High-Calorie Diet Could Slow Lou GehrigΓÇÖs Disease By Jane Farrell article Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis(ALS), commonly called Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a rapidly progressive and fatal neurodegenerative disorder affecting the nerve cells that control muscle movement. Patients gradually lose the ability to control the body's muscles, including those that control breathing. This leads to respiratory failure and death on average about three years after patients are diagnosed.
_ Exercise Need Motivation At The Gym? Just Add Music By Jane Farrell article By Joe Vennare, PT We will try anything to get a boost in the gym. Caffeine and pre-workout supplements might do the trick for some, but they come with a host of potential side effects in tow. Other people opt for performance enhancing drugs, legal or otherwise. This probably isn’t the best bet either. Breaking the law seldom is.
The Secret of Life is One Thing: How to Be Successful at Love and Work By blog After spending his life helping people, the “father” of modern psychology and psychoanalysis made a simple observation: “Love and work are the cornerstones of our humanness.” Most of us recognize that when things are going well at home and at work our lives are joyful. If our love life or our work life is stressful, we suffer.
_ Heart Health A Better Measure of Obesity-Related Death Risk By Jane Farrell article A new technique for measuring obesity may soon replace the classic BMI measurement, according to new research. The technique, known as ABSI (A Body Shape Index), was developed by Dr. Nir Krakauer, an assistant professor of civil engineering from City College of New York, and his father, Dr. Jesse Krakauer, MD The team tested the technique and published a follow-up study in the online journal PLoS ONE, that supports their contention that the technique, known as A Body Shape Index (ABSI), is a more effective predictor of mortality than Body Mass Index (BMI).
Men's Health Vitamin E, Selenium Linked to Increased Prostate Cancer Risk By Jane Farrell article Selenium or Vitamin E can sharply increase the risk of prostate cancer, according to a new study from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. Taking Vitamin E can raise the chances of getting prostate cancer by as much as 63 percent in some men. Taking selenium can double the risk of getting a high-grade form of the same illness. The findings, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, are the latest to show that supplements don’t always have a positive effect.
Aging Well With Age, Body Image Gets Better By article Boomers worry less about their appearance than Gen-Xers or Millenials do, according to a national online survey done by TODAY and AOL in February 2014. The results showed that 35% of Boomers aged 50 to 68 worry that people are judging their appearance, compared to 51% of Gen Xers aged 35 to 49 and 62% of millennials aged 16-34. Also, while 80% of women under age 24 worry about their appearance regularly, that number drops steadily with age. Among those who are 55+, 52% worry about appearance regularly.
_ Skin Skin Health Preventing and Treating Cellulite By article By Samira Zia Rehman When perusing through the shelves of anti-aging skin care products, you’ll probably notice that a significant number of them are dedicated to helping you get rid of cellulite. Although it isn’t harmful, cellulite is one of the most stubborn and embarrassing aesthetic issues to correct and, unfortunately, it only gets worse with age.
How the Power of Words Helped Me Take Back Control By Jane Farrell blog In January 2013, I was diagnosed with stage IV invasive thymoma. Never heard of it? Don't feel bad; no one else I know has either. In fact, MD Anderson sees only about 25 cases a year. It's a rare cancer that starts in the thymus, a gland located in your chest between your lungs. It's pretty scary to have something so few people have experienced. I remember so clearly my doctor in Lubbock giving me my diagnosis and talking through the treatments.
_ Aging Well Senior Health Stress Management Stress-Free Living Stress Hormone Linked to Frailty By article Low levels of cortisol in the morning and high levels in the evening are associated with declining grip strength and walking speed, which are indications of frailty in older adults. That is the finding of research done at Helmholtz Zentrum München in Neuherberg in Germany and published in the March 2014 issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
_ 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.
The Myth of Mental Illness By Jane Farrell blog A new Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is due out next year and there is renewed discussion about what constitutes a “mental illness.” One of the world’s leading psychiatrists is questioning the very concept of mental illness. “In non-psychiatric circles mental illness all too often is considered to be whatever psychiatrists say it is,” Dr. Z tells us. “The need to re-examine the problem of mental illness is both timely and pressing.
Laughter as a Catharsis for Grief By Jane Farrell blog Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards — Søren Kierkegaard Even when we are grieving, there are some things in life that can make us laugh. I’ve listened to clients who have a sense of guilt if they are having fun or are laughing rather than crying. Both crying and laughing are a catharsis for our emotions, all of which need to be expressed so that we heal.
_ A New Way to Zap Hot Flashes By Jane Farrell article A newly developed program can help women fight obesity and reduce health risks in just five visits, according to a new study. The finding was published in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS). The pilot program, called WAIPointes (WAI stands for "who am I"), is also reimbursed by insurance. The authors of the article said WAIPointes, which lasts six months, helped women stay engaged with their goals of reducing menopausal symptoms and maintaining healthy lifestyle changes.
_ Adding Up Empty Calories By Jane Farrell article Most of us have heard the phrase empty calories. We know that they’re not a good thing, but how much do you know about what empty calories are, exactly, and how many are in foods you may eat daily? Here, from the experts at the site choosemyplate.gov, a program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is what you need to know: Solid fats and added sugars add calories to food but few or no nutrients. For this reason, the calories from solid fats and added sugars are often called empty calories.
_ Successful Approaches to Stopping HRT By article Many women will try to stop using hormone pills and patches intended to control menopausal symptoms but fail because the symptoms return, according to Katherine Newton, PhD at the University of Washington and colleagues. The team’s article, published online in the January 20th 2014 issue of Journal of Women’s Health. The researchers identified key characteristics of hormone therapy cessation that can increase the likelihood of success.
The Best Nutrition for Cancer Patients By Jane Farrell article Nutritional support for cancer patients is more crucial than many of us realize. In fact, an estimated 20 to 40 percent of cancer patients die from malnutrition-related causes. In some ways, that is unfortunately not surprising, given the side effects that usually occur with chemotherapy or radiation. But, according to the Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA), even just a 5 percent weight loss in a month can decrease a patient’s tolerance for treatment, or can alter their treatment plan.
6 Little Known Secrets For A Lifetime of Passion and Love By blog Everyone wants a great sex life, but few people know how to achieve that goal and even fewer know how to maintain it in a long-term relationship. Couples try new positions and look for “sexy” things to wear. They try to improve their communication and relationship skills. But to really have a great sex life you have to know the secrets of what it means to be male and female.
Watch Out for These Destructive Types By blog Like so many Americans, we changed health care plans this past month. Mike and I shared a terrible experience this week when we went to meet a new doctor It was truly the worst behavior I have ever witnessed from a trained professional.