(HealthDay News) — Before taking an antidepressant, it’s important to take a few factors into consideration, says the American Academy of Family Physicians. The academy suggests: Talk to your doctor about different antidepressant options. Inform your doctor of other medicines, vitamins and supplements you take. Understand that you should not stop taking an antidepressant without speaking with your doctor.
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Can Games and Apps Help Your Kids Learn?
Leading health organizations are warning about the possibility of video game addiction. The World Health Organization has included it in the latest edition of its reference book of health disorders, while the American Psychiatric Association’s book offers warning signs but does not yet list it as an addiction. So parents might wonder whether any gaming is safe for their kids. If you follow American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines for limiting daily screen time, many games and apps can help with learning, particularly for kids with certain developmental problems. Understood.org is a nonprofit organization that offers ideas and information to help children with learning and attention issues. Its Tech Finder can point parents to specific apps and games that nearly every child could benefit from. From a dropdown menu, you enter your child’s grade and the specific skill he or she would like to build on, such as reading, writing and math; attention and organization; social and motor skills; and speech and listening comprehension. Tech Finder then gives you a list of fun and educational games and apps to try. The site also offers tips for choosing a game or app. In addition to engaging your child by being fun to play, it should be challenging enough to prevent boredom but not so much so that your child gets frustrated from a lack of progress. The… read on >
4 Superfoods to Put on Your Menu Today
Science continues to discover healthy substances in foods beyond vitamins and minerals. Though no one food provides everything you need, here are four trending superfoods — all high in antioxidants — that belong in your kitchen. Green tea has been studied for a possible role in helping to fight everything from cavities to cancer. Among the varieties available, matcha, the special powdered version used in the Japanese tea ceremony, is especially healthful. It easily dissolves in beverages and can add a subtle taste to baked goods. In fact, at many bakeries it’s all the rage. However, you don’t need the calories of cake or pastry to get its nutrients. Sipping the tea is all you need. Kefir is a fermented milk with probiotic benefits that may even surpass those of yogurt. It’s available right alongside yogurt in the dairy aisle, but some people have started making their own by buying kefir grains. Kefir adds a tangy flavor to salad dressings and dips, and can be used as a base for smoothies. Cinnamon is so common that you might not realize it has special properties, but it may boost heart health and even fight metabolic syndrome. One study found that the Ceylon, or Sri Lanka, variety is among the most potent anti-inflammatory foods around. Liberally sprinkle cinnamon in coffee, tea and milk, and on top of… read on >
A New Twist to Work Your Obliques
Obliques are the muscles that run along the sides of your torso, from the lower eight ribs to the front of the hip bone. They contract when you rotate your torso, so a great way to develop them is with an exercise called the Russian twist. Lie flat on the floor in a spot where you can tuck your feet under a low piece of furniture to keep them from moving or have a workout buddy hold them in place for you. Bend your knees and raise your upper body to make a V-shape with your thighs. Extend your arms in front of you from the shoulders, lifting them until they’re parallel with your thighs, hands together. Tighten your abdomen — think of trying to bring your navel to your spine. Now twist your entire upper body, arms included, to the right side. Hold, then return to start. Repeat to the left. That’s one full repetition. Do two sets of 12 to 15 reps in all. As you get more advanced, you can hold a weight in both hands for added resistance. One type of weight that’s easy to hold is the medicine ball. This is a weighted ball, not the kind of inflated exercise ball that you might sit on for balance exercises. Choose a weight that slows down your movement. Each rep should… read on >
Health Tip: Horseback Trail Riding Safety
(HealthDay News) –Horseback trail riding is a fun, leisure activity for many Americans. However, it is important to follow rules for trail safety, says the Minnesota State Department of Natural Resources. It encourages people to: Wear a helmet and appropriate footwear. If your horse kicks, tie a red ribbon in its tail. Do not bring unruly horses on public trails. Ride in groups. Carry a trail map and cellphone.
Good Smells May Help Ease Tobacco Cravings
Could quitting tobacco involve something as simple as a pleasant scent? New research suggests it’s possible. U.S. smoking rates have fallen over the past 50 years, but about 40 million Americans still smoke, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At least half of adult smokers report trying to quit in the past year, but half of those who try to quit relapse within two weeks. “Even with nicotine replacement, relapse is common,” said the study’s lead author, Michael Sayette, of the University of Pittsburgh. “New interventions are urgently needed to help the millions who wish to quit but are unable.” The study included 232 smokers, aged 18 to 55, who were not trying to quit and were not using any nicotine replacement, such as gum or vaping. In a series of experiments, the researchers found that the smokers’ cigarette cravings declined after they smelled pleasant aromas, such as chocolate, apple, peppermint, lemon or vanilla. “Despite disappointing relapse rates, there have been few new approaches to smoking cessation, in general, and to craving relief in particular,” Sayette said in a news release from the American Psychological Association. “Using pleasant odors to disrupt smoking routines would offer a distinct and novel method for reducing cravings, and our results to this end are promising,” he added. Pleasant aromas may work by distracting smokers from… read on >
Helping the Young Mind Grow
Whether you call it snowplow, bulldozer or helicopter parenting, these child-rearing styles have gotten a lot of attention recently, and the acknowledgment that they may not be the best way to raise a confident, well-adjusted young person. Moving obstacles out of a child’s way is not the same as providing the nurturing he or she needs. Scientists know that one very important period for brain growth occurs during the preschool years. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis analyzed a series of brain scans of children from this age through the early teen years. The aim: to learn how mom’s early support affected development of the hippocampus, the area of the brain critical to learning, memory and regulating emotions, such as stress. The investigators saw a sharper rise in the volume of the hippocampus in kids who had early nurturing, and found that these kids were healthier emotionally when they entered their teens. Hippocampus volume was smaller in teens whose mothers were less supportive during the preschool period, even if the moms were more nurturing in their elementary or middle school years. So how can you best show support for your children? Start with a positive approach, and parent with your child’s emotional well-being in mind. Offer words of encouragement and praise as they work on and then complete tasks. Show affection… read on >
Is Your Inner Critic Ruining Your Love Life?
Many people are plagued by self-criticism, that inner voice that questions every decision and every move. It can keep you from reaching goals and erode self-confidence. And when it happens during intimacy, it can ruin your sex life and your relationship. No topic is taboo for the inner critic’s scrutiny — your attractiveness or your attraction to your partner, your sexual needs, your performance, and all these aspects of your partner as well. These thoughts can start before the first moment of intimacy and escalate to the point where your mind is not on your partner when lovemaking, but caught up in destructive thoughts. Experts say that to challenge your inner critic, you should first write down all these thoughts in detail, but do so in the second person to distance yourself from them. The next step is harder, but effective: Verbalize these thoughts with your partner. By voicing them, rather than letting them fester in your head, you can both put them in perspective and, together, debunk them. You might start by explaining that self-doubt is keeping you from feeling a close bond during intimacy, and then share your doubts and fears. Be gentle if any of your thoughts directly concern your partner, such as his or her ability to satisfy you. You might each use this opportunity to talk about what gives you… read on >
Don’t Prosecute Sexting Teens as Child Pornographers, Researchers Say
In many U.S. states, teenagers who send “sext” messages to each other can be prosecuted as child pornographers — and that should end, researchers argue. Many states have recently passed laws that specifically address teen sexting — exempting it, to varying degrees, from longstanding child pornography statutes. But in 23 states, those outdated laws still apply to teenagers who willingly send sexual messages to each other. The penalty is up to 20 years in prison and a lifetime as a registered sex offender, according to Dr. Victor Strasburger, of the University of New Mexico, in Albuquerque. Writing in the May issue of the journal Pediatrics, he and his colleagues contend that it’s time for all states to revisit their child pornography laws. Consensual teen-to-teen sexting should be addressed by parents, schools and health providers — not the criminal justice system, they said. “I absolutely agree,” said Elizabeth Englander, a professor of psychology at Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts. “This needs to be treated as a developmental and educational issue.” Englander, who also directs the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center at Bridgewater, studies kids’ technology use — including issues like sexting and cyberbullying. It’s no secret that teenagers today are attached to their devices. In the United States, 95% of teens own or have access to a smartphone, according to Strasburger’s team. So, it’s also no surprise… read on >
‘Added Sugars’ Label on Foods Could Save Many Lives
A new Nutrition Facts label that highlights the amount of added sugars in food could prevent nearly 1 million cases of heart disease and type 2 diabetes, a new study suggests. The new label, first proposed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in May 2016, adds a new line under the Total Carbohydrate category that details the amount of sugar that has been added on top of the sugars already contained in a food product. If consumers had access to this new label, their food choices could prevent more than 350,000 cases of heart disease and nearly 600,000 cases of type 2 diabetes over the next two decades, researchers predicted using a computer model. This would save the United States $31 billion in health care costs and $62 billion in productivity and other societal costs, said senior researcher Renata Micha. She’s an associate research professor at the Tufts University School of Nutrition Science and Policy, in Boston. These effects could be even stronger if the new Nutrition Facts label prompts food manufacturers to reduce the amount of sugar they add to products, Micha said. “If this added sugar label prompts the food industry to reformulate even a portion of its products to have fewer added sugars, these health and financial benefits would be doubled, which is a staggering impact,” Micha said. Added sugars account… read on >