StrongWomen Newsletter

Issue 94, July 2006

I hope you find this newsletter helpful, and that you share it with your friends. Feel free to forward, post or reprint it – but please credit strongwomen.com for the information and don’t change the content.

By Miriam E. Nelson, PhD
Author of
Strong Women Stay Young
Strong Women Stay Slim
Strong Women, Strong Bones
Strong Women Eat Well
Strong Women and Men Beat Arthritis
The Strong Women’s Journal
Strong Women, Strong Hearts
Founder of www.StrongWomen.com

IN THIS MONTH'S ISSUE 

• Exercise and Skin Cancer
• StrongWomen Workshops
• Reader Questions and Answers
  • How do beans fit into the Strong Women Stay Slim eating plan?
  • Is Fosamax safe?
• From the Mailbox - Success Stories
• Recipe - Vegetable and Black Bean Quesadillas

EXERCISE AND SKIN CANCER

When you receive this newsletter I hope to be high atop Mont Blanc, Europe’s highest mountain (weather permitting) in Chamonix, France with a few StrongWomen! As I began to organize for the trip this week, one of the most important items to pack, besides my boots and ice axe, was my sunscreen. I enjoy being active out in the sun but realize that I must take care of my skin to reduce the risk of skin cancer.

I was intrigued to read a new research study that was just published on this topic. I usually don’t report on research involving mice, but felt compelled to relay the results of this study to all of you. In this study, mice were randomized to either cages that contained a running wheel or a cage with no running wheel. All mice were exposed to UVB light to induce skin cancer. Besides lower body fat in the mice with running wheels (and yes, the mice did run a lot), the study also saw some interesting results. The mice with running wheels also had delayed appearance of tumors, decreased number of tumors, and decreased tumor volume per mouse. Total number of tumors was decreased by 32% in the mice with running wheels. The authors hypothesized that the running aided the ability of the immune system to kill off the new cancer cells.

While it is difficult at this time to extrapolate these results to humans, they are fascinating. I will continue to be active out in the sun, hopefully climbing mountains and being with family and friends. But I will continue to wear my sunscreen.

Lifting women to better health,
Miriam E. Nelson, Ph.D.

Reference: Dr. Michna and colleagues. Inhibitory effects of voluntary running wheel exercise on UVB- induced skin carcinogenesis in SKH-1 mice. Carcinogenesis, Advance Access published on May 13, 2006.

UPCOMING STRONGWOMEN WORKSHOPS

Several upcoming StrongWomen Program workshops are scheduled for the next few months. In order to be eligible for StrongWomen training, you must be actively strength training right now, and you must have a firm commitment to starting a program in your community. This training is to teach you how to “lead” a StrongWomen Program, and should not be attended simply for informational/personal purposes.

Date: August 1, 2006 Where: Penn State Cooperative Extension, Lebanon, PA To register or for questions, contact Nancy Wiker, nwiker@psu.edu, (717) 394-6851 Deadline for registration: July 14, 2006

Date: September 21, 2006 Where: St. Mary Medical Center, Langhorne, PA To register or for questions, contact Nancy Wiker, nwiker@psu.edu, (717) 394-6851 Deadline for registration: September 12, 2006

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Be sure to check out the other questions posed to Miriam Nelson, PhD and Rebecca Seguin, MS, CSCS at: www.StrongWomen.com/faqs/index.htm

Q: I am following the Strong Women Stay Slim eating plan and I don’t know what category beans belong to – should they be counted as a grain or a protein?

A: Beans are a food that can either be counted as a protein or a grain. The reason is that beans -- unlike tuna or chicken, for instance – contain carbohydrates and fiber (in addition to protein), and therefore function similarly to a complex carbohydrate, or grain, in the body. Beans are so nutritious they should become a main staple in everyone’s diet.

Q: I have heard reports about bone problems in the jaw due to taking Fosamax. Is this true? Should I discontinue?

A: This is a great question, and one that we have received a lot recently due to some reports of osteonecrosis of the jaw with long-term use of bisphosphonates, as well as other possible side effects on bone.

It is important to realize that all drugs have side effects. The more we use them, the more we learn about their risks and benefits. The good news here is that the risk of osteonecrosis is very small, whereas the benefits of bisphosphonates in terms of reducing risk of osteoporosis is substantial. Additionally, these benefits continue for a couple of years once you stop taking the drug.

The best course of action to take is to talk to your doctor about your concerns. Continue to concentrate on getting enough calcium and vitamin D in your diet and from supplements; and do your exercise – both strength training and aerobic exercise. Your doctor can give you the best advice because she/he knows your medical history best.

FROM THE MAILBOX: SUCCESS STORIES FROM INSPIRING WOMEN

It was Strong Women Stay Young (and Dr. Nelson being on the Today Show) that got me into exercise for the first time in my life, right at my 39th birthday. I was noticing changes I wanted to stall before I turned 40. I just turned 45, and I’m still working out! I’m not as small and thin, but I sure am in much better physical health now that I exercise. I don’t feel good if I miss too many days.

I’ve taken your message to heart and have been strength training at my gym for one year now and I have lost 15 pounds!

-Roxy

RECIPE OF THE MONTH

Check Out LLuminari's Dream Team

Tell a friend to subscribe free to the Strong Women Newsletter at http://www.StrongWomen.com/newsletter /

Tell a friend to subscribe free to the Strong Women Newsletter at http://www.strongwomen.com

Back to Top