Lifestyle « Weekly Gravy

Taking care of your health is one of the best gifts you can give yourself this holiday season, a medical expert suggests. “This festive time of year can be a lot of fun, but may also hurt our mental and physical health,” said Dr. Joseph Cooke, chairman of the department of medicine at NewYork-Presbyterian Queens hospital. “When we’re stressed or in a rush, it’s easy to forget to take care of ourselves. To have a happy and healthy holiday season, we should all take a few moments to pause, and be mindful of what our body and mind are telling us,” he added in a hospital news release. It’s important to set realistic expectations and goals. Say no to social activities, chores and events when you need to, and be sure your priority is on you, your family and your health. Holiday parties and shopping can expose you to illness-causing germs. Carry an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with you or wash your hands frequently with warm water and soap. Be sure to drink plenty of water. Dehydration can increase levels of the stress hormone cortisol, leading to feelings of anxiety, exhaustion and irritability, according to Cooke. Be active. Try to get at least 30 minutes of outdoor activity every day. For example, go for a run, take a walk with your family, or go ice skating.… read on >

Dry, itchy eyes are a common problem in the winter and low humidity is a major reason, one ophthalmologist says. “On average, the humidity drops in the winter with the colder weather,” said Marissa Locy, an instructor in the department of ophthalmology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. “In addition, most people turn on the heat in their homes or offices to combat the cold. So, what you end up having is lower humidity outside, and even lower humidity inside, making for warm, dry conditions where moisture can evaporate from the eye faster than normal,” she explained in a university news release. If you spend time in heated locations, use a humidifier to add some moisture back into the air. Drink lots of fluids. Keeping your body hydrated will help maintain moisture in your eyes. Don’t blow heat directly onto your face, because this can dry up moisture in your eyes. In your car, direct heat vents towards your lower body. When outdoors, wear eye protection or a hat with a visor to keep particles and wind from getting into your eyes. If you wear contact lenses, be sure to keep them clean. In cold weather, your eyes could dry even more with contacts. Always wearing clean contacts reduces the risk of infection and itching, Locy said. And talk to your doctor. Occasional bouts… read on >

The joy of giving really does last longer than the joy of receiving, researchers report. Experiments with hundreds of participants found their happiness did not decrease, or decreased much slower, if they repeatedly gave small amounts of money to others instead of repeatedly receiving money. The findings suggest that “repeated giving, even in identical ways to identical others, may continue to feel relatively fresh and relatively pleasurable the more that we do it,” said study co-author Ed O’Brien, of the University of Chicago School of Business. In one experiment, university students received $5 a day for five days. They were told to spend the money the exact same way each time — either on themselves or on someone else, such as tipping at the same cafe or making an online donation to the same charity every day. The 96 participants reported their happiness levels each day, and a clear pattern emerged. While all had similar levels of happiness at the start of the study, those who spent money on themselves had a steady decline in happiness over the five days. But happiness was sustained among those who gave their money away. In another experiment, more than 500 participants played 10 rounds of an online word puzzle game. They won 5 cents a round, which they either kept or donated to a charity of their choice.… read on >

Husband or wife, mom or dad, the demands on your time can be overwhelming. But even if there’s no end to your to-do list, securing some time for yourself is a must. While scheduling a mani-pedi or catching a ball game with friends is great, simply closing your office or bedroom door for 30 minutes can give you the time you need to recharge. True quiet time with no distractions and no demands has many benefits. It allows you to focus on important situations you’re dealing with, think more clearly and be more creative. You can even use the time to reflect on the goals you’ve set for yourself and possibly tweak them. Finding private time can seem like a challenge all by itself. You might try waking up 15 minutes before everyone else in your household for quiet reflection before you turn on the TV or any other electronics. In pleasant weather, get outside in the morning sunshine and take a walk around the block or simply water the flowers in your yard. At night, skip the late news and escape to the solitude of your bedroom or a spare room that can become your oasis. You might read, do a crossword puzzle, knit a few rows on a small project or simply practice a few minutes of deep breathing to get yourself centered… read on >

While others are decking the halls, many people find the holidays trigger anxiety and depression. Stress can arise from financial strain, dealing with difficult relatives or trying to create the perfect holiday, said Michelle Martel, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Kentucky. Also, the holidays can bring up sad memories for people who have lost loved ones, she noted in a university news release. But there are things you can do to reduce the risk of stress and mood problems during the holidays, Martel said. For starters, she suggested the following: Get as much sunlight as possible. Reduced exposure to light and less vitamin D from sunlight have been linked with depression. If you can’t get outside, consider using a sun therapy light. Be sure you get enough vitamin D in your diet or take a multivitamin. Get plenty of exercise. If you can’t get outdoors, try a gym or walk the halls at work or at a mall. Exercise benefits both mind and body. Plan stress-free family time. For example, get dinner delivered and don’t feel obliged to go to every holiday get-together put on by family and friends. If family time is stressful or you don’t have family to spend time with, make plans with friends or try to get away for the holidays, Martel suggested. If you’re struggling with… read on >

Jen Godfrey couldn’t shake the “deep cloud” that lingered even after she found an antidepressant she could tolerate. Then a string of stressors hit — five years of fertility treatment and an 80-pound weight gain during pregnancy that left her with persistent pain; a close relative’s suicide; another who went missing; and her own divorce. It was all too much for Godfrey, a recovering alcoholic with a family history of depression. “The life stuff just had a gravitational pull,” said the 44-year-old stay-at-home mom from Reno, Nev. “I just thought: I don’t drink, I’m a good friend, a good mother, a good spouse — I should be a lot happier.” Godfrey’s search for relief pointed her to an unapproved and costly treatment for depression — ketamine. An animal anesthetic best known as the addictive party drug “Special K,” ketamine was approved for use as a human anesthetic in 1970 and it’s often used in emergency care to sedate kids and patients with breathing problems. Low, intravenous doses have been found to boost mood and curb suicidal thoughts, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved it as a treatment for depression. And the American Psychiatric Association (APA) warns patients about the potential for abuse and the lack of large, long-term studies of its effectiveness. Even so, ketamine clinics like the one now treating… read on >

New research shows that marijuana causes genetic changes in sperm, though it’s not clear what effect those changes have, or if they’re passed on to a man’s children. But the scientists said their findings suggest that men trying to have children should consider avoiding marijuana. In experiments with rats and a study involving 24 men, the Duke University team found that tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) — the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana — affects genes in two major cellular pathways and alters DNA methylation, a process essential to normal development. “What we have found is that the effects of cannabis use on males and their reproductive health are not completely null, in that there’s something about cannabis use that affects the genetic profile in sperm,” said senior study author Scott Kollins. He is a professor in psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke. “We don’t yet know what that means, but the fact that more and more young males of child-bearing age have legal access to cannabis is something we should be thinking about,” Kollins said in a university news release. For the study, the researchers compared men who were regular marijuana users (at least weekly for the previous six months) with men who had not used marijuana in the past six months and not more than 10 times in their life. The higher the concentration of THC in… read on >

Does your typical afternoon snack leave you feeling unsatisfied and reaching for more? If your pick-me-up is a bag of salty chips or a chocolate bar, a better (and healthier) way to go is with a high-protein choice, according to research published in The Journal of Nutrition. Snacks can make or break your diet. They can be a bridge from one meal to the next, keeping hunger in check and keeping you from overeating at meals. But if you’re not careful, they can add unwanted and even excessive calories to your daily total. Studies show that people of normal-weight tend to choose healthy snacks, like protein, fruit or whole grains, while overweight people tend to choose snacks high in fat and sugar, often compounding their weight woes. The study, which involved teens, found that surprisingly good snacks are soy-based, high-protein choices — a perfect way to get more plant foods in your diet. When comparing the effects of a high-protein soy snack to a high-fat snack, the researchers found that eating soy protein improves appetite control and diet quality, and helps you feel more satisfied. It can also boost your mood and brain function. Soybeans are nutritionally unique — the only vegetable that offers complete protein, all nine essential amino acids needed for health. They’re rich in B vitamins, iron, calcium and omega-3 fatty acids.… read on >

(HealthDay News) — You can make green choices in everyday life, including during the holiday season, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. Simple activities such as recycling, reusing, walking, biking and conserving water are easy ways to make green decisions. Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, Americans throw out 25 percent more trash than other times during the year, the agency says. The CDC offers these “green” suggestions for the holidays: Decorate with things you will use year after year. Plant your holiday tree outside after the holidays, or dispose of it at a chipping facility. Limit holiday lights or use LED lights. Give durable gifts that are made from recycled materials, or look for locally made goods. Make gifts yourself by knitting or crafting. Give in ways that will support your community, such as by gifting tickets to a local show or museum. Wrap your gifts creatively by using old maps, sheet music, fabric scraps, etc.

In a finding that shows the obesity epidemic is far from over, new research reveals that most Americans have grown wider but not taller in the past two decades. Height measurements remained relatively stable during the past 20 years, even dropping slightly between 2015 and 2016 for some groups. But the weight, waist circumference and body mass index (BMI) of many kept increasing, new federal government data indicate. Only Asian-Americans and black men appeared to buck this trend. “The current report provides updated data on trends in weight, height, waist circumference, and BMI from 1999-2000 through 2015-2016, showing an increase of over 8 pounds in men and 7 pounds in women over this time period and overall, no increase in height,” said researchers from the National Center for Health Statistics, part of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As of 2016, the U.S. average weight for men was 198 pounds, while it was 170 pounds for women. Which groups fared the worst? White men and women, along with Mexican-Americans and black women, put on the most pounds, according to the report. Which groups did the best? Black men, whose weights leveled off between 2005 and 2016, and Asian-Americans, who saw no significant differences in the four body measures over the two decades. At the same time, there was little change in height among… read on >