Have a Heart: A Rant in Two Parts
For years I’ve wanted to write a rant about the stagnating choice so many of us make not to feel, not to connect to our heart (our sensorial, innate wisdom). Well, here we are in the heart issue with an invitation to connect to your heart. Let the ranting begin! Part I: Seriously, people! Do […]
Paging Dr. Canine
From emotional support to cancer detection, dogs leave their medical mark The office where orthopedic surgeon Leon Benson, MD, sees patients resembles any welcoming physician’s office: soft carpeting, bright walls, friendly staff. Nothing appears out of the ordinary — at first. Then, the handle of Benson’s office door turns, the door swings open and a black, […]
Bipolar Disorder
Making sense of the ups and downs Lizzie,* a Chicago-resident, was overwhelmed with several stressful situations in her late 20s. She started experiencing extreme mood swings. She stopped sleeping, eating and drinking water; she was irritable and her mind started racing; at times, she was full of energy, impulsively cleaning her house from top to […]
Eye Opener
Floaters and flashing lights? It could be a retinal detachment Christmas 2006 is a day I’ll never forget. My husband and I braved frigid temperatures to walk to a friend’s home. During dinner, a fly entered my field of vision. I swatted it away several times before realizing that I was the only person who could see […]
Water Works
Hydrotherapy’s healing power stimulates and soothes Erin Myover-Piotrowski, 35, had been experiencing fatigue, sluggishness and some digestive troubles. “I didn’t feel well enough to be working out. I’d been taking Zantac and Pepcid,” says the Villa Park resident. “My husband and I used to joke that we had ‘his and her’ Tums on the bedside […]
3 reasons to leave earwax alone
Harvard Health Blog Can you think of something you do that’s nearly irresistible, widely popular, but a bad idea that’s based on a health myth? That’s right, I’m talking about inserting cotton-tipped swabs into your ears. According to guidelines from the American Academy of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery Foundation, experts strongly discourage twirling cotton-tipped swabs […]
Diet not working? Maybe it’s not your type
Harvard Health Blog Have you heard of the blood type diet? I thought it had been debunked long ago but patients keep asking about it, so I figured I should learn more. What’s the blood type diet? In 1996 Peter D’Adamo, a naturopathic physician, published a book in which he described how people could be […]
Funny Bone
Originally Published in the Fall 2017/Winter 2018 issue
Veg Out!
Plant-based diets are at the root of heart-healthy eating For a healthy heart, there’s no denying that plant foods are essential. Plants contain an arsenal of phytochemicals as well as dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals, all of which benefit overall health. When it comes to eating for heart health, plants are at the center of the […]
The Beat Goes On
Exercising your way to a healthier heart When it comes to taking care of your heart, you can’t underestimate the importance of staying active. Regular exercise — even if it’s moderate — can have a marked impact on your heart’s health. “Exercise helps the heart because it signals the heart to grow stronger,” says R. […]
Putting Veggies First
Practically every study about vegetables touts their power in preventing chronic illnesses, fighting cancer and helping with weight loss. Vegetables are naturally low in fat and calories and are important sources of nutrients, including potassium, dietary fiber, folic acid and vitamins A and C. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s MyPlate food guide (which replaced the well-known food […]
Create a contract for family care
Kiplinger Retirement Report When the caregiver whom Amy Goyer, of Phoenix, hired for her 93-year-old father seemed particularly tired recently, Goyer realized she had been so busy she wasn’t aware her employee needed a vacation. As it happens, that caregiver is also her sister. “A loved one who provides care can get burned out, too, […]
Cancer and Bone Health: Important Questions for Women
DXA Scanner. Photo courtesy of Northwestern Medicine’s Bone Health and Osteoporosis Center For women facing a cancer diagnosis, there are countless questions that come to mind. From treatments and medications to the emotional journey of living with cancer, it’s easy for the mind to get full — and fast. The last question a woman is […]
Secrets to preparing healthy pasta
Love pasta but want to make it more nutritious? Make healthy pasta by lightening up linguine, spaghetti, penne and more with these smart strategies. 1. Go the whole (wheat) way. Unless you’re avoiding gluten, whole-wheat pasta is your best bet. “Whole-wheat pasta provides more healthy carbs, fiber, vitamins and minerals than standard pasta,” says Laura […]
Music can be good medicine
Jan Stouffer, who works as a board certified music therapist at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, uses music to help control patients’ pain and anxiety, to ease their adjustment to the hospital setting, and to promote physical rehabilitation. “Health is a dance back and forth between physical and emotional needs, so the […]
Exercise helps aging brain stay young
The Medicine Cabinet: Ask the Harvard Experts Q: Over the last year, I sometimes forget things. I am 66 but I always have had a great memory. What can I do to avoid becoming more forgetful? A: Most of us have had firsthand experience with memory lapses. We find ourselves flustered trying to recall a […]
Healthy Snacks Popping Up
When the Sweets & Snacks Expo rolls into McCormick Place every spring, it feels like Halloween in May. Imagine four acres of showrooms brimming with different types of chips, cookies, candy, popcorn, meat snacks and more — all available for sampling for those lucky enough to attend. This year, we explored the expo with a […]
Toxic chemicals from cigarettes remain toxic in secondhand smoke
Mayo Clinic Q&A DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Is secondhand cigarette smoke dangerous to my health? ANSWER: The short answer to your question is yes, secondhand smoke is dangerous. Secondhand smoke — also known as environmental tobacco smoke — is a combination of the smoke coming from a burning cigarette and the smoke exhaled by the smoker, […]
The beet goes on
People have been eating beetroot for its health properties since the Middle Ages. In modern times, however, it’s the liquid version that’s making waves. Scientific studies on beetroot juice claim the elixir can lower blood pressure, increase blood flow, and improve exercise performance. As a result, the ruby red beverage has become a favorite among […]
10 Things You Need to Know About Hiring an In-Home Caregiver
When caring for a loved one at home, most family caregivers reach a point where they realize they need some assistance. Hiring an in-home caregiver can ease the workload, providing help with tasks like bathing, dressing, cooking, cleaning, companionship and supervision. The caregiving industry is growing alongside the aging baby boomer population. With so many […]
Insomnia: The best and worst ways to fall asleep
Have trouble falling asleep? Wake up at 3 a.m. for no reason? Insomnia can rob you of energy the next day, fog your thinking and put you in harm’s way on the road. If you’re relying on common crutches for sleeplessness, they won’t help your cause. Here, our sleep experts share their favorite and least […]
3 healthy tips for dining out
Facing a gargantuan restaurant menu full of culinary delights can make any healthful eater buckle. But there’s hope. To help you make smart choices, we asked some leading chefs to share their professional secrets. Their suggestions prove that dining out doesn’t have to be a dilemma when your health is at stake. “If you eat […]
Losing weight doesn’t change actual stomach size
Q: Does my stomach actually shrink when I lose weight? A: Not exactly. But here’s why you might feel full. Our stomachs have a reflex called receptive relaxation: As food enters your stomach, the muscles relax and expand out to accommodate more volume. In fact, your stomach can expand up to five times its volume […]
Are vaccines safe for pregnant moms?
The Kid’s Doctor August is National Immunization Awareness Month and a great time to discuss childhood vaccines, but it’s also a good time to discuss vaccines for adults. Adult vaccines help to protect our children, especially the Tdap vaccination during pregnancy. Immunizations may protect a newborn, and this is accomplished by immunizing the mother during […]
Prebiotics, to feed your good bacteria
From yogurt to kombucha to supplements, probiotics appear to be on the tip of everyone’s tongue, literally and figuratively. Probiotics are live bacteria and are believed to have properties that improve digestive health. Lactobacillus found in yogurt and other fermented foods is just one example. Though the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health expresses […]
What to Eat (and Not Eat) for Healthy Skin
Skin is the largest organ in your body, making up 10 percent of your body weight and spanning a total area of about 20 square feet. Taking good care of it is essential to your health. You may not realize it, but your skin helps regulate your body temperature, allows you to sense hot and […]
Make strength training part of your exercise routine
Q: I walk for at least 45 minutes every day. Recently I read that strength training may be more important for overall health. Should I change my routine? A: I wouldn’t say that strength training with weights or machines provides more health benefits than brisk walking or other aerobic exercise. But for too long, strength […]
How much radiation is your child exposed to?
Radiation exposure, and the cumulative radiation a child receives, continues to be a topic of research and study. The less radiation a child receives the better. Ultrasounds are an imaging modality that does not expose a child to radiation. There are more and more instances where ultrasounds are being used rather than X-ray or CT […]
What Parents Need to Know About Lead in Baby Food
The Kid’s Doctor I know many of the parents of the children I care for are concerned about the latest news from the Environmental Defense Fund, which showed that about 20 percent of baby food samples tested over 11 years had detectable levels of lead. This nonprofit group looked at data that the Food and […]
10 ways to move more
If you’re like a lot of people, you don’t move as much as you should. The average American spends at least 10 hours a day planted in a chair: watching TV, surfing the internet, talking on the phone and reading. That means we’re not meeting the goal of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per […]
Relief from dry eyes may not require special treatments or eye drops
Mayo Clinic Q&A DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My eyes have gotten drier as I’ve gotten older, and I’ve tried eye drops for relief. But some eye drops feel irritating, and others seem to have a rather thick consistency. What options do I have? ANSWER: Dry eyes occur when your tears — a mixture of water, fatty […]
The health benefits of gardening
Gardening is a great excuse to get outside and be active. And whether you grow fruits and vegetables or flowers and greenery, gardening offers a bounty of benefits. Here are a few. Gardening helps you keep a bright outlook Gardening shifts your focus away from passing negativity and helps you look forward to years to […]
Sweet treats for diabetes
Environmental Nutrition Newsletter If you have diabetes, managing blood sugar levels is critical, but careful planning and some creative swapping can allow you to enjoy the sweetest of treats. In proper portions, of course. Diabetes or not, health experts recommend reining in added sugars (not the natural type found in milk and fruit). That’s because […]
Teen Depression Rising, Especially Among Girls
The teen years have always been a trying time, but now they are more stressful than ever. And the incidence of depression in teens is rising. The percentage of teens age 12 to 17 experiencing major depression during a 12-month period jumped from 8.7 percent in 2005 to 11.3 percent in 2014, according to a […]
When to worry about your child’s fever
Fevers worry parents; they scare them sometimes. I understand why. After all, a fever can be a sign of something serious — and at the beginning of one, it’s hard to know whether it’s going to turn out to be something serious. Most of the time, it isn’t serious. Fevers are very common. They are […]
Keeping your smartphone nearby may not be so smart
Imagine you were asked to complete a series of math problems, ones just hard enough to require your attention and focus, but nothing you couldn’t handle. Now, imagine you were intermittently interrupted from these math problems and asked to remember a random list of letters. This might be even tougher. It’s reasonable to assume your […]
Major link between low levels of vitamin D, aggressive prostate cancer
Northwestern Medicine research showed deficient vitamin D blood levels in men can predict aggressive prostate cancer identified at the time of surgery. The finding is important because it can offer guidance to men and their doctors who may be considering active surveillance, in which they monitor the cancer rather than remove the prostate. “Vitamin D […]
Could you have a heart attack and not know it?
Harvard Health Blog Here’s a surprising fact: Nearly half of people who have a heart attack don’t realize it at the time. These so-called silent heart attacks are only diagnosed after the event, when a recording of the heart’s electrical activity (an electrocardiogram or ECG) or another test reveals evidence of damage to the heart. […]
Problems with your gums pose a risk to your overall health
Q: I recently had my usual teeth cleaning. My gums are a bit inflamed with gingivitis. The dentist said if it gets worse, it could affect my overall health. What can happen and why? A: Gum disease begins when sticky, bacteria-laden plaque builds up around the teeth. Gingivitis is the mild form of gum disease. […]
Chicago Consumers’ Checkbook
Top Hematologists/Oncologists Reprinted with permission of Chicago Consumers’ Checkbook magazine Looking for a cancer doctor? This list of top Chicago-area hematologists and oncologists is provided by the nonprofit Chicago Consumers’ Checkbook magazine and Checkbook.org. To identify these doctors and other top specialists, Checkbook regularly surveys all practicing physicians in the 53 largest metropolitan areas in the […]
Small changes to upgrade your health
Here’s a secret: It’s easier to outsmart human nature than to overcome it. To do that, try these easy-to-adopt habits to help you live healthier every day. Pack your workout clothes Keep a grab-and-go set of workout clothes or walking gear nearby at all times. That makes it easy to be spontaneous about working out […]
Encouraging Innovation in Technology that Helps Older Adults
Less than a decade ago, the field of aging was a sleepy sector of innovation. Now, with the recent rise of advances in medical technology, coupled with the surge of baby boomers, aging is ripe for innovation. An estimated 3.6 million Americans will turn 65 every year until 2029. That fact has awakened the market […]
Heart disease is a woman’s disease
Environmental Nutrition In the U.S., 1 in 4 women will die from heart disease — almost half a million deaths each year — yet the perception that heart disease is primarily a man’s disease persists. An American Heart Association survey found that fewer than one-half of American women are aware that heart disease is their […]
Association between genetics and suicide is complicated
Mayo Clinic Q&A DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Why does it seem that suicide tends to run in families? Does it have anything to do with genetics? ANSWER: The association between genetics and suicide is complicated. Research has shown that there is a genetic component to suicide. But it is only one of many factors that may […]
Loss of balance could signal underlying medical condition
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My grandmother, who is 82, has no major health issues, but she’s become rather weak and frail over the past several years, and her balance isn’t very good. Several weeks ago, she fell in her bathroom. Although her injuries were minor, my family is worried. Is there something we can do to […]
Biking to work linked to reduced risk of heart disease, cancer, and early death
Harvard Health Blog Harvard Medical School (HMS) has a bicycle-friendly campus. Faculty, staff and students who commute by bike can park their wheels in secured cages, wash off road grime in showers, buy new helmets at a discount, and receive a monthly reimbursement for bike maintenance costs. HMS encourages bicycle commuting not just to relieve […]
The scoop on fructose
If you were a natural foods enthusiast in the early 1980s, you might recall cookbooks that used fructose instead of table sugar as a sweetener. Fructose is a natural sugar in fruit, so it was viewed as a healthier option. Plus, fructose is sweeter than table sugar, potentially enabling you to use less in recipes […]
Scientists find new path in brain to ease depression
Northwestern Medicine scientists have discovered a new pathway in the brain that can be manipulated to alleviate depression. The pathway offers a promising new target for developing a drug that could be effective in individuals for whom other antidepressants have failed. New antidepressant options are important because a significant number of patients don’t adequately improve […]
Realistic rules for better sleep
You’d have to live in dreamland to follow most popular sleep advice: Turn your bedroom into a spa-like sanctuary, don’t drink caffeine after 2 p.m., and never bring your laptop into the bedroom. You can imagine our surprise when “Sleep Doctor” Michael Breus, Ph.D., admitted that he drifts off with the TV on and his […]
Fighting Obesity With Calorie Counts and Community Efforts
A federal regulation that would have given consumers a better idea of their calorie consumption at chain eateries has been delayed — again — by the Food and Drug Administration under pressure from restaurant trade groups. The rule, which had been set to go into effect this week, would have required restaurants with 20 or […]