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Get Back to Nature to Put Stress at Bay

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A small daily dose of nature may be the perfect prescription for stress. An eight-week study found that people who spent at least 20 minutes a day in places that made them feel connected to nature had significantly lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol. This so-called “nature pill” could be a low-cost antidote to the negative health impacts of urbanization and an indoor lifestyle dominated by screen viewing, researchers said. “We know that spending time in nature reduces stress, but until now it was unclear how much is enough, how often to do it, or even what kind of nature experience will benefit us,” said lead author and associate professor MaryCarol Hunter. She studies social, psychological and ecological aspects of sustainable urban design at the University of Michigan. The findings were recently published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology. The study involved 36 city dwellers. “Participants were free to choose the time of day, duration, and the place of their nature experience, which was defined as anywhere outside that in the opinion of the participant, made them feel like they’ve interacted with nature,” Hunter said in a journal news release. “There were a few constraints to minimize factors known to influence stress: take the nature pill in daylight, no aerobic exercise, and avoid the use of social media, internet, phone calls, conversations and reading,”…  read on >

Health Tip: Pool Safety

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(HealthDay News) — A tragedy can happen in any swimming pool without proper supervision, says Intermountain Healthcare. Following water safety guidelines can prevent children from drowning. Intermountain Healthcare urges parents to: Always watch children who are in the water. Be alert. Learn infant and child CPR. Have a phone nearby in case of emergency. Never leave children alone or with siblings. Enclose a pool inside a fence. Teach children to swim.

Faith-Based Fitness Programs: What’s in It for You?

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Faith-based fitness is on the rise, according to trend-watchers at the American Council on Exercise, with many churches, mosques, synagogues and temples developing programs that promote health and wellness. From exercise classes to nutrition advice and health coaching, congregants can enhance their physical as well as their spiritual well-being. More than just another fitness fad, research has found an explanation for the spirituality-wellness connection: The strong sense of community in faith-based programs can lead to fitness success. That’s especially true when they include partnerships with health organizations, local hospitals, medical schools and other access to medical experts, and when they promote positive behavioral changes and supportive social relationships. These programs can instill a commitment among participants that exceeds that of a commercial diet group, for instance. Studies show that traditional houses of worship tend to offer more disease screening and health education activities, while more modern ones tend to offer disease prevention and lifestyle activities to the community at large. At their core, all such programs address fitness and health issues in a spiritual environment that may make it easier to change habits because of congregants’ belief in their church’s role in promoting health along with the ability to deepen bonds with fellow congregants. If your religious institution offers exercise classes, consider the role they can play in achieving your fitness goals and take the…  read on >

Just a Little More Exercise Can Add Years to Your Life

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No matter your fitness level, adding just a little more exercise may prolong your life, new research suggests. “People think they have to start going to the gym and exercising hard to get fitter,” said researcher Elin Ekblom-Bak, from the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences in Stockholm. “But it doesn’t have to be that complicated. For most people, just being more active in daily life — taking the stairs, exiting the metro station early, cycling to work — is enough to benefit health since levels are so low to start with,” she said. “The more you do, the better.” Ekblom-Bak and her colleagues looked at more than 316,000 adults in Sweden, aged 18 to 74, whose heart-lung (cardiorespiratory) fitness was assessed between 1995 and 2015. Participants rode a stationary cycle to determine the maximum amount of oxygen the heart and lungs can provide the muscles during exercise, a measure called VO2 max. Overall, the risk of all-cause death and death from cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke fell 2.8% to 3.2% for each milliliter increase in VO2 max. The benefits of increased activity were seen in men and women, in all age groups, and at all fitness levels. The study was to be presented Friday at a European Society of Cardiology meeting, in Lisbon, Portugal. Such research is considered preliminary until…  read on >

Hospital Privacy Curtains Could Be Breeding Ground for Germs

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Privacy curtains in hospital rooms might offer patients some personal dignity, but they can also harbor dangerous, drug-resistant bacteria. That’s the claim of a new study where researchers took more than 1,500 samples from privacy curtains in 625 rooms at six skilled nursing facilities in Michigan. The samples were collected from the parts of the curtains touched most often. Samples were also gathered from patients. Sampling was done when patients were admitted, and again after 14 days and 30 days, and then monthly up to six months, when possible. The findings showed that 22% of the samples from the privacy curtains tested positive for multidrug-resistant organisms, with contamination rates ranging from 12% to 28.5%, depending on the facility. Of those samples, nearly 14% were contaminated with vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), 6% with resistant gram-negative bacilli, and about 5% with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). “We were surprised to see that multidrug-resistant organisms, especially VRE, shed by patients routinely contaminate their privacy curtains. These pathogens on privacy curtains often survive and have the potential to transfer to other surfaces and patients,” the study authors wrote. In fact, the same resistant germs were detected on patients and their privacy curtain in nearly 16% of the sampling visits, the researchers found. “Patient colonization with MRSA and VRE were each associated with contamination of the bedside curtain,” according to Dr. Lona…  read on >

Kids’ ER Visits for Swallowing Toys, Foreign Objects Have Doubled Since 1990s

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About 100 kids a day are rushed to U.S. emergency rooms after accidentally swallowing a toy piece, battery, magnet or other foreign object, according to new research. That’s almost twice as many as in the mid-1990s. “The sheer number of these injuries is cause for concern,” said Dr. Danielle Orsagh-Yentis, lead author of the study published in the May issue of Pediatrics. It reported that ER visits among kids under age 6 due to accidental ingestion rose by an average of more than 4% every year between 1995 and 2015. Over that period, an estimated 800,000 kids in that age group were treated after swallowing foreign objects. Coins are the main culprit, followed by jewelry, batteries and toy parts. In 1995, there were about 9 cases of accidental ingestion for every 10,000 children. By 2015, that figure had shot up to nearly 18. So, what the reason for the surge — an actual rise in accident rates or are experts simply getting better at logging and reporting such accidents? While the jury is still out, Orsagh-Yentis said, the answer is probably both. Some products investigated — particularly the small circular batteries known as “button batteries” — are increasingly being used around the house or have become more readily available to consumers, she said. And, she added, it’s likely that the nationwide injury surveillance system is…  read on >

Step-by-Step Exercises for a Stronger Back

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Are you neglecting or even unaware of the muscles in your back? If so, you’re putting yourself at risk. The trapezius is the diamond-shaped muscle that runs from neck to middle back and from shoulder to shoulder across the back. The latissimus dorsi — or “lats” — are the large back muscles that run from either side of the spine to your waist. Here are two strength-training exercises that will help you develop these muscles for better upper body fitness. Important: Start with a weight that allows you to complete at least eight reps with proper form, perhaps as low as 2-pound dumbbells. Build up to 10 to 15 reps for one complete set, and progress from one to three complete sets before increasing the weight. Never jerk the weights — controlled, steady movement is what brings results. Standing dumbbell rows target the trapezius muscles as well as the upper arms and shoulders. Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart, with a weight in each hand. Your elbows should be slightly bent, the dumbbells touching the fronts of your thighs, palms facing your body. As you exhale, use a slow, controlled movement to lift the weights straight up by bending the elbows up and out to bring the weights to shoulder level. Hold for a second, then inhale as you lower your arms to the starting position.…  read on >

Easy, Delicious Recipes From Your Blender

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Blenders aren’t just for whipping up fruity drinks. You can also use them to make delicious savory recipes such as dressings, spreads and soups, all in seconds. For a tasty black bean dip that’s delicious hot or cold, blend a 15-ounce can of cooked black beans (perfect for helping reach daily fiber goals) with two cloves of peeled garlic and a cup of your favorite low-salt salsa. Watching calories? Use celery stalks and bell pepper quarters instead of chips to scoop it up. If you have two minutes, you can make a calorie-friendly cold avocado soup that’s sweet, tangy and high in nutrients. Blend a half-cup of green or red grapes with the flesh of a whole avocado, a handful of almonds and a splash of tangy vinegar. Olive tapenade is a chunky puree that can be used as a sauce for pasta or chicken, as a spread for sandwiches or wraps, and as a topping for a great tasting simple zucchini dish to enjoy as an appetizer or vegetarian meal. Zucchini Bites With Tapenade 1 cup olives 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil Juice and zest of 1 lemon 2 garlic cloves 2 medium zucchini, stems removed and cut in half lengthwise 1 cup whole-milk mozzarella, shredded Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Blend the olives, oil, lemon juice and zest, and the garlic until…  read on >

Sunscreen’s Secret Bonus: It Could Help Keep You Cool

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Sunscreen may do double duty when you’re outside on a summer day, keeping you cool as it protects your skin from the sun’s harmful rays. New research suggests how: When unprotected skin is exposed to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays, skin cells typically see a drop in levels of nitric oxide. This compound helps the skin’s small blood vessels to relax and widen. Reduced nitric oxide results in a reduction in blood flow to the skin, which can throw a person’s body temperature out of whack. But applying SPF-50 sunscreen can halt that chain of events, the researchers said. “When sunscreen was applied to the skin before ultraviolet light exposure during the current study, it completely protected against the negative effects of ultraviolet light on nitric oxide and skin blood vessel function,” explained study author S. Tony Wolf. He is a Ph.D. candidate in exercise physiology and a predoctoral research fellow at the Center for Healthy Aging at Penn State University. Wolf and his colleagues presented their findings this week at a meeting of the American Physiological Society, in Orlando, Fla. Such research is considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal. To test how well sunscreen protects against heat stress, investigators enlisted 13 healthy adults aged 24 and older. All were described as having light to medium skin tones. For the study, total UV…  read on >

Many Misdiagnosed With MS

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Almost one in five multiple sclerosis patients may be misdiagnosed with the autoimmune disease, according to a new study. Of 241 previously diagnosed multiple sclerosis (MS) patients referred to two major Los Angeles medical centers for treatment, nearly 18% did not actually have the autoimmune disease, the researchers found. Those patients spent an average of nearly four years being treated for MS before receiving a correct diagnosis, the study authors said. “I’ve seen patients suffering side effects from the medication they were taking for a disease they didn’t have,” said study leader Dr. Marwa Kaisey, from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. “Meanwhile, they weren’t getting treatment for what they did have. The cost to the patient is huge — medically, psychologically, financially,” Kaisey said in a Cedars-Sinai news release. The most common correct diagnosis among the patients misdiagnosed with MS was migraine (16%), followed by radiologically isolated syndrome, a condition in which patients do not experience symptoms of MS even though their imaging tests look similar to those of MS patients. Other diagnoses included nerve damage and a disorder of the vertebrae called spondylopathy, the findings showed. Among the patients misdiagnosed with MS, 72% had been prescribed MS treatments. Of those, 48% received therapies that can carry the risk of a viral infection-caused disease in the white matter of the brain (progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy).…  read on >