Recent Health Articles: 2011

Saturday, December 31, 2011

Healthy Home and Healthy Living

Are You Unknowingly Poisoning
Yourself and Your Family?

Would your house pass a healthy home inspection?

Are the household products in your home safe?

Perhaps, you can think of two or three products in your house that are hazardous to your health if they aren't handled properly. Maybe you are thinking of the paint thinner and the bug spray in your utility room closet.

But, have you ever thought about the personal care products or the cleaning supplies that you use?

Most people don’t realize that if they are buying bleach, air fresheners, dish detergent, laundry detergent, disinfectants, other household cleaners and some personal care products that they may be unknowingly slowly poisoning themselves and their loved ones.

Safety conscious parents think their families are safe and that they have a healthy home when poisonous products are put up high on shelves in closed closets or in locked cabinets. But, did you know that most of the poisonings of small children happen from common everyday household products that are within reach?

According to the American Association Poison Control Centers, a child is poisoned in the United States every 30 seconds! Liquid dish soap is one of the leading causes of poisonings in children under six! (There is an estimated 2.1 million accidental poisonings per year.)

In 2001 and 2002, over 1 million children under six were poisoned. 69,000 children were exposed to or poisoned from common household pesticides and 26,338 were exposed to or poisoned by bleach.

Most common name brand dish detergents contain formaldehyde and ammonia. Are you using a top selling brand? If so, you are exposing yourself and your family to these two toxic chemicals on a consistent basis.

Are you surprised to learn that dish soap contains formaldehyde? Unfortunately, a lot of products do, and we don’t know it because there are many chemical name variations that we don’t recognize. Often times, “trade names” are used to disguise harmful chemicals. Other trade names for formaldehyde are methanal, methyl aldehyde and methylene oxide.

Another product that is very hazardous and does not pass a healthy home inspection is common air fresheners. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, there are four main ingredients in many air fresheners and they are formaldehyde, petroleum distillates, p-dichlorobenzene, and aerosol propellants.

The EPA states that air fresheners are strong irritants to eyes, skin and throat and can cause death if eaten. Do we want to be breathing such toxins? Not to mention the threats to pets and children.

Indoor air pollution is 2-5 times higher inside our homes than it is outdoors, states the EPA. Is it any wonder that asthma rates have sky rocketed? Not to mention allergies, cancer, chemical sensitivities, childhood diseases and the list goes on and on.

It really is time to stop and take a look at the products we are surrounding ourselves with and the environment that we are creating inside and outside. Everyone can make a difference by just taking small steps to make their homes "healthy homes".

What's on Your Skin?

Perhaps, right now you’re thinking, “Okay, I want a healthy home, so I need to look into natural cleaners.”

But, did you know that the personal care products you are using are just as guilty for toxic chemicals?

Yes, even products like shampoos, deodorants and other products we put on our skin have toxic chemicals, and again, formaldehyde rears its ugly head in some of them!

Our skin is the largest organ of our body, and it is a big sponge. If you are using products with unhealthy ingredients, your skin is absorbing toxins on a daily basis. (Think about how the pharmaceutical companies have been dispersing some drugs lately, through skin patches! Yes, our skin is very absorbent.)

So, from pesticides on your food, chemicals in your water and then, chemicals from products used throughout the day and on a daily basis, you can see that it all adds up. Still think you have a healthy home?

Terribly, children have been poisoned and some have died from ingesting such products as shampoo. Most people don’t even stop to think it could happen from such a product.

Where do you keep the pesticides in your home? In the garage? How about in your kitchen, laundry room or in your bathroom?

If you are using bleach, or common brand name disinfectants, you are using pesticides.

Do you swim in swimming pools? Chances are unless the pool is being maintained with a healthy alternative, you are swimming in pesticides! Yes, pool chemicals along with bleach and disinfectants are listed by the EPA as pesticides.

“Cide” in pesticide means “to kill”. Most of us know that pesticides, because they are lethal, are used to kill pests such as bugs, insects and rodents.

Do you still want to use toxic disinfectants to spray down surfaces you touch everyday? How about spraying high chairs and children’s toys with a pesticide?

How much of these poisons are children ingesting or absorbing when they put fingers, toys or food in their mouths after the item has touched or been sprayed with toxic chemicals?

Consumers Can Change

Many people believe that the government protects them from exposure to harmful chemicals through laws and regulations, but this is not the case. Companies are left to their own ethics as to what they will put in their products. There is no law requiring manufacturers to list the exact ingredients on consumer product labels.

Government legislation or regulations may not be the answer, because the amount of products and chemicals currently on the market is so vast that trying to regulate it all would surely be a nightmare.

However, we as consumers can change what we buy and send a strong message to companies that we won’t purchase their toxic brews. Then perhaps, we can get these horrible toxic products off the shelves and safer and healthier ones in their place. Vote with your pocket book and choose better products and have a healthy home.

Since World War II, approximately 70,000 chemicals have been introduced into the market place and the environment AND only a small fraction of these have ever been tested for dangerous side effects. The effects these chemicals have when they interact together is also not known. Isn’t it time we stop bringing these chemicals into our homes, businesses, schools, daycares and our environment?

So as you can see, what you don't know can hurt you. Find out about the products in your home. Awareness is the first step. Be able to relax in your healthy home knowing that it's not only benefiting you and your family but also your neighbors and the environment.

Safer Products

There ARE safer and healthier products available that are high quality, work superbly, and generally because they are more concentrated, the average cost "per use" is better than grocery store brands.

So, did you pass the healthy home inspection?

Are you hurting your body without
even knowing it?

Learn what negative influences you should be
avoiding to protect yourself!

Take the first step to a NEW and IMPROVED YOU, and request my Natural Health Girl Newsletter...

CLICK HERE to Find Your NEW Favorite Products to Improve the Health of Your Home and Body!

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Source: www.natural-health-girl.com

Dangers of Fluoride and Water Fluoridation

Fluoride—A Caustic Issue; The Story of Fluoridation

Horizons Magazine (3/1/2001) by Tony Cobb

In the early part of the 20th century, it was common for residents of certain small towns, especially mining towns like Colorado Springs, to develop obtrusive brown stains on their teeth during adolescence. These stains were permanent, and they piqued a great deal of curiosity.

After three decades of research, health practitioners discovered high levels of fluoride in the local water supplies of these towns, and they correlated the presence of fluoride with “mottled” teeth. This was a profound discovery that has proven invaluable to millions ever since.

Along with the detection of fluoride, however, came a second discovery: scientists found that teeth which formed this dental fluorosis (the scientific term for mottled teeth) were extremely strong and virtually impervious to decay. Moreover, they found that when people took in less than 1.0 part per million (ppm) of fluoride in drinking water, their teeth did not develop fluorosis.

They hypothesized that, because mottled tooth enamel was unusually resistant to decay, adding fluoride to drinking water at physically and cosmetically safe levels might help prevent tooth decay.

In 1945, Grand Rapids, Mich., became the first city in the world to fluoridate its drinking water. During a 15-year project, the rate of tooth decay among some 30,000 Grand Rapids schoolchildren was monitored. Studies showed that, after just 11 years, the tooth decay among children born after the inception of fluoridation dropped by more than 60 percent.

It is a true and glorious fact that tooth decay has declined since World War II. However, another important fact coincides herewith: in Western Europe—98 percent of which is free of fluoridation—rates of tooth decay have also decreased. It is possible and even likely these trends have arisen from an increase in people’s consciousness of the need for more careful dental hygiene. A 1986 survey carried out by the National Institute of Dental Research (NIDR) of nearly 40,000 children found that those living in fluoridated areas of the United States had the same rate of tooth decay as those living in unfluoridated areas. Upon first request, the NIDR refused to release the data from the survey, and it only did so when forced by the U.S. Freedom of Information Act.

Facts about Fluoride

Fluoride, a corrosive chemical more poisonous than lead, is added to more than 60 percent of U.S. water supplies annually. This number is said to be on the increase, as community residents—like NSP’s own neighboring Salt Lake county—vote to have their water fluoridated.

Sodium fluoride was the kind of fluoride originally added to public water supplies, but this is no longer the case. It is difficult to fathom why people would willingly add a substance once sold as rat poison to their drinking water, but sodium fluoride still might be preferable to the kinds of fluoride dumped into public water supplies today. Sodium fluoride is the only form of fluoride that has undergone thorough testing, out-dated though the data may be. Most fluoridated water supplies in the U.S. are treated with more caustic kinds of fluoride, such as fluosilicic acid and sodium silicofluoride. These compounds are waste products supplied by major corporations of the phosphate fertilizer industry. Anti-fluoride groups believe these corporations save millions of dollars, because it would cost them many times more to dispose of such hazardous materials properly than it does to unleash them on the public.

How Much Fluoride Is Too Much?

As stated above, early researchers found that the presence of 1.0 ppm presented no danger of dental fluorosis. They also discovered any dosage over 2.0 ppm was unsafe and likely to give rise to the mottled-teeth condition. Were it possible to keep fluoride levels at the 1.0 ppm level, people would at least be able to avoid the fluorosis problem. However, studies show that the average fluoridated water supply in the U.S. already exceeds this level by double.

This danger is further complicated by the fact that many common foods (such as popular soft drinks) already contain fluoride. Thus, people living in fluoridated areas who choose to consume such foods will most likely take in far more fluoride than the amount deemed safe by scientific estimates. When common breakfast cereals can contain as much as 10.0 ppm, it is easy to see how quickly the average person can “overdose” on fluoride.

In a society literally plagued with incurable diseases whose causes are virtually unknown to medical “experts,” is it so incredible that some people are concerned about the intake of even the smallest amount of corrosive poison?

“I am appalled at the prospect of using water as a vehicle for drugs. Fluoride is a corrosive poison that will produce serious effects on a long-range basis. Any attempt to use water this way is deplorable.”

—Dr. Charles Gordon Heyd, former President of the American Medical Association

“Fluoridation…it is the greatest fraud that has ever been perpetrated and it has been perpetrated on more people than any other fraud has.”

—Professor Albert Schatz, Ph.D. (Microbiology), Nobel Prize Winner

“Your well-intentioned dentist is simply following 50 years of misinformation from public health and the dental association. Me, too. Unfortunately, we were wrong.”

—Dr. Hardy Limebeck, Professor of Dentistry, University of Toronto

An Environmental Professional Speaks Out on Fluoridation

5:44 minutes

Dr. Vyvyan Howard on Fluoride in Drinking Water

3:52 minutes

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Source: www.natural-health-girl.com

Fading Acne Scars – Doctors’ Best Kept Secrets

Acne is a big problem if you’re, no matter what age they can be. Many people who were suffering from acne during their younger years still carry the nasty acne scarring into their adult lifestyle. On top of which, some people develop severe acne even as adults. Fortunately, no you’ve got to live with that type of embarrassment, because fading acne scarring is definitely possible.

Many doctors will try and get rid of acne overnight so that you to opt for expensive surgery or prescription drugs and topical creams in order to get rid of acne scars. What they won’t explain is that’s possible to fade make some acne scarring fade away with home remedies that are cheap and available.

For example, did you know that vitamin E is incredibly effective for fading zit scars? Many stores carry vitamin E oil that could be applied to the encounter or other acne-scarred spots. Make sure that you buy the thick, brownish-colored oil – that’s the actual stuff that isn’t watered down or mixed with anything else.

To discover the most out of vitamin e oil, just wash and exfoliate the scarred areas and apply the oil truth be told there. The first treatment should provide accomplishment, but continue to use a oil and the scars will pursue to disappear.

There are many other natural remedies to get similar results. People get reported using tomatoes, juice from a papaya, cocoa butter, several other things to help remove their acne scarring. Sometimes, different things work for different people. You may need to experiment a bit and find the remedy that works best for your skin.

Take into account that most home remedies won’t work especially well on very deep and dark pimple scars. People who have severe scarring from acne probably will have to undergo some number of surgical procedure to obtain rid of their acne problem for good.

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Source: www.cdigg.com

Feds Face Challenges In Launching U.S. Health Exchange

With many states unwilling or unable to get insurance exchanges operational by the health law deadline of Jan. 1, 2014, pressure is growing on the federal government to do the job for them.

But health care experts are starting to ask whether the fallback federal exchange called for in the 2010 health law will be operational by the deadline in states that will not have their own exchanges ready.

“It will be an enormous uphill battle to get this thing launched on time,” says Robert Laszewski, a consultant and former insurance executive who is watching the effort closely. “They have a Herculean task, even if everyone was cooperating.”

The federal exchange – like the state models – would be a one-stop website where individuals and small businesses could compare insurance policy offerings on price, coverage and quality.

The exchanges also will help applicants determine whether they are eligible for Medicaid or for federal subsidies or tax credits to help offset premium costs. Thus, the exchanges will need to incorporate a host of state and federal data on income, employment and residency. Enrollment through the state and federal exchanges is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2013.

So how far along are the feds?

It’s hard to assess, because the Obama administration has “been very reluctant to provide any updates on progress,” says Daniel Schuyler, a director at consulting firm Leavitt Partners in Salt Lake City, which is advising states on the establishment of exchanges.

The federal Department of Health and Human Services did not respond to requests for comment.

All but a few states accepted initial federal planning money for exchanges, and 28 of them plus the District of Columbia have received additional grants.

About a dozen have authorized establishment of exchanges, but even those may not be able to meet the deadlines for enrollment. Alaska, Florida and Louisiana have said flat out that they won’t establish exchanges of their own.

That guarantees that a federal exchange will be needed. But those crafting it face enormous technical, political and financial challenges.

Technically, federal data from a host of agencies needs to be collected in one system, which then must be linked with differing computer systems in 50 states plus the District of Columbia.

Matt Salo, executive director of the National Association of Medicaid Directors, notes that computer systems in some states are quite old and may need substantial upgrading. While the federal government is putting up 90 percent of the money for the upgrades, Salo says there is some question about whether there is enough “physical capacity in the IT systems world” to get it all done in time.

“Our members have been having conversations with the vendors since the law was passed, and they are coming to the gradual conclusions that no, they don’t have the capacity to do this everywhere in the time frame,” says Salo.

Political threats also abound. No one knows whether the Supreme Court will invalidate part or all of the law next year. It is also not clear how much funding will be available to launch and operate the federal exchange, and the 2012 presidential and congressional elections could delay or derail the entire process if Republicans are victorious.

Still, at this point Schuyler says he is confident that the Obama administration “will be able to provide a federally facilitated exchange” in time to meet the law’s requirements.

Although federal officials are saying very little about their progress, they have signed contracts worth more than $150 million with several private contractors who are working on creating the federal exchange. Late last month, Oregon’s top insurance regulator, Teresa Miller, was hired by the Department of Health and Human Services to oversee development of health insurance exchanges.

The administration is taking a three-pronged approach, says Schuyler, who formerly was director of technology at the Utah Health Exchange.

First, a Federal Data Services Hub is being built to pull together needed information across agencies, such as the IRS and Social Security. States will be able to “plug in” to that data hub if they run their own exchanges. The Department of Health and Human Services has signed a five-year contract worth roughly $69 million with Columbia, Md.-based Quality Software Services to set up the hub.

The second prong is to beef up the healthcare.gov site to include more information on health insurers and the health law. While the site already has some information on private insurers by zip code, more is coming.

And finally, the federal government has signed a $94 million contract with Fairfax, Va.-based CGI Federal Inc. to build the federal exchange. The firm is also helping with the healthcare.gov site. A company spokeswoman referred questions to the government.

Despite the contracts, some state officials, Medicaid directors and health-care experts are nervous.

Many significant questions remain unsettled about the operation of exchanges, they say, whether the marketplaces are managed by the states or by the federal government.

They still don’t know, for example, the final rules on “essential benefits” the federal government will require insurers to offer in all policies sold on the exchanges. Details on what the federal exchange will look like are still lacking. Also not clear are the standards – and the work required – for the states to upgrade their computer systems so they will link with the federal data hub. States will be assessed in January 2013 as to whether they will be ready by the fall of that year.

“There’s an enormous amount to be decided and put together and built before these key milestones can happen,” says Laura Minzer, executive director of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce’s Healthcare Council. “The fact that so little has happened [at the state and federal level] is good cause for alarm.”

What’s happening in Illinois shows that even when a state has authorized an exchange, political disagreements can stymie efforts to move forward.

“A study group met over the summer, but didn’t come up with any clear recommendations,” says Minzer. A big part is politics, she adds. Some lawmakers – both Democrats and Republicans -- fear that any movement to implement the law threatens their re-election chances. Others want to wait to see how the Supreme Court rules.

“Even though we are a blue state – the Democrats have a majority in the House and Senate – there’s a nervousness going into the [2012] elections,” she says. “There’s speculation that nothing will happen on the exchange until after the elections.”

It is possible to set up exchanges fairly fast, says John McDonough, one of the principal authors of the Massachusetts law that created a similar site, called the Connector. In that state, the exchange was up and running within about six months of the law’s enactment, he says.

“Massachusetts had a head start because it had already done a modernization of its data system, so it’s not completely analogous, “ says McDonough, now director of the Center for Public Health Leadership at Harvard School of Public Health, “but it doesn’t take as much time to get an exchange up as a lot imagine.”

McDonough says in his conversations with Obama administration officials, he has found them “hell-bent on meeting the Jan. 1, 2014, deadline by hook or crook.”
Source: feeds.kaiserhealthnews.org

China reports first bird flu case in 18 months

China has reported its first human case of bird flu in 18 months, after a bus driver in the massive southern boomtown of Shenzhen tested positive for the deadly virus.

Source: news.yahoo.com

Medicare: Who Said That? The Answer Sheet

Here are the details regarding not only who said what about Medicare, but when and in what context:

1. Ronald Reagan Speaks Out Against Socialized Medicine; the American Medical Association's Operation Coffee Cup Campaign, 1961

2. Lyndon B. Johnson, remarks before the 50th Anniversary Convention of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers in New York City, May 9, 1964

3. William J. Clinton, remarks announcing his Medicare modernization plan, June 29, 1999

4. Richard M. Nixon, special message to the Congress on older Americans, March 23, 1972

5. Barack Obama, Des Moines Register Democratic Presidential Debate, CNN Transcript, Dec. 13, 2007

6. Ron Paul, Texas Straight Talk Weekly Address, Nov. 8, 2010

7. Richard Nixon, special message to the Congress on older Americans, March 23, 1972

8. Gerald Ford, special message to the Congress on older Americans, Feb. 9, 1976

9. Jimmy Carter, signing of the Medicare – Medicaid Anti-Fraud And Abuse Amendments, Oct. 25, 1977

10. Ronald Reagan, message to Congress transmitting proposed health care incentives reform legislation, Feb. 28, 1983

11. George W. Bush, President calls on Congress to complete work on Medicare bill, Oct. 29, 2003

12. Sen. John McCain, interviewed by Jackie Judd for KFF Health ’08.org, Oct. 31, 2007

13. President Barack Obama, Weekly Address, June 12, 2010

14. George W. Bush, signing of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, Feb. 8, 2006

15. Rick Perry, Texas governor and 2012 GOP presidential candidate, Newsweek interview, Aug. 12, 2011

Source (except where otherwise noted): Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services History Project: President’s Speeches.

Source: feeds.kaiserhealthnews.org

Friday, December 30, 2011

Unhappy New Year For Workers Facing Job Loss

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Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

Lobster On The Couch: The USDA's New Commercial On Food Safety

RT @weirdnews 99-Year-Old Man Seeks Divorce After Discovering Wife Had Affair Over 60 Years Ago http://t.co/AoSxOft9

99-Year-Old Man Seeks Divorce After Discovering Wife Had Affair Over 60 Years Ago http://t.co/AoSxOft9

RT @m1keh0gan Giving @jonward11 some serious credit for landing the HuffPo exclusive Romney interview http://t.co/rX7bZjqX

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

Forget the Chia Pet – Eat the Chia Seeds – They'll Do Your Body Good!

If you enjoy this post, please share it using the buttons in the post, or email it to a friend, we'd really appreciate it!

For those who associate Chia seeds with funny Chia Pets, a discussion of the health benefits of Chia seeds may seem a little odd. But Chia seeds are actually healthy and nutritious, and are said to have many health benefits.

Chia seeds come from a type of sage, Salvia hispanica, which grows in South America and Mexico. They come in a white or black variety, and there is said to be no nutritional difference between the colors. Chia seeds were a staple food among the ancient Aztecs and Mayans, and it is said that the men would eat Chia seeds before going on a hunt in order to increase endurance. Natives are also reported to have used Chia seeds to stave off hunger on long journeys.

What Makes Chia Seeds So Healthy?

Probably the most familiar health benefit of Chia seeds is their healthy fat content. Chia seeds contain Omega-3 fatty acids (some sources claim they also contain Omega-6 fatty acids), the health benefits of which are numerous. Omega-3s have been shown to have positive benefits in promoting cardiovascular health, reducing inflammation, regulating hormones, and improving mood.

Here are some of Chia’s other reported healthful qualities.

* Blood sugar regulation – If you put Chia seeds in water and stir them, in about 25 minutes they will form a gel-like substance that can become quite thick. Research in this area has implicated that a similar gel forms in your stomach when you eat Chia seeds and drink liquid (or mix the seeds with liquid and ingest them that way). This gel may slow the breakdown of carbohydrates into sugars, helping to stabilize blood sugar.

* Intestinal health – The smooth, gelatinous quality of Chia seeds and their fiber content are strongly implicated in intestinal health. The gel-like consistency and fiber content may act as a sort of toxin-absorbing mass that moves through the intestinal tract with minimal irritation.

* Endurance and energy – As noted above, ancient peoples used Chia seeds to promote endurance and energy. The word “Chia” is said to be derived from the Mayan word for strength. Chia’s reputation for generating energy and endurance may be due to its nutrients, its slowing of the digestion of sugars, or its gel-like qualities.

* Weight loss – Due to the gel it forms and its high fiber, Chia may slow the rate of digestion, helping you feel fuller longer. Also, its blood sugar stabilizing effects and energy-boosting properties may contribute to weight loss.

* Nutrients – In addition to fiber, Chia seeds contain calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, iron and zinc.

Now that you know about the health benefits of Chia seeds, the next question is, how can we use them? Many people don’t even know they’re edible (associating them with Chia Pets), much less how they taste or recipes to prepare them. If Chia seeds have you curious or if you just need some new ideas on how to eat them, here are some ideas and recipes.

1. Chocolate “Tapioca” Pudding

Chia has a natural gelling quality that makes it perfect for making a pudding. Here is a simple recipe for Chia chocolate pudding that is reminiscent of tapioca.

Ingredients:

* 1/4 cup Chia seeds
* 1 1/2 cups chocolate nut milk or chocolate cow’s milk
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
* Sweetener of your choice to taste (Stevia is a popular choice)
* Pinch of salt

Directions:

Simply stir all ingredients together in a bowl and let the mixture sit for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. It will thicken and the Chia seeds will swell into soft, tapioca-like balls. You can refrigerate this during the gelling process.

2. Chia Granola

Think of this recipe as a springboard for making your own granola, or adding Chia seeds to your favorite granola recipe.

Ingredients:

* 1 cup rolled oats
* 1 tablespoons Chia seeds
* 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
* 2 tablespoons raw honey
* 1 tablespoon safflower or canola oil
* Pinch of salt

Directions:

Combine and stir dry ingredients together in a bowl. Stir in the honey and oil, stirring well until the dry ingredients are coated evenly. Spread the mixture on a parchment paper-covered cookie sheet and back at 300 degrees F for 15-20 minutes, stirring once or twice. Cool thoroughly (it will get crunchy) before eating.

3. Yogurt Swirl

Mixing fruity Chia gel into yogurt makes a nutritious and flavorful breakfast food.

Ingredients:

* 1 tablespoon Chia seeds
* 1 cup unsweetened fruit juice, such as apple, berry, orange, etc.

Directions:

Stir the Chia seeds into the juice. Let them sit for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent clumping. When the gel has formed, top your yogurt with it and swirl it gently into the yogurt.

4. Raw Almond-Chia Cookies

These cookies need no baking!

Ingredients:

* 1 cup almond butter (you could substitute peanut butter)
* 1 1/2 tablespoons raw honey
* 1 tablespoon safflower or canola oil
* 1 teaspoon cinnamon
* 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
* 1/8 teaspoon salt
* 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
* 2 tablespoons ground Chia seeds

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a food processor or electric mixer and form mixture into balls. Roll balls in chopped nuts or shredded coconut if desired. Refrigerate or freeze and enjoy as a snack or dessert.

General Tips

Try adding a few tablespoons of Chia seeds to your favorite baked goods, or sprinkle them over cereal or yogurt. Add them to smoothies or sprinkle them on peanut butter.

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Source: www.natural-holistic-health.com

The First Man At An All-Female Eating Disorder Rehab Facility Speaks Up

www.xojane.com:

It hadn't occurred to me that it would be difficult to find treatment for an eating disorder as a man -- after my extensive experience going to rehab, I had assumed, foolishly, that it would be as easy as all the other issues.

Read the whole story: www.xojane.com

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

Medicare: Who Said That?

In the past year, Medicare politics and policies have grabbed headlines, with politicians from both sides of the aisle talking about “saving Medicare,” “protecting beneficiaries,” “improving quality of care,” and “curbing fraud and abuse.” But a longer look at the program’s history shows that many of these ideas have been a part of the Medicare discourse since its earliest days, beginning even before the program was signed into law.

To test your knowledge of who has said what about Medicare, Kaiser Health News gathered the following 15 quotations. For each quote, you will have multiple-choice answers and, when you are done, you can check your work against a detailed answer key. Good luck!

online survey softwarePlease take my survey now

Source: feeds.kaiserhealthnews.org

Nitric oxide Supplements Which One will be the Greatest?

Pretty usually when we’ve decided to visit the fitness center to function out as a way to get bigger muscles we will sooner or later hit a plateau were we’re genuinely not receiving any more gains from our eating plan and challenging operate in the fitness center. Any time you reach that point it truly is time to consider a muscle constructing supplement.

There are actually very a few of them offered available, but in order to pick out 1 that will offer you some superior solid muscles it’s important that you pick out 1 that truly works and not 1 of those had been you might be just emptying our pockets.

What exactly is essential when we seek to construct bigger muscles is just not only the correct amount of Protein but additionally a supplement that ensure that that our blood flow is optimal in order for our physique to take up the nutrient the best doable way for muscle creating and that is the cause why Nitric Oxide is important at this stage and is the absolute greatest muscle developing supplement available available on the market.

You might get to main positive aspects any time you take Nitric Oxide or the precursor because the Nitric Oxide is getting created inside your body. To begin with you’ll knowledge an excellent solid pump correct just after your perform out as a result of an improved blood flow and secondary inside the long run you might acquire far more muscle mass just mainly because you physique is becoming significantly improved to take up all the significant nutrient and transport them to your muscles for optimal muscle mass.

The best nitric oxide supplement obtainable available on the market would be the new one categorized as No3. They include Arginine nitrate that is an enhanced version from the Amino acid Arginine which can be present in No2 supplements.

Arginine nitrate is even more capable of giving you the pump and increase your body’s capability to take up nutrition, and also the best nitric oxide item offered out there got to be Cellucor No3 Black Chrome which not simply contains Arginine nitrate but also Novaline which can be often left out of other Nitric Oxide supplements because it truly is rather expansive to add for the supplement.

Novaline is able to improve your body’s capacity not only to create but additionally to better to take up and use No3 for your muscular development even superior than any other nitric oxide supplement readily available available on the market. So this can be a item you should take into consideration if you are searching for the best muscle building supplement.

Source: www.weightlosssupplement.us

11 New Reasons To Get A Good Night's Sleep We Learned In 2011

11 New Reasons To Get A Good Night's Sleep We Learned In 2011
Sleep loss reduces testosterone levels in males, according to a review of the existing scientific literature published back in October. It looked at how sleep disruptions are tied to sexual function in men. The takeaway? According to HuffPost blogger and board certified sleep specialist Dr. Michael J Breus who covered the study, men struggling with sexual function problems should have their sleep checked out by their health care practitioner right away. Breus added that women's sex lives can also be affected, and should have their sleep evaluated by a pro if they're concerned.
Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

Sarah Talks About Hearing Implant on 'NY Ink'

Working in a tattoo parlor can be a lot like working as a bartender or a hair stylist. When people are in that chair, they tend to open up about their lives. Sometimes it's to vent frustrations, but sometimes it's to share amazing stories of modern miracles. That was Sarah Churman's story on "NY Ink" (Thu., 9 p.m. EST on TLC).

Simply by happenstance, her husband heard about the Esteem hearing implant, a surgery that would implant what she described as "an inner ear prosthesis" and restore hearing. So they talked about it, and then his widowed mother decided that she wanted to cash out her savings to pay for Sarah to get the surgery.

While it may be the obvious answer, Sarah said the sound of her daughters' voices is her favorite sound in this new hearing world she finds herself in. The independence of not needing her husband as an interpreter has given her self-confidence a boost as well.

Maybe just as a chance hearing on the radio led to Sarah getting this life-changing surgery, maybe others will see this show and seek it out as well so they can soon be talking about what their most cherished sounds are.

TV Replay scours the vast television landscape to find the most interesting, amusing, and, on a good day, amazing moments, and delivers them right to your browser.

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

Holiday Reading: Manufacturing Killer Flu; The Ironies Of The Individual Mandate; When The Elderly Refuse Help

Every week, reporter Jessica Marcy selects interesting reads from around the Web.

TIME: Should Journals Describe How Scientists Made A Killer Flu?
In experiments conducted at the University of Wisconsin in Madison and Erasmus University in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, researchers engineered a strain of H5N1. … The next logical step would be for the researchers to publish studies in major scientific journals, describing the newly created flu, including its genetic makeup. And that would mean that anyone with the proper scientific training — from another researcher to a terrorist — would likely be able to read the studies and potentially make the new H5N1 themselves. Cognizant of that risk, on Tuesday the U.S. government did an unprecedented thing: it asked scientific journals not to publish the details of the H5N1 experiments, for fear that the information could fall into the wrong hands and be used to create a bioweapon (Walsh, 12/21).

The New Republic: The Mandate Miscalculation
The story of the individual mandate is replete with ironies. (Barack) Obama spent much of the 2008 primary season denouncing the mandate, which Hillary Clinton supported. At the time, Mitt Romney was strongly identified with the idea, which had been central to the reforms he introduced as governor of Massachusetts. Four years later, Romney may be the nominee of a party that abhors the mandate, while Obama now defends it. Yet perhaps the greatest irony has to do with the mandate’s policy merits. Many liberals assume that universal health care requires an individual mandate; but there are arguably better alternatives (Paul Starr, 12/14).

Salon: Why Women Have Second Trimester Abortions
Later abortions are no one’s ideal situation. … But as a new quantitative study from the Guttmacher Institute shows for the first time, most of these women aren’t living in ideal situations – they are likelier to be teens, to have less education and to have more disrupted lives. The stereotype, says Susan Schewel, executive director of the Women’s Medical Fund in Philadelphia, is that women who have second-trimester abortions are “willfully irresponsible. But the women who call our help line are instead women who often are trying to be responsible, but their lives are so difficult. They have so many balls in the air, and more pressing financial needs – for example, housing. They just can’t manage everything” (Irin Carmon, 12/21).

American Medical News: Seven Land Mines Of Hospital Employment Contracts
For some physicians, a job with a hospital is a dream come true. A physician can practice medicine and have a steady paycheck, regular hours and none of the hassles that may come with a solo or small practice. But to make it less likely that this dream will turn into a nightmare, physicians need not only read the contract but also be wary of potential land mines hidden within. … Physicians tend to have more negotiating power when a hospital is trying to attract them rather than after several years of service, analysts said (Victoria Stagg Elliott, 12/19).

AARP Bulletin: The Case Of The Very Difficult Mother
Johnnie’s children and neighbors urged her to get medical help, but she refused. … Johnnie looked “real sick,” according to one EMT, and there was a strong odor of feces and urine. At first, Johnnie would not leave, slapping at a paramedic and knocking off his glasses. Eventually, she agreed to go. When the ambulance personnel picked her up they saw feces, urine, pus and blood in the couch. Johnnie’s gown was covered with feces and urine, and she had bedsores. … After she left the hospital, Johnnie went to live in a nursing home. On March 4, 2002, Stanley and Barbara were charged with one count of cruelty to the infirm. They argued that they did the best they could with their mother, despite her forceful refusals of help and her threatening manner. … Should Barbara and Stanley be charged with cruelty? How would you decide? (Robin Gerber, 12/19).

This entry was posted on Friday, December 23rd, 2011 at 11:36 am.

Source: feedproxy.google.com

It’s Your Genes, Not Your Will Power That Tells You To Exercise Or Not

Conceivably an individual’s lack of motivation to workout is not necessarily caused by laziness but from a gene handed down from their families. If people would rather relax on the sofa and view baseball games or perhaps some sort of video instead of heading to a gym or going jogging, the inertia could due to the similar kind of gene which can determine exactly how tall an individual will probably end up being or even how much a person will probably weigh rather then simply some will power trouble.

Certainly there are simply just too numerous very smart, highly effective people with energy to achieve just about every endeavor they encounter in their own existence other than one-the job of doing exercises for you to blame this all on laziness. Usually, simply understanding the several of the elements making it hard for many individuals to lose excess weight and to workout can relieve aggravation for individuals by encouraging them to established more reasonable objectives.Another approach may be to try a weight loss program that does not require extensive exercise, like the new HCG Diet for 2012.

FTO GENE MAY CONTROL YOUR WEIGHT AND DESIRE TO EXERCISE: In quite a few people today hereditary temperament can trump environment and will power and provide some people today slender will other individuals fat. A number of past numerous studies have shown connected genetic variants to obesity, nevertheless none has been found to be the actual singular trigger for the illness. The FTO(Fat Mass Obesity) Gene is common within European countries and also in the Amish in the United States.

GENES MAY INHIBIT ABILITY OR DESIRE TO EXERCISE: Dr Lightfoot from the University of North Carolina suggests that family genes may perhaps predispose many of us to be couch potatoes. Using mice especially bred as well as picked out according to their own exercise levels, Lightfoot revealed something like 20 unique genes that affected activity amounts – especially, how far the animals will run. Exercise-prone ran 5 to 8 miles per day and night on an exercise wheel while inactive mice ran merely. 0.three miles per day. .Some of the less active mice identified imaginative techniques to stay clear of activity. One stuffed wooden shavings about the wheel and turned it into a bed; yet another employed it for a bathroom and an additional climbed upon top and used it for a look out structure. Sound famililar–the clothes hanging over your treatmill?

REASONS TO EXPLAIN DIFFERENCES IN ABILITY OR DESIRE TO EXERCISE: There’s two main theories to explain the variations in activity amounts.

GENETICS may affect either the particular means by which muscle tissue functions – by simply producing them more effective in addition to protecting against tiredness.

ALTERED BRAIN CHEMCIALS: the human brain output of chemicals like dopamine as well as serotonin that promote exercise may explain individual variation in desire to exercise.

TWIN STUDIES SHOW HOW FAMILY GENES MAY EFFECTIVE DRIVE TO EXERCISE: A Swedish twin review identified that identical twins 57% worked out, while non identical twins only 25% exercised.

In a Quebec study, a family and twin research study, the opposite was found: a sedentary lifestyle was observed to be more genetically related than need to exercise.

The familiar equation of “calories IN along with calories OUT” could possibly be way too simplistic for you to explain almost all the specifics which manage your desire to exercise and thus lose excess fat. Very simple models of self restraint and will power don’t explain what most people observe The individual with the problem does not have to give up, but does need to work a bit harder, discover new habits and accommodate new situations. . When we dye our hair, use tinted contact lens, acquire face lifts or breast augmentations we will be transforming several of the expressions of one’s hereditary makeup. This can be done with exercise and also eating just as well. The HCG diet is based on HCG induced fat burning rather than extensive exercise. In this diet the hormone HCG is the factor producing the fat burning.

Source: www.my-health-fitness-blog.com

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Brewing Better Health

Peek inside the Healthy Fellow kitchen pantry and you’ll find an assortment of dried leaves and powders that are intended for brewing or mixing with hot water. And, now that Winter has finally taken hold, I’m putting them to use on a daily basis. But, my pantry selections aren’t just predicated upon preference and taste. I’m also factoring in the latest science about their relative health benefits.

Organic, non-alkalized cocoa is an abundant source of antioxidants, fiber and nutrients. It’s also very low in calories if it’s unsweetened. A study in the November 2011 issue of the journal Appetite reveals that consuming this variety of dark chocolate protects the cardiovascular system and supports circulation by increasing nitric oxide levels and reducing oxidative stress in lipoproteins (HDL and LDL cholesterol) and platelets. Coffee and yerba mate tea are among the most popular caffeinated brews in the world. Two recent publications indicate that they both play a valuable role in lowering risk factors associated with type 2 diabetes. Coffee does so, in part, by encouraging healthier fat cell and liver function as indicated by positive changes in adiponectin and fetuin-A concentrations. Drinking a large cup of yerba mate tea (11 oz) thrice-daily supports diabetic and pre-diabetic health by decreasing fasting blood sugar, LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and triglycerides. Any discussion of healthy brews wouldn’t be complete without mention of green tea. The most current buzz about my personal tea of choice is that it increases alpha, beta and theta activity in the brain. According to a just published, double-blind study, this results in “a more relaxed and attentive state” of mind. The authors of the trial note that this is, “in keeping with the widespread consumption of green tea for its purported relaxing/refreshing properties”. Finally, I like to add a stick of cinnamon in all of the above mentioned beverages. It gently masks the bitter flavors in some and adds a degree of complexity to the others. More importantly, cinnamon contains proanthocyanins, a potent variety of antioxidants, which may discourage the development of various forms of cancer.

To learn more about the studies referenced in today’s column, please click on the following links:

Study 1 – Effect of Consumption of Dark Chocolate on Oxidative Stress in … (link)

Study 2 - Effects of Caffeinated and Decaffeinated Coffee on Biological Risk … (link)

Study 3 – Mate Tea (Ilex Paraguariensis) Improves Glycemic and Lipid Profiles … (link)

Study 4 - Acute Neurocognitive Effects of Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG) … (link)

Study 5 - Bioactive A-Type Proanthocyanidins from Cinnamomum Cassia … (link)

Study 6 - New Identification of Proanthocyanidins in Cinnamon … (link)

Study 7 - An Overview of Cancer Chemopreventive Potential and Safety of … (link)

Drinking Coffee Daily Increases Adiponectin in Diabetics

Source: Nutrition Journal 2011, 10:93 (link)

Related Posts:

Source: www.healthyfellow.com

Today’s Headlines – December 23, 2011

We won’t publish KHN’s First Edition the week of December 26, but we’ll be back in action on January 3. Happy holidays!

Here are your morning headlines:

The New York Times: House G.O.P. Leaders Agree To Extension Of Payroll Tax Cut
Under a deal reached between House and Senate leaders, the House will now approve as early as Friday the two-month extension of a payroll tax holiday and unemployment benefits approved by the Senate last Saturday, and the Senate will appoint members of a House-Senate conference committee to negotiate legislation to extend both benefits through 2012. ,,, In addition, under the agreement, Medicare will continue paying doctors at current rates for two months, averting a 27 percent cut that would otherwise occur on Jan. 1 (Steinhauer, 12/22).

The Washington Post: House GOP Agrees To 2-Month Extension Of Payroll Tax Cut
The agreement represented a remarkable capitulation on the part of House Republicans, who had two days earlier rejected such a deal with Democrats as the kind of half-measure that their new majority was elected to thwart. … The two-month arrangement had been crafted by (Sen. Mitch) McConnell and (Sen. Harry) Reid after talks fell apart in the Senate over how to pay for a $200 billion year-long package. Republicans had sought to impose higher Medicare premiums on upper-income senior citizens while Democrats wanted to close tax loopholes for the wealthy. They will return to that impasse in January (Helderman, 12/22).

For more headlines …

The Wall Street Journal: Agreement Reached To Extend Tax Break
(T)he agreement would extend federal benefits for the long-term unemployed and continue current Medicare payment rates for doctors, which are slated to decline at year’s end. That’s essentially the same package negotiated by the Democratic-controlled Senate that Mr. Boehner’s House had rejected earlier this week. One difference in the new agreement is the elimination of a Senate-crafted provision businesses believed would be burdensome (Hook and Meckler, 12/23).

Los Angeles Times: House GOP Leaders Yield On Payroll Tax
House Republican leaders, bowing to pressure from both the White House and their Senate colleagues, agreed to a stopgap measure that will forestall a tax increase on American workers that was scheduled to take effect Jan. 1. The deal is expected to come to a vote Friday under procedures that would require all members in both chambers to agree (Mascaro and Nicholas, 12/22).

USA Today: House Republicans Agree To Two-Month Payroll Tax Patch
The short-term deal extends the current payroll tax rate at 4.2% from 6.2% and continues to provide unemployment benefits for the long-term unemployed. It also includes a Medicare “doc fix” that will prevent a drop in payments to doctors who treat seniors, and it extends and funds the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program that provides welfare benefits to 4.6 million Americans (Davis, 12/22).

Politico: The Humbling Of The House GOP
At no small personal political risk, (House Speaker John) Boehner laid down the law to his unruly caucus, substituting his own judgment for their collective wisdom in cutting a very slightly altered deal with President Barack Obama, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) (Budoff Brown and Allen, 12/23).

The Washington Post: Medicare Spending Growth Rising Slower But Enrollment Will Rise
But in early 2010, the number crunchers at Medicare headquarters in Baltimore saw something surprising: a sharp drop in the volume of doctor visits and other outpatient services. Instead of growing at the usual 4 percent a year, the number of claims was suddenly climbing by less than 2 percent. … Medicare spending per person is rising more slowly than spending in the private health sector. And, because of the cuts that were part of last year’s Affordable Care Act, it is expected to mirror overall growth in the economy for much of the next decade, staying well below targets set by Congress (Montgomery, 12/22).

The New York Times: In Treating Disabled, Potent Drugs And Few Rules
Tens of thousands of powerful pills created to treat serious mental illnesses like schizophrenia are given to developmentally disabled people in the care of New York State every day. But a review by The Times of previously unreleased records, as well as interviews with state employees, clinicians, family members and outside experts, reveals that the psychotropic medications, which alter the brain’s chemistry, are often dispensed sloppily, without rigorous or regular review, by general practitioners with little expertise in the area (Hakim, 12/22).

The New York Times: Fatigue Syndrome Study Is Retracted By Journal
The journal Science on Thursday fully retracted a controversial study that had linked a mouse leukemia retrovirus to chronic fatigue syndrome, a disabling illness affecting an estimated one million people in the United States. Some data in the study were retracted in September when the Cleveland Clinic, which participated in the initial research, reported that its findings had resulted from laboratory contamination. The notice posted by Science on Thursday cited additional concerns about the research, although the wording made it clear that not all the original authors agreed to the retraction (Tuller, 12/22).

The Washington Post: Study Linking Virus To Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Retracted Amid Controversy
A two-year scientific controversy all but ended Thursday when the prestigious journal Science retracted a study linking a strange virus to chronic fatigue syndrome, a sometimes-debilitating disorder with no known cause. The journal’s editors “lost confidence” in the study after at least a dozen attempts to replicate the finding failed, Editor in Chief Bruce Alberts wrote in a retraction notice to be published Friday (Vastag, 12/22).

The New York Times: Republican Presidential Candidates Embrace Granting Legal Rights To Human Embryos
The “personhood amendment,” granting legal rights to human embryos, might have seemed to be a political nonstarter after voters in Mississippi, arguably the most conservative and anti-abortion state in the nation, rejected such a proposal last month. But the idea has not faded in the Republican primaries. … This month, Michele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, Rick Perry and Rick Santorum have all signed a pledge to support “personhood” at conception that was crafted by Personhood USA, a Colorado group that has continued to push the idea in several states (Eckholm, 12/22).

The New York Times: Nurses Plan Walkout At St. Luke’s-Roosevelt
Nurses at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital will go on strike on Jan. 3 unless last-ditch negotiations succeed in bridging a divide over wages, according to leaders in the New York State Nurses Association, which issued a 10-day strike warning early Thursday on behalf of 1,300 registered nurses at the hospital (Bernstein, 12/22).

Los Angeles Times: Nurses Stage 1-Day Strike At 2 Long Beach Hospitals
Hundreds of nurses from Long Beach Memorial Medical Center and Miller Children’s Hospital staged a one-day strike Thursday over failed contract negotiations and staffing issues (Vives, 12/23).

This entry was posted on Friday, December 23rd, 2011 at 7:24 am.

Source: feedproxy.google.com

Statins tied to lower risk of fatal prostate cancer

Statins tied to lower risk of fatal prostate cancer
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - In a new study of middle-aged New Jersey men, taking cholesterol-lowering drugs was linked to a lower chance of dying from prostate cancer. The findings don't prove that the drugs, called statins, ward off aggressive cancer. But they jibe with previous studies suggesting that getting cholesterol levels under control might help reduce the risk of life-threatening disease, researchers said. "People may be on these medications for their heart, but it may actually be doing them some good for their prostate," said study author Dr. ...
Source: news.yahoo.com

Senobi Breathing Exercise

Senobi Breathing Exercise
December 14, 2011 Written by JP

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Changes in breathing patterns and muscle tension are two of the more obvious physical responses to stress. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that mindful breathing and stretching are two of the best ways of counteracting the impact of anxious feelings. Several recent studies confirm this truism. But, the breadth of health benefits imparted by breathing exercises and stretching go much further than you might imagine.

Diaphragmatic breathing is a technique whereby you deliberately fill your stomach with air as you breathe in through your nose. You hold on to the breath for several seconds and then exhale through your mouth. A step-by-step guide to diaphragmatic breathing can be found in my previous column, “Breathing Exercises“. A new trial published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology reveals that practicing this form of controlled breathing effectively reduces GERD (gastroesophageal reflux) symptoms and decreases the need for medications that control heartburn. The mechanism behind this observation is quite straightforward: The lower esophageal sphincter (LES) is surrounded by the diaphragmatic muscle. When this muscle is strengthened with breathing exercises, the LES functions as it’s supposed to and keeps gastric fluids in their rightful place. In addition, diaphragmatic breathing has also been shown to improve heart rate variability, lower blood sugar and reduce oxidative stress – all of which are negatively influenced by stressful states of mind. Another health promoting option is known as Senobi. This is a brief exercise that combines breathing and stretching. Three, peer-reviewed clinical studies indicate that practicing Senobi daily exerts significant antiasthmatic, antidepressant and anti-obesity activity. The exact technique is described and illustrated in a free, downloadable PDF file. It’s obtainable by clicking on the link below entitled, “The Senobi Breathing Exercise is Recommended as First Line Treatment for Obesity”.

To learn more about the studies referenced in today’s column, please click on the following links:

Study 1 – Positive Effect of Abdominal Breathing Exercise on Gastroesophageal … (link)

Study 2 - Diaphragmatic Breathing Reduces Postprandial Oxidative Stress … (link)

Study 3 - Effect of Diaphragmatic Breathing on Heart Rate Variability … (link)

Study 4 - Exploring Effects of Therapeutic Massage and Patient Teaching in … (link)

Study 5 - “Senobi” Stretch Ameliorates Asthma Symptoms by Restoring … (link)

Study 6 - The “Senobi” Breathing Exercise is Recommended as First Line … (link)

Study 7 - The “Senobi” Breathing Exercise Ameliorates Depression in … (link)

Diaphragmatic Breathing Increases Antioxidant Enzymes

Source: Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2009 Oct 29. (link)

Related Posts:

Tags: asthma, Depression, GERD
Posted in Alternative Therapies, Exercise, Mental Health

Source: www.healthyfellow.com

Real Brain Food: These Nutrients Help You Stay Sharper For Longer

Seniors who ate healthful diets scored better on tests of mental acuity than did their peers who consumed junk food, according to a new study.

We've long heard that foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins B, C, D and E were "brain food." And studies have consistently shown that those with a diet high in these nutrients maintained better cognitive function in old age. But the new research not only reaffirms the association, it uses a novel and more reliable approach: the investigators determined study participants' diets by collecting blood samples and analyzing them for 30 biomarkers of diet, rather than using notoriously imprecise self-reported food surveys.

"The combination of the B vitamins, the antioxidants C and E, plus vitamin D was the most favorable combination of nutrients in the blood for healthy brain aging in our population," study author Gene L. Bowman, an assistant professor of neurology at the Layton Aging & Alzheimer's Disease Center, Oregon Health & Science University, told WebMD.

Bowman and colleagues evaluated 104 men and women, average age 87, to determine several measures of brain health in old age: they asked participants to take tests of memory and thinking skills, and had a subset of 42 participants undergo MRIs to determine actual brain volume -- a measure of cognitive health. (For example, Alzheimer's disease patients experience more pronounced brain shrinkage than their healthy peers).

They then matched cognitive abilities to the blood samples and found that those who tested high for memory and critical thinking -- and had less brain shrinkage -- were more likely to have biomarkers of healthful compounds in their blood. What’s more, people who tested poorly were more likely to have biomarkers for trans-fats, an unhealthy fat source found in junk foods, like packaged baked goods and fast food meals.

While the study demonstrates a link between healthful eating and cognitive ability, it's important to note that age and education level (a common measure used to determine cultural factors like socioeconomic status and health care access) were stronger predictors of brain health than was diet. While age explained 46 percent of the variation in brain function, diet only explained 17 percent. That's still a significant role and the association between diet and brain volume was stronger, with diet explaining 37 percent of shrinkage variance. Researchers hope that the association they found will be impetus enough for many people to modify their diets.

"These findings are based on average people eating average American diets," co-author Maret Traber, a principal investigator at the Linus Pauling Institute told the AFP. "If anyone right now is considering a New Year's resolution to improve their diet, this would certainly give them another reason to eat more fruits and vegetables."

The study didn't specify food sources, as nutrients were determined from blood sample analysis, though fruits and vegetables are the most common source of vitamin C. Omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D are both found in fatty fish, like salmon. Nuts and seeds are best for vitamin E and B vitamins are found in whole grains and dairy.

The study was published in Neurology, the journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

Some Hospitals Turn To Post-Discharge Clinics To Help Hold Down Readmissions

For patients, the transition from hospital to home is a critical time. Discharged with follow-up instructions and often a fistful of medications, many need medical guidance. But too often a smooth handoff to a primary-care physician doesn't happen, and small recovery glitches become larger ones. The result: In short order the patient is often back in the hospital.

According to a study released this month by the Center for Studying Health System Change, a Washington-based research group, a third of adult patients discharged from a hospital don't see a physician within 30 days -- and experts say this is a key reason so many of them are readmitted.

More From This Series Insuring Your Health

Some hospitals are trying a new strategy to interrupt this predictable and pricey pattern: post-discharge clinics. These hospitals are identifying patients who are more likely to have trouble after discharge, either because of their medical conditions or because they lack health insurance or a primary-care provider, and funneling them to the clinic where they receive one-on-one
assistance.

Deloris Eason, 64, was discharged from Boston's Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center earlier in December, after having been treated for severe stomach cramps, diarrhea and vomiting. Clinicians weren't sure whether she had had a bad case of food poisoning or colitis, an inflammation of the colon. Because her primary-care physician couldn't see her until mid-January, hospital staff referred her to the post-discharge clinic.

By the time she came in four days after leaving the hospital, Eason was feeling better but was concerned because she hadn't had a bowel movement since returning home. The practitioner at the clinic told her to give it another day and then take a laxative. If that didn't work, she was instructed to come back.

"I had a chance to ask questions I didn't get to ask at the hospital," Eason says, "key questions that came up after I got home."

Venezuela's Chavez: Did U.S. give Latin American leaders cancer?

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez speculated on Wednesday that the United States might have developed a way to give Latin American leaders cancer, after Argentina's Cristina Fernandez joined the list of presidents diagnosed with the disease. It was a typically controversial statement by Venezuela's socialist leader, who underwent surgery in June to remove a tumor from his pelvis. But he stressed that he was not making any accusations, just thinking aloud. "It would not be strange if they had developed the technology to induce cancer and nobody knew about it until now ... ...