Welcome to the Stars Hollow Health and Fitness News weekly diary. It will publish on Saturday afternoon and be open for discussion about health related issues including diet, exercise, health and health care issues, as well as, tips on what you can do when there is a medical emergency. Also an opportunity to share and exchange your favorite healthy recipes.
Questions are encouraged and I will answer to the best of my ability. If I can’t, I will try to steer you in the right direction. Naturally, I cannot give individual medical advice for personal health issues. I can give you information about medical conditions and the current treatments available.
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The savory bread puddings I’ve always made have been Italian strata, casseroles made with cubes or slices of bread, milk, eggs, cheese and vegetables. I was recently introduced to an Alsatian version of a sweet bread pudding, in which the bread is soaked in the milk first, then beaten with eggs, sugar and flavorings, folded with beaten egg whites, and poured into a baking dish over fruit. I loved this technique, because there were no hard, dry edges of bread after baking, so I applied it to my savory bread puddings too (without separating the eggs), and got delicious results. The puddings are moist, with a bonus layer of custard that seeps out of the bread crumbs at the bottom of the casserole dish. The sweet ones, in which the eggs are separated, puff like soufflés.
You can use baguettes or country bread for these, white or whole-wheat. I tried them with whole-wheat sandwich bread, but the sliced bread didn’t hold the custard as well and the puddings were a bit soggy.
~Martha Rose Shuman~
Half of a stale baguette soaked in milk makes for an incredibly moist dish.
Savory Bread Pudding With Grated Squash and Feta
Dill or mint lends Greek overtones to this comforting dish.
Savory Whole-Wheat Bread Pudding With Seared Tomatoes and Mushrooms
If you’re eager to use the season’s first tomatoes, this is a good vehicle for them, as they can be slightly underripe.
A lighter version of a traditional Alsatian dish called a bettelmann, this sweet dish features a classic pairing: cherries and almonds.
Even apricots that aren’t at the peak of sweetness develop an intense flavor as they bake.
Simple Lifestyle May Limit Exposure to Chemicals
by Denise Mann
Mennonite Community Study Suggests Link Between Simple Life, Lower BPA Levels
June 26, 2012 — Concerned about exposure to the controversial chemical bisphenol A (BPA) and other potentially harmful chemicals in the environment?
You may be able to reduce your risks by leading a simpler life in the fashion of the Old Order Mennonite (OOM) community.
The Old Order Mennonites are a Christian group who eat mostly fresh, unprocessed foods; farm without pesticides; and rarely use personal care products. The OOM community is known to have low rates of obesity, diabetes, and infertility.
Vaccine May Block the Effect of Nicotine
by Brenda Goodman, MA
Doctors May One Day Harness the Immune System to Help People Quit Smoking
June 27, 2012 — Scientists say they’ve developed a vaccine that may one day protect people against the addictive effects of nicotine — but for now they have to settle for some success in mice.
The vaccine uses the shell of a harmless virus that, much like the Trojan horse, carries into cells genetic instructions for making an antibody against nicotine. When cells are “infected” by the virus, they get tricked into churning out a protein that blocks nicotine’s biological effects.
Ozone Hurts the Heart, and It Doesn’t Take a Lot
by Jennifer Warner
Exposure to as Little as 2 Hours of Ozone May Prompt Heart Attack Among Vulnerable People
June 26, 2012 — A little ozone may go a long way in terms of hurting your heart.
A new study suggests exposure to as little as two hours of ozone may be enough to trigger inflammation and other changes in the body associated with heart attacks and sudden death.
“This study provides a plausible explanation for the link between acute ozone exposure and death,” researcher Robert B. Devlin, PhD, a senior scientist at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory in Research Triangle Park, N.C., says in a news release.
Chronic Abuse of Prescription Drugs Skyrocketing
by Jennifer Warner
Abuse of Prescription Pain Killers 200 Days or More in a Year Up by Nearly 75% Since 2002
June 25, 2012 — Overdose deaths from prescription pain killers is rising, and a new report suggests it’s not people looking for a quick fix, but long-term use that may be leading to the problem.
A new CDC study shows the number of people who abused prescription pain killers for more than 200 days in the last year rose by nearly 75% between 2002-03 and 2009-10. But estimates for overall past-year abuse have stayed about the same since 2002.
Statins May Work Better in Men Than in Women
by Salyn Boyles
Analysis Fails to Show Stroke Reduction, Survival Benefit in Women
June 25, 2012 — Women with heart disease may not benefit as much as men with heart disease from taking cholesterol-lowering drugs, a new research analysis suggests.
The review of studies evaluating statins showed that there was a reduction in death in men but not in women. The study concludes that there is no benefit of statins on stroke and all causes of mortality in women.
The women with insufficient levels of vitamin D also weighed more when the study began than women with normal vitamin D levels.
Fewer Women in 40s Getting Mammograms
by Cari Nierenberg
Changes in Screening Guidelines Lead to 6% Drop in Mammogram Rates, Study Shows
June 29, 2012 — Mammogram rates in the U.S. have declined by nearly 6% among women in their 40s since screening guidelines were revised in 2009, according to a new study.
“This represents a small but significant decrease,” say the Mayo Clinic researchers, because the guideline changes were controversial when they were released.
With the revised guidelines, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) called for mammograms to begin for women at average risk at age 50 and occur every two years until age 74. This was a change from its 2002 recommendations, which called for women to have mammograms every one to two years starting at age 40.
Overtime Work in Pregnancy May Affect Baby’s Size
by Denise Mann
Pregnant Moms Who Spend a Lot of Time on Their Feet May Give Birth to Smaller Babies
June 28, 2012 — Working long hours on your feet while you’re pregnant may affect the size of your newborn.
A new study shows that pregnant women who spend a lot of time on their feet — and work more than 40 hours a week — may give birth to smaller babies.
The study shows that women who spent long periods on their feet during their pregnancy in jobs such as sales, child care, and teaching had babies whose heads were an average of 1 centimeter smaller than average at birth.
Clocking long hours during pregnancy also had an effect on the baby’s birth weight.
Low Vitamin D Linked to Weight Gain in Older Women
by Denise Mann
Women With Low Vitamin D Levels Put on Slightly More Weight During 5-Year Study
June 25, 2012 — Older women with low blood levels of vitamin D may be more prone to pack on the pounds, when compared with women who have adequate vitamin D levels.
Of more than 4,600 women aged 65 and older, those with insufficient levels of vitamin D in their blood gained about two pounds more than those who had adequate levels of the vitamin during a five-year study.
The women with insufficient levels of vitamin D also weighed more when the study began than women with normal vitamin D levels.
Teens’ Peer Problems May Affect Health Later
by Kathleen Doheny
Peer Problems in Teen Years Linked to Higher Risk of Metabolic Syndrome at 43, Researchers Find
June 28, 2012 — Teens who have more peer problems than normal are at higher risk of health problems as adults, Swedish researchers report.
They followed more than 800 Swedish teens from age 16 to 43. The researchers assessed peer problems as teens, asking teachers to weigh in. They followed the teens to see who developed a condition known as metabolic syndrome, which raises the risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.
They found a link. ”Peer problems at a young age are correlated to an increased risk of metabolic syndrome in middle age,” Urban Janlert, MD, PhD, professor of public health at Umea University, Sweden, tells WebMD.
Test May Spot Autism in Young Children
by Brenda Goodman, MA
The Brains of Children With Autism Appear to Share a Distinct Electrical Signature
June 26, 2012 — A noninvasive test that measures and records the brain’s electrical activity may reliably detect autism in children as young as age 2, a new study shows.
There is currently no objective test to help doctors diagnose autism, a developmental disorder that strikes about 1 in 100 children, typically before age 3. Children with autism struggle with language and communication, social interaction, and may exhibit repetitive movements like rocking or flicking a wrist.
Aging Eyes Are Seeing Better
by Salynn Boyles
Study Finds Dramatic Drop in Vision Problems Among the Elderly
June 29, 2012 — There has been a dramatic drop in vision impairment among older Americans over the last generation, new research shows.
The prevalence of self-reported eyesight issues that limit activity declined by well over 50% in just two and a half decades, according to data from two nationally representative surveys.
Vitamin D Deficiency Linked to Depression
by Denise Mann
Supplements May Help Depression in People With Vitamin D Deficiency
June 27, 2012 — Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to a host of illnesses and conditions, from heart disease and diabetes to certain types of cancer.
Now a small study of three women suggests that vitamin D deficiency and depression may travel together, and that filling up the “vitamin D tank” may help relieve some of the symptoms.
Coffee in Moderation May Lower Heart Failure Risk
by Kathleen Doheny
Two Cups a Day Linked With Best Effect, Researchers Say, but Excessive Drinking Linked With Ill Effects
June 26, 2012 — Drinking coffee in moderation may reduce your risk of heart failure as you age, according to a new analysis.
What’s moderate? About two cups a day, if you’re drinking the typical U.S. coffee serving, says researcher Murray Mittleman, MD, DrPH, director of cardiovascular epidemiology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
“Beyond that, any potential benefits seem to decrease and eventually go away,” Mittleman tells WebMD, while making clear that this study found a link, but not cause and effect.
All Calories Not Created Equal, Study Suggests
by Salynn Boyles
Low-Fat Eaters Burned Fewer Calories, Were More Likely to Regain Lost Weight
June 26, 2012 — New research challenges the idea that a calorie is a calorie, suggesting that certain foods and diets may be better than others for burning calories and helping people maintain weight loss.
The study appears this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Study participants who had lost weight agreed to follow low-fat, very-low-carb, and low-glycemic-index diets for a month each.
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