Welcome to the Health and Fitness NewsWelcome 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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These hearty vegetarian meals in a bowl (or on a plate) are inspired by the Korean dish bibimbap. I call them “Big Bowls” because they are also inspired by a popular food truck I’ve eaten at, in Portland, Ore., whose only offering is called Big Bowl, and is a comforting bowl of brown rice, with black beans, salsa, avocado and queso blanco. The long line of people I observed at this truck confirmed for me the fact that a simple, satisfying meal with grain, protein and terrific vegetables can be worth standing in line for.
One marinade can be used for a variety of vegetable toppings in this dish.
Farro or Bulgur With Black-Eyed Peas, Chard and Feta
A spiced up version of a classic Greek preparation: black-eyed peas cooked with greens.
Red Rice or Farro With Miso-Roasted Squash, Leeks, Red Pepper and Tofu
One sweet-and-salty marinade works for the tofu and the vegetables in this dish.
Millet Polenta With Tomato Sauce, Eggplant and Chickpeas
A comforting dish that works equally well with canned or fresh tomatoes.
Millet Polenta With Mushrooms and Broccoli or Broccoli Raab
A savory mix of mushrooms that would pair well with a variety of grains.
Study of Twins Shows How Smoking Ages the Face
By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay
Siblings who smoked had more wrinkles, creases, droops and jowls
Oct. 30 (HealthDay News) — A study comparing the faces of identical twins confirms what many smokers fear — the habit does prematurely age a person’s skin, taking a serious toll on looks even after just five years.
Researchers from Case Western Reserve University in Ohio used the annual Twins Day Festival in Twinsburg, Ohio, to identify 79 pairs of twins in which one sibling smoked and the other didn’t.
Early HIV Treatment a Win-Win, Researchers Report
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
A cost-effective way to help patients stay healthy and prevent virus transmission, study finds
Oct. 30 (HealthDay News) — Providing early antiretroviral drug treatment for recently infected HIV patients and their uninfected sexual partners is a cost-effective way to help patients stay healthy and prevent transmission of HIV, a new study finds.
The study, published Oct. 31 in the New England Journal of Medicine, looked at HIV patients in India and South Africa. Some of the patients received early antiretroviral therapy while the start of treatment was delayed for other patients. HIV is the virus that causes AIDS.
New Drug May Someday Battle Obesity and Diabetes
By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay
Mouse studies found it did double duty; human trials too short to see effect, researchers report
Oct. 30 (HealthDay News) — A new diabetes drug may one day perform double duty for patients, controlling both their blood sugar levels and helping them lose weight, researchers report.
In mouse trials, doctors found the drug prompted weight loss, in addition to managing blood sugar levels.
“That [weight loss] is not what this drug was designed to do, but it’s a very attractive additional benefit,” said study co-author Richard DiMarchi, a research chemist at Indiana University in whose lab the drug was created.
E-Cigarettes May Not Be Gateway to Smoking: Study
By Brenda Goodman, HealthDay
It found few teens go on to smoke cigarettes, use other kinds of tobacco after ‘vaping’
Oct. 29 (HealthDay News) — E-cigarettes don’t appear to entice teens to try smoking tobacco, a new study says.
The researchers noted that doesn’t mean that e-cigarettes are risk-free, but it should reassure parents that teens who try the devices may simply be doing so for the novelty and aren’t necessarily setting themselves up for a lifetime of nicotine addiction.
Last month, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned that “vaping,” or inhaling the nicotine vapors from e-cigarettes, might be a dangerous new fad that could set teens up for smoking.
A Blood Test for Fibromyalgia?
By Kathleen Doheny, WebMD Health News
Oct. 28, 2013 — A new blood test may predict fibromyalgia, a condition that can be hard to diagnose.
Research about the new test was presented Sunday at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology in San Diego.
EpicGenetics of Santa Monica, Calif., developed the test, called the FM/a test, says Bruce Gillis, MD, MPH. Gillis is the company’s CEO and an assistant professor of medicine and emergency medicine at the University of Illinois College of Medicine.
Mondays Might Be Your Best Day to Quit Smoking
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Smokers most likely to seek online advice about quitting on the first day of the workweek, study finds
Oct. 28 (HealthDay News) — Smokers are most likely to think about kicking their habit on Mondays, according to a new study, and this finding may help boost the effectiveness of anti-smoking campaigns.
For the study, the investigators monitored online searches about quitting smoking that were conducted in English, French, Chinese, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish worldwide between 2008 and 2012.
New Hope for Breast, Prostate Cancer Testing
By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay
‘Markers’ in blood, tissue might help determine best treatment for each patient, studies suggest
Oct. 28 (HealthDay News) — Doctors believe they have found telltale signs that can indicate whether breast or prostate malignancies will remain dormant or develop into aggressive cancers.
These indicators — called “biomarkers” — are found in the blood or tissues of people with breast or prostate cancer. Researchers hope to one day use them to develop tests that will determine the cancer treatment each patient will need.
Transplant Advance for Type 1 Diabetes: Report
By Serena Gordon, HealthDay
Used in single patient, special chamber may allow implantation of insulin-producing cells without rejection
Oct. 28 (HealthDay News) — Using a specially designed chamber, an international research team has transplanted islet cells into a patient with type 1 diabetes.
The new technique avoided having to use immune-suppressing medications, while still allowing the islet cells to function and make insulin. In theory, the chamber “hid” the transplanted islet cells from the patient’s immune system, the researchers explained.
Broccoli Salad Kits Recalled by Taylor Farms
More than 5,000 pounds of broccoli salad kit products are being recalled by Taylor Farms because they contain salad dressing that may be contaminated with Listeria, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says.
The kits were shipped to distributors and delis for sale to consumers in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Vermont, CNN reported.
New Food Allergy Safety Guidelines for Schools
Oct. 31, 2013 — The first guidelines outlining how schools should protect children with food allergies have been released by the U.S. government.
Restrictions on nuts, shellfish and other foods that can cause allergic reactions, and making sure that emergency medicines such as EpiPens are available are among the voluntary strategies , the Associated Press reported.
The recommendations were posted Wednesday on the website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 15 states, along with many schools or school districts already have their own policies.
Reports of Cases of Flesh-Eating Drug Questioned
By Brenda Goodman, HealthDay
DEA says none of the drug samples tested so far has been confirmed as home-cooked krokodil
Oct. 29 (HealthDay News) — Has the new “flesh-eating” drug of abuse known as krokodil reached the United States?
The drug is dubbed krokodil, the Russian word for crocodile, because it originated in that country and can cause horrific skin lesions resembling reptilian skin. Recent media reports have suggested that the home-cooked drug, which carries the scientific name desomorphine, has now reached addicts in the United States.
But drug enforcement agents say they aren’t sure, and they continue to collect and test drug samples from areas where doctors have seen patients with suspicious skin lesions.
Flu Can Kill Even Healthy Children, Study Finds
By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay
Unvaccinated kids are at greater risk, CDC researcher says
Oct. 28 (HealthDay News) — Children, even those without severe medical conditions, can die from the flu in as little as three days after symptoms appear, U.S. health officials warn.
Between 2004 and 2012, flu complications killed 830 children in the United States, many of whom were otherwise healthy, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Most striking is that 35 percent of these children died before being hospitalized or within the first three days of developing symptoms, according to the report published online Oct. 28 in Pediatrics.
U.S. Malaria Cases Hit 40-Year High
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Almost all the cases came from travelers to Africa, India, CDC says
Oct. 31 (HealthDay News) — Malaria cases in the United States hit a 40-year high in 2011, federal health officials reported Thursday.
There were 1,925 cases of malaria that year, the highest number since 1971. That represents a 14 percent increase from 2010 to 2011.
Five people died from malaria or associated complications in 2011, according to a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report.
Pregnancy Weight Gain and Autism Risk
By Alan Mozes, HealthDay
However, this doesn’t mean more weight causes neurodevelopmental disorder, authors stress
Oct. 28 (HealthDay News) — Modest weight gain during pregnancy might be a sign for autism risk among newborns, new research suggests.
Investigators took pains to stress that it is not weight gain itself that is being tagged as a cause of autism. Nor do the current findings reflect in any way on how pre-pregnancy weight might affect the future offspring of mothers-to-be.
There Is No Safer Football Helmet for Kids: Study
By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay
Researchers compared high-tech helmets to standard gear for concussion protection
Oct. 28 (HealthDay News) — High-tech helmets and custom mouth guards do not reduce concussion risk for high school football players any more effectively than low-cost helmets or off-the-shelf mouth guards, a new study says.
Neither specific brands nor higher-cost protective gear resulted in fewer concussions among more than 1,300 football players at 36 high schools during the 2012 season, according to a study scheduled for presentation Monday at an American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) meeting in Orlando, Fla.
Gardening, Housework May Help Boost Your Heart Health
by By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay
Study of Swedish seniors found a reduced death risk of up to 30 percent
Oct. 29 (HealthDay News) — Activities such as gardening, do-it-yourself projects and housework may be as good as formal exercise when it comes to reducing the risk for heart attack and stroke, Swedish researchers say.
For people 60 and older, just keeping busy with daily activities can reduce the risk of cardiovascular problems by nearly 30 percent and even prolong life, they added.
Balance Training Seems to Prevent Falls by Elderly
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Researchers base findings on review of 17 studies
Oct. 29 (HealthDay News) — Exercise programs meant to prevent falls in seniors may also help prevent injuries caused by falls, according to a new review.
Fall-related injuries are common among seniors and a major cause of long-term pain and disability. They also increase the risk of having to go to a nursing home and have a high economic cost.
Sunny Regions Reflect Lower ADHD Rates: Study
By Brenda Goodman, HealthDay
Researchers wonder whether sunlight protects children, adults from distracted behavior
Oct. 29 (HealthDay News) — Sunny days can be a big distraction for those who are tethered to their desks, but a new study suggests that sunlight may actually lower the prevalence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Scientists mapped the number of ADHD diagnoses across the United States and in nine other countries. They compared those rates to the intensity of sunlight those regions receive year-round.
Less Deli May Reduce Kidney Disease Risk
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Processed foods are usually high in harmful phosphorus additives
Nov. 1 (HealthDay News) — Losing belly fat and limiting processed foods and other sources of dietary phosphorus might help reduce your risk of kidney disease, a new study finds.
Phosphorus is added to many processed foods to enhance their flavor and extend their shelf life. High levels of phosphorus are also naturally found in animal, dairy and vegetable proteins, said study leader Dr. Alex Chang, of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.
Sugary Drinks and Rheumatoid Arthritis Linked?
By Kathleen Doheny, WebMD Health News
Nov. 1, 2013 (San Diego)- Women who drink one or more sugar-sweetened sodas a day might raise their risk of getting rheumatoid arthritis, according to a new study that links RA risk to the sugary habit. The study does not prove cause and effect.
Other studies have linked sugary drinks to higher risks of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, among other health problems.
The new study is believed to be the first to look at sugary beverages and RA. It did not include diet sodas.
Can Marathons Temporarily Hurt the Heart?
By Kathleen Doheny, HealthDay
Small study found cardiac changes, but they were reversible and less likely with proper training
Oct. 31 (HealthDay News) — The thousands of runners who will take part in the New York City Marathon on Sunday most likely believe they are strengthening their cardiovascular system by participating. But new research suggests the strain of a 26.2 mile-run can temporarily damage heart muscle.
That’s what Dr. Eric Larose, from the Quebec Heart and Lung Institute at Laval University, found after studying 20 marathon runners, aged 18 to 60, who had each run an average of eight marathons. Larose evaluated the athletes before and right after the Quebec City Marathon, and again three months later.
Activity, Brace May Ease Arthritis Pain
By Kathleen Doheny, WebMD Health News
Oct. 30, 2013 (San Diego) — Osteoarthritis can be painful, but exercise can improve the quality of life for people with OA or those at high risk for it, according to new research.
For people who have OA of the knee, a simple brace can ease pain greatly, another new study says.
Both studies were presented this week at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology in San Diego.
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