Esophageal Cancer Month, April 2014 By article April is Esophageal Cancer Awareness Month and ECAN, the Esophageal Cancer Action Network, is urging Americans to get the facts about this deadly disease, which usually isn’t detected until it’s too late. Some basic facts about Esophageal Cancer in the U.S. *Most cases of esophageal cancer in the United States are caused by the effects of GERD (Gastroesophageal reflux disease), where acid from the stomach moves back into the esophagus. The most common symptom of GERD is heartburn.
_ All About Telehealth By Jane Farrell article From the Mayo Clinic How many times have you heard it said that the Internet has transformed modern life? Indeed, it's probably changed how you stay in touch with family and friends, purchase goods and services, and even search for information about health problems. But are you using the array of telehealth tools available to improve your health and wellness? If not, you may be falling behind the times. What is telehealth? Why should you care?
_ 5 Easy Food Swaps to Kiss Your Cravings Goodbye By article By Jon Yaneff It could be late at night or during the day, and BOOM, out of nowhere, you have to have your salty treat. Your life just stops if you don’t consume your sugary and sweet chocolate treat. And, every morning you can’t get through your day without your coffee—milk, two sugars.
_ Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Breakthrough By article Researchers at the RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies in Japan, in collaboration with Osaka City University and Kansai University of Welfare Sciences, have used functional PET imaging to show that levels of neuroinflammation, or inflammation of the nervous system, are higher in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome than in healthy people.
_ Does a Junk Food Diet Make You Lazy? By article A University of California, Los Angeles psychology study provides evidence that being overweight makes people tired and sedentary — not the other way around, according to a UCLA release written by Stuart Wolpert. The research is online and will be published April 10th 2014 in the print edition of the journal Physiology and Behavior.
_ Weight Loss Can Sun Exposure Help You Lose Weight? By Jane Farrell article Exposure to light in the morning rather than later in the day may be a good way to manage weight, new research shows. The study, from Northwestern Medicine, found that the timing, intensity and duration of light exposure is linked to Body Mass Index (BMI).
_ Aging Well The Future of Aging, 2014 By article Here’s a link to a video of the General Session from the 2014 American Society on Aging "Aging in America" Conference in San Diego. JoAnn Jenkins (AARP); Ken Dychtwald, Ph.D. (Age Wave); Joe Coughlin, Ph.D. (MIT AgeLab); and Fernando Torres-Gil, Ph.D. (UCLA) present their views about the future of aging.
_ CDC Sodium Recommendation Too Low By article Research published in the American Journal of Hypertension finds evidence that the average daily sodium intake of most Americans is actually associated with better health outcomes than intake levels currently recommended by the CDC and major health departments, which are now being viewed by many in the scientific community as excessively and unrealistically low.
_ Customers Like Menus With Nutrition Facts By article Customers are more likely to frequent restaurants that provide both healthful foods and nutrition information, according to researchers at Penn State and the University of Tennessee. The results appeared in the February 2014 issue of the International Journal of Hospitality Management.
_ Mobile Tools Boost Smoking Cessation Counseling By article Smartphones and tablets may hold the key to getting more clinicians to screen patients for tobacco use and advise smokers on how to quit. Even though tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the U.S., clinicians often don't ask about smoking during patient exams.
_ Exercise The Zero Gravity Lesson We Learned from Astronauts By article By Roger Landry, MD, MPH “Houston, we have a problem.”
_ Heart Health Learn the True Age of Your Heart By article A new method of heart disease risk assessment developed by the Joint British Societies lets you learn the true age of your heart so that you can take preventive steps to lower your risk of cardiovascular disease. The calculator is available online here: JBS3 risk calculator.
_ Gratitude Trumps Willpower for Resisting Temptation By article Having trouble resisting the urge to eat an unhealthy snack or charge something you don’t really need? Instead of trying to summon your willpower, ramp up your gratitude quotient and you’ll be better able to walk away from temptation. That’s the finding of a study done by researchers at Northwestern University, the University of California, Riverside, and Harvard Kennedy School. The paper will be published in the journal Psychological Science.
_ Grow Your Own Organic Produce By article By Bob McClendon Growing your own food can be a fun project that yields healthy results. Here are my tips to help you to start or make the best of your own garden at home:
Happy Spring! Welcome Back to Love By blog For me, spring is the time of new love and fresh starts! Are you ready for a fresh start in your love life? Here’s a love quiz that appeared in my book on believing in love again: What do you believe about love now?
_ Aging Well Spiritual Health Well-being Religion + Spirituality = Healthier Aging By article Religion and spirituality have distinct but complementary influences on health as we age, according to research done at Oregon State University and published in March 2014 in the journal Psychology of Religion and Spirituality. A release from OSU quotes gerontology professor Carolyn Aldwin, director of OSU’s Center for Healthy Aging Research, as saying, “Religion helps regulate behavior and health habits, while spirituality regulates your emotions, how you feel.”
_ Being Underweight Is as Hazardous as Obesity By article Being underweight puts people at the highest risk of dying just as obesity does, according to research dome at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto and published in March 2014 in the Journal of Epidemiology and Public Health. A release from the hospital written by Leslie Shepard notes that the connection between being underweight and the higher risk of dying is true for both adults and fetuses. This is so even when factors such as smoking, alcohol use or lung disease are considered, or adults with a chronic or terminal illness are excluded, the study found.
_ Women's Health and Wellness Diet Drinks May Be Risky for Older Women By article Healthy postmenopausal women who drink two or more diet drinks a day may be more likely to have a heart attack, stroke or other cardiovascular problems, according to research presented at the American College of Cardiology's 63rd Annual Scientific Session in March 2014 in Washington D.C..