| Issue Date: December 9 , 2007
How to choose the right sports bra
More than 50% of women experience breast pain while exercising. Insufficient support is the likely cause. A recent study by researcher Joanna Scurr at the University of Portsmouth in England found that many bras fail to offer proper support because they do not adapt to side-to-side movement.
Encapsulated sports bras with molded cups can curb pain.
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Scurr says inadequate research has contributed to the problem: "It is only recently that bra design has turned to science." Her study revealed that all women are susceptible to breast pain during exercise, regardless of cup size.
To help prevent pain, make sure you're wearing the right type of bra. "Our research has shown encapsulation sports bras to be more effective at reducing breast motion," Scurr says. That type of bra, she explains, has separate molded cups, in contrast toa compression bra, which flattens the breasts against the chest wall. Look for encapsulated sports bras online or at your local sporting goods store.
Encapsulated sports bras with molded cups can curb pain.
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Tips for buying long-term care insurance
With assisted living averaging $32,294 per year and nursing homes $70,912, long-term care insurance is one way to prepare. Consider these tips from Marilee Driscoll, founder of the website and e-newsletter Long-Term Care Planning Month (ltcmonth.com).
--Buy only what you can comfortably afford. This insurance is pricey -- the average annual premium is $1,973 -- and prices can rise as you age. If you buy a policy that you can easily afford now, then you should be able to handle a 10% or 20% jump in premiums later.
-- Consider a policy with no premiums, due after you retire. You'll pay more upfront, but you won't have to worry about a monthly bill when income declines.
-- Trim benefits -- carefully. If premiums become unaffordable, you can cut back on benefits to lower your monthly bill. But never cut the amount of your daily benefit (the current average is $143 daily). Instead, consider cutting the time period over which benefits will be paid. Rather than getting lifetime benefits, for instance, consider coverage for five years (only 12% of nursing home patients stay longer than that).
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Alcohol's unappreciated threats
Sorry, even red wine isn't always rosy for health.
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Alcohol in moderation might be good for your heart, but in other ways it's an unappreciated threat. Some notable hazards:
Cancer: Women who imbibe more than three drinks a day (wine, beer or liquor) boost breast cancer risk 30% compared with women having less than one daily drink. One to two drinks a day poses a 10% higher risk. So finds a new analysis of 70,000 women. More than three drinks a day ups the risk of colon and rectal cancer 26% compared with non-drinkers, says a new study of 500,000 people. Alcohol also increases the risk of uterine, mouth, throat and liver cancers.
Gout: All alcohol can trigger painful gout attacks, says new research done by Boston University. For example, having five or six drinks in two days doubled attacks.
Bone: Two drinks a day cut the hip fracture risk in older people by 22%, but higher amounts raise the risk of broken bones by 18%, says a new Harvard study.
Hearts: Alcohol may boost high blood pressure and the risk of bleeding (hemorraghic) stroke even though it lowers the risk of blood-clot stroke, notes Arthur Klatsky, a cardiologist with Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program in Oakland, Calif. One or two drinks a day can promote abnormal atrial rhythms, even in younger people, says cardiologist Gregory Marcus of the University of California, San Francisco. He advises atrial flutter patients to avoid alcohol.
Contact Jean Carper at jeancarper.com.
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Must-have garden gear
Gardeners need a pantry, just like chefs do. Set yours up in the kitchen or garage. Here's what I have in mine:
-- Twine
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Pruners
-- Yellow sticky fly paper (for pests)
-- Plastic spray bottle
-- Small bag of crumbly potting mix
-- Terra cotta pots(4- and 6-inch,with saucers)
-- Neem or pyola oil (for insects, mites)
-- Organic fungicide
-- Spray fertilizer or granular fertilizer (fish oil or probiotic)
-- Hot pepper spray (wards off squirrels, rabbits andother critters)
-- Garlic clips, Liquid Fence, Garlic Barrier or cut-up bars of Irish Spring soap (to repel deer)
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