Some surprising news on what’s healthy
Perhaps you don’t give much thought to your morning bowl of oatmeal, lunch of turkey and cheese sandwich, and pasta for dinner. It all seems healthy, right? Well, research is making it clear that when it comes to the calories we consume every day, form matters. Not all fruits, breads, oats, potatoes and nuts are created equal concerning their impacts on your body. Here are the... READ MORE
Is hyperbaric oxygen therapy effective?
Dear Mayo Clinic: What is hyperbaric oxygen therapy? What is it used for? A: Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) involves breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized room to increase a person’s blood-oxygen level. The body’s tissues need an adequate supply of oxygen to function. When tissues are injured, they require more oxygen than usual to survive. HBOT increases the amount of oxygen... READ MORE
Foods dietitians swear by for better sleep
A balanced diet and a good night’s sleep are mainstays of healthy living. But lately research has begun to uncover just how much the former impacts the latter. A 2021 review in the journal Sleep Medicine Review concluded that eating a healthy diet was associated with better sleep quality. Few people know this better than registered dietitians, who are well-versed in the role different... READ MORE
Study pairs flu shot and shingles vaccine
Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a new recommendation: People over age 65 should get a stronger flu vaccine than the general public. Why? Because they’re more likely to suffer serious complications from the flu. That’s because our immune systems don’t work as well as we age. “As we get older, our ability to respond to vaccines —... READ MORE
Disease risks may be related to height
An interesting study was published in the June 2022 issue of PLOS Genetics, and it has to do with height. Researchers evaluated hundreds of thousands of people to see if their height had any correlation with medical problems. The average height of a man is 5’ 9” and a woman is 5’ 4” — so anything above that is considered “tall.” As it pertains to the study, the mean... READ MORE
Too cold? Sweat at night? Some answers
Q: I am cold all the time. Sometimes I get so cold that all I can do is take a really hot shower or bath. It has gotten to the point where being so sensitive to the cold interferes with my work and life. What causes this problem, and what can I do? A: While feeling colder than others around you is quite common, your symptoms are more pronounced than usual. Therefore, I would... READ MORE
Active body and mind delays dementia
There is new evidence from two studies by investigators at Rush University in Chicago that cognitive and physical activities can make a real difference in the development of Alzheimer’s disease — the most common cause of dementia. Cognitive activity delays onset In the first study, investigators asked 1,903 older individuals without dementia in the Rush Memory and Aging Project to... READ MORE
Want to get genetic testing? First ask why
When it comes to health and disease — and, of course, many other aspects of life — one thing is certain: genes matter. A single gene mutation can cause conditions such as sickle cell anemia or cystic fibrosis. More often, multiple genes are involved in disease development, and they act in concert with nongenetic factors, such as diet or exercise, to affect disease risk. Several... READ MORE
Be aware of sodium in ready-to-eat soups
A bowl of soup can be the perfect meal. But the time required for it to simmer for hours on the stovetop is a luxury we don’t always have. Ready-to-eat soup to the rescue! Prepared soups, however, are one of the highest sodium-containing foods at the grocery store. Fortunately, many soup companies have been attempting to create tasty soups with a lower sodium content; therefore,... READ MORE
Savor small-town charm in Edenton, N.C.
Paris has the Eiffel Tower; London has Big Ben. Edenton, North Carolina touts a teapot. On the edge of the town green, in front of the 1767 Chowan County Courthouse, stands a 250-pound bronze teapot, mounted on a Revolutionary War-era cannon. The kettle honors 51 uppity women who staged what was one of the first organized women’s protests in the United States. In 1774, Mrs. Penelope ... READ MORE
