Sunday, November 7, 2010
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Compulsive Eating and the Holiday Season Can Lead to Serious Weight Gain
(Science Daily) Dealing with extended family, increased commitments and even celebratory occasions can cause a compulsive overeater to gain too much weight during the holiday season.
"Many of us deal with depression, disappointment, loneliness and unfulfilled expectations during the holiday season," said Stefanie C. Barthmare, a psychotherapist… "When our ideal holiday expectations are not met, we feel bad. That's when many of us resort to eating more food, more often, to keep the deeper stuff at bay."…
Learning to deal with and manage these difficult feelings requires patience and persistence, especially when food is used as a way to cope.
Community: A post from February has some tips for dealing with overeating.
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The end of 'natural' label claims?
(Julie's Health Club, Chicago Tribune) Get ready for a "natural shakedown," warns the market research firm Mintel.
Vague and ill-defined terms such as “natural” will come under study in 2011, according to Mintel, which is predicting 12 new consumer packaged good trends.
Next year, Mintel expects to see federal agencies cracking down on virtually meaningless terms. Companies will also focus on accentuating the positive aspects of a product’s ingredients, “rather than emphasizing what is not in it," the report said.
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While Warning About Fat, U.S. Pushes Cheese Sales
(New York Times) [An organization called] Dairy Management, which has made cheese its cause, is not a private business consultant. It is a marketing creation of the United States Department of Agriculture — the same agency at the center of a federal anti-obesity drive that discourages over-consumption of some of the very foods Dairy Management is vigorously promoting.
Urged on by government warnings about saturated fat, Americans have been moving toward low-fat milk for decades, leaving a surplus of whole milk and milk fat. Yet the government, through Dairy Management, is engaged in an effort to find ways to get dairy back into Americans’ diets, primarily through cheese.
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4 Best Herbs for the Brain
(Reader’s Digest) Most herbs and spices have medicinal benefits, and a handful are thought to boost brain health. Aim to get more of these four in particular.
1. Turmeric
This mustard yellow powder is an antioxidant and a powerful anti-inflammatory. In India, where turmeric is eaten daily in curries, the risk of developing Alzheimer's is 25 percent lower than the risk in the U.S. In lab studies, mice that were fed curcumin (the active ingredient in turmeric) developed fewer amyloid plaques, associated with Alzheimer's, than rats that weren't…
2. Sage
A member of the mint family, sage is a known memory enhancer and may protect the brain against certain processes that lead to Alzheimer's. It may work by protecting acetylcholine, a chemical messenger in the brain that's critical to memory. In a British study, healthy young adults performed better on word recall tests after taking sage-oil capsules…
3. Wasabi
Wasabi, a member of the mustard family, is the hot green condiment served with sushi. It's an excellent source (also found in horseradish and broccoli) of a compound found to help nerve cells grow extensions known as dendrites and axons, which help cells communicate with each other…
4. Garlic
Garlic thins the blood to help prevent blood clots and may slightly lower cholesterol. It contains compounds thought to protect neurons from injury and disease by stimulating the production of chemicals that help cells withstand stress.
Community: I drink a nonalcoholic cocktail of vegetable juice every day, and I already put turmeric, sage, and garlic in it. I guess I’ll have to add wasabi.
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Learning to Love Veggies: Readers Weigh In
(Jane E. Brody, New York Times) A recent column asking for suggestions on how to entice Americans to eat more vegetables drew nearly 600 e-mailed responses and a long, long menu of food for thought.
Most of the suggestions came from people who love vegetables and have already figured out ways to incorporate them into their own and their families’ diets. But equally instructive were those from people who said they were not especially fond of vegetables and suggested ways they could be made more appealing.
A recurring theme was that we should stop trying to sell vegetables for their health value (and stop scolding people for failing to eat enough of them) and instead focus on the positive — the delicious flavors and colors that can add so much variety to meals and snacks. Another was the importance of teaching people fast and simple techniques for achieving mouthwatering results.
As Elif Savas Felsen wrote, “If you teach Americans how to cook vegetables and stop yelling at them like some righteous food-health nut, they will learn.”
And Katherine Erickson urged that we “stop calling vegetables ‘sides’ ” and instead design meals around them.
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Recipes
New York Times:
Dr. Weil’s Simple Roasted Root Vegetables
Sometime the best foods at Thanksgiving are the simplest, cooked in their natural state with minimal spices to let the original flavor shine through.
Martha Rose Shulman, Recipes for Health: A Versatile Vegetable for Hard Times
Whenever I think about budget dishes, cabbage is the vegetable that comes mind. Fortunately, the alarming surge in cabbage prices that has hit South Korea hasn’t occurred here, and big heads of green cabbage are still among the best deals you can get at the farmers’ market. Medium cabbages weigh 2 to 2 1/2 pounds. I paid $1.50 for three heads last week and got six dishes out of them, each serving at least four people.
Though I often use cabbage for sides and salads, this week I used it mostly in entrees, influenced by cuisines from Ireland to France, from southern Spain to India.
Smashed Red Potatoes With Cabbage
Cabbage and Caramelized Onion Tart
South Indian Cabbage With Yogurt
EatingWell:
Roasted Ratatouille with Eggs & Cheese
Served with plenty of crusty bread and a green salad, this is a perfect dish for brunch or a light supper. Roasting is an excellent technique for ratatouille because the vegetables retain a distinct texture, yet the flavors meld.
MyRecipes.com:
Potato, Corn, and Leek Chowder
This soup ends up being a good source of three blood pressure-lowering minerals since the milk adds calcium and the potatoes deliver a dose of potassium, as well as magnesium.
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Substance in grapes may help treat malaria
(UPI) Resveratrol -- a substance found in the skin of dark grapes -- may help treat malaria, U.S. researchers say…
"Our results demonstrate the possibility of a new therapy to treat severe malaria," Jordan A. Zuspann of the National Institutes of Health, says in a statement. "We hope that we have identified a way to ameliorate the severity of malaria in young African children."
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Many Falls, and Resulting ER Visits, Can Be Prevented
(HealthDay News) Falls are a leading cause of injury in the United States, but some simple precautions can help prevent them, experts say…
Here are some [American College of Emergency Physicians] tips for preventing falls in the home:
· Get rid of clutter in your home and make sure that stairs and walkways are kept clear of objects.
· Keep tops and bottoms of stairs well lit, and leave nightlights on in the bedroom, hall and bathroom.
· Repair or replace any loose stairway carpeting or boards.
· Add handgrip bars in bathrooms and shower areas. This is especially important for the elderly or those with disabilities. The bottoms of tubs and showers should have a non-slip surface.
· In homes with elderly people, remove throw rugs and tack down larger rugs…
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons offers more fall prevention tips.
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Men with diabetes more likely to develop colon cancer
(Orlando Sentinel) A national study published Wednesday finds that men with diabetes are 24 percent more likely to develop colon cancer than those without diabetes. The same risk didn't apply to women.
Previous studies have demonstrated a link between type 2 diabetes and an increased risk of colon cancer — but this study finds that men seem to be at greater risk than women.
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Controlling Bone Formation to Prevent Osteoporosis
(Science Daily) Aging disrupts the balance between bone formation and bone destruction, resulting in osteoporosis, which is characterized by reduced bone mass and increased risk of fracture. Recent data have suggested that this imbalance is a result of a decrease in formation of bone forming osteoblast cells from mesenchymal cells upon aging. Instead, these cells form more fat cells. Insight into this age-related switch in cell type generation has now been provided by a team of researchers … working in mice.
The data generated might provide new avenues of research for those developing approaches to treat age-related osteoporosis.
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Parents can now donate cord blood after birth
(South Florida Sun Sentinel) For the first time, South Florida parents can follow up the joy of childbirth by donating the life-saving blood from their baby's umbilical cord.
Memorial Hospital West in Pembroke Pines this week sent the region's first cord blood donation to a national network that matches the biologically rich substance with seriously ill people who need it to survive…
Cord blood contains a type of stem cells – not controversial embryonic stem cells – that readily produce all types of blood cells in patients who can't make their own.
That makes cord blood and bone marrow transplants ideal treatments for the more than 10,000 people diagnosed every year with leukemia, lymphoma and other blood diseases. However, 70 percent of them cannot find a biological match from a relative and must rely on the national network. Thousands die every year while waiting for a match.
"This is blood that usually ends up in the trash can," said Mary Roberts, nursing director of the Memorial West delivery unit and chief of the cord blood program. "Why not use it to save a life?"
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Scientists to Congress: Pass the stem cell law ... while you still can
(Los Angeles Times) The people who bring you advances in medical research have an urgent message for Congress: Pass the Stem Cell Research Advancement Act … while you still can.
In a letter sent Friday to the leadership of the House of Representatives and the Senate, the deans of American medical schools, chief executives of U.S. hospitals and heads of organizations with names like the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the American Society of Human Genetics said that federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research “is essential” if scientists are to succeed in turning the cells into usable treatments…
The imperative to pass it in this congressional session was thought to have diminished after President Obama broadened the scope of federal support for stem cell research though an executive order. Then the surprise decision by a U.S. district judge to halt federal funding of embryonic stem-cell research (which was temporarily reversed) underscored the need for congressional action…
The scientists don’t say so explicitly, but they must be thinking that their chances will be worse come January, when majority control of the House shifts to the Republicans.
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G.O.P. Plans to Use Purse Strings to Fight Health Law
(New York Times) As they seek to make good on their campaign promise to roll back President Obama’s health care overhaul, the incoming Republican leaders in the House say they intend to use their new muscle to cut off money for the law, setting up a series of partisan clashes and testing Democratic commitment to the legislation.
Republicans, who will control the House starting in January but will remain in the minority in the Senate, acknowledge that they do not have the votes for their ultimate goal of repealing the health law, the most polarizing of Mr. Obama’s signature initiatives.
But they said they hoped to use the power of the purse to challenge main elements of the law, forcing Democrats — especially those in the Senate who will be up for re-election in 2012 — into a series of votes to defend it.
Community: The mandate forcing Americans to pay profits to insurance companies is pretty indefensible.
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Saturday, November 6, 2010
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As Clocks Fall Back on Sunday, Think About Better Sleep
(HealthDay News) When you turn your clocks back an hour this weekend, it might be a good opportunity to think about whether you're getting enough sleep…
Chronic sleep deprivation can affect attention levels, reaction time and mood, leading to decreased productivity at work, increased family stress, and potential health problems, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM)…
The amount of sleep needed for good health and optimum daytime performance varies by age: preschoolers need 11 to 13 hours a night; school-age children should get 10 to 11 hours; teens must have at least nine hours; and adults should get seven to eight hours each night.
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Sleep Appears to Aid Learning
(HealthDay News) If you're trying to learn a new word, you may want to sleep on it, a new study suggests.
Researchers taught volunteers new words in the evening and then immediately tested their recall of the words. The volunteers slept in the laboratory while their brain activity was recorded. Tests conducted the next morning showed that the participants could remember and recognize more words than they did immediately after learning them.
This improvement was not seen in another group of participants who learned new words and were tested in the morning and re-tested in the evening, with no sleep in between tests.
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Extroverts vulnerable to sleep deprivation
(UPI) Extroverts exposed to 12 hours of social interaction were more vulnerable to sleep deprivation than those exposed to isolated activity, U.S. researchers say…
The study … finds social interactions are cognitively complex experiences that may lead to rapid fatigue in brain regions that regulate attention and alertness and high levels of social stimulation may be associated with an increase in the need for sleep.
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Deeper Conversation Promotes Happiness
(RealAge.com) When you sit down to chat over coffee with a friend, spend a few minutes digging deeper than TV and the weather.
Why? Because doing so just might make you happier. Research shows that when people's socialization focuses on important issues and personal interests, a greater level of personal happiness may be the result…
Researchers aren't sure if some people are happier because they have more satisfying and meaningful conversations or if happier people are just more likely to dig deep when they converse. Regardless, we know that deep, meaningful social connections are good for your RealAge. It adds meaning to life and helps with stress reduction. (Check out these five keys to greater life satisfaction.)
Get a natural high. Try this one-foot-in-front-of-the-other approach.
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Red meat linked to esophageal, stomach cancer risks
(Reuters Health) Red-meat lovers may have a greater likelihood of developing certain cancers of the throat and stomach than people who limit their intake of steaks and hamburgers, a new study suggests.
Researchers found that among nearly 500,000 older U.S. adults followed for a decade, only a small number developed cancers of the esophagus or stomach. However, the risks were relatively greater among those who ate a lot of red meat, or certain compounds generated from cooking meat…
The findings … do not prove that red meat promotes the two cancers, the researchers emphasize.
But the results add to what has been an uncertain body of evidence on the link between red meat and esophageal and stomach cancers.
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Recipes
MyRecipes.com:
Steak and Blue Cheese Pizza
Blue cheese crumbles and a creamy horseradish spread highlight the meaty slices of sirloin. Keep the steak tender by adding it towards the end of the 6-minute bake time.
Fettuccine with Blue Cheese Sauce
Roast Beef and Blue Cheese Wraps
EatingWell:
Broccoli, Beef & Potato Hotdish
This easy casserole, full of ground beef, roasted broccoli and topped with hash browns, was inspired by the classic Minnesota Tater Tot hotdish. Roasting the broccoli before adding it to the casserole gives the whole dish a much more complex and exciting flavor, but it’s by no means necessary.
Beef & Potato Salad with Smoky Chipotle
Steak & Potato Salad with Horseradish Dressing
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Breakthrough in Cancer Vaccine Research
(Science Daily) Researchers at the University of Cambridge hope to revolutionise cancer therapy after discovering one of the reasons why many previous attempts to harness the immune system to treat cancerous tumours have failed.
New research … reveals that a type of stromal cell found in many cancers which expresses fibroblast activation protein alpha (FAP), plays a major role in suppressing the immune response in cancerous tumours -- thereby restricting the use of vaccines and other therapies which rely on the body's immune system to work. They have also found that if they destroy these cells in a tumour immune suppression is relieved, allowing the immune system to control the previously uncontrolled tumour.
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Luminous Cells from Jellyfish Could Diagnose Cancers Deep Within Human Body
(Science Daily) Scientists in Yorkshire have developed a process that uses the luminous cells from jellyfish to diagnose cancers deep within the human body…
Professor Norman Maitland, believes it will revolutionize the way some cancers are diagnosed.
"Cancers deep within the body are difficult to spot at an early stage, and early diagnosis is critical for the successful treatment of any form of cancer," he said. "What we have developed is a process which involves inserting proteins derived from luminous jellyfish cells into human cancer cells. Then, when we illuminate the tissue, a special camera detects these proteins as they light up, indicating where the tumors are."
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Nanoshells Provide Golden 'Touch' in Killing Breast Tumors
(Science Daily) Using tiny gold "nanoshells" to deliver just a little heat to breast tumor cells already treated with radiation boosts the killing potential of the treatment -- not just shrinking the tumor but killing the cancer stem cells, said researchers…
In studies of tumor cells grown in the laboratory and of mice with the most aggressive mouse and human tumors, the researchers found that radiation plus gold nanoshells heated with a near-infrared laser not only shrank the tumors but dramatically decreased the population of cancer stem cells, said Rachel Atkinson…, first author of the report.
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'Nano-Drug' Hits Brain-Tumor Target: Unique Triggering Device Delivers Antitumor Drugs
(Science Daily) Nine years ago, scientists at Cedars-Sinai … detected a subtle shift occurring in the molecular makeup of the most aggressive type of brain tumors, glioblastoma multiforme. With further study, they found that a specific protein called laminin-411 plays a major role in a tumor's ability to build new blood vessels to support its growth and spread. But technology did not exist then to block this protein.
Now, employing new drug-engineering technology that is part of an advanced science called nanomedicine, the research team has created a "nanobioconjugate" drug that may be given by intravenous injection and carried in the blood to target the brain tumor. It is engineered to specifically permeate the tumor cell wall, entering endosomes, mobile compartments within cells.
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Self-employed urologists order more imaging
(Reuters Health) A patient may be twice as likely to undergo an x-ray, ultrasound or other diagnostic imaging test after seeing a self-employed urologist as opposed to an employed urologist on salary, suggests a new study.
While other factors may be at play, the finding builds on growing evidence for the role of financial incentives in physician behavior and the impact that this behavior may have on soaring health care expenditures in the U.S.
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Health insurance co-payments may disappear
(UPI) Reducing cost sharing -- such as co-payments on prescription drugs -- increases the number of people complying with doctor's orders, U.S. researchers say…
When [Pitney Bowes, which is self insured,] eliminated co-payments for cholesterol-lowering statins, employee adherence to the drugs increased 2.8 percent and when it reduced co-payments for the blood clot inhibitor clopidogrel, adherence rose 4 percent, the study finds…
"If these promising early results are validated in other settings, the trend of rising co-payments may be replaced with a long-term trend of decreasing or vanishing co-payments," [Matthew] Maciejewski says.
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No health insurance for 1-in-6 U.S. adults
(UPI) About one in six U.S. adults lack health insurance, with 16.3 percent saying they were uninsured at the time they were interviewed, a survey indicates.
However, this number is expected to drop as provisions of healthcare reform -- the Affordable Care Act -- are enacted, such as allowing having parents to retain coverage of children under age 26, prohibiting insurers from canceling coverage if a subscriber gets ill and ending lifetime dollar limits on coverage.
Nonetheless, the more significant measures designed to reduce the millions of the uninsured are not set to go into effect until 2014.
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Healthcare reform not factor in election
(UPI) Despite its divisiveness, healthcare reform legislation did not play a major role in the midterm elections, a U.S. professor says.
Timothy D. McBride … says the United States is still more or less a 50-50 country on health reform…
McBride says he expects the new GOP majority in the House of Representatives will attempt to repeal or slow down the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
"It will not be easy to do this, most especially because the president has the veto pen," McBride says.
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Friday, November 5, 2010
0
Mediterranean diet tied to reduced weight gain
(Reuters Health) People who follow a diet typical of the Mediterranean region might dodge the added pounds that often come with aging, hints a new Spanish study.
However, the researchers can't be sure if it was the diet itself or related healthy behaviors that were responsible for staving off the weight.
The Mediterranean diet is generally rich in fish, fruits, vegetables, legumes and cereals, while low in red meats and dairy. Previous research has uncovered benefits for its followers, including protection from cardiovascular disease and diabetes, as well as weight loss among those who are already overweight or obese.
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Obesity rates will reach 42 percent: study
(Reuters) Americans will keep growing fatter until 42 percent of the nation is considered obese, and having fat friends is part of the problem, researchers said on Thursday.
The prediction by a team of researchers at Harvard University contradicts other experts who say the nation's obesity rate has peaked at 34 percent of the U.S. population.
The finding is from the same group, led by Nicholas Christakis, that reported in 2007 that if someone's friend becomes obese, that person's chances of becoming obese increase by more than half.
They now think this same phenomenon is driving the obesity epidemic, which will climb slowly but steadily for the next 40 years.
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Older Americans Sicker Than British Peers
(HealthDay News) New research suggests that middle-aged and older white Americans are sicker than their counterparts in the United Kingdom but they still manage to live as long as the Brits, thanks to doctors and drugs.
"Americans are taking worse care of themselves but getting better care from the health-care system," explained study co-author James P. Smith, a senior economist at the Rand Corp. "My fear is that unless we are able to improve ourselves in terms of sickness, making up for this with good medical care will be harder and harder to sustain in the future."
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Illness, injury trigger faster aging
(UPI) U.S. researchers have linked illnesses and injuries restricting the activity of older adults or landing them in the hospital to worsening functional ability.
The study … found frequent transitions between states of disability and recovery with diminishing functional ability usually begin with hospitalization in 90.7 percent of study cases and/or one month of restricted activity in 94.3 percent.
The researchers found fall-related injury led to the highest likelihood of developing new or worsening disability.
Community: We can’t always avoid accidents or illness, but there are steps we can take to reduce the likelihood of falling and injuring ourselves. We can wear shoes in the house, improve balance, exercise (including strength exercises), keeping blood pressure in check, getting enough vitamin D and protein, and watching our drug intake.
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Ultimate Vitamin Cocktail for Healthy Joints
(RealAge.com) RealAge experts Michael Roizen, MD, and Mehmet Oz, MD, suggest this nifty little combo of nutrients for healthier joints.
Make sure you're getting enough magnesium and calcium as well as vitamins C, D3, and E. This grouping may have the power to minimize inflammation and joint damage.
Getting your vitamins and minerals from food is best, but if you're an eat-on-the-run junkie, you may want to add a supplement to your day to make sure you're getting enough of these joint boosters. Just ask your doctor first about safe doses and potential drug interactions if you're taking other medications.
Community: But you might want to get your vitamin E from food, rather than a supplement. See below.
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Vitamin E May Pose Slight Bleeding-Stroke Risk
(HealthDay News) People who take vitamin E supplements may be putting themselves at a slight increased risk for a hemorrhagic stroke, researchers report.
Some studies have suggested that taking vitamin E can protect against heart disease, while others have found that, in high doses, it might increase the risk of death…
"Vitamin E supplementation is not as safe as we may like to believe," said lead researcher Dr. Markus Schurks…
"Specifically, it appears to carry an increased risk for hemorrhagic stroke. While the risk is low translating into one additional hemorrhage per 1,250 persons taking vitamin E, widespread and uncontrolled use of vitamin E should be cautioned against," he added.
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Enjoy These 3 Comfort Foods for Your Blood Sugar
(RealAge.com) Eating better-for-your-blood-sugar meals doesn't mean saying bye-bye to creamy, hearty, fatty comfort foods. Here are three blood sugar winners.
We're talking pasta, peanut butter, and fries. Sound too good to be true? Not if you pick the right kinds…
Pasta. The key to indulging in pasta and keeping blood sugar steady is to choose whole-wheat varieties. They raise your blood sugar much more slowly than refined-grain pastas. More important, whole-wheat pastas and other whole grains are a good source of magnesium. Recent research linked a 100-milligram increase in daily magnesium intake to lower diabetes risk. Half a cup of whole-wheat pasta has about 20 milligrams. Try this healthy pasta recipe from EatingWell: Creamy Garlic Pasta with Shrimp and Vegetables.
Creamy Peanut Butter. Nuts are members of the good fats family and a recent study revealed that peanut butter eaters averaging about 5 tablespoons a week may have a 21 percent lower risk of diabetes. All thanks to PB's healthy unsaturated fats that help stabilize blood sugar and improve insulin sensitivity. And it contains magnesium, too. Try EatingWell's Spicy Peanut Sauce on grilled meats or as a raw veggie dip.
Fries. Just trade the white potatoes for a more blood-sugar-friendly starch like sweet potatoes. They have a lower glycemic index than white spuds, making them easier on your blood sugar. And, according to John La Puma, MD, author of ChefMD's Big Book of Culinary Medicine, nutrients in sweet potatoes may also help fight insulin resistance. Whip up your own tasty sweet potatoes with this EatingWell recipe: Oven Sweet Potato Fries.
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Recipes
MyRecipes.com:
Catfish Strips with Ranch Dressing
The inspiration for this dish is Buffalo chicken wings. We breaded and baked catfish strips, then drizzled them with a spicy sauce. If you don't like spicy foods, omit the hot pepper sauce.
EatingWell:
Thyme- & Sesame-Crusted Halibut
Quickly roasting fish at high heat keeps it moist and succulent. The thyme-and-sesame crust gives this halibut a distinctive finish.
Fennel-Crusted Salmon on White Beans
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U.S. Government Food Program Needs Improving: Report
(HealthDay News) Healthier foods should be served to children and adults in day care facilities that get meals and snacks through a federally sponsored food program, a new U.S. government report says.
The report from the Institute of Medicine calls for more fruits and vegetables and less fat, salt and sugar.
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No link seen between high-carb diet, colon cancer
(Reuters Health) Chinese women who eat a traditional diet rich in white rice and other starchy foods that spur a surge in blood sugar do not seem to have an elevated risk of colon cancer, a new study suggests.
The findings, reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, add to the conflicting body of evidence as to whether foods with a high "glycemic index" are related to an increased risk of colon cancer.
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Multivitamins don't reduce diabetes risk
(Reuters Health) Vitamins and supplements are big business in the US Half of Americans routinely take them to the tune of about $23 billion dollars every year.
Yet the science demonstrating health benefits to support such widespread use is often contradictory or lacking. In the case of a large NIH-backed study published in the journal Diabetes Care, the science shows little benefit, at least in reducing an adult's risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
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Proteasome Inhibitor Reduces Inflammation and Promotes Bone Healing in Arthritis Models
(Science Daily) A new study by Greek researchers suggests that the biologic drug bortezomib (Velcade), a proteasome inhibitor used to treat multiple myeloma (bone marrow cancer), may represent a promising treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In this study, bortezomib displayed favorable effects in an animal model of inflammatory arthritis that mimics RA, in reducing disease severity and inflammation, and promoting bone healing…
RA is a chronic, systemic, autoimmune disease characterized by inflammation and joint destruction.
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Built-in Timer for Improving Accuracy of Cost Saving Paper-Strip Medical Tests
(Science Daily) Scientists are reporting the development of a simple, built-in timer intended to improve the accuracy of paper tests and test strips for diagnosing diseases inexpensively at-home and elsewhere…
When fully developed, these low-cost paper tests may replace more expensive traditional tests for detecting biomarkers in urine, blood, and other body fluids, as well as for detecting pollution in water. Many types of tests that could be used on paper, however, require precise timing using a stopwatch to provide accurate results.
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Few want doctors deciding life or death
(UPI) Despite the moral and ethical enormity of ending life-support for incapacitated patients, most would prefer doctors not make the decision, U.S. researchers say.
Dr. Douglas B. White of the University of Pittsburgh says a study shows more than half of surrogate decision makers prefer to have full authority over the life and death choice than to share or cede that power to physicians.
"This report suggests that many surrogates may prefer more decisional control for value-laden decisions in intensive care units than previously thought," White says.
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Thursday, November 4, 2010
0
Good Conversation Can Boost Brain Power, Study Finds
(HealthDay News) Friendly discussions with other people can help you solve common life challenges, but conversations that are competitive in tone aren't helpful, finds a new study.
"This study shows that simply talking to other people, the way you do when you're making friends, can provide mental benefits," lead author Oscar Ybarra, a psychologist and researcher at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan, said in a university news release.
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Could Anger Make People Want Things More?
(HealthDay News) Anger can be a potent motivator in increasing a person's desire to obtain things, a new study finds…
The finding makes sense in terms of human evolution, [first author Henk] Aarts said. For example, in situations where there is limited food, people who associate food with anger and become aggressive in order to obtain the food are more likely to survive.
"If the food does not make you angry or doesn't produce aggression in your system, you may starve and lose the battle," Aarts explained.
Community: So the anger-mongers on radio and cable TV are promoting a sense of scarcity when they attack illegal immigrants?
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Psychological Changes from Meditation Training Linked to Cellular Health
(Science Daily) Positive psychological changes that occur during meditation training are associated with greater telomerase activity, according to researchers… The study is the first to link positive well-being to higher telomerase, an enzyme important for the long-term health of cells in the body.
The effect appears to be attributable to psychological changes that increase a person's ability to cope with stress and maintain feelings of well-being.
Community: We’re learning quite a lot about telomerase and telomeres, their part in aging, and how to slow their loss.
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Multifocal Contact Lenses May Reduce Vision for Night Driving
(Science Daily) A new study suggests that older adults who wear multifocal contact lenses to correct problems with near vision, a very common condition that increases with age, may have greater difficulty driving at night than their counterparts who wear glasses. Age-related problems with near vision, medically termed presbyopia, usually occurs after the age of 40 and results in the inability to focus on objects up close.
According to [the study], wearing multifocal contact lenses resulted in significantly slower driving speeds at night than wearing progressive addition glasses. While slower driving would seem to reduce the likelihood of hitting nighttime road hazards, the authors reported a reduced ability to recognize road hazards among multifocal contact lens wearers.
The study also showed that multifocal contact lens wearers were able to see road signs, but at a much shorter distance than those wearing glasses, potentially decreasing the reaction time required for a driver to make necessary navigational decisions.
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Online Feedback May Boost Weight-Loss Success
(HealthDay News) Providing feedback to users of online weight-loss programs can improve the outcomes for participants, a new study has found.
The study included 179 people taking part in Shape Up RI, an annual online 12-week community weight-loss competition in Rhode Island…
In one arm of the study, volunteers were assigned to the standard Shape Up RI program or to the program plus extra video lessons on weight loss. In the other study arm, participants were in either the standard Shape Up RI or the standard program plus video lessons, self-monitoring of weight, eating and exercise, and computer-generated feedback…
"The addition of videos alone did lead to a small increase in weight loss, but the combination of the three strategies produced much better outcomes," lead author Rena Wing…
"This finding would suggest that education about diet and activity changes alone is important, but not sufficient," she added.
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Recipes
Cooking Light:
Top-Rated Butternut Squash
Creamy soups, savory sides, and even a pizza—this fall favorite shines in these (mostly) vegetarian recipes.
Butternut Squash Risotto
Butternut Squash & Bacon Pasta
Pesto Pizza with Butternut Squash
See all butternut squash recipes
Superfast Soups
Warm up to these 22 soup recipes, all ready in 20 minutes or less.
Lighter Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas
We've made over this classic casserole by slashing calories, fat, and sodium so you can enjoy it more often.
MyRecipes.com:
Margarita-Braised Chicken Thighs
The test kitchen raved over this juicy, fruity dish inspired by the popular cocktail.
EatingWell:
Chili-Rubbed Steaks & Pan Salsa
Any cut of steak will work for this recipe, but we especially like the flavor and texture of rib-eye with these seasonings; look for steak that has been thinly cut. A cold ale, sweet potato fries and vinegary coleslaw can round out the meal.
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The Tart and Tasty Cranberry
(SouthBeachDiet.com) Cranberries are much more than just a traditional Thanksgiving side dish. These tart and tiny berries are among the top antioxidant-rich foods you can eat. Research has found that cranberries are a unique source of the phytochemicals (plant chemicals) known as proanthocyanidins, a significant source of antioxidants, and high in vitamin C. You can enjoy cooked cranberries as a sauce [or] as part of a fruit compote or crisp…
While frozen cranberries are available year-round, now is the perfect time to enjoy your cranberries fresh. If you're purchasing fresh cranberries, make sure they're firm and bright red, with no signs of discoloration. Fresh cranberries are usually packaged in 12-ounce plastic bags. If you're buying them frozen, make sure they are packaged without added sugars. You can find both at your local supermarket.
Keep fresh cranberries in the refrigerator, tightly wrapped, for up to two months, or freeze them in an airtight bag or container for up to a year. (Freezing is an especially convenient storage method for cranberries because they don't need to be thawed before cooking.)
Fresh cranberries, which are too tart to be eaten raw, are delicious cooked into a sauce with the addition of an artificial sweetener or agave nectar. Uncooked and chopped they make a tasty addition to home-baked, whole-grain breads. You can also add fresh cranberries to homemade compotes or combine them with other fall fruits, like apples and pears, to create delicious, fruity whole-grain crisps. Toss dried cranberries into wild rice or other whole-grain salads.
Community: Cranberries are on sale at my local supermarket, so I’m buying them and putting the whole bag, unopened, into the freezer. Now I can use them the same way I use my other berries—taking out enough to use on my oatmeal, washing them, and defrosting them in the microwave. I put the cranberries in the microwave for 1-1/2 minutes on high, which is more than I do for the other berries, because of the tartness.
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