National Eating Disorder Awareness Week

This week is National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. There are lots of ways you can get involved for the twentieth year of NEDAW! Be comfortable in your genes. Wear jeans that fit the REAL you. That’s the slogan for the Great Jeans Giveaway, an annual part of National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. Struggling against your natural (and genetically influenced) body size and shape can lead to unhealthy eating, poor body image, and sometimes serious eating disorders. NEDAW encourages you to donate old or new jeans that don’t comfortably fit and stick to the jeans that fit and make you feel … Continue reading →

Proper Hand Washing 101

Earlier today I waxed poetically about the evils of antibacterial soap. Sorry about that, it just happens sometimes. Essentially, research shows that what we wash with on a daily basis is less important than how we wash. So here’s your hand washing course for the day. It’s all about time, timing and friction. Those are the three most important things to remember about trying to get your hands clean. You need to wash long enough. You need to wash when it’s most needed. You need to scrub when you wash. Now that we’ve covered the basic rules, let’s talk specifics. … Continue reading →

What’s all the fuss about dark chocolate?

Well, I’m totally bummed. This afternoon I tucked a small nugget of dark chocolate in my pocket. I like dark chocolate much better when it’s warm and soft, and I’d planned it as a treat after I finished my lunch. Lunch was finished and I got caught up in something. Two hours later I stood up and though “What’s in my pocket?” I reached in and mashed the chocolate all over my hand and the inside of my pocket. Dang it! That was perfectly good chocolate gone to waste! In honor of my lost chocolate I thought it was a … Continue reading →

All About Stem Cells

There’s been a lot of talk (and debate) about stem cells. But what are they? Stem cells are cells with the potential to develop into many different kinds of cell. Normal cells in the body have only one specialized function; stem cells work like a repair system, dividing to replenish other cells and taking the function of whatever type of cell is needed. When a stem cell divides, the two new cells can take on a special function or remain as stem cells. There are three types of stem cells. Totipotent: with the potential to create all the types of … Continue reading →

A New Source For Stem Cells

The debate over stem cells may be nearing an end. Scientists reported earlier in January that they found a new source for human stem cells — stem cells that are easier to collect AND come without the ethical issues we’ve seen concerning embryonic stem cells. So where do these new stem cells come from? They are found in amniotic fluid — the liquid that surrounds a baby in the womb. Stem cells found in amniotic fluid can be collected at the same time amniocentesis is done, with very little risk to mother or child. And the cells can theoretically be … Continue reading →

Violent Games Causes Emotional Arousal in Teens

A new study has shown that violent video games cause emotional arousal in teens, more so than nonviolent games. Although not proven, this could have an impact on your child’s health and well-being in the long run. This study was presented yesterday at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). Violent video games are thought to have a different type of short term effect on brain function compared to non violent games. The kids in the study were subjected to functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which is a technology used to map the brain and determine … Continue reading →

Job Burnout can Kill Your Health

It’s no secret that stress and burnout don’t exactly make you feel your best. Being tired and resenting your work place can make you truly miserable, and also make you sick. Stress has been linked to various diseases, from cancer to stroke and now also to type II diabetes. A new study published in Psychosomatic Medicine studied the effects of burnout and the risk of developing type II diabetes in almost seven hundred people in the work force. The subjects studied appeared healthy and were employed in senior and middle management, self employed, professionals and nonprofessionals. Each worker was evaluated … Continue reading →

Preventing Type 1 Diabetes in Children

The prevalence of type 1 diabetes in European children has been increasing significantly over the past decades. Now, a ten year study is being conducted at the University of Helsinki, Finland, to try and determine whether modifications in early nutrition can help prevent type 1 diabetes from developing in at risk groups. A focus of the study is to determine if removing cow’s milk from the infants diet will have an influence on developing diabetes in the future. Because they are examining the effect of nutrition at a young age having an impact on the percentage of children developing type … Continue reading →

Your Purse’s Dirty Little Secret

It carries your cellphone, your wallet, your car keys, even your tissues and breath mints, but did you know that your purse may also be carrying—GERMS! Germs, bacteria, filth, you name it and it’s likely living, nay, thriving, on the outside of your handbag (for some ladies it may even be breeding inside your carry-all). A new study done by several leading U.S. microbiologists discovered that your handbag could actually get you sick. At first, I was taken aback by the results, but once I thought about where many of us place our purses when we aren’t carrying them (everywhere … Continue reading →

Confessions Of A Reformed Salt Addict

Did you know the average American eats two to three times the recommended amount of salt, every day? How does this happen? Easy. If you were to take an informal survey regarding what people watch more carefully: their cholesterol level, fat intake or sodium level, I’m sure you would find that most would admit they concentrate more on the two former than the latter. I, on the other hand, obsess about my sodium intake. When I trained for all of my marathons I carefully monitored my sodium intake, likewise when I was pregnant. Not because I have a medical condition … Continue reading →