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Guarding against injury means increasing both flexibility and strength. Target the muscles that support your ankles to protect your joints by strength-training two or three times a week on alternating days and always after you’ve warmed up. Start by using a resistance band to work calf muscles. Sit on the floor, with legs straight. Wrap the center of the band around your right foot and hold the ends taut in both hands. Flex toes, hold and return to start. Complete your reps. Next, point your toes, hold and return to start, adjusting the tautness of the bands in your hands as needed. Complete reps, then repeat the entire sequence with your left foot. Now move to calf raises using your own body weight for resistance. Hold the back of a chair or face a wall and place your hands against it for balance. Lift your left foot behind you, heel toward your butt, placing all your weight on your right leg. Now lift just your right heel off the floor. Hold for three seconds, then lower. Complete your reps, then switch legs and repeat. For both exercises, start with one set of eight reps and build to three sets of 10 to 12 reps. To avoid injury, always build up endurance gradually, no matter what the activity, and get instruction if needed so that you… read on >

When it comes to allergies, allergic rhinitis with its congested, itchy nose gets a lot of attention. But for some, allergic conjunctivitis with itchy, watery eyes is the greater nuisance. You might even have both reactions. Allergic conjunctivitis is inflammation of the conjunctiva — the layer of tissue lining the eyelids and covering the whites of the eyes. It’s caused by contact with a substance you’re allergic to, such as outdoor pollen or indoor pet dander or dust spores. Blood vessels in the eye swell, and eyes become itchy and red, and start to tear. People with seasonal allergies typically have a stronger reaction when outdoors on hot, dry days when the pollen count is high. Symptoms tend to be less severe for people with indoor allergies, though these can occur any time of the year and flare anytime you stir up dust, from vacuuming to grooming your dog. The symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis include itchy, burning, red eyes; puffy, swollen eyelids; watery eyes and/or stringy discharge; and sensitivity to light. Though the best way to avoid symptoms is to avoid the substances that trigger your allergy, this isn’t always possible. Try treating symptoms with lubricating eye drops and by applying cool compresses. Antihistamine medications may help, but they can make watery eyes too dry, so use with caution. How to Reduce Indoor Allergy Exposure… read on >

Minus 29 Fahrenheit in Fargo, minus 28 in Minneapolis, minus 13 in Des Moines. With potential record-setting low temperatures ahead for much of the nation, one expert warns that frostbite can quickly strike exposed skin. “With wind chills approaching the single digits and below zero, it is possible to develop ‘frostnip’ with progression to frostbite in exposed areas in as little as 20 to 30 minutes,” said emergency medicine physician Dr. Robert Glatter. Frostnip is the first stage of frostbite. At this point, skin turns red and irritated, but there’s no permanent damage, said Glatter, who practices at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. “You can treat mild cases of frostnip with simple re-warming of the skin with warm water,” he said. However, “severe frostbite requires immediate medical attention, because it can cause permanent damage to skin, underlying tissue, as well as bones and muscle, and may lead to complications including infection, and nerve damage,” Glatter warned. With full-blown frostbite, the skin and tissue just beneath it freezes. According to the Mayo Clinic, frostbite first leaves the skin feeling warm, but as it progresses numbness sets in, and joints and muscles stop working. In severe cases, frostbitten tissue turns hard and black, and dies. Frostnip and frostbite tend to affect smaller and more exposed areas of the body, such as the nose, fingers, toes,… read on >

For years, you’ve probably heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day if you’re trying to maintain a healthy weight. But new research suggests that’s not true. Eating a hearty breakfast doesn’t help people eat less later in the day, and those who have breakfast end up eating more calories each day, the review found. “We should not change diets to include breakfast eating in order to lose weight. Do what works best for you,” said review senior author Flavia Cicuttini. She is head of the musculoskeletal unit at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. “The evidence is that eating breakfast does tend to add to the overall calorie intake of the person and to overall weight gain,” Cicuttini said. But she also noted that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to eating breakfast. Some people like breakfast and some don’t. The results of the study were published online Jan. 30 in the BMJ. Tim Spector, author of an accompanying journal editorial, agreed that whether or not to eat breakfast should be based on personal preferences. Spector, himself a breakfast eater, said that “everyone has a unique metabolism, set of genes and very different gut microbes and will react to different foods. Don’t take standard guidelines as gospel. Experiment yourself [to learn] what is best for your body.” Previous studies have suggested that eating… read on >

E-cigarette use is surging among American teenagers, with millions of kids flirting with nicotine addiction by regularly vaping. Unfortunately, these kids are going to face a rocky road if they try to kick their nicotine habit, experts say. There are no tested or approved methods for quitting e-cigarettes, said Linda Richter, director of policy research and analysis at the Center on Addiction. “The science of vaping cessation hasn’t caught up with the tremendous rise in use,” Richter said. “There really isn’t much out there that’s been proven.” Teens addicted to vaping must rely on methods that have been shown to help tobacco quitters, but it’s not clear that those methods will be useful when it comes to e-cigarettes. “It’s shocking to a lot of people in the field that we were so close to, if not eliminating, then really reducing cigarette smoking and tobacco use among young people. They just aren’t interested in cigarette smoking,” Richter said. “This was really going to go away, and now we have this whole generation of kids addicted to nicotine again and we just don’t know what we’re going to do about it.” Nearly two of every five high school seniors have tried e-cigarettes during the past year, according to a federal survey. About 37 percent of 12th graders said they’d vaped within the past 12 months, compared to… read on >

(HealthDay News) — When a thin piece of wood, glass or metal gets embedded within the top layers of your skin, you know how annoying and painful a splinter can be. The U.S. Library of Medicine suggests how to remove a splinter safely: Sterilize a pin or needle by soaking it in rubbing alcohol or by placing the tip in a flame. Wash your hands with soap. Use the pin or needle to gently remove skin over the splinter. Then use the tip of the pin to lift the end of the splinter out. You may need to use tweezers to pull out the splinter after you lift it.

If you’d like to lighten up on carbs without compromising the taste of dishes you love, make cauliflower “rice” your go-to substitute ingredient. Cauliflower is among the healthiest of all vegetables, high in vitamin C, fiber and folate. “Ricing” it simply means pulsing it in a food processor until chunks become the size of rice grains. Then use them for dishes that call for rice, pasta and even potatoes. This recipe is a great substitute for traditional fried rice, and you can customize it with additional low-calorie vegetables of your choice. For a complete meal, toss in cooked shrimp or chicken cubes at the end. Cauliflower Fried Rice 1 small head cauliflower, cut into florets 3 tablespoons sesame oil, divided 4 carrots, chopped 1 red or yellow onion, peeled and chopped 2 tablespoons ginger, minced 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 cup corn kernels 1/4 cup chopped cilantro 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce 1 tablespoon hot sauce Place the florets in a food processor and rough chop in about 15 pulses (do this in a few batches for the most consistent “grains.”). Warm a large skillet over medium heat and add one tablespoon of the sesame oil. Add the cauliflower and cook four to five minutes, stirring well until the cauliflower starts to brown. Transfer to a large plate. Heat the remaining oil in the same… read on >

Slow and sneaky weight gain usually happens over time — on average one pound a year — so it’s not always obvious at first, especially if you don’t regularly weigh yourself. But if this weight creep goes unnoticed year after year, by middle age, your middle may lose the sleek look you had when you were younger. Several factors could be to blame. Maybe you’re exercising less because family and work obligations have gotten in the way of regular gym visits. Maybe you’re eating more, such as having a cookie with your daily afternoon cup of tea. Perhaps you simply don’t need as many calories as you used to because of the gradual shift in body composition that can happen with age. Having less muscle and more fat can slow your metabolism, making it easier to gain weight. But you can work to avoid or at least limit this type of weight gain. Start by doing a quick self-evaluation. Has your activity level gone down? Are you eating more than usual? If you answered yes to these questions, make the commitment to get back on track both with diet and exercise. To improve diet, studies that tracked people for 20 years found the key is to switch to a way of eating that emphasizes fruits and vegetables, whole grains and nuts. You can replace low-nutrient… read on >

The research is in its early days, but Chinese scientists say they’re using bartenders’ tricks to stir up a new, reversible male contraceptive. In experiments with rats, the method successfully kept sexually active males from impregnating females for more than two months. “The two most widely used male contraceptives are condom and vasectomy,” noted a team led by Xiaolei Wang, of Nanchang University. “A reliable and reversible medium-term [2 to 20 weeks] contraceptive method between the one-off condom and permanent contraception is urgently needed.” Their potential solution was inspired by the colorful layered cocktails often concocted by bartenders. In these mixes, liquids form distinct layers in a glass. But when stirred or heated, the layers combine into a uniform liquid. So, Wang’s group developed a form of male contraception in which layers of materials are injected into the vas deferens — the duct through which sperm travels from the testicle to the urethra — to block it. The blockage continues until heat applied to the blocked area causes the layers to mix, breaking them down and thereby unplugging the vas deferens. The Chinese group say they tested this method in male rats by injecting four layers of materials into the vas deferens. In sequence, the injected layers were: a hydrogel that forms a physical barrier to sperm; gold nanoparticles that heat up when irradiated with… read on >

(HealthDay News) — Cooking with your child will help build confidence in tasting the unfamiliar, the American Academy of Pediatrics says. By exposing your child to different types of food, you will boost the child’s willingness to try new dishes. The academy mentions these additional potential benefits: You can help your child boost senses besides taste. Use cooking as a way to teach concepts such as counting, measurement and fractions. The family meal can celebrate your cultural heritage. Teach your child the importance of staying safe while cooking. Show the child how to use kitchen tools safely, how to use oven mitts to protect hands, andhow to turn appliances on and off safely. Ask the child for input in planning meals.

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All Sauce from Weekly Gravy:

Exercise Injury Prevention: Protecting Your Ankles

How to Prevent and Treat Eye Allergies

Polar Vortex Brings Frostbite Danger: Protect Yourself

Breakfast Not So Important to Weight Loss After All, Study Finds

As Millions of Teens Get Hooked on Vaping, What Works to Help Them Quit?

Health Tip: Safely Remove a Splinter

Cauliflower: The Versatile Substitute for High-Carb Veggies

How to Head Off Sneaky Weight Gain

‘Cocktail’ Approach Offers Early Hope for New Male Contraceptive

Health Tip: Cook With Your Child