Knee Basics for Active Teens

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If your daughter plays soccer, basketball or volleyball—or any other sport that requires her to make quick stops and frequently change direction—she could be in danger of tearing the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her knee. Young female athletes are up to eight times more likely than boys to tear their ACLs, according to the Center for Injury and Research Policy in Ohio. "One theory is that hormonal changes during certain points in the menstrual cycle loosen ligaments and make them more susceptible to injury," says athletic trainer Brian Robinson. Another issue is that girls naturally have a more severe angle between their hips and their knees.

How to reduce the risk: "Learning how to land properly when you jump and improving core stability are key," says Robinson. That means landing on the balls of your feet and making sure your knees don't collapse toward each other so you're not knock-kneed. Strengthening your core (abs, hips and lower back) can lessen stress on the ligaments; exercises like crunches and planks (in which you support your body with your forearms, toes on the floor) can help.

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3 Things You Don’t Know About Concussions

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Approximately 135,000 kids between ages 5 and 18 land in the emergency room each year with a concussion or other traumatic brain injury. Be prepared in the event of a head injury by knowing these important facts.

1. You can get one even if you're wearing a helmet.

Helmets are crucial because they prevent skull fractures and lessen the impact of a blow. But concussions can happen when the brain slides inside the skull, and helmets won't necessarily prevent that movement, says Stephen Rice, MD, former member of the Executive Committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness. Concussions can't always be prevented, but enforcing good sportsmanship so that "cheap blows" are discouraged can help.

2. They don't necessarily cause you to pass out.

"Most people think that if it's a concussion, you'll pass out, but that's not true 9 out of 10 times," says Gerard Gioia, PhD, director of the concussion program at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, DC. Serious symptoms to watch for after a head injury (call 911) also include excessive sleepiness, repeated vomiting, seizures, or a headache that gets worse. Other symptoms that mean a player should get out of the game and see her doctor include head pressure, grogginess and blurred vision. For a full list of symptoms, go to CDC.gov/Concussion. "When in doubt, sit it out," says Dr. Gioia. "If you don't allow the brain to recover and a child gets hit again, it can cause permanent or fatal damage."

3. Mental rest is just as important as physical rest.

Assuming your child isn't in immediate danger (a doctor must evaluate her if she hit her head and has a concussion symptom), the best prescription is usually rest. It can take days or months to recover from a concussion, and your child shouldn't return to sports or partake in other potentially risky activities like bike riding or skateboarding until the doctor gives the all-clear. But mental (cognitive) rest is important, too, says Dr. Gioia. "Reducing the amount of thinking and concentrating after a concussion is the same thing as reducing the physical stress on a sprained knee," he explains. Plan to keep your child home from school at least one day after a concussion, then monitor her symptoms. If she's having trouble following conversations, reading or doing homework, she needs more time to recover.

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9 Fast-Food Beverages to Avoid

We recently created a list of " Fast-Food Items You Should Never Eat," but stacked burgers, extra-large sandwiches and loaded platters only account for some of the fast-food calories you're likely to consume. Often, it's your drink selection that turns a meal from a small indulgence into a caloric nightmare. Not only are the extra-large sodas dreadful for your waistline—a 64-oz soda from KFC, for example, can have as many as 850 calories—but specialty drinks, from White Castle's chocolate shake to Subway's iced tea, are also shockingly caloric. Find out which are some of the worst diet-derailing drinks around, so you know what to steer clear of on your next trip through the drive-thru.

White Castle: Chocolate Shake

Calories: 1350
Despite being served in whopping 44-oz. portions, this ice cream drink offered in the Cincinnati area (yes, White Castle changes its ingredients by region), may sound relatively innocent. But slurp on this: You're better off eating 10 original sliders, which have the same amount of calories, but nearly four times less saturated fat.

Wendy's: Caramel Frosty Shake

Calories: 1020
Made with the chain's signature Vanilla Frosty mix, this flavor ups the ante with caramel sauce and whipped cream, costing you as many calories as three (yes, three!) Jr. Bacon Cheeseburgers.

Burger King: Strawberry Shake

Calories: 930
Thanks to milk, strawberry syrup, numerous miscellaneous ingredients (none of which include fresh strawberries), and the sheer volume of this 30-oz. beverage, sipping a large strawberry shake from the BK Lounge is akin to eating almost three Whopper JR.'s!

Applebee's: Decadent Shakes 

Calories: 890 to 940
No matter what flavor (OREO, mango or banana) you choose when ordering a 20-oz. ice cream shake from this popular restaurant, rest assured you'll get your calories' worth. In fact, you'll get more than if you had ordered a 12-oz. rib eye (one of the fattiest cuts of beef around).

Red Lobster: The Traditional Lobsterita 

Calories: 890
Despite serving fish, which is traditionally thought of as a leaner option, Red Lobster certainly doesn't shy away from high-calorie menu items, like their signature 24-oz. frozen margarita (made with Sauza Gold Tequila margarita mix), boasting as many calories as two orders of fried flounder.

Dunkin' Donuts: Vanilla Bean Coolatta 

Calories: 860
Don't let the word "Coolatta" (and all its light and refreshing connotations) fool you. When you sip on a large serving of this 32-oz. slush drink, you might as well have eaten more than two of the restaurant's Boston Kreme Donuts.

Jamba Juice: Peanut Butter Moo'd

Calories: 770
To be fair, this drink's very name (ahem, "Moo") warns of indulgence. Boasting calcium-packed yogurt, bananas and chunky peanut butter, this 24-oz. smoothie does have some nutritional value, but not enough to account for nearly half your daily calorie consumption.

Dairy Queen: Strawberry Lemonade Chiller 

Calories: 740
Even if you pass on the ice cream at the popular shake shack, tread carefully! This 31-oz. mix of lemonade, frozen strawberries and sugar has as many calories as most medium-size DQ malts, made with soft-serve ice cream.

Subway: Sweetened Tea 

Calories: 310-620
Needless to say, we doubt the 245-pounds-thinner Subway spokesman, Jared, would approve of the hoagie hub's 40-oz. brewed tea option. The refreshment has more calories than its 6-in. Meatball Marinara sub, and only 10 calories less than a foot-long Subway Club.

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Health Benefits of Omega-3s

In a college nutrition class I took back in the 90's, I overheard a classmate boasting to a small group about how she only ate fat-free food. Most of America was still in the clutches of the fat-free craze, and my classmate's views weren't at all uncommon. Dietary fat was being blamed for heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and many other impairments of health. But instinctively, I thought that banning fat was a bad idea—I just didn't have the facts to back up my theory. Now, a decade later, research is proving my hunch—that some types of fat can actually prevent disease and improve health. The key lies in a general understanding of fats, and in knowing which fats to emphasize in your diet.

The Fat Family Tree
The family of fat is very complex, so to make it less confusing, picture it as a family tree. At the top, there are two different families of fat—saturated fat and unsaturated fat. Saturated fat (butter is one example) is packed with hydrogen atoms, making it solid at room temperature. Unsaturated fat (like olive oil) contains fewer hydrogen atoms, so it is liquid at room temperature. The family of unsaturated fat includes two children: monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat. In the polyunsaturated fat family, you'll find omega-6 fatty acids and omega-3 fatty acids, and it is the omega-3 family that has been making headlines in the nutrition world.

3 Types of Omega-3's
There are actually three types of fatty acids that are collectively referred to as omega-3's: ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), EPA (eicosapentaenoic), and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). Besides being hard to pronounce, they are extremely important to your health. Omega-3's are "essential" fatty acids, because they are necessary for health and must be included in your diet (because the human body cannot manufacture them on its own). But what exactly are they used for, and what do they do for human health?

Mega Health Benefits
Extensive research indicates that omega-3 fats reduce inflammation, helping to prevent inflammatory diseases like heart disease and arthritis. In addition to warding off inflammation, omega-3's are also essential to the brain, impacting behavior and cognitive function, and are especially necessary during fetal development. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMM), omega-3's may also:

• Improve artery health by helping to reduce plaque buildup and blood clots in arteries that lead to the brain.
• Improve cholesterol by lowering triglycerides and elevating HDL (good cholesterol) levels. These benefits come primarily from DHA and EPA. Learn more about fats that fight cholesterol.
• Improve joint health by reducing joint tenderness and stiffness associated with arthritis and osteoarthritis.
• Improve bone health by positively impacting the body's calcium levels, reducing the incidence of bone loss.
• Improve mental health by helping to insulate nerve cells in the brain, allowing these nerve cells to better communicate with one another. People who are deficient in omega-3's may suffer from depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, eating disorders, and ADHD.
• Improve skin health by helping to alleviate symptoms related to skin disorders like acne and psoriasis.
• Improve bowel health by reducing inflammation of the bowels, helping alleviate symptoms of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.
• Improve lung health by reducing inflammation in diseases like asthma. To read more on this topic,click here.
• Improve menstrual health by reducing the pain associated with PMS and menstruation.
• Help prevent cancer. Colon, breast, and prostate cancers have all been correlated with low intakes of omega-3's.

Sources of Omega-3's
The three different types of omega-3's are found in specific types of foods.

• ALA is found in foods of plant origin. The richest source of ALA is flaxseed, but it is also found in hempseed, canola oil, soybeans, soybean oil, pumpkin seeds, pumpkin seed oil, linseeds, walnuts, and walnut oil. Once ingested, the body converts ALA into EPA and DHA, allowing it to be more readily used by the body. However, this conversion isn't very efficient. That's why experts recommend including EPA and DHA sources in your diet as well. *Note: Flaxseed oil supplements are available in liquid and capsule form, but always consult your health care provider before taking any supplements.

• DHA is found in seafood, algae, and coldwater fish such as salmon, sardines and albacore tuna. *Note: Fish oil supplements and vegetarian DHA supplements (containing algae) are also available in liquid and capsule form, but always consult your health care provider before taking any supplements. Only use fish oil supplements that have been certified to be free of heavy metal contaminants like mercury.

• EPA is found in many of the same foods as DHA, including cold-water fish such as salmon, and sardines, as well as cod liver, herring, mackerel, and halibut. *Note: Fish oil and vegetarian algae supplements are also good sources of EPA, but always consult your health care provider before taking any supplements. Only use fish oil supplements that have been certified to be free of heavy metal contaminants like mercury.

• Enriched eggs that contain all three types of omega-3 fatty acids are readily available these days. These eggs are enriched by adding flaxseed or algae to the hens' diets so that they produce eggs that are rich in healthy fats. According to the Flax Council, omega-3-enriched eggs provide almost half of the recommended daily level of ALA and one-quarter of the recommended daily level of EPA and DHA—the same amount that can be found in 3 ounces of fish.

To get the recommended levels all types of omega-3's, aim for:

• 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed (or 1 tablespoon of flaxseed oil) daily. To learn more about storing and using flaxseed, click here.
• 2 to 3 servings of the above-mentioned fish sources per week. In general, fresh fish contain more DHA and EPA than frozen fish. To learn more about fish selection and safety, click here.

Omega-3's might seem overwhelming at first. But once you understand the types and "mega" health benefits that come with them, you'll be on your way to improving your health. Now that's something to brag about!

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18 Foods for a Healthier Life

Photo: © Woman's Day/Jonny Valiant

Did you know that falling asleep easier, preventing PMS and easing the aches and pains of arthritis could be as easy as stocking your kitchen with the right foods?

Take 47-year-old Sarah. When I first met her, she was 50 pounds overweight and had high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes. Together we created a plan that incorporated the best foods into her diet. After just three months, Sarah's cholesterol dropped by 60 points and she had lost 30 pounds. Even better, she was able to say goodbye to her diabetes and blood pressure meds!

Another client, Eleanor, had long suffered from debilitation migraines. But within two weeks of adding 1 to 2 cups of spinach to her diet daily and eliminating trigger foods (like cheese and wine), she saw a dramatic improvement.

These are just two stories that inspired my book, Joy Bauer's Food Cures, which shows how youcan radically improve your health with some simple nutrition upgrades. Obviously food can't always take the place of medication, but it can be a part of your better-health solution. Here, some of my best findings. Dig in!

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13 Hot Weather Workout Tips

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You waited all year for summer to arrive, dreaming of all the activities you could do if only the weather was nice. But now that warm weather has arrived, the extreme heat and humidity can make it difficult to spend any time outdoors—let alone exercise. While exercising in the heat is generally safe for most people, taking a few extra precautions will help you stay cool and prevent problems associated with the heat.

Danger Signs to Watch For
Normally, your body cools off as sweat evaporates from your skin. But when heat and humidity rise, that sweat can't evaporate as quickly. The combination of hot weather, high body temperature and exercise can be dangerous and even deadly.

Heat exhaustion can occur when your body gets too hot, resulting in physical symptoms like weakness, muscle cramps, dehydration, dizziness, confusion, rapid heart rate and headache. Staying hydrated and getting out of the heat can help prevent and treat heat exhaustion. If left untreated, heat illness can worsen, causing symptoms like confusion, unconsciousness, vomiting, troubling breathing, and skin that feels hot and dry (a sign that the body isn't sweating). These are signs of heat stroke, which is deadly and requires immediate medical attention.

But you don't have to give up exercise just because it's hot outside. These 13 tips will help you beat the heat.

1. Get your doctor's okay. If you are new to fitness or taking any medications, check with your health care professional before exercising in the heat. Newcomers to exercise will be more sensitive to the heat, and some medications can impair your body's ability to regulate temperature.

2. Wear "wicking" fabrics. While cotton is comfortable, it doesn't wick away moisture very well. Choose a loose-fitting polyester/cotton blend instead, or synthetic fibers designed especially for wicking during exercise.

3. Protect your skin. Apply sunscreen with SPF 15 (or higher) to prevent sunburn—even on cloudy days. Use an oil-free formula that won't interfere with your body's ability to cool itself down and select a sweat-proof variety to prevent sunscreen from irritating your eyes. Clothing with tight weaves, sunglasses, and a lightweight hat with a brim can also help block the sun's harmful rays.

4. Drink often. Hydrate your body before, during and after your workout by carrying cold water and drinking it often. Switch to a sports drink with electrolytes if you will be exercising for more than an hour.

5. Perfect your timing. Sun, humidity and pollution levels are most intense during the day, so you're at greater risk for dehydration, sunburn and heat exhaustion during this time. To minimize the effects of the weather, work out in the early morning (before 10 a.m.) or late evening (after 7 p.m.).

6. Check air quality. Before you head outside, get current reports online or on your local radio station. Lower your exertion (intensity) level during physical activity on days with extreme heat and high smog. This dangerous weather warrants easy walking, relaxed cycling or light gardening instead of vigorous exercise.

7. Acclimate to the heat. Even the fittest people can have trouble exercising when it's hot and humid. Start by exercising in the heat for only a few minutes each day and gradually increase the amount of time you can tolerate outdoors.

8. Seek shade. Parks, trails and other tree-lined areas can help you stay cooler than direct sunlight.

9. Monitor your heart rate. If your intensity level rises above your target range, slow down or stop to avoid further stress.

10. Listen to your body. If you notice any symptoms of heat illness (see "Danger Signs to Watch For" above), stop your workout. It's not a good idea to "push yourself" in extreme heat. If you feel bad, use common sense and discontinue your workout.

11. Know when to stay inside. If temperatures climb above 90 degrees Fahrenheit, take your exercise in an air-conditioned environment, such as the gym or shopping mall.

12. Avoid extreme temperate changes. Don't go from blistering outdoor heat to a shockingly cold air-conditioned building. Try to cool yourself down gradually before exposing your body to cooler temperatures.

13. Take a dip. Water exercise is a great alternative in hot weather. Water keeps your body cool and reduces how difficult you perceive your workout to be. Be sure to drink plenty of water even while swimming to ensure that you are properly hydrated.

Hot weather isn't the time to take risks. Even healthy people should take it easy in extremely high temperatures and everyone should understand how to exercise safely and effectively at the height of the season. Summer brings many fun and exhilarating opportunities to get outside, so enjoy yourself!

This article has been reviewed and approvied by Jen Mueller, Certified Personal Trainer and Nicole Nichols, Certified Fitness Instructor.

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