October 27, 2014

Short and Sweet

Coffee Worsens Hot Flashes: A new Mayo Clinic study suggests that drinking caffeine may worsen the hot flashes and night sweats that affect roughly two-thirds of women as they go through menopause.
http://www.newsmaxhealth.com/Health-News/caffeine-hot-flashes-menopause/2014/07/24/id/584754#ixzz38RKLAYcG 
Here’s A Shocking Statistic: “The death toll from healthcare screw-ups adds up to at least 500,000 Americans annually,” says renowned pharmacy professor and medical author Joe Graedon.  “When it comes to medical care, you need to realize that you need to take charge…. Don’t suffer in silence and don’t be afraid to ask questions and speak your mind.” http://www.newsmaxhealth.com/Headline/medical-errors-malpractice-doctors/2014/08/26/id/590884/#ixzz3BYgsHXGc 
'Food Fraud,' Cheap imitations are filling up grocery store shelves: "One of the ways that happens is by substituting one ingredient for another. It's hard for consumers," said Dr. Mark Stoeckle, a Senior Research Associate in the Program for the Human Environment at The Rockefeller University. High cost ingredients are especially susceptible to fraud, says Stoeckle. More expensive products are being replaced with cheaper imposters. http://www.khou.com/news/health/Food-fraud-a-growing-problem-in-grocery-stores-236733491.html
Antibiotics in Livestock Means Antibiotics in Humans: Several health and consumer organizations want the FDA to withdraw approval of using penicillin and tetracycline in animal feed to make cattle and other livestock grow faster. They say the practice has been linked to an increase to human resistance to antibiotics, while industry groups argue the issue needs more study. http://www.newsmaxhealth.com/Health-News/antibiotics-livestock-resistance/2014/07/24/id/584762#ixzz38RJxVd7y 
Want to Avoid Low Back Surgery?: See a Chiropractor for your back pain, first, and your chances of having back surgery are dramatically lower than if you see an M.D. first. A recent study found that Washington state workers with an occupational back injury who visited a surgeon (orthopedic, neuro or general) first were significantly more likely to receive spine surgery within three years (42.7 percent of workers) than workers whose first visit was to a DC (1.5 percent of workers). This association held true even when controlling for injury severity and other measures. http://www.dynamicchiropractic.com/mpacms/dc/article.php?id=56359
Research Shows Hookah Session Can Equal 10-40 Cigarettes: A study funded by the National Institutes of Health reports a single hookah session delivers 1.7 times the nicotine, 6.5 times the carbon monoxide and 46.4 times the tar of a single cigarette. http://www.lung.org/associations/states/florida/news/top-story-in-the-news/smoking-hookah-may-be-worse.html
Firms ordered to pay $9 billion for hiding diabetes medicine cancer risk: Jurors found Takeda and Lilly “failed to adequately warn” about Actos’ bladder-cancer risks and that the drug caused the plaintiff’s disease, according to court filings. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-04-07/takeda-actos-jury-awards-6-billion-in-punitive-damages.html
The gut-brain connection: Have you ever had a “gut-wrenching” experience? Do certain situations make you “feel nauseous”? Have you ever felt “butterflies” in your stomach? We use these expressions for a reason. Anger, anxiety, sadness, elation — all of these feelings (and others) can trigger symptoms in the gut. https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/the-gut-brain-connection

October 6, 2014

Megan’s Fabulous Foods

Among the long list of perfectly wonderful things to love about fall, for me, apples reign supreme. Apple cider, apple pie, apple fritters, and best and most perfectly of all, just a plain, crisp, fall-time apple!

Red Apple Stock Photo By m_bartosch | http///www.freedigitalphotos.net


Apples, when not being doused in gobs of sugar, and of course bought organically (unfortunately, time and time again, non-organic apples are on the top-ten list of most heavily chemically-sprayed produce, and thus should be avoided) are an amazing disease-fighting antioxidant and offer a wealth of vitamins, minerals and nutrients. Such a simple food provides you with vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin B6, riboflavin, potassium, copper, manganese and magnesium.1 No wonder we have the old adage, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.”

You may know that there are 7,500 varieties of this delicious fruit, but sticking with a basic red delicious has recently been proven to pack the highest antioxidant levels, mostly coming from the skin of the apple.2

While the apple may be one of the most basic and simple fruits, it has no shortage of health benefits. As does any well-rounded, healing wholefood, it aids in cancer prevention, and lowers risk of heart disease and Alzheimer’s. An advantage that even surprised me was their ability to act as an anti-inflammatory which is hugely beneficial to asthma suffers. In fact, apples have stood out among other natural treatments for respiratory issues. These delicious treats are also hugely beneficial in helping to manage diabetes as they have been linked to reducing the fluctuation of blood sugar levels that occur in the bloodstream, but the apple polyphenol also “speeds up the removal of sugar from our bloodstream and gets it to our cells, which need it for the metabolism and proper organ function.”  One of my favorite discoveries was learning the science behind why my mouth feels so clean after eating an apple. The fiber from apples actually cleanses the teeth, while the antibacterial properties of the fruit keep bacteria and viruses from infecting the body.1

There is no doubt that we can all benefit from an apple a day.