Health & Wellness
 

Cancer Update from Johns Hopkins This information is being circulated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center as well. Johns Hopkins - Cancer News from Johns Hopkins No plastic containers in micro No water bottles in freezer. No plastic wrap in microwave... A dioxin chemical causes cancer, especially breast cancer. Dioxins are highly poisonous to the cells of our bodies. Don' t freeze your plastic bottles with water in them as this releases dioxins from the plastic. Recently, Edward Fujimoto , Wellnes s Program Manager at Castle Hospital , was on a TV program to explain this health hazard. He talked about dioxins and how bad they are for us. He said that we should not be heating our food in the microwave using plastic containers... This especially applies to foods that contain fat. He said that the combination of fat, high heat, and plastics releases dioxin into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body. Instead, he recommends using glas s, such as Corning Ware, Pyrex or ceramic containers for heating food... You get the same results, only without the dioxin. So such things as TV dinners, instant ramen and soups, etc., should be removed from the container and heated in something else. Paper isn' t bad but you don' t know what is in the paper. It' s just safer to use tempered glas s, Corning Ware, etc. He reminded us that a while ago some of the fast food restaurants moved away from the foam containers to paper. The dioxin problem is one of the reasons... Also, he pointed out that plastic wrap, such as Saran, is just as dangerous when placed over foods to be cooked in the microwave. As the food is nuked, the high heat causes poisonous toxins to actually melt out of the plastic wrap and drip into the food. Cover food with a paper towel instead. This is an article that should be sent to anyone important in your life!

"We need to talk": Scotiabank study finds Canadian couples not talking enough about retirement plans http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/September2007/26/c5289.html?view=print TORONTO, Sept. 26 /CNW/ - When it comes to their retirement, many Canadian couples aged 50 and above simply don't agree with each other on important topics such as finances and lifestyle. According to the Couples Retirement Study conducted by TNS Canadian Facts for Scotiabank, this lack of consensus comes from too little conversation. "It is crucial that couples have honest and in-depth discussions about their life after retirement," said Bev Moir, Senior Investment Executive, ScotiaMcLeod. "While an in-depth financial plan is vital to a successful retirement, a plan will not be complete until couples have a closer personal vision and agree on their retirement lifestyle goals." The study looked at Canadian couples with at least one partner aged 50 or over and still working and examined attitudes and planning for post retirement as well as financial and lifestyle priorities. Examples of lifestyle priorities include travel, spending time with family and friends, practicing healthy aging and accommodations. Less than one quarter of respondents claim to have had a thorough discussion with their spouse/partner about all aspects of retirement while 55 per cent have a "rough idea" of how each other feels. 23 per cent haven't discussed it at all, or haven't discussed it as much as they should. "We have seen many retirement plans hit a road bump almost immediately out of the gate because the shared vision that the couples thought they had wasn't as shared as it could be," said Barry LaValley, Canadian retirement life goal planning expert. "Part of the problem is that couples don't often talk about the change in the relationship dynamic and how their day-to-day life will change in retirement." Mr. LaValley has partnered exclusively with Scotia Private Client Group and ScotiaMcLeod to help connect lifestyle considerations with an advisor's financial planning expertise to ensure a successful transition into retirement. The study found that Canadian couples are most out of touch with each other in the areas of financial planning, financial concerns and their outlook toward retirement. Almost 60 per cent disagree on the basic question of whether or not they are even looking forward to retirement. "By the time Canadians reach their 50's the ground work for a solid retirement plan should already be laid and these discussions should have already taken place," said Ms. Moir. "Leaving important matters such as retirement planning on the back burner will lead to inevitable problems and a lot of surprises when a couple begins the transition to retirement. Our research shows this issue to be widespread." Couples also disagree when it comes to the role that family and friends will play in their retirement, with only half agreeing. Surprisingly, in only eight per cent of couples are both people mainly interested in spending time with their partner rather than with other family/friends or by themselves. "Differences like these may seem small now but could cause friction once the couple moves into retirement," said Ms. Moir. "It is important for couples to have these discussions now so they can both enjoy the future. We can assist by providing a structured approach to help couples set their priorities together." Couples do share the same level of concern in their ability to retire comfortably with 65 per cent saying that they are very or fairly confident. A full 44 per cent of respondents, however, still do not have a formal financial plan. "While it is encouraging to see some areas of consensus among partners, it is concerning to see how many Canadian couples still don't have a financial plan for their retirement," said Moir. "A plan is the first step to ensuring that goals and dreams are achievable after you retire. At Scotiabank we have the expertise, products and services to help our clients meet their unique retirement goals. So once they have talked to each other, we invite Canadians to talk to us." "It is important for couples to think individually about their own retirement plans and visions," said Mr. LaValley. "Then they should meet in the middle and find the common ground they have as well as talk about the differences and whether there might be a compromise. Couples don't have to share the vision, but they do have to respect each other's views."

Alcohol and cancer: is drinking the new smoking? Cutting alcohol consumption linked to reduced cancer rates TORONTO, Sept. 26 /CNW/ - Researchers at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health  (CAMH) have clarified the link between alcohol consumption and the risk of head and neck cancers, showing that people who stop drinking can significantly reduce their cancer risk. According to CAMH Principal Investigator Dr. Jurgen Rehm, existing research consistently shows a relationship between alcohol consumption and an increased risk for cancer of the esophagus, larynx and oral cavity. Dr. Rehm and his team analyzed epidemiological literature from 1966 to 2006 to further investigate this association and their results, published in the September issue of the International Journal of Cancer, showed that: - The risk of esophageal cancer nearly doubled in the first two years following alcohol cessation, a sharp increase that may be due to the fact that some people only stop drinking when they are already experiencing disease symptoms. However, risk then decreased rapidly and significantly after longer periods of abstention. - Risk of head and neck cancer only reduced significantly after 10 years of cessation. - After more than 20 years of alcohol cessation, the risks for both cancers were similar to those seen in people who never drank alcohol. These results have important implications for tailoring alcohol policies and prevention strategies, especially for people with a family risk of cancer. Said Dr. Rehm, "Alcohol cessation has very similar effects on risk for head and neck cancers as smoking cessation has on lung cancer. It takes about two decades before the risk is back to the risk of those who were never drinkers or never smokers." Alcohol is the 'drug of choice' for Canadians, with 60% of Ontario adults consuming alcohol on at least a monthly basis. The direct and indirect costs to society of alcohol abuse are substantial: $5.3 billion in Ontario alone, second only to the social burden of tobacco. This burden takes into effect the cardioprotective effects of alcohol, which, unlike its link to cancer, has received a great deal of public attention. Dr. Rehm notes that more research is needed on the effects of alcohol cessation on other types of cancer -- especially breast, liver and colorectal cancers, for which the International Agency for Research on Cancer has also classified alcohol as carcinogenic -- and on the effects of alcohol type, drinking patterns, and the joint effects of smoking and alcohol cessation on the risk of cancer.