(HealthDay News) — Your kids had a good summer. You were able to get them away from the TV and outside to play for lots of exercise. But now, they’re back to school and you want them to keep off the pounds. The Children’s Hospital Medical Center of Cincinnati says lunches provided by many schools are loaded with fat. Packing a lunch for your kids is a healthy alternative, so you can control the amount of food. And include fruit and low-fat snacks, instead of potato chips. The medical center warns that after-school snacks can be full of fat. Yogurt and fruit are good choices for those times.
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Aggressive Blood Pressure Treatment Does Not Put Seniors at Risk: Study
Intensive treatment to lower high blood pressure can decrease older adults’ risk of sharp blood pressure drops that can cause dizziness and increase the likelihood of falling, a new study says. It included more than 2,800 patients, average age 63, who had recently suffered a stroke. Half received more aggressive treatment to lower their blood pressure to below 130/80 mm Hg. The others got less intensive therapy with a target of between 130-149/80-90 mm Hg or more. Blood pressure levels and symptoms were monitored over an average 15 visits per patient. During each visit, blood pressure was measured three times while a patient was seated and one time after two minutes of standing. This was done to detect any changes and symptoms of orthostatic hypotension (OH), a sudden drop in blood pressure that can occur when a person goes from sitting to standing. OH is associated with dizziness and increased risk of falling. More aggressive blood pressure treatment and systolic blood pressure of 130 mm/Hg or under was associated with a lower risk of OH. Systolic blood pressure is the top number in a reading and represents the force of blood flow against the arteries when the heart contracts. The study was presented Saturday at an American Heart Association meeting, in New Orleans. Research presented at meetings is typically considered preliminary until published in a… read on >
Soups Are the New Smoothies
When made at home, smoothies can be delicious and nutritious (store-bought versions often contain lots of sugar and an abundance of calories). But when it comes to feeling satisfied, a rich, thick soup has them beat. There’s science behind the diet tip to eat filling soup when the soup is a thick, blended puree. A study published in the Journal of Nutrition found that you’ll feel fuller for an hour longer than you would if you ate the same ingredients in their whole form while sipping a glass of water. Think of a pureed soup as a savory smoothie, perfect for cool weather. It’s fast and easy to turn a cooked vegetable like squash, carrots, peas or sweet potatoes into a hearty meal with a traditional or immersion blender, or a food processor. Cauliflower is particularly versatile because, as a soup base, it will take on the taste of whatever herbs, spices or other ingredients you flavor it with. If you’re short on time, you can use frozen vegetables. If you want to start from scratch, bring out the most flavor by roasting the vegetables in the oven. Alternatively, you can sweat them on the stovetop in a small amount of oil to soften them before adding enough water to just barely cover them and simmering until tender before you puree. Try to always include… read on >
The Alexander Technique: What Could It Do for You?
The Alexander Technique has been used for more than 100 years to improve performance, posture and other body mechanics, yet it’s arguably the least well known method for achieving these benefits. Though some people call it a form of bodywork, practitioners describe it as an educational method, because it teaches you to recognize and then unlearn negative habits, like bad posture and tensing muscles in reaction to stress. The Alexander Technique shows you how to do everyday activities with less effort and greater ease. Business people can benefit by using it to improve vocal projection and voice quality when making presentations. Benefits include: Better mobility and reduced stiffness. Pain relief through better coordination of your head, neck and back. Enhanced performance for athletes as well as performing artists, through better breathing and speed and accuracy of movement. The self-named technique was developed by actor Frederick Matthias Alexander, who was plagued by chronic hoarseness that doctors couldn’t explain. Thinking that the problem could be related to how he was using his voice, he identified habits that were indeed causing it and then how to undo them. Though the number of lessons you’ll want to take varies based on your needs, one study on back pain, published in the BMJ, found that just six one-on-one lessons with an Alexander Technique teacher followed by a home plan was… read on >
‘Hot’ Yoga, Hula Dance Your Way to Healthy Blood Pressure
Moderate exercise is known to improve blood pressure — and that may include activities that are more exotic than a brisk walk, two preliminary studies suggest. In one, researchers found that “hot” yoga classes lowered blood pressure in a small group of people with modestly elevated numbers. In the other, hula dancing showed the same benefit for people who had stubbornly high blood pressure, despite medication. Experts said the findings underscore the importance of exercise when it comes to blood pressure — and the value of finding an activity you enjoy. Hot yoga classes are held in a room that’s heated — usually to about 105 degrees Fahrenheit, though some centers keep the temperature less extreme. The practice is often touted as having health benefits, such as cleansing “toxins” from the body via sweat. For the study, Stacy Hunter and her team at Texas State University recruited 10 adults, ages 20 to 65. All participants had mildly elevated blood pressure: Their systolic pressure (the “top” number) ranged between 120 and 139 mm Hg, and their diastolic pressure was 89 mm Hg or lower. (Readings below 120/80 are considered normal.) The researchers randomly assigned five people to take hot yoga classes three times a week, for 12 weeks; the rest served as a comparison group. Over the 12 weeks, those who did yoga saw their systolic… read on >
Drink Coffee, Avoid Gallstones?
To the many ways in which coffee seems to confer unexpected health benefits, add a lowered risk of painful gallstones. After tracking nearly 105,000 Danes for an average of eight years, researchers found that those who downed more than six cups per day of the world’s most popular beverage saw their gallstone risk drop by 23%. “High coffee intake is associated with a lower risk of gallstone disease,” said study author Dr. A. Tybjaerg-Hansen. She’s chief physician of Rigshospitalet’s department of clinical biochemistry at Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark. That’s good news for Danes, 6% of whom drink six or more cups of coffee every day, she said. But what about the average Dane, who knocks back just two cups a day? Or the average American or Brit who consumes between one to two cups daily? The study has good news for them, too. It turns out that even small amounts of coffee appeared to lower gallstone risk. Compared to those who abstained from coffee, participants who drank just one cup of Joe a day saw the risk of gallstones dip by about 3%. Meanwhile, those who consumed three to six cups per day saw their risk slide by 17%. The findings were published Sept. 5 in the Journal of Internal Medicine. Gallstones are hard pebble-like pieces that can accumulate in the gallbladder, where they… read on >
Dark Skin No Protection Against Sun’s Harmful Rays
The widely held belief that people with dark skin don’t need to use sunscreen is a potentially deadly myth, an expert warns. “There’s a common colloquial phrase, ‘black don’t crack’ — meaning your skin will always be good. You won’t get wrinkles and you don’t need sunscreen if you have melanin-rich skin,” said Dr. Jenna Lester, a dermatologist at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). But there’s no truth to that, she added. Too much sun can cause common problems in people with dark skin, such as hyperpigmentation and melasma (dark spots), and dark skin doesn’t protect against the ultraviolet rays of the sun that can cause skin cancer. Believing otherwise can be fatal, she explained. “Melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer, is less common among people of color, but they have a much higher rate of dying from it,” Lester said. “That has to do with this misinformation about darker skin. They may not even know skin cancer is a possibility,” she noted in a university news release. An example of the risk is music legend Bob Marley, who was only 36 when he died from an aggressive form of melanoma that mainly affects people of color. Black Americans have the lowest survival rates for melanoma of any racial group in the United States. This is because in blacks, melanoma is… read on >
Some People Vaccinated Against Mumps May Not Be Protected: Study
There are gaps in immunity against mumps among college-aged Americans who were vaccinated in childhood, researchers say. New findings show the need to learn more about the immune system response to mumps and mumps vaccination. Mumps is a highly contagious viral disease that can spread rapidly among people in close living quarters, such as college students and sports teams. In the last 15 years, several outbreaks have occurred across the United States. Outbreaks have recently been reported in U.S. migrant detention facilities. “Overall, the MMR [measles, mumps, rubella] vaccine has been great, with a 99% reduction in measles, mumps and rubella disease, and a significant reduction in associated complications since its introduction,” said Dr. Sri Edupuganti. She is an associate professor of medicine at Emory University School of Medicine, in Atlanta. “What we’re seeing now with these mumps outbreaks is a combination of two things — a few people were not making a strong immune response to begin with, and the circulating strain has drifted away from the strain that is in the vaccine,” she explained in a university news release. The study, by researchers at Emory and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), included 71 people, aged 18 to 23, in the Atlanta area. Nearly all (69) had received two MMR doses, but 80% received their second dose more than a… read on >
Health Tip: Living With a Herniated Disc
(HealthDay News) — A herniated disc is a spinal injury that can be caused by excessive strain, says the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. Symptoms of a herniated disc can range from a soft back ache to extreme pain or numbness. After diagnosis, doctors usually recommend that patients maintain a low, painless activity level for a few days or weeks. For mild-to-moderate pain, patients can use anti-inflammatory medication and physical therapy. Physical therapy may entail ice and heat therapy, electrical muscle stimulation and stretching exercises. For a herniated diss that causes severe pain, a doctor may recommend surgery.
Health Tip: Treating Whiplash
(HealthDay News) — From a car accident to a sports mishap, any incident that snaps the head forward and backward can trigger whiplash. Hallmarks of whiplash include pain, decreased range of motion and stiff neck. Because the injury can’t always be seen in imaging tests, symptoms are the primary way to identify whiplash, says Cleveland Clinic. To treat whiplash, you can perform stretching exercises three-to-four times a day. Cleveland Clinic suggests that you rotate the neck from side to side, tilt the head from side to side, move the neck forward toward the chest and backward, and roll the shoulders in circles. Cleveland Clinic also recommends applying ice to the area to loosen tight muscles. If there’s significant pain, visit a doctor.