Skin cancer is now an epidemic with a record 2 million cases diagnosed each year in the U.S., according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. One in five Americans will develop skin cancers over the course of their lives, which means it’s more important than ever to protect yourself from the sun.

Since May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month, actress Gabrielle Union, who is partnering with Neutrogena on their Choose Skin Health campaign, and Dr. Doris Day, a clinical assistant professor of dermatology at New York University, visited “Good Morning America” Wednesday with the latest information on safe sun behavior and new technology that can help detect skin cancer faster than ever before.

Spotting the Signs of Skin Cancer

No matter what your skin color, you have to check your skin regularly for signs of skin cancer. The first place to check is any area that is sun-exposed: your face, neck, ears, hands and your back and legs if you’re at the beach. Don’t forget your arm if you hang it out the window while you’re driving. Balding men should check their scalps — even the skin exposed by the part in your hair.

The most common skin cancers are squamous cell and basal cell carcinomas. When caught early and treated, they rarely cause further problems. They are not always easy to detect, but if you have any kind of abnormality on your skin that doesn’t go away within two weeks to a month, you should go to the doctor to get it checked.

The more serious form of skin cancer is melanoma. Melanomas are often found on skin that is newly exposed to the sun like the backs of men, and on the backs or legs of women, now in the sun because of warm weather clothes.

To determine if an unusual mole is actually melanoma or any other skin cancer, you can follow the A-B-C-D-E guideline developed by the American Academy of Dermatology:

A is for asymmetrical shape. Look for moles with irregular shapes.

B is for irregular border, meaning that the mole has indentations and cauliflower-like borders.

C is for changes in color. If the mole is more than one color or is uneven in its shading.

D is for diameter. Look for new growth in a mole larger than about 1/4 inch — think a pencil eraser.

E is for evolving. Look for changes over time, such as moles that grow in size or that change color or shape, or if they itch or bleed.

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2012/05/16/skin-cancer-prevention-tips-how-to-spot-the-signs-early/

The good news is that there is no need to lift heavy weights. A new study out of Canada’s McMaster University found that lifting lighter weights can get you similar results as lifting heavier weights.

“Rather than grunting and straining to lift heavy weights, you can grab something much lighter but you have to lift it until you can’t lift it anymore,” Stuart Phillips, who is an associate professor of kinesiology at McMaster University said.

The study was featured on ScienceDaily.com and was published in the Journal of Applied Physiology. The report “challenges the widely accepted dogma that training with heavy weights — which can be lifted only six to 12 times before fatigue — is the best avenue to muscle growth.”

Below is a workout targeting different body parts to get you beach-ready for which the above mentioned study can be applied.

You should do two sets of at least 24 reps of each exercise using light weights, such as 3-5 pounds.

Lower body workout

Lunges
Place one foot in front of the other in a split stance, with back heel lifted. Hold weights in your hands by your sides. Bend front knee, lunging forward and keeping upper body upright.

Keep front knee and toe at a 90 degree angle as you lower down. Push up through front heel, coming back up without locking out the knee.

Repeat on the other side.
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Weighted Ball Squats
Place the ball on a wall directly behind your mid-lower back. Hold weights for added resistance in either hand at sides.

Lean against the ball (slightly) and bend knees, lowering your body until your knees are at a 90-degree angle. Push back to starting position

Upper body workout

Isolated Bicep Curls
Sit on a resistance ball or chair with legs wide and feet turned out. Hold a weight in one hand and lean in, resting elbow against inner thigh, without rounding shoulders.

Slowly lower the weight down, bringing your arm almost straight to prepare for repetition. Curl weight up toward shoulder and slowly lower back down.

Repeat on the other side.

Overhead Tricep Extension
Hold a weight overhead, arm straight up. While keeping your bicep close to your ear, drop your forearm behind your head. Contract the triceps to straighten the arm.

Return to start and repeat on the other side.

Shoulder workout

Dumbbell Lateral Raise
Sit on the ball with dumbbells at sides. Raise your arms out to the sides to shoulder level, elbows slightly bent and wrists straight. Lower your arms and repeat.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/05/08/lift-lighter-to-be-lighter-for-summer/#ixzz1uNfA2a8s

All About Calcium

What it is: The most abundant mineral in your body; women carry about 2½ pounds’ worth. Ninety-nine percent of it is in your bones and teeth; the rest resides in your muscles, tissues, and body fluids. In nature, calcium is the chalky substance found in rocks, such as marble.

What it does: Calcium’s best-known role is that of a bone builder, helping to prevent osteoporosis, a bone-weakening disease that afflicts about 8 million women in the United States, and osteopenia, a precursor to osteoporosis. But its lesser-known benefits are just as important. “It’s used by every cell and tissue in the body,” says Robert Heaney, M.D., a professor of medicine at Creighton University, in Omaha. For example, it helps muscles contract, including those you use consciously (like your biceps) and those you use unconsciously (like your heart). Some research has shown that consuming calcium helps your heart and waistline, too. A 2008 study at the Harvard School of Public Health showed that getting enough calcium may be associated with a lower risk of hypertension in adult women. And researchers at the University of Tennessee, in Knoxville, found that people who get their recommended daily allowance of calcium through dairy products may burn fat faster than people who don’t. What’s more, a new study from the National Institutes of Health suggests that adults with an adequate calcium intake may have a lower risk of colorectal cancer.

How much you need: One thousand to 1,200 milligrams a day for adults. Pregnant women need only 1,000 milligrams, because their bodies are more efficient at absorbing calcium. As you age, your body becomes less adept at absorbing the mineral. So once you reach age 51 or menopause, aim for a minimum of 1,200 milligrams. (Note: Although 2,500 milligrams a day is considered as high as you should go, your body excretes any calcium it can’t use. However, too much may tax the kidneys.)

How much you get: Probably not enough. About 75 percent of American women don’t meet their daily requirement. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the average woman age 20 or over consumes 858 milligrams a day.

The best places to find it: Dairy products. A cup of nonfat milk has 302 milligrams, and a cup of low-fat yogurt has 245 to 415. If you don’t consume much dairy, other foods can help. Three ounces of canned sardines (with bones) in oil packs 324 milligrams, a cup of cooked kale has 94 milligrams, and a cup of raw broccoli has 42 milligrams. Practically speaking, if you have a cup of nonfat milk over cereal at breakfast, a cup of low-fat yogurt as a snack, a spinach salad for lunch, a cup of cooked broccoli with dinner, and half a cup of low-fat ice cream for dessert, you meet your daily requirement.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/05/01/bone-up-on-calcium/#ixzz1tjUfrA7B

The results, published in the journal Stroke, fall in line with guidelines from the American Heart Association that recommend women have no more than one drink a day — but that doesn’t mean people should take up drinking to stave off strokes, researchers said.

“We do not encourage women who do not currently drink to initiate drinking,” said Monik Jimenez, a researcher at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, who led the study.

“Alcohol is a double-edged sword, because higher levels can increase high blood pressure and atrial fibrillation, which are risk factors for stroke as well,” she told Reuters Health.

Several previous reports have shown that low levels of alcohol drinking are tied to a smaller chance of having a stroke.

Jimenez and her colleagues used data from the massive Nurses’ Health Study, which tracked the health, diet and lifestyle of more than 83,000 middle-aged women for 26 years.

They compared the drinking habits of women in the study who had had a stroke, to women who hadn’t, dividing the women into five categories: from those who never drank, to the heaviest drinkers who had at least two and a half beers or two shots’ worth of hard liquor or about three glasses of wine a day.

Of the roughly 25,000 women who never drank, about four percent had a stroke at some point during the study.

In contrast, two percent of the more than 29,000 women who had up to half a drink a day on average had a stroke. And of those downing between a half glass and a full glass daily, just one in 200 ended up suffering a stroke.

After the researchers took into account certain risk factors for stroke, such as smoking, being overweight and a history of heart disease, they found that having up to one drink a day was linked to a 17 to 21 percent lower chance of having a stroke.

The study didn’t prove that alcohol prevented the strokes, and there’s no known explanation for the relationship between the two.

It may have something to do with socioeconomic status, said Cheryl Bushnell of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, who was not involved in the study and noted that lower socioeconomic status is known to be linked with a higher risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease.

“My thought is that alcohol costs money. And I think that people who may be drinking light to moderate amounts with a meal are basically people who may have slightly higher means to buy that,” Bushnell told Reuters Health.

“It’s something that’s a lifestyle.”

But she did say that it’s possible alcohol itself is responsible for the lower stroke risk. Jimenez suggested that alcohol might do so by preventing blood clots or altering cholesterol levels.

Her study did not show an increased risk of stroke among the women who drank the most, but other research has suggested that possibility. One found that having several drinks was actually linked to an increased risk of stroke in the next 24 hours.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44183362/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/#.T5gMzKuXSHw

Do you hop into bed still wearing your mascara? Try out every new skin product to hit the shelves? These common mistakes may not seem like a big deal, but over time they can take a toll on your skin and leave you looking prematurely aged.

Don’t worry: It’s not too late. Here, we break down your bad skin habits and show you how to avoid them—and look 10 years younger.

Skipping sunscreen

The No. 1 way you’re aging your skin? Not wearing sunscreen daily.

“The sun is the primary cause of skin aging,” says Neil Sadick, MD, a New York City–based dermatologist. The sun can reach you on cloudy, rainy, or snowy days as well. Plus, Dr. Sadick adds, “skin-damaging UV rays can penetrate through glass, so you need to apply sun protection even indoors.”

He suggests choosing a broad-spectrum sunscreen, which blocks both types of UV rays, UVA and UVB, with an SPF of at least 30. Antioxidant-fortified formulas containing ingredients such as resveratrol, vitamin C, idebenone, or coffee berry can offer additional protection.

Neglecting your hands and neck

Your face isn’t the only area that needs a little TLC. Overexposure to sun affects your hands and neck just as much as your complexion. These areas show signs of aging, like dark spots, dryness, and loss of firmness, notes Dr. Sadick.

Treat your neck and the backs of your hands as you would your face by generously applying moisturizer and sunscreen. While you can buy body-specific products, they aren’t necessary. Those formulated for your face will work just fine, Dr. Sadick says.

Spot treating pimples

Thanks to fluctuating hormones, women over 40 routinely experience acne problems. But using a spot treatment to relieve red spots will only dry out the skin, leaving a raw and irritated area—and it won’t help heal the pimple either.

Instead, says Carolyn Jacob, MD, director of Chicago Cosmetic Surgery and Dermatology, treat your entire face with an acne-fighting cleanser or moisturizer once a day. It’s your best bet for preventing future breakouts.

Read more: http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20402986_4,00.html

They key is to work out harder, not longer.

Many health groups have drummed into our heads that we need to do 30 minutes or more of moderate intensity exercise five days a week, totaling at least 150 minutes. But according to the Physical Activity Guidelines published by the National Institutes of Health, 75 minutes a week of high intensity physical activity can significantly lower your risk of heart disease, stroke, hypertension, diabetes and depression. That’s only 15 minutes a day, five days a week.

If going all out for 15 minutes doesn’t sound like your thing, you can get the same improvements by doing 10 short, 60-second intervals. According to researchers at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, young men who did high-intensity interval training, or HIIT, which involved 30 seconds of all-out effort at 100 percent of their maximum heart rate, saw similar improvements in their leg muscles as those who did multiple, hour-long sessions of steady cycling, and spent 90 percent more time exercising.

The researchers then developed a modified version of HIIT, which may be more practical for many people because working out at 100 percent of your maximum heart rate is tough. It entails one- minute intervals at 90 percent max (you shouldn’t be able to talk when working out this hard). This can be done by pedaling fast on a stationary bicycle or sprinting for one minute. Then take a one-minute rest. Repeat it 10 times for a total of 20 minutes. When unfit subjects performed this routine, they also experienced significant improvements in their health and fitness.

If you’re more of a gym rat, you’re in luck. Many gyms are offering “express” workouts based on this high-intensity interval concept.

To make the most of your express workout, follow these tips:

• Get clearance from your doctor to do a high-intensity workout.
• Warm up for two to three minutes and warm down at the end of your workout
• Wear a heart rate monitor to make sure you’re reaching 90 percent of your maximum heart rate (maximum heart rate is roughly 220 minus your age).

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/04/10/lunchtime-workout-will-get-in-shape/#ixzz1rplouQfh

When she went to a pool, she was greeted by stares. Her varicose veins bulged like balloons. She had spider veins all over.

“Strangers would come up to me and ask what terrible thing happened to my legs,“ said Sokol, 33, of Pembroke Pines. “I couldn`t handle it anymore.“

Worse still was the pain. Unable to stay on her feet for more than a few minutes on a good day, she quit her job taking care of people`s plants.

She went on public assistance to help her raise her two children, Bernard, 10, and Melissa, 4. She could hardly play with them or take them out; the pulsating pain in her legs was too great.

Sokol had almost lost hope.

“I went to doctor after doctor, and they kept telling me there was nothing they could do,“ Sokol said.

They told her to keep her legs elevated and prescribed support stockings, she said.

“I became so upset and frustrated that I left one doctor`s office crying. I screamed out, `Tell me why my veins are doing this!“`

Feeling she had nowhere left to turn, Sokol wrote to Dr. Robert M. Biegeleisen Knight, the medical director of VeinCare of Florida, at the firm`s corporate headquarters west of Boca Raton.

Sokol told him she had read about his technique of treating varicose veins, called echosclerotherapy, and appealed for help.

“I had a vein stripped in my right leg when I was 24 years old, and I have had nothing but trouble with it ever since,“ Sokol wrote in late February.

Read more: http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1992-04-12/news/9202020599_1_spider-veins-varicose-veins-medicaid

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Is it possible to treat varicose veins? I have several that don’t bother me much but a few that are slightly painful.

ANSWER: For many women, varicose veins are all too common. Although most look worse than they feel, varicose veins can cause aches and pains in the legs. In rare cases, they can lead to more serious problems. Lifestyle changes can help relieve pain and keep varicose veins from getting worse. A number of minimally invasive medical procedures also are available to close off or remove varicose veins.

Veins anywhere in the body can become enlarged and twisted (varicose). Varicose veins most commonly occur in the legs and feet. Age, pregnancy, obesity or work that involves standing for long periods can all increase the risk of developing varicose veins. So can genetics and your gender. If other family members had varicose veins, there’s a greater chance you will, too. Women also are more likely to develop this problem than are men.

Varicose veins are sometimes viewed as just a cosmetic concern. Most varicose veins are dark purple or blue in color. They can also bulge out from under the skin, making them quite noticeable. However, varicose veins can cause other problems, including an achy or heavy feeling in your legs. Some people also experience throbbing, cramping or mild swelling in the lower legs — especially after standing for long periods of time.

Read more: http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2011-07-12/health/fl-jjps-veins-0713-20110712_1_sclerotherapy-varicose-veins-treatment

Varicose veins are a cosmetic issue for most people, but they can be a sign of a serious medical problem for others, an expert says.

“Twenty to 25 percent of Americans have varicose veins, and about 6 percent have more advanced venous disease including skin changes or, occasionally, ulcerations,” Dr. Peter Gloviczki, a vascular surgeon at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., said in a clinic news release.

“Evaluation of varicose veins with ultrasound is an easy and accurate way to assess the need for treatment. New, minimally invasive therapy is available today that is effective and is performed as outpatient treatment,” said Gloviczki, who helped develop national guidelines for the treatment of varicose veins for the Society for Vascular Surgery and American Venous Forum.

Varicose veins typically appear in the legs, ankles and feet. People more likely to develop them include older adults, pregnant women, obese people, and those who sit or stand for long periods of time or who have a family history of varicose veins.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/varicose-veins-keep-long-pants-130206974.html

Airport body scanners like those used in Fort Lauderdale and Orlando may pose a significant cancer threat, particularly to those over age 65 and women genetically at risk of breast cancer, some medical experts warn.

Because the scanners’ lose dose of radiation penetrates just below skin level, it could imperil the lens of the eye, the thyroid and a woman’s breasts, said Dr. Edward Dauer, head of radiology at Florida Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale.

“I think it’s potentially a real danger to the public,” he said, noting that even a small dose could be risky for people predisposed to cancer. “This is an additional exposure.”

The Transportation Security Administration insists the scanners are safe and cites independent studies, saying the radiation levels are far below acceptable limits. Still, a growing chorus of scientists and doctors say that even a small dose of radiation could pose unnecessary danger.

The scanners in question use backscatter technology to create an image of a passenger, enabling security officers to see whether dangerous items are hidden beneath clothing. The problem, Dauer said, is the machines emit ionizing radiation.

“Ionizing means it knocks the electrons out of your body, which breaks your DNA chain, which can cause death or cancer,” he said.

The TSA has installed about 250 of the scanners at 40 U.S. airports, including 10 Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. Backscatter machines also can be found in the Los Angeles, Chicago and Boston airports and at New York’s JFK.

The agency also uses more than 540 millimeter-wave scanners, considered a safer option because they don’t rely on radiation. Those machines are in use at Miami and Palm Beach international airports.

Read more: http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2011-12-25/news/fl-tsa-scanner-concern-20111223_1_body-scanners-backscatter-machines-millimeter-wave-scanners