Keith Ahrens

I’ll be attending the Touro University Annual Health Fair this Sunday March 6 from 10am – 3pm.

This is a great opportunity to get free health screenings and enjoy some wonderful expert speakers and seminars.

Over 1000 are expected to participate.

I’ll be volunteering in the American Heart Association booth.

Touro faculty and students will also be providing health screenings and demonstrations at stations throughout the fair.

These screenings and demos will include:

• Feet screening for orthotic issues

• Speech and language screening

• Blood pressure and blood glucose screening

• Diabetic Foot check screening

• Sudden Cardiac Arrest in Adolescents screeningOsteopathic Manipulative Medicine demonstrations
Click on the link for more information.  TOURO UNIVERSITY HEALTH FAIR Information

OK, so I had a craving for Sushi.

I was on the other side of town and I decided to try a place that I used to go and eat Chinese food.  I haven’t been there for years. The food was always excellent and fresh.  Their Sushi, yes they also had a wonderful Sushi bar, was also excellent.

It was early afternoon and most places have low priced “Happy Hours” with great deals.  This place was no exception. When I walked in, the host greeted me and I asked him about the “Happy Hour” Sushi specials.  He said that all Sushi was 30{1ee8873d3da54571ef77633feec9b2f18618b0dba2f28faf42edb28003d1c6f7} off from 2 – 4pm.  Not bad I thought.  Spicy Tuna Roll here I come.

Then, he pointed to the bar area and not the Sushi bar. He said that the special was only good in the bar area and not the restaurant or Sushi bar.

You see in Las Vegas, if the restaurant has a bar area and smoking is permitted, the bar must be enclosed and sectioned off by glass from the other part of the restaurant where food is served.  Casinos are exempt from the statute. It was part of the Nevada Clean Indoor Air Act.

I told the host that I was allergic to smoke and could never sit in the bar area, much less a smokey enclosed space. To me, it was like an oxygen tent filled with smoke.  I told him that I couldn’t be around second hand smoke because of the immanent health dangers.  I thought I was making excellent headway.

I asked him if I could sit at the Sushi bar inside the restaurant (only 30 feet away).  I was able to see only one person was at the Sushi bar and there were several people sitting in the bar, smoking. He politely said that’s not possible.

I said thank you and left without getting my Sushi.

Now you may draw your own conclusion.  The ones I was thinking of were:

1. It’s my choice as to weather to patronize a business.

2. What the F___ was this guy thinking letting a paying customer walk out of his business.

3. Smoking and second hand smoke kills and I had to send a message to this business that some people can’t tolerate the smoke, nor wish to be around it, and he should have let me sit at the Sushi bar.

4. Second hand smoke is a risk factor for many chronic diseases and cancers and not just limited to heart disease.

If you smoke, Quit.  If you need help quitting, talk to your doctor, local hospital, or search for a smoking cessation program.

I hate cigarettes, I hate smoke, I hate second hand smoke, I hate ashtrays, I hate smoker’s breath, and I hate everything about smoking. – Keith

One of the hottest legislative issues coming up in many states is the “Ban” or elimination of trans fats in foods in the school systems and restaurants.

Some states and cities have already paved the way to ban this deadly type of fat.

I asked at a recent advocacy event, “Why are we even having this discussion about trans fats?” I was just a little frustrated.

What makes it more interesting is that trans fats can be substituted in most cases with healthier oil alternatives.  I have a chef in the family and know how creative he can get to make food taste good and be healthy.

Trans fats are directly related to cardiovascular disease.  Trans fats are the worst kind of fats for our bodies to ingest.  Trans fat raises your “bad” (LDL) cholesterol and lowers your “good” (HDL) cholesterol.

Trans fats were created to give food a longer shelf life. Adding hydrogen to vegetable oil through a process called hydrogenation creates Trans fat.  It made the oil thicker and more solid.  Think about what that does to your arteries, Yuck!

With obesity levels sky high along with elevated risk factors like blood pressure, diabetes, and higher cholesterol, we can’t afford not to lobby our legislatures to take action.

PTA’s around the country should be at the forefront of eliminating trans fats from their schools.

There are many bakeries popping up that don’t use trans fats in their products.  The next time you go to the store read the label.  If you’re unsure, ask if the product contains trans fats.  Look for the words “partially hydrogenated” vegetable oil or shortening.  Those are often code words for trans fats.Soon,

I hope the day will come where trans fats are simply an entry about poor nutrition in our history books. – Keith

March is National Nutrition Month.
This month we should raise our awareness and learn more about heart healthy nutrition.
The choices we make directly impact our health. Why not make healthier food choices?
Recently, I received my Specialist in Fitness Nutrition (SFN) certificate. I learned so much about nutrition and not only how eating properly energizes the body but what happens when our bodies fall out of balance with poor nutrition.
National Nutrition Month is a nutrition campaign sponsored annually by the American Dietetic Association. The ADA website serves as an excellent resource for nutritional information.
The ADA and I agree that a variety of foods rich in color provide the greatest range of minerals and nutrients. This year they’ve launched an “Eat Right with Color.” Campaign.
The idea here is to have a variety of color on your plate.
I say, think Veggies and color!
The greater variety of colors the larger the variety of vitamins and minerals.
I know that each one of us and every child loves to see a rainbow. Isn’t it good luck? Have fun and create a rainbow on your plate. Tell your kids that they need to “Eat The Rainbow”.
Let them help you write a food list or shop for food that creates a rainbow on their plate. I guarantee they’ll have fun with it… and eat it. – Keith