Health

Have you heard the news? The Registered Dietitian is the Food and Nutrition Expert! That’s right. Many people believe only doctors can give answers to their nutrition questions. The truth is that medical doctors are in fact a solid source for getting your health questions answered, but the best source for nutrition information is from a Registered Dietitian (RD). A RD will collect vital information from you in a nutrition assessment. Then create a specific and individualized nutrition program based on research and sound science designed just for you.

Many of you might have never heard of us before but rather seeked out the advice of ‘Nutritionists’ for nutrition counseling – beware! In Louisiana, an individual may only promote themselves as a Nutritionist if they are also a RD or vice versa. Self-proclaimed Nutritionists do not hold the necessary credentials nor have they undergone the training or posses the knowledge to provide you with safe and accurate nutrition recommendations.

I’ve been involved with health and wellness for over 15 years and during that time personally witnessed many ‘self proclaimed nutrition experts’ give clients (you) diseases/illness specific nutrition advice that is dangerous and potentially harmful! The truth is…following dietary instructions from non-licensed individuals can drastically increase your chances of injury or sickness for you and your family. Just because someone eats or looks like a Greek statue does not mean they can tell you how to eat for your specific health conditions.

The most frequent offenders of non-licensed people you have to be most careful of are: multi-level marketers, health food store salespersons, personal trainers, former bodybuilders, some allied health professionals and friends and neighbors who may all be good intentioned, but misinformed about the science of nutrition and how it can affect our body. Now, before I get blasted with your comments for picking on these folks – let me say that some helpful health information may be collected from the aforementioned population. They may promote non-specific nutrition information to you such as: following the food guide pyramid, eat your fruits and vegetables, and tips on cutting calories which will help you lose weight, etc.

However, the moment they give you a specific diet i.e. eating program to lower your cholesterol – it’s illegal! According to the Louisiana Board of Examiners in Dietetics and Nutrition which is the credentialing agency for RDs and watch dog for nutrition fraud in our state – it’s illegal for any person’s other than a Licensed Dietitian/Nutritionist (LDN), Medical Doctor, Dentist, Osteopath, Registered Nurse, Pharmacist or Chiropractor to give out specific dietary instructions to treat an illness.

You may be asking yourself – why is the RD the food and nutrition expert? Good question. The American Dietetic Association Commission on Dietetic Registration (ADA-CDR) has worked with major colleges and universities throughout America to set up educational guidelines for RDs. A high school graduate interested in becoming a RD must complete 3 steps –

1) Enroll in a 4-5 year dietetic program in an accredited university which classes include: medical nutrition therapy, cultural nutrition and counseling, nutrition assessment, organic and biochemistry, healthy cooking/food technology as well as many other medical and science based courses;

2) Complete a 1200 hour (~12 month) dietetic internship program from an approved college;

3) Pass a national exam from the ADA CDR.

Additionally, we must complete 75 hours of continuing education every five years to stay up-to-date. So, as you can see, we do not only take a weekend course in nutrition. Every RD makes a commitment to the pursuit of lifelong learning to help to provide their clients with reliable scientific nutrition information. So, when you are looking for help with your eating habits – make an appointment with a RD/LDN!

For more reading on how to report someone who is giving out illegal or dangerous nutrition information, check out the Louisiana Board of Examiners in Dietetics and Nutrition Website.

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Steve J. Roch Jr., RD, LDN, CFT is a registered and licensed dietitian. He is also a certified personal trainer. Steve is the owner and president of BestRD Wellness, LLC, a company that provides nutrition therapy and wellness services to residents and businesses in the areas of New Orleans and South Louisiana. Steve can be contacted by email at steve@bestrdwellness.com.

Nearly 6 million American have diabetes and don’t know it.  Are you one of them??

Symptoms:

Type 1 Diabetes

• Frequent urination
• Unusual thirst
• Extreme hunger
• Unusual weight loss
• Extreme fatigue and Irritability

Type 2 Diabetes*

• Any of the type 1 symptoms
• Frequent infections
• Blurred vision
• Cuts/bruises that are slow to heal
• Tingling/numbness in the hands/feet
• Recurring skin, gum, or bladder infections

*Often people with type 2 diabetes have no symptoms

One in five Americans is at risk for Type 2 Diabetes. You can prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes through a healthy lifestyle. Change your diet, increase your level of physical activity, and maintain a healthy weight.

Diabetes is a very serious disease.  Today is American Association Diabetes Alert Day. Take the self-assessment test below and share it with others. Visit Diabetes.org for more information.

March is not only known for its designation as ‘National Nutrition Month March’ – it also brings awareness to another very important issue facing our society ‘Colorectal cancer’. Dating back to 1999, the U.S. Senate overwhelmingly agreed that more attention should be focused on this preventable disease. They took a vote and identified March as National Colorectal Cancer Awareness month.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death of all Americans. Colorectal cancer (AKA Colon cancer) as its name implies is a type of cancer that may affect either or both the rectum or the colon. It ranks second among all cancer victims in both genders nationally. Colon cancer may cause polyps or abnormal growths which can grow anywhere within the colon walls. Symptoms are sometimes asymptomatic meaning you do not know anything is wrong. Recognizable symptoms include … losing weight and without a reason; change in bowel habits (constipation or diarrhea); blood in or on fecal matter (stool); or pains, aches, or cramps in your stomach that are persistently present.

In our state, 53 to 57 people out of every 100,000 are diagnosed with this easily preventable disease. Unfortunately, of those who are diagnosed 19 to 21 people will lose their life. Most people are diagnosed in their early 50’s. The incidence of new diagnosed cases increases drastically after age 50. Early detection by way of screening plays a critical role in reaching successful outcomes. In fact, it is estimated by the Centers of Disease Control (CDC) that if people age 50 and older would undergo a routine screening – just that one measure would prevent 60% of deaths. Doctors may use one of three tests to exam a patient’s risk: 1) High-Sensitivity FOBT (Stool Test) which is recommended once a year; 2) Flexible Sigmoidoscopy which is recommended once every five years and/or 3) Colonoscopy which is recommend once every ten years. Other tests may also be performed.

There are several non-controllable and controllable risk factors that increase someone’s risk of developing this disease. Below is a list to help identify the two.

Non-Controllable

• A personal or family history of colorectal cancer or colorectal polyps
• A genetic syndrome such as familial adenomatous polyposis or – hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (Lunch syndrome)
• Inflammatory bowel disease (including ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease)

Controllable

• Inconsistent physical activity
• A low-fiber and high-fat diet
• Overweight and obesity
• Alcohol consumption
• Tobacco use
• Low fruit and vegetable intake

10 Tips to Help Reduce Your Risk

1. Know your genetic (family) history – ask yourself has anyone in your family ever had this disease

2. Aim for the recommended 38 grams of Fiber per day (found in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains) – search for foods labels that contain … whole wheat, brown rice, oatmeal, bulgur (cracked wheat), popcorn, buckwheat, millet, quinoa, amaranth and sorghum

3. Eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables every day at a minimum – include the bright color ones (orange, red and yellow) – also the dark colored greens contain many disease fighters called antioxidants

4. Limit consumption of refined and processed grains such as white flour products, rice and baked goods

5. Decrease the amount of unhealthy fat (Saturated and Trans) in your diet from foods such as red meat – one tip is to trim all the fat off of the meat – it’s also recommended to limit consumption of processed meats

6. Replace meat with fatty fish (tuna, salmon, mackerel, halibut, lake trout {not Lake Pontchartrain fish}, sea bass, sardines and shellfish) 1-3 times per week

7. Maintain a healthy body weight

8. Try to achieve some cardiovascular activity daily i.e. walking around your neighborhood or riding a bike

9. Drink alcohol responsibly – drink only the recommended servings – 1 serving for women and 2 for men (serving size 1oz hard whisky (80 proof or greater); 5oz wine; 12oz beer)

10. If you use tobacco – QUIT

For more information check out the Colorectal Cancer Team at Our Lady of Our Lake and Mary Bird Perkins Hospitals located in Baton Rouge and the Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation.

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Steve J. Roch Jr., RD, LDN, CFT is a registered and licensed dietitian. He is also a certified personal trainer. Steve is the owner and president of BestRD Wellness, LLC, a company that provides nutrition therapy and wellness services to residents and businesses in the areas of New Orleans and South Louisiana. Steve can be contacted by email at steve@bestrdwellness.com.

Have you ever done a Detox before?  Have you been thinking about doing a Detox?  The other question to ask yourself is: what’s driving you to detox – quick weight loss? Kick-starting a new diet? Are you feeling sluggish? Do you get sick all the time? Have you finally had one too many Po-Boys, fried food and Daiquiris so you want to try and reset your body?

Our body’s main detoxification organs and systems are liver, colon, kidneys, gallbladder, lungs, skin, lymph, and blood. They help rid your body of wastes and toxins. However, our bodily functions were designed when the world were less polluted. Our detoxification organs get overloaded & we need to help ourselves push the “reset” button. In our lifetime, our bodies will process 100 tons of food… that’s 20 elephants! A detox can help you “reset.”

We also live in a world with much more toxins and pollution, our body organs and systems have to work a lot harder to rid the exponentially increased waste and toxins.

Detoxification is a “cleansing” of the body – to release toxins – and depending on the method behind the detox, results vary. Methodologies vary widely – from juice fasts to supplements to only raw foods or fruits. Some encourage chewing; some do not (to “rest” the gastrointestinal tract”).

What Is a Toxin?

Toxins can be small molecules, peptides, or proteins that are capable of causing disease on contact with or absorption by body tissues interacting with biological macromolecules such as enzymes or cellular receptors.

A toxin can create an irritating or harmful effect on your body; it becomes toxic when your body cannot effectively eliminate this toxin.

You may be surprised at the toxins we are in contact with every day – pollutants, smoke, pesticides, fertilizer, plastics, petrochemicals, and even pool water. We also are not fully informed of the toxins that exist in the process (chemically altered) food we eat. These affect all of us!

We all experience external and internal toxins through the air we breathe, the water we drink, the things we touch, the food we eat – not to mention the stress we experience. Over time, toxins can build up and overwhelm the body, weakening the immune system and leading to:

• Poor Digestion
• Fatigue
• Stress
• Skin Breakouts
• Stiffness
• Weight Gain
• Premature Aging

Note:  Children, pregnant or nursing mothers and the elderly should not participate in detoxification programs.  There are many detoxing systems and programs out there – it’s always recommended to consult with a physician before doing a detox.

Cons of Detoxing:

Some extreme detoxes cause people to lose weight too quickly, and once the detox is over, the weight returns immediately.

Others lack essential nutrients, and can cause the loss of electrolytes and poor nutrition.

Some side effects may include fatigue, headaches, vomiting, or nausea.

Death, possibly from detoxification triggering a heart attack, has been reported for some undergoing intensive detoxification programs. Those fatalities were linked to previous health conditions such as drug abuse and undetected heart problems so it is important to understand that these types of programs should not be taken lightly.

Pros of Detoxing:

Detoxification supports the body’s natural ability to cleanse and restore itself

Improve your immune functions

Scavenge free radicals and eliminate toxins

Strengthen body’s fight against cancer cells and generate healthy cells in your body

Increase energy and Focus

Cleanse mucous, congestion, fermentation, inflammation in our digestive tract

Improving circulation and purification of your blood

Reform your lifestyle addictions for sugar, salt, high glycemic carbohydrates, alcohol, junk foods, nicotine, etc

Doing a Detox once a year or every other year – can enhance the benefits of living a healthy lifestyle and create a better relationship between you and your body – raising your awareness of what you put into your body and what you come into contact with everyday.

Choosing to Detox

When and if you choose to detox, strive to find a plan that will increase elimination from the body, cleanse the colon, enhance circulation to clear toxic substances, yet still provide nutrients to support and protect the liver, the main organ involved in detoxification.

Do your research and pick a program that you know you will be able to follow and that has provided positive results for other people.

Don’t choose a detox created for weight loss. Weight loss is NOT the point of a detox.  Resetting your body and removing toxins from your body is the point of a detox.

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Alison is currently the owner of Self Confidence LLC, and is a District Manager/Independent Consultant with Arbonne International, a 30-year-old international health and wellness company. Experience includes 11 years with Ochsner Health System. Alison is the mother of 5-year-old twins, Cole & Cassidy…who led her to gain and then lose over 80 pounds…through diet, nutrition and exercise.

Osteoporosis, or porous bone, is a disease characterized by low bone mass and structural deterioration of bone tissue, leading to bone fragility and an increased susceptibility to fractures, which most commonly occurs in  hip, spine and wrist but may also effect any other bone in the body as well. According to  a  leading osteoporosis organizations, one in four men and one in two women over age 50 will develop a osteoporosis-related fracture in her/his remaining lifetime. Hip fractures are the most common among people with osteoporosis are annually documented in over 300,000 cases.

I bet you are now wondering what the symptoms of Osteoporosis are. One of the trickiest things about Osteoporosis is that most people don’t realize that they have it until it’s too late. The most common scenario is when all of a sudden you bump your hip or fall, finding yourself having to go to the ER because now you have a hip fracture or collapsed vertebrae. That is why Osteoporosis commonly known as “The Silent Killer”. Bone loss occurs without any warning or symptoms most of the time. Although, sometimes you can visually see it in people who start to develop a hump like posture in there upper back which is often called Kyphosis.

Do you think you’re at risk?

Some studies have shown that people who are at a higher risk then others tend to live an inactive lifestyle, smoke, have a low calcium intake and drink excessive amounts of alcohol. Women also who have been through menopause may be at higher risk then others because of estrogen deficiencies, especially if menopause is early or surgically induced. Men who have low testosterone levels can be equally at risk as women. If you feel you are at risk there is a test can measure bone density on various sites of the body. This test is often referred as the Bone Density Test and is covered by medicare.

Don’t Believe the Myths

Over the years a lot of Myths have developed through the public eye on Osteoporosis. There is a common misconception that only old women get osteoporosis. Studies have shown that it can happen at any age in men or women if they have any sort of condition that requires them to take medications that can cause bone loss. Oddly enough these medications that cause bone loss are most commonly used in treating chronic asthma and arthritis. Also, many people think that Osteoporosis isn’t a deadly or serious condition. Just in hip fractures alone 20% of the 300,000 cases reported will die within a year after surgery. Surprisingly, some of the deaths occurred from blood complications that developed after the corrective surgery

What can you do to Prevent Osteoporosis?

The best way you can prevent and treat osteoporosis without the use overrated expensive medications is to strengthen your bones through weight baring exercise. Now keep in mind by “exercise” I’m referring exclusively to a low force, high intensity strength training protocol. This protocol is known for producing an increased bone density as high as 1% a week and is safe for young adults to senior citizens.

Unfortunately, when most people think of exercise, they think of excessive impact exercises such as running, jogging, and ballistic weight lifting. These high force exercises can actually cause injury in joints and make conditions worse.  On the other hand, with a low force, high intensity strength training you eliminate these high impact situation by using a slow cadence to move the weight which allows you to use a lighter safer weight to prevent injury.

Weight barring exercises is also great because, it helps create a stimulus in our body to build muscle. Developing higher quality muscles through strength training actually help’s protect our bones and support our skeletal structures and assists with increased movement throughout our body.  When we develop stronger muscles around the bones, we are in fact creating a barrier of protection to help protect our bones from forces, such as a slip or fall. The muscle will actually absorb the impact to help prevent any harmful forces from creating a fracture in the bone. Another wonderful effect from exercising using High Intensity Strength protocol is that it only takes 20-30 minutes one to two times a week to achieve results.

For those of you that are thinking that you can’t afford a gym membership or a personal trainer to exercise. You are wrong, the average hip fracture can easily cost up to $40,000. So, would you rather spend a few hundred per year on gym membership or on personal training to develop a healthy lifestyle and prevent disease? Or would you rather risk ending up spending over $30,000 in medical cost a year ,because you choose to live a lifestyle that no longer lead you to be able to care for yourself without the expense of constant assistance to do things yourself?

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Jonas Deffes, New Orleans Exercise Specialist

Provides the therapeutic benefits of health and exercise at companies and events throughout New Orleans along with his very popular New Orleans Boot Camp for women. I am very serious about building long-term relationships, achieving positive results and upholding my commitment to excellence.

This week is National Sleep Awareness Week®, it’s is an annual public education and awareness campaign to promote the importance of sleep.

Though diet and exercise are critical components of healthy lifestyles, it’s also important to remember that sleep is inherently linked with how we eat (and how much), how we exercise (and whether or not we lose weight), and how we function on a daily basis. Getting the proper amount of sleep each night is necessary to face the world with your best foot forward. Sleep will help you on the road to good fitness, good eating and good health.

Easiest Thing You Can Do for Your Health Is Sleep. Or is it?

An estimated 18 million Americans have sleep apnea, a sleep-related breathing disorder that leads individuals to repeatedly stop breathing during sleep. Not only does sleep apnea seriously affect one’s quality of sleep, but it can also lead to health risks such as stroke, heart attack, congestive heart failure and excessive daytime sleepiness. Sleep apnea is often associated with people who are overweight – weight gain leads to compromised respiratory function when an individual’s trunk and neck area increase from weight gain. These interacting problems of weight gain and sleep apnea make it difficult to help oneself off the slippery slope of health problems. Read More

(Source: National Sleep Foundation)

Related Health Problems From Poor Sleep

Obesity. Women who reported getting five hours of sleep per night were nearly twice as likely to be obese as women who regularly slept about seven hours; those who got four hours were three times more likely to be obese, according to a 2005 study of more than 2,500 women under age 49. Sleep restriction increases your appetite by lowering your levels of leptin, a hormone that suppresses hunger, and raising your levels of ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates it.

High blood pressure. People under age 60 who sleep five or fewer hours a night are twice as likely to develop hypertension as those who log seven to eight hours, according to a 2006 study of almost 5,000 men and women. Not sleeping enough strains the cardiovascular system and “resets” it to operate around the clock at an elevated pressure.

Diabetes. Studies have found an association between lack of sleep and a risk for diabetes as well as a 45 percent increased risk of heart attack and a 15 percent increased risk of death from all causes. Read More

(Source: Ladies Home Journal)

Keys to a Good Night’s Sleep

• Change Your Day to Maximize Sleep
• Wake up and go to bed at the same time every day, even on weekends.
• Limit your intake of alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco products during the day, especially in the hours before sleep.
• Finish eating 2 to 3 hours before bedtime, avoiding big meals.
• Exercise regularly. Finish your exercise a few hours before bedtime.
• Eliminate napping or limit the duration to 20 to 30 minutes.

Create the Best Possible Sleep Environment

• Remove electronics like computers and televisions from your room.
• Keep the room cool, comfortable, quiet, and dark.
• Use a comfortable mattress and pillows.
• Use the bed only for sleep and intimacy.

Prepare for Sleep

• Establish a relaxing bedtime routine: take a bath, read a book, listen to relaxing music before bed.
• Don’t watch the clock—it can cause anxiety about sleep.
• Get out of bed if you can’t fall asleep within 15 to 20 minutes. Only spend time in bed when you are actually sleeping.
• Write down concerns that keep you awake, creating a “to do” list for tomorrow. Also keep a sleep journal to help you see patterns in your sleep.

Improving Your Nutrition from the Ground Up

Eating healthy can be a daunting task. Learning about what to eat, how to eat it, and how much can be overwhelming! That is why I am here to help! Registered Dietitians have the training to answer all those questions for you and more. With March being National Nutrition Month, I can’t think of a better time to start thinking about how we can make our diets more healthy. Over the next few weeks we will focus on one of the themes of National Nutrition Month, improving our nutrition from the ground up!

· Focusing on fruits and vegetables, especially those grown locally right here in Louisiana

· Making calories count, just because something is low calorie doesn’t meant it’s healthy

· Testing our taste buds! Trying new things to improve our palate and grocery lists

· Trick yourself with treats. Don’t be scared of this one, healthy doesn’t equal hungry

I’ll go into more detail for each one creating a tool-box of ideas, recipes, and steps to take towards a healthy diet. Healthy eating doesn’t mean sacrificing taste and it definitely doesn’t mean deprivation.

So come back next week to find out about focusing on fruits and vegetables with featured local produce, sold right here in New Orleans!

Check out www.eatright.org/nnm for more information on National Nutrition Month and more information on why Registered Dietitians are the nutrition experts you should seek for healthy eating advice.

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Lauren Futrell Dunaway, MPH, RD, graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in Dietetics.  She then completed her dietetic internship at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. After becoming a Registered Dietitian, she began to pursue a Master of Public Health in Maternal and Child Health and Nutrition at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. Lauren currently works at the Tulane Prevention Research Center as a program manager for their core research project focusing on the built environment and how it affects obesity.

I did it! I started a Be Fit NOLA Tour de Cure Team!! My grandmother (mom’s side) had diabetes and my aunt also has diabetes – I have to be extra cautious because this is a disease that I’m genetically predisposed to…so I am at risk.  This is a personal quest but obviously it’s also a quest on a much larger level for what we believe-in at Be Fit NOLA. Participating in the American Diabetes Association Tour de Cure is a way for us to encourage you to join us in a 25 miles bike ride to raise money for a fabulous cause.

To prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes.

Now you can make a difference in the lives of more than 23.6 million Americans with diabetes by joining thousands of cyclists around the nation who are riding in Tour de Cure.

Tour de Cure is a series of fundraising cycling events held in 43 states nationwide to benefit the American Diabetes Association. The Tour is a ride, not a race, with routes designed for everyone from the occasional rider to the experienced cyclist.

The event is being held May 23, 2010 at Tammany Trace Trailhead (Koop) Drive in Mandeville.

This is a great opportunity to do something good for yourself and for a good cause…while having fun with us!!

To Register to Ride with Us – On the Be Fit NOLA team click here and for team name put in Be Fit NOLA (we are a Corporate team).  Our goal is to get at least 5 riders together who will raise $150 for a total of $750.  We would of course love to get more!!

If you aren’t interested in riding- please support my fund raising efforts

Aaron and I will start riding and everyone will be invited to join us.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010, at 6:00pm, at the LGBT Community Center of New Orleans, the 2010 Weight Loss Challenge will host its second, open to the general public, Discussion Panel, and its third Contestant Weigh-In.  Remember, last month the panel was cancelled due to the Saints Parade. The guest speakers from February have been rescheduled for March. Special guest speakers for the night will include:

The Fit Gourmet, Chef Dione Duhon: Discussing the importance of having a fully stocked pantry with it comes to making diets work. Visit www.fitgourmetofneworleans.com for more information.

Executive Chef from Ralph’s on the Park, Chef Chip Flanagan: Discussing different cooking techniques to lower the calories in your meal and how to make healthy choices when dining out.

Executive Chef from Oceana Grill, Chef Louis Brown: Discussing different cooking techniques to lower the calories in your meal and how to make healthy choices when dining out.

Creator of Bayou Brew, Renee Brown: Discussing the importance of natural ingredients and the harmful effects of artificial preservatives.

From the Mind-Body Center of Louisiana, Melinda “Mindy” Milam, L.C.S.W.: Discussing staying mentally healthy when it comes to dieting and weight loss and some of the pressures that go with it.

NO/AIDS Taskforce’s Behavioral Health Therapist, Juliet Clayton, LCSW: Discussing how Good Mental Health Leads to a More Fulfilling and Happier Life.

Odyssey House’s and NO/AIDS Taskforce’s Substance Abuse Clinician, Kristin D. MacRae, MSW, GSW, DMHC, LAC: Discussing addictions and mental blocks concerning weight loss.

Salire Fitness’ Life Coach Nolan Ferraro: Discussing Keeping Your Head on Straight When Losing Weight: Maintaining Balance in Your Life.

This is really a great opportunity for people to gain some great insight and get the chance to ask experts some questions.

When: Tuesday, February 9, 2010 at 8pm
Where: LGBT Community Center of New Orleans (2114 Decatur Street)
What: Weigh in and Panel Discussion

Living a healthy lifestyle includes NO smoking.  But what if you don’t smoke but others around you do?!?

The facts are Secondhand smoke causes cancer

Secondhand smoke is classified as a “known human carcinogen” (cancer-causing agent) by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. National Toxicology Program, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a branch of the World Health Organization.

Secondhand smoke causes other kinds of diseases and deaths

Secondhand smoke can cause harm in many ways. In the United States alone, each year it is responsible for:

• an estimated 46,000 deaths from heart disease in non-smokers who live with smokers
• about 3,400 lung cancer deaths in non-smoking adults
• other breathing problems in non-smokers, including coughing, mucus, chest discomfort, and reduced lung function
• 150,000 to 300,000 lung infections (such as pneumonia and bronchitis) in children younger than 18 months of age, which result in 7,500 to 15,000 hospitalizations annually
• increases in the number and severity of asthma attacks in about 200,000 to 1 million children who have asthma
• more than 750,000 middle ear infections in children
• Pregnant women exposed to secondhand smoke are also at increased risk of having low birth- weight babies.

(Source: American Cancer Society)

If you are conscious about your health – you don’t want to be exposed to second-hand smoke but I’m sure you also don’t want to be stuck at home because people smoke in most bars and night clubs.  That is why you need to check-out Let’s Be Totally Clear.

As a consumer, you have a lot of power – you should exercise that power to support Smoke-Free Establishments and encourage stronger smoke-free air laws that protect all Louisianans from secondhand smoke and help others in your community understand the dangers of secondhand smoke exposure.

You are at risk when exposed to secondhand smoke but the people constantly at risk are those who work in bars and casinos that can still allow smoking due to current local and state laws – bartenders, waiters, casino dealers, maintenance workers, entertainers, DJs and musicians. Let’s be totally clear: all Louisiana employees deserve protection from secondhand smoke

Join Let’s Be Totally Clear on Facebook

Questions:
* Do you prefer breathing clean, smoke-free air versus toxic secondhand smoke?
* Do you hate going to bars or going out to hear live music because of all the secondhand smoke?
* Are you a musician, bar or casino worker who wishes Louisiana would protect all workers from secondhand smoke exposure?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then Let’s Be Totally Clear is for you and your involvement can change things!