Steve Victor

Fit for Life!

Top 10 Skin Tips

With winter upon us, it is time to think about taking care of ourselves and one of the most important organs of our bodies – skin! I asked Jody Victor®  to give us the top ten tips for taking care of our skin.

 Jody Victor®: Hey Steve, you are exactly right! It is very important to keep your skin healthy. Here are my ten favorite tips.

 

  1. Break out your humidifier. Or invest in a humidifier if you don’t have one. A humidifier will add moisture to dry winter air and help keep your skin hydrated. Run a humidifier in the rooms you spend the most time in, including your bedroom.
  2. Lower the thermostat on your heating system. Central heat makes the air in your house even drier than the already low humidity outside. Try a cool, yet comfortable setting- 68 to 70 degrees F.
  3. Skip the tempting long, steamy showers. Hot water dries out your skin by stripping it of its natural oils. Instead, take short lukewarm showers or baths. Avoid using excessively hot water when washing your hands. If the water turns your skin red, it’s too hot.
  4. Choose non-drying body soaps. Stay away from fragranced soaps. The wrong kind of soap can worsen dry, itchy skin.
  5. Moisturize your skin frequently during the winter months. Always moisturize after bathing. Blot your skin dry and apply a thick moisturizer within a few minutes to help seal the water in. If your hands are constantly getting wet washing dishes or cleaning around the house, you may want to use waterproof gloves during the winter.
  6. Change your facial skin care regiment. Choose cream-based cleansers. Apply toners and astringents sparingly. Many astringents contain alcohol. Check for products that have little to no alcohol. At night, use a richer moisturizer on your face.
  7. Give your lips extra protection during the winter months. At bedtime, use a wet, wrung out washcloth to vigorously buff your lip area. Rub everything you use on your face all over your lips and be generous. Finish your lips with a sealant. Something that is thick and emollient that leaves behind a barrier to stop moisture from escaping. Plain old Vaseline will do the trick. In the morning make sure you apply your facial products to your lips as well.
  8. Wear appropriate clothing. Many cold weather fabrics can aggravate dry winter skin. Keep wool and rough clothing from directly touching your skin. Wear soft, breathable materials against your skin. Wear the wooly sweater as the top layer. Wear gloves or mittens when outdoors in the cold air. If you prefer wool gloves, put cotton or silk glove liners on first. Change out of wet clothes quickly. Wearing wet clothes and shoes further irritates your skin and causes itchiness. Remove wet gloves, socks and pants as soon as possible.
  9. Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water and non-caffeinated and non-alcoholic beverages. Foods or supplements that contain omega-3 or omega-6 fatty acids, such as fish oil and flaxseed oil, can also help moisturize very dry skin.
  10. Apply sunscreen in the winter. It is important to protect your skin from harmful UV rays even on cold, cloudy days. Before going outdoors, apply a moisturizing, broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher to all exposed areas of your body.

All the Best!

Steve Victor

 

Top 10 Snow Removal Tips

Winter is here and it’s time to pay attention to the weather. I asked Jody Victor® to give us some Winter weather safety tips.

Jody Victor®: Hey Steve, it never hurts to be prepared. Here’s some Winter safety tips for all of us.

1. Wear layers for better insulation and warmth. Wear a hat, hood or scarf as most heat loss occurs through the head. Change your clothes if they get wet to prevent loss of body heat. Keep your fingertips, earlobes and nose covered. Protect your lungs from extremely cold air by covering your mouth. Wear sturdy shoes or boots with rugged soles to prevent slips or falls.

2. Warm up before shoveling snow. Stretch your arms and legs for a few minutes. Jog in place. Warm muscles are less likely to be injured.

3. Avoid overexertion. Cold weather puts added stress on your heart. Unfamiliar exercise such as shoveling can bring on a heart attack or make other medical conditions worse. Take frequent breaks and drink plenty of fluids before, during and after shoveling snow.

4. Shovel snow on the buddy system and take turns. If your “buddy” can’t help with the shoveling, at least have him/her monitor your progress and be on alert for a medical emergency.

5. Monitor yourself and your buddy for hypothermia. Hypothermia is an abnormally low body temperature. Go indoors when your body begins to feel cold. Monitor for frostbite. Early frostbite causes a reddening of the skin followed by tingling and loss of feeling. Mid-level frostbite causes the skin to turn white or gray. Severe frostbite causes the skin to turn hard. Gangrenous frostbite causes the skin to form blisters and blacken.

6. If you become short of breath while shoveling snow, stop and rest. Rehydrate. If you feel pain or tightness in your chest, become dizzy, faint or start to sweat heavily, stop immediately and call for help.

7. Use a sturdy, lightweight shovel to push the snow out of the way. If you have to lift the snow, take small scoops. A shovel-full of dry snow weighs about 4 pounds. Wet snow weighs significantly more.

8. In addition to clearing snow from your driveway, keep your walkways, steps and porches clear of snow and ice for safe passage.

9. Be aware of utilities when you shovel snow. Do not cover fire hydrants with snow. Do not shovel snow into manholes and catch basins. Do not cover utility meters.

10.Keep leaves and debris from your roof gutters at all times to prevent water from collecting, freezing and forming icicles. The clearer the pathway is to your gutters and downspouts and the better the drainage away from your house is, the less damage to your roof. If possible, clear snow from roof when the snow cover exceeds 12 inches. Use a roof rake or snow cutter and follow the directions. Stay on the ground. Be careful when using a ladder to get the roof rake or snow cutter higher up on the roof. For snow and ice removal that requires working up on the roof, consider professional help. Seek professional help with a flat roof as they require special attention. The balance between removing snow and ice from a roof and the damage you can do to your shingles is critical. Total clearing has the greatest potential for damage. Never shovel down to the shingles. Instead leave an inch or so of snow on the surface. Often just clearing dangerous overhangs and icicles and creating drainage paths is enough. Icicles can be knocked off gently from the edges of your roof with a broom. Do not knock icicles off too close to the edge of the roof as you can damage your gutters, trim boards or shingle edges. Wear safety glasses and be prepared for the falling snow and ice from above.

All the Best!!

Steve Victor

 

Steve Victor: Top 10 Heating Tips

It’s cold weather time again. There are certain safety tips for around your house you may not have thought of. I asked Jody Victor®  to tell us about some.

Jody Victor®: Hey Steve, you couldn’t be more right. Here’s some safety tips everyone needs to follow no matter where you live or what your weather is like.

  1. Have a trained professional inspect, clean and tune-up your central heating system. Have leaks and other problems repaired. Install new filters at least twice a year.
  2. Make sure your portable/space heater has been tested for safety. Look for a label such as ETL, UL or CSA on the bottom of the unit. Place heater at least 3 feet away from anything that can burn, including furniture, window treatments, people and pets. Never use heaters to dry clothing or blankets.
  3.  Always have an adult in the room when the portable heater is on. Supervise children and pets at all times. Turn off heater before leaving the room or going to sleep.
  4. Keep gas appliances properly adjusted and serviced. Do not overload electrical circuits.
  5. Do not heat your home with a gas stove or oven.
  6. Never use a gas or charcoal grill inside your home or in a closed garage.
  7. Portable electric generators must be used outside only. Never use them indoors, in a garage or any confined area that can allow carbon monoxide to collect.
  8. Burn only seasoned hardwood like oak, ash or maple in your fireplace or wood-burning stove. Do not burn trash, cardboard boxes or Christmas trees because these items burn unevenly, may contains poisons, and could cause a home fire.
  9. Make sure you have a working smoke detector in every room. Check and change batteries often.
  10. Install a carbon monoxide detector in your home and check it regularly. If you don’t have a carbon monoxide detector, watch family members for carbon monoxide poisoning. The most common symptom is headache. Other symptoms may include dizziness, chest pain, nausea and vomiting. In severe cases the person can become increasingly irritable, agitated and confused. Eventually the victim will become lethargic and lapse into unconsciousness. Call 911 and get the person to fresh air immediately and open windows.

Steve Victor

 

 

 

Steve Victor: The 2011-2012 Flu Season

Flu season in the U.S. can start as early as October and last as late as May. So far this fall, the incidences of influenza have been minimal. Most areas of the country enjoyed warmer than normal temperatures in October and November. I asked Jody Victor®  to tell us more about it.

Jody Victor®: The CDC is concerned that not many people have received the flu shot so far this flu season. They recommend that everyone from 6 months of age and older be vaccinated. Influenza is a respiratory infection that can cause serious complications, especially for the very young and the elderly. If everyone is protected against the flu the chances of infecting the people most at risk will be reduced.

While everyone should get vaccinated against the flu each year it is especially important for the following groups to get the flu shot: pregnant women, children younger than 5 (especially those younger than 2), people of any age who have chronic medical conditions, people who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, and people who live with or care for those at risk for complications of the flu.

The 2011-2012 flu shot offers protection against the pandemic H1N1 flu (swine flu) virus in addition to two other influenza viruses that are expected to circulate this fall and winter. There are two types of vaccines available:

 

  1. The “flu shot” is an inactivated vaccine (contains killed virus) that is given in the arm with a needle. The flu shot is approved for people older than 6 months of age. There are three different flu shots available: the regular flu shot, a high-dose flu shot approved for people 65 and older, and an intradermal flu shot approved for people 18 to 64 years of age.
  2. The nasal-spray flu vaccine (FluMist) is made with live, weakened flu viruses. The viruses in the nasal spray do not cause the flu. It is sometimes called the “Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine” or LAIV. The LAIV is approved for use in healthy people 2 through 49 years of age who are not pregnant.

People who should not be vaccinated without first consulting with their doctor include those who have a severe allergy to chicken eggs; have had a severe reaction to a flu vaccination previously; are younger than 6 months of age; have a moderate-to-severe illness with a fever (wait until recovery); or have a history of Guillain-Barre Syndrome that occurred following a flu vaccination.

There are different side effects associated with both inoculations. The viruses in the flu shot are inactivated (killed), so you can not get the flu from the shot. Adults and children can expect some possible minor side effects such as soreness, redness or swelling at the shot site, low grade fever and aches. If you experience any of these they will begin soon after the shot and will last 1 to 2 days. The viruses in the nasal spray are weakened and do not cause severe symptoms associated with the flu. Adults may experience runny nose, headache, sore throat or cough. Children may experience runny nose, wheezing, headache, vomiting, muscle aches or fever.

The flu shot and nasal spray both help to protect you from influenza by causing your immune system to produce antibodies that will recognize and protect you from the flu viruses you come in contact with. It takes about 2 weeks for the flu shot to take full effect. If you’re exposed to the flu shortly before or during that time you might catch the flu. The earlier in the flu season you get inoculated, the better. You also need to get inoculated every year. One reason is that your antibody level will start to decline about six months after you receive the shot. Another reason is that influenza viruses evolve and mutate (change) so quickly. New flu vaccines are released every year to keep up with the rapidly adapting flu viruses.

All the Best!

Steve Victor

 

 

Steve Victor: Low-Cal Christmas Cookies

‘Tis the season to be baking and enjoying homemade Christmas cookies. It’s also the season of lowered activity. The two together can add a few pounds to your physique. I asked Jody Victor®  to give us some advice.

Jody Victor®: Here are some low calorie cookie recipes that will help reduce the guilt factor for your Christmas cookie enjoyment:

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES (48 calories/Traditional 78 calories)

1 cup sifted flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup butter

4 teaspoon sugar substitute

1 egg, beaten

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (3 oz)

Sift together the dry ingredients. Cream butter and add sugar substitute, vanilla and eggs in a separate bowl. Blend well. Add flour (dry) mixture a little at a time to butter mixture and beat well. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by level teaspoons on lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for ten minutes. Makes 2 dozen cookies.

OATMEAL COOKIES (44 calories/Traditional 67 calories)

1 cup raisins

1/2 cup hot water

4 cups whole wheat flour

4 cups Quaker quick oats (dry)

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons cinnamon

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup molasses

4 large eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla

2 cups water (approximate)

Soak raisins in hot water. Mix dry ingredients together. Mix wet ingredients together in a separate bowl. Add dry ingredients a little at a time to wet ingredients and mix well. Fold in raisins. Additional water may be needed if batter is too stiff or dry. Drop by level tablespoons onto cookie sheet. Dip a teaspoon in water and flatten cookies out. Bake at 350 degrees for 13 to 15 minutes. Makes 8 dozen cookies.

PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES (45 calories/Traditional 95 calories)

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup Splenda

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1 egg

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup flour

Thoroughly mix all ingredients together. Roll into small balls or drop by teaspoons onto a greased cookie sheet. Press each cookie flat with a floured fork. Bake at 325 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Makes 3 dozen cookies.

MACAROONS (25 calories/Traditional 97 calories)

1 16-ounce package of one step angel food cake mix

1/2 cup low calorie strawberry or orange soda pop

1 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 7-ounce package cookie coconut (about 2 cups)

In large mixing bowl, blend cake mix, soda pop and almond extract on low speed, scraping bowl constantly for 1/2 minute. Beat on medium speed, scraping bowl constantly for 1 minute. Fold in coconut. Drop by teaspoons about 2 inches apart on a vegetable-sprayed cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Makes 8 dozen cookies.

For Fruit Macaroons, substitute water for soda pop, vanilla for almond extract and add 1 cup dried and chopped apricots, figs, cranberries or prunes.

All the Best!

Steve Victor