Weekly Gravy « Weekly Gravy

All Sauce from Weekly Gravy:

Living in the city can be hard on the senses and the spirit, but spending some time in a tree-lined park could counteract that stress, new research suggests. “Over a three-month period, we collected tweets from 4,688 Twitter users before, during and after they posted from the park,” explained study author Aaron Schwartz. He’s a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Vermont’s school of environment and natural resources and the Gund Institute for Environment. All of the 160 parks that were visited in the study were located in the city of San Francisco. About 100,000 tweets were analyzed by a hedonometer, a kind of online happiness dictionary that ranks words according to their happiness content. Tweeting “jail,” for example, would bank a score of less than 2, while a tweet of “hahaha” would render a score nearly 8. After comparing pre-park tweets to post-park tweets, the study authors concluded that parks trigger a mood bump equivalent to that seen at Christmas, the day hedonometer happiness levels hit their peak. The team didn’t track how long participants spent in parks, so they can’t say how short a visit might trigger a mood change. And some parks turned out to be better mood boosters than others. Large regional parks with lots of tree cover and vegetation conferred the biggest happiness lift, while paved urban plazas offered the… read on >

If you’re satisfied with your life, you probably have emotional well-being. Emotional well-being can be mastered just like any other skill, according to Richard Davidson, founder of the Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. How? By developing four key traits, said Davidson, a neuroscientist. The first is resilience. Research at the Center for Healthy Minds found that, over time, regular mindfulness meditation can help you learn how to bounce back from adversity. Mindfulness meditation teaches you to become aware of your thoughts and emotions, center yourself and decide how you would like to proceed with the rest of your day. (Find out more at mindful.org.) Having a positive outlook is the second key trait — both finding the positive in others and being positive in the way you approach life. Another type of meditation called compassion meditation is said to bring measurable changes after two weeks of 30-minute-a-day sessions. The goal is to switch from being judgmental to being caring. Next is improving your attention level. A Harvard study found most people spend nearly half of their waking hours not paying attention to what they’re doing. Letting the mind wander typically makes people unhappy, the researchers concluded. Practice focusing on the here and now, one task or activity at a time. Finally, become more generous of spirit. This means feeling happy for… read on >

Forty percent of U.S. parents say they would likely find a new doctor if their child’s primary care provider sees families who refuse childhood vaccines, a nationwide poll finds. And three in 10 say their child’s primary care provider should not treat youngsters whose parents refuse all vaccines. Those are key findings of the latest C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health from the University of Michigan. The findings, published Aug. 19, are based on responses from 2,032 parents of at least one child aged 18 or younger. “When a family refuses all childhood vaccines, it puts providers in a challenging position,” poll co-director Sarah Clark said in a university news release announcing the findings. Not only is an unvaccinated child unprotected against harmful and contagious diseases (such as measles, whooping cough and chickenpox), those who skip vaccines also pose a risk of transmitting diseases to other patients, she pointed out. “This can be especially risky exposure for vulnerable populations, including infants too young to receive vaccines, elderly patients, patients with weakened immune systems or pregnant women,” Clark added. But many parents were unaware of their health care provider’s policies, and some were unconcerned. Thirty-nine percent said their child’s primary care provider requires patients to get all recommended vaccines; 8% said only some vaccines are required; and 15% said their provider has no… read on >

(HealthDay News) — To maintain a healthy weight, how much you eat is just as important as what you eat, says the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Your optimal portion size may or may not match the serving size listed on a product. It’s dependent on your age, weight and metabolism, among other factors. To manage food portions at home, the agency recommends: Do not eat out of the box or bag. Take out a serving and eat it off a plate. Avoid eating in front of the TV or while busy with other activities. Focus on what you are eating, chew well and enjoy your food. Eat fewer high-fat, high-calorie foods. Freeze food you won’t serve or eat right away. Eat meals at regular times. Buy low-calorie snacks.

If you spend a lot of nights watching the clock instead of sleeping, new research suggests you may need to be as concerned about your heart health as you are about lost shut-eye. People with genetic variants linked to insomnia have an increased risk of heart disease, heart failure and stroke, according to the study. “Good sleep is important for reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease,” said study author Susanna Larsson. She’s from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. “A potential explanation for our observed associations between insomnia and heart disease and stroke is that insomnia problems potentially lead to the metabolic syndrome, including high blood pressure, increased body weight and type 2 diabetes, which increase the risk of coronary artery disease and stroke,” she said. Insomnia affects up to 30% of the general population, the study authors said. More than 200 genetic variants are associated with insomnia complaints. For the new study, the researchers looked at health information on more than 1.3 million people in Europe. The investigators compared whether or not genetic variants linked to insomnia were also associated with the risk of heart conditions and stroke. The study found that people with a genetic predisposition to insomnia had a higher risk of heart disease, heart failure and stroke that affected large blood vessels. Other types of stroke were not increased. The researchers… read on >

A middle-aged woman had persistent symptoms that doctors couldn’t explain. Frustrated, she took an increasingly common route: a search through the internet. “Dr. Google” led the woman to specialists at Wake Forest University Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C. There, she was diagnosed with a rare genetic condition called autosomal dominant tubulointerstitial kidney disease (ADTKD). This gradually causes the kidneys to stop working. “My two brothers, mother, cousin, second cousin, uncle, and two great uncles suffered from kidney disease, but no doctor had made a diagnosis,” recalled the woman, who prefers to remain anonymous. “Two nephrologists I saw did not know about this condition,” she said. Another doctor made an incorrect diagnosis and treatment, while advising her to “just let me do the worrying.” The patient didn’t take that advice. “We were prompted to search the internet when several family members had worsening kidney disease, and no one could diagnose it,” she said. So her brother searched “gout” and “kidney disease” online, and found Wake Forest’s specialists. As her situation indicates, figuring out what’s going on when a rare disease strikes can be tricky. Most primary care physicians are not trained to spot a rare disease. And even specialists can have a tough time unraveling the mysteries of an illness they may not have seen before. For many patients, this means going months, if not years,… read on >

Planning for your children’s return to school this fall should include thinking about how to pack healthy lunches that they’ll enjoy. Try to include children in the process of creating their lunches, including buying food and packing (or helping pack) their lunches. This lets them make their own choices and helps them learn about nutrition, according to Manisha Vaidya, a clinical dietitian at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Many grocery stores offer a variety of ready-to-pack cut fruits and veggies, as well as dried fruits and unsalted nuts, pre-portioned cheese and single-serve yogurts, hummus and cracker cups, and tuna and chicken pouches. Direct your children to these fruit, veggie, grain and protein products for their lunch shopping and menu planning. A good-quality lunch box, water bottle, thermal beverage container, some cool packs and some reusable containers will help lunches stay cool and fresh, increasing the chances that children will eat more of their lunches, according to a university news release. Ensure food safety. Put an ice pack in your child’s lunch box if they’re having yogurt/deli sandwich/fresh vegetables, or fruits. Teach children about hand sanitation and safe food handling and storage. Create a reward plan with your child for finishing school lunches and choosing healthy snacks. It can be something such as a trip to the bookstore, a play day at the park with… read on >

Healthy kids do better in school — something parents need to think about as they prepare for a new academic year. “As a parent and grandparent, I know that back-to-school time is a busy time. Yet, I encourage parents and students to be mindful of some health essentials to add to your to-do lists,” said Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Getting a flu shot this fall, frequent hand-washing, and staying active all contribute to a healthier and more productive academic year,” he said in a CDC news release. Hand-washing with soap and water is one of the best ways to remove germs, avoid illness and prevent the spread of colds, flu and other diseases to others. At school, students should wash before eating; after using the toilet; and after blowing their nose, coughing or sneezing. Healthy eating and physical activity are also important. Most children consume nearly half their calories at school, making it an important place to learn and practice healthy eating habits. Physical activity can ease anxiety and help kids focus in school. Experts say children should get at least 60 minutes of physical activity a day. They point out that nearly 20% of U.S. kids are obese, making them more likely to have health problems such as asthma and high blood pressure, and to… read on >

Dairy foods have been getting a lot of attention from researchers in recent years, notably from studies done both jointly and separately by scientists at Harvard and Tufts universities. They looked at the relationship between full-fat dairy and the risks for heart disease and diabetes. A 3,000-participant study found that people who included dairy fat in their diet had a lower risk of diabetes. One theory for the link is that people who skip or limit dairy might compensate by eating more refined, low-fiber carbohydrates, which can increase diabetes risk. A study that followed more than 200,000 people over several decades looked at the relationship between dairy fat intake and heart disease. It found no increase in heart disease risk among people who ate dairy fat, although the risk was lowered when calories from dairy fat were replaced with calories from plant-based fats or whole grains — 24% when they were replaced by polyunsaturated fats and 28% when replaced with whole grains. On the other hand, the risk went up by 6% if those calories went instead to foods with other types of saturated fat, like red meat. A third piece of research reviewed nine studies that looked specifically at butter, another source of saturated fat, and its role in heart disease, diabetes and all causes of death. The analysis found that while plant-based fats… read on >

You might know your blood pressure and cholesterol numbers, but do you know your cardiorespiratory fitness level? Experts at the American Heart Association think this number may be an even better gauge of heart health. Cardiorespiratory fitness shows how aerobically fit you are and how effectively your circulatory system sends oxygen throughout your body. Research indicates that poor aerobic fitness is associated with a high risk of heart disease as well as death from various causes. It’s as dangerous as chronic illnesses and smoking. Yet cardiorespiratory fitness is the one risk factor not routinely checked at doctor visits — unless you request it. Your doctor can measure cardiorespiratory fitness through what’s called your maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max) or from readings taken while you do an aerobic workout. This reveals your body’s capacity for transporting and using oxygen during exercise. In between doctor visits, for a quick snapshot of your cardiorespiratory fitness profile, you can use an online calculator to test yourself. It’s not the same as having an actual test, but you’ll get a good idea of where you are for your age. The good news about cardiorespiratory fitness is that you can improve it. How? By exercising on a regular and consistent basis. In healthy adults, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) more effectively raises cardiorespiratory fitness than moderate-intensity continuous training, even if you burn… read on >

Weekly Gravy

Look Good – Feel Good – Feed Good

A little about: Weekly Gravy

All Sauce from Weekly Gravy:

City Parks Are a Mood Booster

The 4 Keys to Emotional Well-Being

Many Parents Would Switch Doctors Over Vaccination Policy, Poll Finds

Health Tip: Exercise Portion Control

How Sleep Woes May Strain Your Heart

‘Dr. Google’ Helps Some Patients Diagnose a Rare Disease

As School Starts, Pack That Lunch With Nutritional Goodies

5 Health Tips to Promote Back-to-School Success

Is Dairy Fat Different?

Do You Know Your Cardiorespiratory Fitness Level?