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.
You can now find past Health and Fitness News diaries here and on the right hand side of the Front Page.
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In addition to being an excellent source of vitamins A, C and K and a good source of iron and folate, it is rich in volatile oils (which give it its astringent flavor) and flavonoids. The volatile oils contain components that have been shown to inhibit the activity of harmful elements in the body, and studies have attributed antioxidant properties to the flavonoids, particularly luteolin.
If you do buy a large bunch of parsley for one recipe and want to keep it for a few days in the refrigerator so you can use it in another, take the rubber band or twist-tie off the bunch and wash and spin dry in a salad spinner. I sometimes pick the leaves off at this point, but not always. Lay the parsley, whether stemmed or not, on a double or triple thickness of paper towel, and roll up. Make sure the toweling is damp (spray with a fine mist of water if not), and wrap in a kitchen towel or keep in a refrigerator bag.
~Martha Rose Shulman~
This hummus has a pale green hue and herbal overtones.
Parsley Salsa Verde With Grilled Cod
I’ve given you the recipe for this parsley salsa before, when it was served as a condiment for roasted or grilled summer squash.
Pasta With Mushrooms and Gremolata
This savory pasta is just one idea for gremolata, a pungent mixture of garlic, lemon zest and parsley.
Rice Pilaf With Carrots and Parsley
Carrots and leeks make a sweet combination, but you can also use regular onion in this pilaf.
You can dress it with a vinaigrette, or with a simpler combination of 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil.
Tests to Predict Heart Disease Help Men, Not Women
by Salynn Boyles
Oct. 3, 2012 — Blood tests that measure inflammation are modestly effective for predicting the likelihood of having a heart attack or stroke in men at risk for heart disease, but not women, a new analysis shows.
Just a decade ago, the C-reactive protein (CRP) blood test was hailed for determining heart disease risk.
But the early promise was not realized, and there remains much debate about whether CRP or other tests measuring inflammation are useful for gauging risk of a first heart attack and stroke.
Snake Venom Painkillers?
by Jennifer Warner
Oct. 3, 2012 — Snake venom painkillers may sound like a hard sell, but a new study suggests it may be the next big thing in pain relievers.
Researchers say certain compounds isolated from the venom of the deadly black mamba snake are actually potent painkillers.
In the study, these compounds produced pain relief as strong as morphine in mice, without the unwanted side effects associated with opioid pain relievers.
It’s too early to say whether the same will hold true in humans.
Statins May Protect Against Glaucoma
by Katrina Woznicki
Oct. 4, 2012 — People taking the popular cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins lowered their risk for the most common form of glaucoma by 8%, according to a new study.
That finding is published in the October issue of Ophthalmology, a journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, and is based on health claims of more than 300,000 patients with high cholesterol who took statins for at least two years.
Botox May Put the Brakes on Overactive Bladder
by WebMD Health News
Oct. 4, 2012 — Injections of Botox may be as good as pills for putting the brakes on an overactive bladder.
Overactive bladder is marked by a sudden, uncontrollable urge to urinate, which can lead to the involuntary loss of urine, called urge incontinence. Botox works by relaxing the bladder muscle. It is already FDA-approved to treat urinary incontinence due to overactive bladder related to nerve damage from conditions such as multiple sclerosis and spine injury.
But doctors are allowed to use their own judgment to prescribe Botox “off-label” to treat overactive bladder from other causes.
Common Heart Drug Questioned
by Daniel J. DeNoon
Study: Beta Blockers May Be Overused
Oct. 2, 2012 — A new study suggests that many patients may not benefit from beta-blockers, one of the most commonly prescribed medications for heart disease.
Beta-blockers slow down the heart. They’re life savers for people with heart failure and others with fragile hearts badly damaged by heart attacks. There’s no question that beta-blockers benefit such people.
Indoor Tanning Beds Linked to Common Skin Cancers
by Denise Mann
Oct. 2, 2012 — Indoor tanning beds may raise the risk of non-melanoma skin cancers, especially among people who start tanning before they turn 25, a new study suggests.
Previous studies have linked indoor tanning with melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. But the new study extends these findings to the more common but less serious skin cancers, basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma.
Strike Vitamin D Off the List for Cold Prevention?
by Rita Ruben
Oct. 2, 2012 — Looks like we may have to cross out another supposed way to prevent the common cold.
A new study shows that people who took large doses of vitamin D were as likely to catch colds, and suffer with them as long, as those who took placebo pills.
Death Count Rising in Meningitis Outbreak
by Daniel J. DeNoon
Oct. 4, 2012 — Patients in 23 states are being warned that the spinal steroid shots they received may have given them a rare and deadly fungal meningitis.
So far, there have been 35 cases and “at least five deaths,” according to the CDC, which expects the case count to rise. There have been 25 cases and three deaths in Tennessee, four cases and one death in Virginia, two cases and one death in Maryland, two cases in Florida, one case in North Carolina, and one case in Indiana.
All cases are linked to spinal shots with three specific lots of a steroid called methylprednisolone acetate. The drug, without preservatives, was made and placed in syringes by a single firm, New England Compounding Center (NECC) of Framingham, Mass.
Is Your Cell Phone Toxic?
by Brenda Goodman, MA
Oct. 3, 2012 — Gadget gurus who just upgraded to the iPhone 5 can feel good about one thing: It’s one of the greenest and least toxic cell phones on the market, according to a new report.
Other phones that did well include the Motorola Citrus, which was the least toxic of all the phones tested, the iPhone 4S, the LG Remarq, and two Samsung devices, the Captivate and the Evergreen.
Still, none of the phones was 100% hazard-free, says Jeff Gearhart, research director of the nonprofit Ecology Center, the Ann Arbor-based environmental group that tested the phones. All of the models contained concerning levels of bromine, chlorine, lead, cadmium, or mercury.
The 10 Worst Places for Fall Allergies in 2012
by Cari Nierenberg
Oct. 5, 2012 — Some natives of Louisville, Ky., needn’t be surprised if they’re sneezing while reading this article. Their city tops the list this year as the worst place to live in the U.S. for fall allergies.
To earn the No. 1 spot, Louisville received a “worse than average” rating for its pollen counts and allergy medication use by each patient. But it got a “better than average” rating for the number of allergy specialists available in the area.
Abortion Rates Fall When Birth Control Is Free
by Salynn Boyles
Oct. 4, 2012 — Abortions and unplanned pregnancies dropped dramatically in a new study when women and teenaged girls were provided birth control at no cost.
The women and girls were also more likely to choose IUDs or contraceptive implants when cost was not an issue.
Family planning advocates say the study shows the potential of the health reform law (now known by both supporters and opponents as Obamacare) to reduce unplanned pregnancies nationwide.
Hip Resurfacing ‘Unacceptable for Women’: Study
by Peter Russell
Oct. 4, 2012 – An operation known as hip resurfacing — an alternative to hip replacement often recommended for younger patients - is prone to frequent failure and should not be used in women, a new study shows.
Researchers looked at data from 434,650 operations carried out in England and Wales between 2003 and 2011, of which 31,932 (7.4%) were resurfacings.
Infertility Treatment May Worsen MS Symptoms
by Salynn Boyles
Oct. 3, 2012 — There is growing evidence that infertility treatments raise relapse rates in women with multiple sclerosis.
In a new study, 3 out of 4 women with MS had increased disease activity following assisted reproductive technology (ART) infertility treatments.
The study was small, with just 16 infertile MS patients getting the treatments.
Teen Birth Rate Hits Historic Low
by Jennifer Warner
Oct. 3, 2012 — U.S. birth rates are continuing their decline and dropped to just under 4 million births in 2011, according to new CDC statistics.
The report also shows that the general fertility rate, or average number of births per 1,000 women of childbearing age, dropped to the lowest level ever reported in the U.S., at about 63 births per 1,000.
Still, the birth rate for teenagers ages 15-19 fell to an all-time low of 31 births per 1,000 teens in 2011, down 8% from 2010.
Teen Drinking and Driving Down
by Kathleen Doheny
Oct. 2, 2012 — Nine out of 10 U.S. teens are not drinking and driving, according to a new CDC report released today.
“Teen drinking and driving has dropped by more than half in the past 15 to 20 years,” said Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH, director of the CDC, who spoke at a telebriefing.
While that news is good, “it’s really important we keep up the momentum,” he said.
Some teens have not yet gotten the message, he added.
Mediterranean Diet Tops List of ‘Livable’ Diets
by Denise Mann
We’ve all seen ads for miracle diets that promise to help us shed weight in days, weeks, or months.
But what happens next?
Do people stay the course and maintain the loss, or regain the weight with a vengeance?
A team of Israeli researchers followed participants for four years after an initial two-year workplace-based study to try and answer these questions. Participants followed one of three weight loss plans: a low-fat, low-calorie diet; a Mediterranean-style, low-calorie diet; or a low-carb eating plan without calorie restrictions.
Prolonged Sitting Linked to Kidney Disease
by Salynn Boyles
Regular Exercise Reduced Risk for Men, Not Women
Oct. 1, 2012 — There is more evidence that sitting may be harmful to your health.
Studies suggest that people who sit for prolonged periods every day have a higher risk for diabetes, heart attack, and even some cancers.
Now new research finds that sitting for long stretches may also raise the risk for chronic kidney disease, especially in women.
Let Them Eat Veggies: School Lunch Gets a Makeover
by Denise Mann
Oct. 1, 2012 — School lunches are getting an extreme makeover.
Gone are fried tater tots, chicken nuggets, chocolate milk, and pepperoni pizza. In their place are heaps of whole grains, veggies, fruits, and low-fat dairy products, along with baked versions of formerly fried favorites such as chicken nuggets or fish sticks.
Students will also be seeing less salt and trans fats thanks to the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. There are also calorie caps on the lunches: 650 for elementary school students, 700 for middle schoolers, and 850 for high school students.
Active Video Games Help Some Kids Get Active
by Jennifer Warner
Oct. 1, 2012 — One type of TV time may actually play a valuable role in the battle against childhood obesity.
A new study suggests active video games may help children, especially girls, raise physical activity levels.
The results show most teens who play active video games play at moderate or vigorous intensity levels that would help them meet the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity on most days.
Researchers say so-called exergames may also help at-risk young people get moving.
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