_ Healthy Diet & Nutrition Health Buzzwords on Food Products: False Promises? By Sondra Forsyth article Health-related buzzwords such as "antioxidant," "gluten-free" and "whole grain," lull consumers into thinking packaged food products labeled with those words are healthier than they actually are, according to a research done at the University of Houston. A release from the university reports that the team suggests that false sense of health as well as a failure to understand the information presented in nutrition facts panels on packaged food may be contributing to the obesity epidemic in the United States.
_ Caregiving Synching Info Between Homes & Hospitals By Sondra Forsyth article Researchers at the University of Missouri in Columbia are working to develop an in-home health monitoring and alert system that streams patientsΓÇÖ individualized health information between homes and hospitals. The systemΓÇÖs ability to provide comprehensive health information could lead to better care for patients as well as reduced costs for individuals and health systems.
_ Aging Well Needed: Activity Apps for Older Adults By Sondra Forsyth article Commercially available activity-monitoring apps, Web sites, and wearable devices allow for easy self-management of health and wellness. This technology may be particularly helpful for older adults, who can improve their cognitive function through proper diet and exercise. However, in spite of the growing popularity of and potential benefits of tracking monitors, product designers rarely consider those over 65 to be a viable user group.
_ Osteoarthritis 6,000 Steps a Day Helps Ease OA By Sondra Forsyth article Research done at from Sargent College at Boston University in Massachusetts shows that walking just 6,000 steps a day reduces the risk of developing mobility issues such as difficulty getting up from a chair and climbing stairs that are often associated with knee osteoarthritis (OA). The typical recommendation I 10,000 steps ΓÇô about five miles -- a day but BU team found that fewer steps will do the trick. The study, which was funded in part by the National Institutes of Health, was published in June 2014 in in Arthritis Care & Research.
_ Healthy Diet & Nutrition How Sweet It Is: All About Sugar Substitutes By Sondra Forsyth article Whether itΓÇÖs to cut down on the number of calories they consume or any of a variety of other reasons, some people use sugar substitutes ΓÇô also called high-intensity sweeteners ΓÇô to sweeten and add flavor to their foods. They can be used alone to sweeten foods and beverages such as iced tea or coffee, or as an ingredient in other products. There are a number of sugar substitutes on the market from which to choose.
Back to School After 50? By blog I work with many women who are experiencing career burnout, entering the empty nest, or recently divorced, and who are looking for a new way to be productive, fulfilled and financially stable. Often they ask ΓÇ£Should I go back to school?ΓÇ¥ Or ΓÇ£Is it too late for me to finish my college degree?ΓÇ¥ Let me first address that word should. Many of us live our lives in accordance with what we think we should be doing, not what we want to do.
_ Watching Out for Bedbugs By Jane Farrell article Along with other insect-related problems weΓÇÖre worrying about (bites from ticks, mosquitos and ants, to name a few) weΓÇÖre got an even nastier one: bedbugs. And theyΓÇÖre growing in number.
_ Friendship Friends and Your Health By Jane Farrell article Friendships can have a major impact on your health and well-being, but it's not always easy to build or maintain friendships. Understand the importance of friendships in your life and what you can do to develop and nurture friendships. What are the benefits of friendships? Good friends are good for your health. Friends can help you celebrate good times and provide support during bad times. Friends prevent loneliness and give you a chance to offer needed companionship, too. Friends can also: Increase your sense of belonging and purpose
_ Medical Care New Ways to Combat MRSA in Hospitals By Sondra Forsyth article New guidelines aim to reduce the prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), improve patient safety and prioritize current prevention efforts underway in hospitals. This drug resistant bacterium is a common source of patient morbidity and mortality in U.S. hospitals, causing nearly twice the number of deaths, significantly longer hospital stays and higher hospital costs than other forms of the bacteria.
Pets Keeping Your Pet (and Yourself) Healthy By Jane Farrell article We Americans love our pets ΓÇô and weΓÇÖve got millions of them. According to the Humane Society of the United States, there are 164 million owned pets across the country, in 62 percent of our households. But while pets provide love, comfort and companionship, they may also have health issues, and some of them can affect us. Here, from the federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC), are some tips on keeping your pet (and your family) healthy.
_ Exercise Heart Health Stress Management Stress-Free Living Why Stress & Overexertion Trigger Heart Attacks By Sondra Forsyth article Scientists believe they have an explanation for the axiom that stress, emotional shock, and overexertion may trigger heart attacks in vulnerable people. Hormones released during these events appear to cause bacterial biofilms on arterial walls to disperse, allowing plaque deposits to rupture into the bloodstream, according to research published in published in June 2014 in mBio, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology.
_ Mental & Emotional Health Imaging the Adult ADHD Brain By Sondra Forsyth article Brain scans done at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology differentiated adults who have recovered from childhood attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and those whose difficulties linger. The study was published in the June 10th 2014 issue of the journal Brain. A release from MIT notes that about 11 percent of school-age children in the United States have been diagnosed with ADHD. While many of these children eventually outgrow the disorder, some carry their difficulties into adulthood: About 10 million American adults are currently diagnosed with ADHD.
Superbugs in ΓÇ£HandcuffsΓÇ¥ By Sondra Forsyth article Staph infections become resistant to multiple antibiotics because of a genetic parasite called a plasmid that the bacteria carry. RepA is a protein that sticks to the beginning of the plasmid's DNA sequence and starts a copying process. When a pair of RepA proteins bumps into another pair, which can happen when the cell is starting to get crowded with plasmids, the two pairs of RepA stick to each other and form a four-part molecule. Scientists say that the plasmids are therefore ΓÇ£handcuffedΓÇ¥ because the plasmid can no longer replicate.
_ When a Loved One Is Diagnosed With Parkinson's Disease By Sondra Forsyth article By Judy Santamaria MSPH The incidence of Parkinson's disease, which is common in people over the age of 60, is expected to rise with the aging of our populations. Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive disorder of the nervous system that mainly affects movement. The primary symptoms of Parkinson's disease are tremor, rigidity or stiffness of the muscles, slow movement, loss of movement, and balance and walking problems.
_ Exercise What You Need to Know About Exercise As You Get Older By Sondra Forsyth article By Soriyya Bawa While exercise and weight loss are both important elements of any anti-aging regimen, many seniors worry that the risks outweigh the potential benefits. Exercise at an older age means risking serious injury due to falling, injuring the ligaments of the knee, and other forms of musculoskeletal injuries; the risk is even greater if the person is obese. However, a recent study has found that the benefits from exercise at an older age, and the subsequent weight loss, far exceed any possible risk of injury.
The Wedding Planner By blog This is the third blog in a series. To read the first series, click here: Archive: The ThirdAge Romance Saga of Sally Franz. When you are in your 20s and getting married for the first time it is likely that this is the first large event you have had to plan. It can be overwhelming and something always goes wrong. It levels many a young bride into a fit of sobbing tears.
Love Insurance: How to Protect Your Most Valuable Asset By blog Most of us spend a considerable amount of money on car insurance to protect us in the event of an accident. We spend even more for health insurance to help pay for expenses should we get sick. We get life insurance to help our families after we are gone. But few of us even consider getting ΓÇ£Love insuranceΓÇ¥ to protect our relationship from small or catastrophic accidents that can befall us.
Mice With MS Walk Again After Stem Cell Tx By Sondra Forsyth article Mice severely disabled by a condition similar to multiple sclerosis (MS) could walk less than two weeks following treatment with human stem cells. The study, which uncovers new avenues for treating MS, was don e at the University of Utah and published online on May 15th 2014, in the journal Stem Cell Reports.