its main support.  That allows the rest of your upper body to slouch forward, applying more pressure throught the lower discs of your spine. Eventually, you overload your tissue, which can lead to system overload and failure – or a herniated disc, arthritis or muscle strain.  So keep your shoulders back over your hips to maintain the alignment.

- J. Alex McKinney, physical therapist, director of services at Marathon Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine in Massachusetts

9.  Change your running shoes  –  Every 300 miles, you should replace your running shoes.  They’re designed to minimize impact to your muscles and joints – but after the mileage, the wear breaks down the sole of the shoe, while time breaks down the integrity of rubber material (think of a rubber band hanging around a door knob in the kitchen that becomes dry and brittle after time and easily breaking with stretch). If you don’t count miles, aim to replace your shoes every six to nine months. If you start to feel more soreness or achiness in your knees or joints, it’s a good time to get new shoes.

-J. Alex McKinney

8.  Ice it  –  Most aches and pains are helped by ice.  For the first two weeks, alternate between ice for 10 minutes and heat for 20 minutes, ending on ice.  If it still hurts for more than two weeks, see your doctor for additional options.

-Holly Moriarty, physical therapist with Haymarket Physical Therapy & Chiropractic in Virginia

7.  Don’t shop till you drop –  When you’re on a shopping spree, remember to carry an equal weight of packages in both arms.  This will place less strain on your neck and lower back.

-Alanna Pokorski, physical therapist with Sports Physical Therapy of New York

6.  Get grounded  –  Most Americans get in and out of a car many times a day, so how you do that is very important.  When getting out of the car, turn your entire body so that both feet are on the ground before you stand up.  This will place less strain on your lower back.

-Alanna Pokorski

5.  Do ear exercies  –  Having problems with your balance?  Your inner ear equilibrium center can weaken over time if it is not challenged, just like your muscles do.  Moving your head stimulates your vestibular system, which improves your balance.  Make an effort to do this several times a day to see an improvement in your balance.

-Beth Cook, physical therapist with Matt Smith Physical Therapy in Las Vegas.

4.  Pull, don’t push  –  In the gym, you should do more pulling exercises than pushing exercises.  Most injuries and painful conditions are caused by weakness of the muscles in the back of the body.  That’s because the typical gym program focuses on stretching the “glamour” muscles in the front of your body and those you see in the mirror.  Pulling exercises include lateral pull-downs, low rows and hamstring curls.  Pushing exercises include bench presses, biceps curls and leg extensions.

-Robert Forster, Los Angeles based physical therapist to 38 Olympic medalists and member of the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness.

3.  Stretch  –  You need to stretch daily.  The connective tissue structures of your body — the tendons, ligaments and fascia — will shorten naturally every day if you don’t stretch.  Stretching is important in the morning to get your body ready for the ergonomic stress related to daily activities.  You should also stretch before and after all workouts to prepare your body for exertion and recovery.  Finally, stretching at night will reduce stress and improve rest.

-Robert Forster

2.  Extend yourself  –  We perform forward-type activities all day long, such as sitting, squatting and walking.  This allows the muscles and joints in the front of your body to tighten, and the muscles in the back of your body to become weak, leading to poor posture and pain.  So it is important to perform extension tasks to combat this, such as arching your back while standing with your hands supporting your lower back.

-Jennifer Szymanski, physical therapist with Sports Physical Therapy of New York

1.  Lie down correctly  –  Lying on the sofa or propped up in bed will damage ligaments and discs in your spine.  Sitting with good back support that maintains the natural curves in your spine is the most critical thing you can do to protect your joints from the stress that builds up and damages joints and ligaments.  The best position to avoid damaging your spine while watching TV or reading is in a recliner, which maintains your spine’s natural curves.  If you don’t have a recliner, then try lying on your side instead of your back.

-Robert Forster

sunday@tirbune.com

You can maintain–even improve–your brain power when you hit your prime (45 years and older).  We have 3 tips to buoy your brain and prevent memory loss.

1.  Write down what you want to remember.  Doing so is a big memory boost and helps prevent Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

2.  Exercise.  Walk at least 10,000 steps a day.  It revs up production of your brain cells’ own Miracle-Gro: BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor).  You’ll end up with more brain cells and better neural connections.  You’ll also control blood sugar and blood pressure.  Walk just 3 times a week to make your brain’s memory center bigger and better.

3.  Eat for a stronger brain.  To slow age-related mental decline, dig into these healthy-for-your-brain foods: