The next time you suffer from constipation, you may want to consider grabbing a mango instead of reaching for a fiber supplement. That is advice from a Texas A & M University pilot study published in June 2018 in the peer-reviewed journal Molecular Nutrition and Food Research. The researchers found that mangoes, which contain a… Continue reading Mangoes Help Relieve Constipation
Author: Sondra Forsyth
Sondra Forsyth is Co-Editor-in-Chief of ThirdAge.com. She is a National Magazine Award winner with scores of major magazine bylines and twelve books to her credit. Her most recent book is “Candida Cleanse: The 21-Day Diet to Beat Yeast and Feel Your Best”. Sondra was Executive Editor at “Ladies’ Home Journal,” Features Editor at “Cosmopolitan,” and Articles Editor at “Bride’s”. A former ballerina, she founded Ballet Ambassadors, an arts-in-education company in New York City, and served as Artistic Director for 16 years.
New Hope for Combating Lymphedema in Breast Cancer Survivors
More than 2.5 million women in the United States have had breast cancer. Many of them were treated with a combination of surgery, radiation, and sometimes chemotherapy that has removed or damaged lymph nodes and left them vulnerable to upper extremity lymphedema, a condition that can be disfiguring, painful and profoundly impair quality of life… Continue reading New Hope for Combating Lymphedema in Breast Cancer Survivors
It’s a Real Thing: Taking Psychedelic Drugs to Ease End-of-Life Anxiety
*Sheila, a 57-year-old patient diagnosed six months earlier with terminal cancer sat in my office, twisting Kleenex in her fingers. “Sherry, my anxiety is off the charts.” In addition to our once-a-week sessions, she had a loving family, was in a support group for people with cancer, and taking Prozac. None of this made much… Continue reading It’s a Real Thing: Taking Psychedelic Drugs to Ease End-of-Life Anxiety
Essential Oils on Medical Devices Could Prevent Bacterial Infections
Scientists at James Cook University in Australia have discovered a technique to apply natural plant extracts such as Tea Tree Oil as a coating for medical devices, a process which could prevent millions of infections every year. Professor Mohan Jacob, Head of Electrical and Electronics Engineering at JCU, leads a team investigating the problem. He… Continue reading Essential Oils on Medical Devices Could Prevent Bacterial Infections
Reducing Delirium in Older Patients After Surgery
A drug that reduces delirium in postoperative patients may work by preventing the overactivity of certain receptors in brain cells, according to a new study published in June 2018 in the Online First edition of Anesthesiology, the peer-reviewed medical journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA). The researchers say the findings could lead to… Continue reading Reducing Delirium in Older Patients After Surgery
American Academy of Ophthalmology Reiterates Long-Standing Guidance on LASIK Eye Surgery
The American Academy of Ophthalmology, the world’s leading professional association of eye physicians and surgeons, reiterated in June 2018 its long-standing guidance for patients considering LASIK vision correction surgery. A release from the Academy notes thatTthe possible complications from this elective procedure have long been known but have nevertheless garnered recent attention in the national… Continue reading American Academy of Ophthalmology Reiterates Long-Standing Guidance on LASIK Eye Surgery
Beyond the Bucket List: 5 Tips for Reinvigorating the Retirement Paradigm
Baby Boomers are heading into retirement in droves. Each day, about 10,000 close the doors to their offices for the last time. But, unlike generations before them, they can now look forward to potentially decades of vital life ahead of them. They represent the healthiest and longest living generation ever — translating to endless prospects for… Continue reading Beyond the Bucket List: 5 Tips for Reinvigorating the Retirement Paradigm
Swabbing Cesarean-Born Babies with Vaginal Fluids Is Potentially Unsafe and Unnecessary
The increasingly popular practice of “vaginal seeding” — in which cesarean-delivered babies are immediately swabbed with the mother’s vaginal fluids — is declared unjustified and potentially unsafe in a 2018 critical review of scientific literature. Differences between the bacteria and other microorganisms (microbiome) in cesarean- and vaginally born babies are thought to account for the… Continue reading Swabbing Cesarean-Born Babies with Vaginal Fluids Is Potentially Unsafe and Unnecessary
Celebrate 2018 with Four Garden Honorees
It’s a year-long celebration of flavor and beauty as we honor and grow the beet, coreopsis, calibrachoa and tulip. The National Garden Bureau (NGB) has declared 2018 the year of these garden mainstays. This non-profit’s goal is to inspire you to grow these and more plants in your gardens at home and work. The celebration… Continue reading Celebrate 2018 with Four Garden Honorees
How to Honor Your Post-Cancer Body
I remember the exact moment when I saw my body’s reflection in the mirror after being diagnosed with breast cancer. It was the morning after the doctor had delivered that crushing diagnosis, and I took a moment after my shower and gave my body a good long look in the full-length mirror. In the past,… Continue reading How to Honor Your Post-Cancer Body
Sensory-Based Food Education Encourages Children to Eat Fruits & Vegetables
Sensory-based food education given to children in kindergarten increases their willingness to choose vegetables and fruit, according to a 2018 study from the University of Eastern Finland. Sensory-based food education offers new tools for promoting healthy dietary habits in early childhood education and care. The findings were published in May in Public Health Nutrition. A… Continue reading Sensory-Based Food Education Encourages Children to Eat Fruits & Vegetables
To Be Your Own Best Friend, Start by Loving Yourself
The less we care for ourselves, the more unlovable we feel, the less we connect with others, and the easier it is to spiral out into depression and despair. I propose a solution to this painful cycle: Be your own BFF. If you believe you are not enough, you may not be able to handle… Continue reading To Be Your Own Best Friend, Start by Loving Yourself
New Guidance on Treating Diabetes in Elderly and Frail Adults
New guidance has been published on managing diabetes in the elderly, including for the first time how to manage treatment for the particularly frail. The article appeared in 2018 in Diabetic Medicine, the journal of Diabetes UK. The guidance was produced from a collaboration between experts in diabetes medicine, primary care and geriatric medicine, led… Continue reading New Guidance on Treating Diabetes in Elderly and Frail Adults
Blackcurrant Dye Could Make Hair Coloring Safer & More Sustainable
Whether they’re trying to hide some gray or embrace a new or quirky color, people adore hair dyes. But some of these dyes may be harmful to humans and the environment. Now in a 2018 study appearing in the American Chemical Society’s (ACS) Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, scientists report that they have developed… Continue reading Blackcurrant Dye Could Make Hair Coloring Safer & More Sustainable
Considering Microdosing LSD for Treatment-Resistant Depression? Read This First
For years Rachel* found herself battling a recurrent and noxious depression. She tried Zoloft but it had little effect. Nor did regular psychotherapy. In 2010 the then 45-year-old, a life coach, yoga devotee, and single mother began contemplating hallucinogens. She’d tried an LSD tab decades before at a music festival and found the 20-hour experience… Continue reading Considering Microdosing LSD for Treatment-Resistant Depression? Read This First
Don’t Let the Hazards of a Desk Job Harm Your Health!
Millions of us have jobs that keep us sitting at a desk all week long, week after week after week. Without even realizing it, we are sitting at that desk more than we are doing pretty much anything during our waking hours. The National Institutes of Health reports that all the sitting, whether at a… Continue reading Don’t Let the Hazards of a Desk Job Harm Your Health!
The Haunting Regret of Failing Our Ideal Selves
Forsaken dreams. Romantic interests not pursued. Securing a job near home rather than an adventurous position overseas. Our most enduring regrets are the ones that stem from our failure to live up to our ideal selves, according to Cornell University research done in 2018 and published in May in the journal Emotion. A release from… Continue reading The Haunting Regret of Failing Our Ideal Selves
10 Tips to ACE Your Posture
Mom was right, posture is important, especially as we spend our days hunched over phones and computers. Poor posture strains muscles and joints, and is linked to back and neck pain, as well as overall stress and even depression. Plus slumping makes you look older. Here are 10 tips to ACE your posture from PostureMonth.org to build… Continue reading 10 Tips to ACE Your Posture