_ Healthier Broccoli That WonΓÇÖt Spoil Quickly By Jane Farrell article While researching methods to increase the already well-recognized anti-cancer properties of broccoli, researchers at the University of Illinois also found a way to prolong the vegetable's shelf life. An article about the study, published in the journal PLoS ONE, reports that the method is natural and inexpensive.
_ Healthy Eating After 50 By Jane Farrell article Along with all the other changes we go through as we age, food may start tasting different, according to the National Institute on Aging. Here, from the NIA experts, is why that happens and how to handle it: There are a few reasons food might be tasting differently these days: Medicines can alter the way foods taste, or even make you feel less hungry.
Aging Well As We Age, Loneliness Is a Major Health Risk By article Feeling extreme loneliness can increase an older person's chances of premature death by 14 percent. That’s the finding of a team of researchers at the University of Chicago led by by John Cacioppo.
Fatigue Helps You Make Good Health Decisions By Jane Farrell article Researchers say there might be one good thing about being fatigued: we make better health-care decisions when we’re feeling tired and run down. “We proposed that people are more motivated to engage in healthful behavior when they are depleted and perceive their safety to be at stake,” write authors Monika Lisjak, of Erasmus University, and Angela Y. Lee, of the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University.
_ Shopping for Health Insurance in the Digital Age By article By Edward Oberg With the introduction of legislation such as Obama Care, The Affordable Care Act, and even DOMA, the world of insurance is in flux and shopping for a new policy is more confusing than ever. This leaves those who remain uninsured and those who have found themselves underinsured with the newly imposed restrictions in quite a quandary. Despite the plethora of new questions these changes pose, luckily there are answers to be had.
_ Heart Health Spousal Supportiveness = Better Heart Health By Jane Farrell article Supportiveness from a spouse can help people fare better in their overall cardiovascular health, according to a new study. The findings, by researchers from the University of Utah, show that when partners perceive the support they get from each other as ambivalent – sometimes helpful, sometimes stressful – their levels of coronary artery calcification (CAC) tend to be high. The findings were published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
_ The Benefits of ΓÇ£TelehealthΓÇ¥ By Sondra Forsyth article “Telehealth”, an approach to saving costs and improving patient care in hospitals, goes far beyond videoconferenced doctor visits, according to researchers at the University of Michigan who conducted the first survery of how broadly web-based technologies are being used nationwide. The team found that 42 percent of U.S. hospitals use some type of "telehealth" approach. The study, published in the February 2014 issue of the journal Health Affairs, breaks down adoption rates by state.
_ Supplement Users Have Healthy Habits By article A review published in February 2014 in Nutrition Journal debunks the myth that dietary supplement users are operating under a "halo effect" or are somehow short-changing themselves, eating poorly, not exercising regularly, and relying on a supplement alone for good health. On the contrary, the data collected by researchers at the Council for Responsible Nutrition indicate that in fact dietary supplement users make better food choices in addition to taking supplements.
Mental & Emotional Health Mental Health Care Scarce for Rural Women By article Women living in rural communities are less likely than urban-dwelling women to receive sufficient mental health care, in large part due to limited access to services and societal stigma, according to a study dome at Penn State College of Medicine and published in the journal Mental Health in Family Medicine.
_ Heart Health Knowing Your "Heart Age" Leads to Healthier Behavior By Jane Farrell article People who know their “heart age” are likelier to engage in healthier behavior, according to a new study.
_ Humidifiers and Your Health By Jane Farrell article Dry sinuses, bloody noses and cracked lips — humidifiers can help soothe these familiar problems caused by dry indoor air. Humidifiers can also help ease symptoms of a cold or another respiratory condition. But be cautious: Although useful, humidifiers can actually make you sick if they aren't maintained properly or if humidity levels stay too high. If you use humidifiers, be sure to monitor humidity levels and keep your humidifier clean. Dirty humidifiers can breed mold or bacteria. If you have allergies or asthma, talk to your doctor before using a humidifier.
_ How to Eat Healthy with Other Cultures By Jane Farrell article As a diverse nation, we can embrace our cultural traditions for the foods we love and still prepare them in healthier ways. Here, from the program MyPlate, of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is how to eat the best of other cultures’ cuisine without abandoning your health goals:
_ Stay Warm and Healthy on Game Day By article New York-Presbyterian Hospital, an official health services provider for the Super Bowl, offers advice on dealing with the cold as well as tips for healthy Game Day 2014 snacking: Beyond Bundling Up: Tips to Stay Safe When Out in the Cold *Cold temperatures can cause skin disorders or frostbite in some people. See a doctor immediately if you develop color changes in your hands or feet accompanied by pain or ulceration. If you develop extreme pain followed by loss of sensation in a finger or toe, you may have frostbite.
_ Database of ΓÇ£Health Legacy FoundationsΓÇ¥ By Jane Farrell article A new database of philanthropic foundations has been created by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. The team suggests that consideration of the adoption of the more comprehensive generic term "health legacy foundation" would be a way to foster more precise thinking of the variation in the diverse but related phenomena occurring in health care mergers and other consolidations. The goal of the database is to help communities nationwide better understand local resources.
_ The Letter that Can Make You Healthier By Jane Farrell article Patients at high risk of osteoporosis can be identified via an automated letter-generating system that encourages them to follow up on their care, according to researchers. Investigators from the Penn State College of Medicine say that the system effectively promotes osteoporosis intervention and can help prevent future fractures.
_ Calling Obesity a ΓÇ£DiseaseΓÇ¥ Undermines Healthy Behaviors By Jane Farrell article The American Medical Association declared obesity a disease in June 2013 but messages that describe obesity as a disease may undermine healthy behaviors and beliefs among obese people. That’s the finding of a study done at the University of Richmond in Virginia and the University of Minnesotaand published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
_ Electronic Health Records = Fewer Unnecessary Tests By Jane Farrell article Electronic health-records systems, in which medical information is securely shared, may be helping avoid unnecessary care, a new study shows. Fewer emergency patients got repeated medical scans when they went to a hospital that takes part in a health information exchange, or HIE, according to researchers published online in the journal Medical Care. Researchers from the University of Michigan said their findings are a good evaluation of the effectiveness of HIEs.
Home Health Care: Navigating Racial and Cultural Differences By blog Roz, now 95 years old, spent all her life in Westchester County in the company of Jewish people like herself. She was not strictly religious, but she grew up in a time and place when, as she said, "like associated with like." She still recalls one evening, some 70 years ago, when she went on her first and only date with a non-Jewish boy. "I felt like the whole town was watching and judging," she said.