Archive for the 'Health and Wellness' Category

Supermoms may be vulnerable to depression

Published on December 27, 2011 in Health and Wellness. 0 Comments Tags: , .

Are you one of those “supermoms” that tries to juggle everything and will jump through hoops to be at all your kid’s activities? Well you may want to slow down a little.

According to a new study on 1,600 women, working moms who try to do everything and have unrealistic standards when it comes to work and family, are more prone to experience depression. On the other hand, working moms who let some things go, have a lesser risk for depression when compared to Type A and stay-at-home moms. So try to relax and don’t put too much pressure on yourself to be perfect. A happier mom is much better for you and your family in the long run!

Eating this fruit may help women prevent osteoporosis

Published on December 21, 2011 in Health and Wellness. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

What fruit do you think is best for helping women to prevent bone loss? Well, believe it or not it is the often overlooked ugly duckling prune. Researchers from Florida State University have discovered that women who consume six to ten prunes daily have more bone density than women who eat other types of fruit.

Prunes are packed full of boron and potassium. Both of these are good for increasing bone mass, according to the author in the study, Bahram H. Arjmandi.

Turning your thermostat down can help you burn calories

Published on November 20, 2011 in Health and Wellness. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

If you are sitting at a desk, can you actually burn more calories if your thermostat is turned down? The answer is yes. Your calorie expenditure will increase if you stay lightly dressed, but it won’t increase a lot. Dr. Wayne Askew, director of the division of nutrition at the University of Utah, says that it would be more effective to walk up and down a few flight of stairs.

One’s basal metabolic rate is raised slightly in colder climates said Askew. He also said there could be a small increase in calories that are burned when your lungs warm the cold air and your cold skin gets warm again.

When it is cold enough to cause the body to shiver, there is a more substantial increase in calories burned. Askew said that this is not a great weight-loss technique if someone has plenty of body fat making them less likely to shiver. He also said that it is very hard to do work that demands fine motor skills, like writing or using a computer when the body is shivering.

When the core body temperature gets to a dangerously low level and the shivering response is stimulated to the extreme, Askew said the energy expenditure can be as high as that from work that requires 40 to 50 percent of the person’s maximum aerobic capacity. However, if the core temperature drops too low, the shivering response stops and hypothermia can start to set in.

How to help older children to stop wetting the bed

Published on November 14, 2011 in Health and Wellness. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

Daytime bladder control usually occurs when children are between 2 and 4 years of age, but night-time dryness frequently happens much later. The American Academy of Pediatrics found that 15 to 30 percent of 6-year-olds and 4 percent of 12-year-olds are still wetting the bed occasionally.

There are a couple of reasons why children may still wet the bed at night. Some of these are:

  • A small bladder volume
  • Sleeping too deeply to detect the feeling of a full bladder
  • Family history of bed-wetting
  • Producing more urine

When a child is examined for bed-wetting or “nocturnal enuresis,” they usually first ask whether the child has ever developed night-time bladder control. If they have been dry at night for a six-month or more period in the past, this tells the doctor that there could be an undisclosed medical reason for this unexpected change. If the child never totally developed bladder control at night, it is called primary nocturnal enuresis.

The treatment for primary nocturnal enuresis entails reducing how much urine the child produces at night and teaching the child to awake to the feeling of a full bladder. Some basic actions would be to reduce the child’s consumption of liquids before bed, staying clear of caffeinated and carbonated drinks and waking them to urinate about an hour or two after they have been asleep.

If the child is still wetting the bed after these techniques are practiced, a bed-wetting alarm can be used. This alarm goes off when a child has urinated, waking the child up to go to the bathroom. These alarms have been highly successful when they are used on children who are at least 7 years old and have started to have some dry nights.

Also, a medication called DDAVP can be used in some cases. This medicine works by reducing urine production overnight, but it doesn’t cure bed-wetting due to some possible side effects. It is usually used for certain types of social situations like summer camp or sleepovers.

Sometimes nocturnal enuresis can be a sign of an underlying medical condition. If the child has pain with urination, lower extremity weakness, increased thirst or fever, or daytime accidents, they should be seen by a physician. More information is available about bed-wetting at www.aap.org. You may need to type “bed-wetting” in the search bar.

TOPS weight loss program is a good option for those on a tight budget

Published on October 14, 2011 in Health and Wellness. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Do you need to lose weight but the lack of money is holding you back? Well losing weight doesn’t have to cost a fortune, especially if you try the nonprofit program called TOPS, which stands for (Take Off Pounds Sensibly). A University of Colorado study revealed that people who participated in the TOPS program for three years lost 5 to 7% of their body weight and continued to keep it off.

The program puts an emphasis on the importance of support-group meetings and eating healthy. Fortunately there re no specific foods that you are required to eat. Probably the best thing about this program is that it only costs around $90 a year! Some weight loss plans can cost that much a week.

Throughout the U.S. and Canada, there are 10,000 chapters. To find one near you, just go to tops.org.

Surprising benefits of watermelon

Published on October 3, 2011 in Health and Wellness. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

When we think of summer, we often think of a delicious wedge-shaped cold piece of juicy watermelon. This said, watermelon can be found all year round.

There are many benefits to eating watermelon. First of all, they are a great way to get many of your vitamins. Vitamin A, good for maintaining eye health and also an antioxidant; Vitamin C, a plus for strengthening our immunity and encouraging healthy teeth and gums, and Vitamin B6, great for boosting brain functioning and converting protein into energy.

In the past, tomatoes have been given a lot of credit for a great source of lycopene, which is a powerful antioxidant which helps to fight heart disease and several types of cancer – prostate cancer in particular. However, watermelon actually has the highest concentrations of lycopene of any fresh fruit or vegetable! It is also a great source of potassium, which helps to lower the risk of high blood pressure. Watermelon also contains the two amino acids citrulline and arginine. These amino acids help to maintain arteries, blood flow and overall cardiovascular function. And don’t forget, watermelon is not only low in calories, it is even high in fiber.

So even though many of us think of watermelon as a dessert or snack option, when you think about all the nutrition it packs, you might want to have it as a main part of your cuisine.

 

Don’t get burned by your laptop

Published on September 29, 2011 in Health and Wellness. 0 Comments Tags: , .

We’ve all done it from time to time; resting our laptops on our laps while watching t.v., at the airport or maybe the doctor’s office. Well, according to a study from the University in Basel, Switzerland, resting a laptop on your thighs can cause a burning itchy rash.

The heat that is created by laptops can lead to a condition now known as “toasted skin syndrome.” With this condition, skin can become discolored or splotchy. Unfortunately, in extreme cases, the damage can even be permanent. You can protect yourself by resting your computer on a laptop pad or at least a thick blanket or pillow.

How to stop the habit of nail biting

Published on September 14, 2011 in Health and Wellness. 0 Comments Tags: , .

Many people bite their nails; some even for years. They often try to stop, but like a smoker, it is a hard habit to quit for good. Usually there is a subconscious impulse for nail biting when reading, driving or watching TV. It can be a reaction to stress, anxiety, boredom or fear. Many people have realized that their bad habit of nail biting began during childhood in response to a stressful situation such as moving away or transferring to a new school.

Not only does nail biting have a negative impact on one’s appearance, it is very socially unacceptable. It can also lead to getting viruses and infections.

Unfortunately, there are not many well-controlled studies on the treatments for nail biting. Most health care professionals will say that this is a habit stemming from a obsessive-compulsive disorder. There is some data indicating that cognitive behavioral therapy can be effective in extreme cases (Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, May 2009).

In mild cases, over-the counter products such as Mavala Stop or Control-It may help. They remind the nail biter to not bite when they get the bitter taste in their mouth. Other people have found that wearing gloves around the house helps to remind them to quit their bad habit.

There is an exploratory study that suggests taking the nutritional supplement N-acetyl cysteine might also be helpful to stop this habit.  (CNS Spectrums, July 2009). This specific nutraceutical could help with impulsivity.

Here are some other tips that have been helpful to stop nail biting:

  • Keep nails polished at all times
  • Try to have an emery board and hand lotion handy in several areas of your home and car
  • Treat yourself to professional manicures to keep your nails looking their best
  • If you are under stress, try squeezing a stress ball instead of nail biting
  • Imagine yourself with long healthy nails
  • Remind yourself of the nasty germs that can enter your body when you bite your nails
  • When sitting still, keep your hands busy by reading a book or magazine, writing, giving yourself a manicure or some other activity
  • Make sure you are getting enough biotin, protein, calcium, fatty acids, vitamin B12, zinc and silica. Here is some additional information about these vitamins on how they affect nails and the best sources for getting them into your diet.

PFCs Could Lead to Early Menopause

Published on September 12, 2011 in Health and Wellness. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism recently published a study which discovered that women who had been exposed to large amounts of chemicals might experience menopause earlier than normal.

These man-made chemicals, called per fluorocarbons or PFCs, can be found in household products that are used everyday, such as furniture, clothing, carpet and plastic food containers. Since PFCs are used so often, they can be found in our air, water, plants, soil, animals and even us humans. Current estimations claim that almost 98 percent of adult Americans have substantial amounts of PFCs in their bodies. These chemicals can have many damaging effects, such as a risk for cardiovascular problems and a harmful effect on our immune system.

Dr. Sarah Knox, of West Virginia University School of Medicine, says “there is no doubt that there is an association between exposure to PFCs and onset of menopause, but the causality is unclear.”

This was the largest study to ever be performed on the endocrine/hormone-disrupting effects of PFCs in women. It analyzed the levels of two types of PFCs in almost 26,000 women from age 18 to 65. Dr. Knox discovered that women who were between the ages of 42 and 64 having the highest blood levels of PFCs were 40 percent more likely to have menopause experiences than those who had lower levels.

Also, one of the chemicals, called PFOS – a breakdown product of chemicals that had earlier been used to make Scotchgard products, affected levels of the hormone estradiol, which is a form of estrogen. She said that when the levels of PFOs were high, the levels of estradiol were low. When estradiol falls, menopause nears.

The websites safer chemicals.org and ewg.org/reports/pfcworld both explain several steps you can take to reduce your PFC exposure. Here are some ways you can start decreasing your risk for exposure to PFCs:

  • Try to avoid packaged foods containing grease-repellent coatings such as microwave popcorn bags, pizza boxes and french fry boxes
  • Avoid stain resistant treatments. Pick carpet and furniture products that are not marked as stain-resistant. Also don’t apply finishing treatments like Stainmaster to these or other items.
  • Don’t use personal-care products that have ingredients with the words “fluoro” or “perfluoro”. Dental floss, facial moisturizers, nail polish and eye makeup may all have PFCs in them.
  • Avoid Teflon or nonstick cookware. If you do use nonstick cookware, try not to let it reach above 450 degrees when heated. Throw away cookware that shows signs of deterioration.

Problem drinking in teens may foreshadow alcoholism later in life

Published on September 5, 2011 in Health and Wellness and Uncategorized. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Often adolescent drinking is overlooked as something they will outgrow. Studies may indicate that problem drinking in someone around the age of 18 might predict alcoholism when they reach their mid twenties.

A questionnaire called the Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index is currently used to study drinking-related problems among teenagers. In this study, researchers looked at whether the scores predicted anything about a person’s future drinking behavior.

They evaluated 597 Finnish twins at age 18 using a questionnaire. The same people were interviewed when they reached age 25 to assess their alcohol abuse and dependence.

It was found that the people who had drinking-related problems at age 18, such as getting into fights or school problems from alcohol use, were more prone to be diagnosed with alcoholism at age 25. The study was published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.