Healthy Living

with Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom

 

Question of the Month

Q. Do generic drugs work as well as name brands?
A. With regional health care costs continuing to rise, the use of generic medications can be a big money-saver. Savings often can be 50 percent to 90 percent. Generic drugs contain the same active ingredients as the name brands and work the same way in the body. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates the production of generic drugs in the same way it monitors the production of name-brand compounds, so safety and purity of the generic is guaranteed. Plus, the FDA regularly monitors production facilities to ensure that safety and purity standards are always maintained. Check with your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Keep on Washing

Cold and flu season is here, and we're all trying hard to stay healthy. What's the easiest thing to do to minimize your risk? Wash your hands. This simple activity is most likely to keep you sniffle-free throughout the winter months. For this to be effective, it's not just a few swipes with some soap.

Follow this rule of thumb: Lather up well with soap and running water, and sing a round of "Happy Birthday to You" (about 10 to 15 seconds). That's the kind of hand-washing that is most effective. Not near a sink? Using alcohol-based hand sanitizers can be a good alternative.

Even with clean hands, always remember to keep your hands away from your nose and mouth to limit the spread of germs. A major plus: Some supermarkets offer disposable alcohol wipes right next to the shopping carts. Remember: Clean off the handle as well as your hands.

A Hot Breakfast With No Effort

Our Pittsburgh winters can be tough. On a cold, wet and windy day, there's nothing better than a bowl of steaming hot cereal. For most of us, eating like this is a chore, even with instant oatmeal packets. Now things have become even easier: A new ready-to-eat hot cereal is available in supermarkets. Made by Kozy Shack (the pudding company), the cereal, called "Ready Grains," comes in its own bowl, with milk already added. It's ready to eat after just 30 seconds in the microwave.

A good choice for calorie-counters, each bowl contains about 200 calories, 8 grams of protein and 20 percent of daily calcium needs. The combination of oats, brown rice and barley also weighs in with 7 grams of fiber. Available in maple brown sugar, strawberry, and apple and cinnamon, Ready Grains comes packaged in twos in the refrigerated-products aisle. I hope we'll see more of these "convenience foods" containing a major dose of good nutrition."

In the News: Exercise Benefits All Sizes

As with everyone else across the nation, we're fighting the "Battle of the Bulge" in the 'Burgh. Now there's some good news about the health benefits of exercise for your heart - no matter what your weight. We often think about exercise and heart health relative to weight loss; exercise promotes weight loss, and that's what is reducing heart disease risk. A new study from the Archives of Internal Medicine shows that both overweight and obese subjects could reduce their risk of heart disease with regular physical activity. While weight loss alone is often a clear advantage in reducing heart-disease risk, this study suggests that exercise can have some direct action on the cardiovascular system. So, no matter what your weight, make sure you stay active and keep moving.

If you have a health question for Dr. Fernstrom, e-mail her at fernstrom@wqed.org.

 

Dr. Madelyn H. Fernstrom, Ph.D., C.N.S., is the founder and director of UPMC's Weight Management Center. She is the diet and nutrition editor for NBC's "Today Show" and is the author of The Runner's Diet. Also visit "Health Journal with Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom," a health and wellness blog at iVillage.com.