The rule of three keeps kids healthy

The "Rule of Three" in writing says you communicate most strongly when giving information in clumps of three: The phrase "life, liberty and...

The rule of three keeps kids healthy

The "Rule of Three" in writing says you communicate most strongly when giving information in clumps of three: The phrase "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" is a great example. "Life, liberty, equality and the pursuit of happiness?" All worthy, but the three is easier to remember.

The Rule of Three also applies to your child's well-being. Sticking to guidelines on 1) TV time, 2) physical activity and 3) sleep are what it takes to help your child pursue a life that's healthy, happy and free of the problems associated with obesity.

A new study by researchers at Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, reveals that children who spend less than two hours a day watching TV, get a minimum of 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity at least five days a week and get sufficient sleep (9-11 hours nightly for 5- to 13-year-olds, 8-10 hours for kids 14-18), slash their odds for obesity by 86 percent! Kids who meet two of those three guidelines reduce obesity risk by 40 percent. Unfortunately, around 9 percent of 2- to 5-year-olds in the U.S. are obese, as are 17 percent of kids 2 to 19!

So Mom and Dad, listen up: If you want to help your child thrive and avoid life-altering diseases such as premature heart woes and diabetes, it's time for your kids to adopt the Rule of Three. And while you're at it, grab onto it yourself! Your younger RealAge will give you the energy to chase after them.

© 2017 Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz, M.D.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

Amateur hour for performance enhancers

One of the most remarkable things about the great golfer Bobby Jones was that he never played golf as a professional. He was a lawyer by trade and won a...

Amateur hour for performance enhancers

One of the most remarkable things about the great golfer Bobby Jones was that he never played golf as a professional. He was a lawyer by trade and won all of his 13 major championships as an amateur.

Now, nobody today is expected to walk out from behind an office desk and qualify for the U.S. Open golf championship - which theoretically can be done - or get an expensive new bicycle and take on the Tour de France. But a lot of weekend warriors and college kids in intramural sports are trying to look like they could do just that, with disastrous results.

Medical researchers recently held a press conference to sound the alarm about amateur athletes' use of performance-enhancing drugs, such as dietary supplements, anabolic steroids (men ages 15-34 are the most frequent abusers) and weight-loss products (often abused by women in their late 30s).

PEDs directly alter the myocardium, blood vessels and metabolism of your cardiovascular system. You're risking exercise-induced abnormal heart rhythm, as well as cardiovascular, psychiatric, metabolic, endocrine, neurologic, infectious, hepatic, renal and musculoskeletal disorders.

The Taylor Hooton Foundation (named after Taylor Hooton, who died in 2003 after anabolic steroid use), urges YOU to "Think beyond sports." We agree. If you want to get stronger, faster and healthier, your formula should be 7-9 servings of fresh produce daily and plenty of sleep, in addition to 60 to 90 minutes of aerobic activity most days and two to three days of strength building a week.

© 2017 Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz, M.D.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

Sleep and vitamin D: The one-two punch for pain

Once referred to as "The Greatest Strike Partnership in Football," the duo of soccer strikers Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke scored 53 go...

Sleep and vitamin D: The one-two punch for pain

Once referred to as "The Greatest Strike Partnership in Football," the duo of soccer strikers Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke scored 53 goals for Manchester United in its 1998-99 season. The two were said to have a scary telepathy on the field.

Just as this duo was formidable on the pitch, there's an emerging twosome in medicine that's being shown to make a great team against chronic pain: sleep and vitamin D. A new review published in the Journal of Endocrinology has pulled together the evidence and found two important points.

First, both lack of sleep and vitamin D deficiency have independently been linked to worsening of chronic pain, such as that associated with fibromyalgia. And second, sufficient vitamin D may reduce inflammation and may be associated not only with less pain, but longer and better quality sleep, making the duo of D plus ZZZs even more powerful.

So if you suffer from fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis or another condition that causes you chronic pain, make sure you're snoozing seven to nine hours a night. And while we only have data that associates vitamin D to improved sleep quality and reduced pain, most docs think the combo is worth trying. So aim to get the recommended 600 IU of vitamin D-3 a day: Some great sources include salmon and fortified foods like soymilk. However, most of you will need a D-3 supplement. Your goal is to reach a blood level of 35-80 ng/ml; ask your doc for a blood test.

© 2017 Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz, M.D.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.