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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I know there are probably ready-made crusts out there, and there is plenty of gluten-free flour mix on the market; but I have yet to find a gluten-free all purpose flour that doesn’t taste like bean flour, and that just doesn’t work for me.
After a few false starts, I finally came up with a whole grain crust that held together well and did not have a chalky texture. Rather than use the combination of 30 percent potato starch or cornstarch and 70 percent whole grain flour that I use in other baked goods, I used a combination of fine cornmeal, or corn flour, oat flour, and a small amount of almond flour. The oat flour was the key – it has a wonderful flavor and a fine, starchy texture, but it’s not chalky. You do have to check that it is processed in a facility that does not process wheat, however. Bob’s Red Mill is a good source.
~Martha Rose Shulman~
After much trial and error, a pie dough that’s delicious and gluten-free.
A pie that is sweet with spices but not too sugary.
Apple Tart With Almond Topping in a Gluten-Free Shell
Caramelized apples are baked into a delicious desert.
Poaching the pears until they are just tender results in a delicious fruit tart.
Roasted Sweet Potato Pie or Flan
An untraditional flan that is irresistibly creamy.
Needle-Free ‘Breathalyzer’ for Daily Diabetes Testing Shows Promise
By Serena Gordon HealthDay
But first, device must undergo clinical studies
Nov. 13 (HealthDay News) — People with diabetes have to prick their fingers multiple times a day to monitor their blood sugar levels, but researchers report that someday patients may be able to do that simply by checking their breath.
A hand-held device would measure levels of the chemical acetone in someone’s breath. Acetone levels rise when blood sugar levels rise, and acetone is responsible for the sweet, fruity smell on the breath of people with diabetes who have high blood sugar levels.
U.S. Adults With Autism May Face Housing Crisis
By Robert Preidt HealthDay
Nationwide poll finds shortage of services
Nov. 13 (HealthDay News) — Adults with autism face a shortage of housing and support services in the United States, according to a new survey.
Within the next decade, at least 500,000 U.S. teens with autism will enter adulthood. Many will require access to the adult services system, which is already overburdened, the Autism Speaks survey found.
Urine Tests Don’t Always Confirm Urinary Infections, Study Finds
By Serena Gordon HealthDay
Doctors can rely on symptoms to start treatment, experts say
Nov. 13 (HealthDay News) — When doctors suspect a patient has a urinary tract infection, they often request a urine sample so they can test for the presence of bacteria. Now, new research suggests this step may be unnecessary.
Nearly one-quarter of women who had signs of a urinary tract infection — a burning feeling when urinating or feeling an urgent need to pee — had no evidence of bacteria in their urine or in their bladders, the study found. And although a number of urine culture tests found a variety of different bacteria, only one bug — Escherichia coli — was found in both the urine test and the bladder.
Deadly Brain Illness Discovered in British Family
By Randy Dotinga HealthDay
Condition destroys tissue much like mad cow disease, but is inherited and not infectious
Nov. 13 (HealthDay News) — A British family harbors a deadly inherited illness that destroys the brain in a way that is similar to the dreaded mad cow disease, researchers report.
The newly discovered condition doesn’t appear to be contagious, unlike mad cow disease. As a result, it seems to pose no threat to people who aren’t part of the family.
But researchers believe members of the family face a 50 percent likelihood that they’ll develop the disease in mid-life and die. There is no treatment.
Brain Differences Seen in Social Butterflies
By Randy Dotinga HealthDay
Small study found three regions were larger, more connected than they were in more isolated people
Nov. 12 (HealthDay News) — A small new study suggests that parts of your brain may differ depending on whether you’re a social butterfly or a lone wolf.
The research is preliminary, but it could lead the way to more insight into how humans — and other primates — interact with others.
“The big message is that your brain is reflecting your current social environment, and your social skills at a wider level. The brain is flexible and reflecting all of these behaviors,” said study author Maryann Noonan, a postdoctoral researcher at Oxford University, who worked on the study while at the Montreal Neurological Institute.
Can ‘Good’ Cholesterol Protect Against MS?
By Kathleen Doheny, WebMD Health News
Nov. 12, 2013 — A protein found in HDL, or ”good,” cholesterol may help protect against the effects of multiple sclerosis, according to new research.
In the study, patients with MS had much lower levels of the protein than did healthy people, says study researcher Lidia Gardner, PhD. She is an assistant professor of neurology at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.
Magnetic Brain Stimulation May Help Smokers Quit
By Steven Reinberg HealthDay
Study of experimental treatment shows some success at six months
Nov. 12 (HealthDay News) — When willpower doesn’t work, smokers who want to quit may have a new tool someday: magnetic brain stimulation.
A study of 115 smokers found that 13 sessions of the treatment over three weeks helped some heavy smokers quit for as long as six months.
This noninvasive technique, called repeated high-frequency transcranial magnetic stimulation, sends electric impulses to the brain. It is sometimes used to treat depression.
Meat Products Could Raise Diabetes Risk: Study
By Robert Preidt HealthDay
But more research is needed to confirm the findings
Nov. 12 (HealthDay News) — To avoid developing type 2 diabetes, you may have been told to watch your calories and kick up your activity level. Now researchers say there’s something else you might consider: your so-called dietary acid load.
And that might mean cutting down on meat, since the French researchers say a diet heavy in animal products and other acidic foods can cause an acid load in the body, resulting in health complications. This includes reduced insulin sensitivity, which can lead to type 2 diabetes, according to the new study.
No Good Data For or Against Taking Vitamins: Experts
By Mary Elizabeth Dallas HealthDay
But half of U.S. adults take at least one supplement, government task force notes
Nov. 11 (HealthDay News) — Even though millions of Americans pop a vitamin, mineral or multivitamin supplement every day, an influential government-appointed panel of experts says the jury is still out on whether they help boost health or not.
In its draft guidelines, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force said that in some cases, certain supplements, such as beta carotene or vitamin E, may actually do more harm than good. Instead of focusing on supplements, they recommend that people focus on the health benefits of a well-balanced diet instead.
Alzheimer’s-Like Plaque Seen on Brain Scans After Head Trauma
By Denise Mann HealthDay
But researchers don’t know if these so-called ‘amyloid deposits’ persist long-term
Nov. 11 (HealthDay News) — New research may help connect the dots between traumatic brain injury and the risk for memory and other brain-related problems later in life.
Brain imaging technology known as positron emission tomography (PET) shows that people who have had a traumatic brain injury develop so-called “plaques” in their brain like those seen in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease, the most common type of dementia.
Prepared Sandwiches, Salads Recalled
A California catering company is recalling more than 90 tons of ready-to-eat sandwiches and salads after 26 people in three states were sickened by E. coli, the USDA’s Food and Safety Inspection Service says.
Glass Onion Catering is recalling nearly 182,000 pounds of salads and sandwich wraps that contain cooked chicken and ham. They were produced between Sept. 23 and Nov. 6 and sent to distribution centers in Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Texas, the Associated Press reported.
The company supplies food to Trader Joe’s, Super Fresh Goods and Delish, according to the Contra Costa Times.
OxyElite Pro Dietary Supplements Recalled
By Amanda Robinson, WebMD Health News
Nov. 12, 2013 — USPlabs LLC is recalling certain OxyElite Pro dietary supplements linked to liver illnesses in Hawaii and a number of other states, according to the FDA.
One person has died, another received a liver transplant, and others are awaiting liver transplants in connection with the supplements, which are used for weight loss.
The recalled products include certain OxyElite Pro Super Thermo capsules, OxyElite Pro Ultra-Intense Thermo capsules and OxyElite Pro Super Thermo Powder.
New Cholesterol Drug Guidelines: Q&A
By Kathleen Doheny, WebMD Health News
Nov. 14, 2013 — The question of the day is: Should I be on a statin?
New guidelines released Tuesday by the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology change the standards for who should be taking these cholesterol-lowering drugs.
As doctors follow the new guidelines, more people are expected to be put on statins.
The guidelines include new weight and lifestyle measures to lower the risk of having a heart attack and stroke. The guidelines also recommend that doctors focus on overall risks to the heart and less on cholesterol numbers.
Three doctors give their perspectives on the guidelines.
E-Cigarettes: Expert Q&A With the CDC
By Julie Edgar, WebMD Health News
“Vaping” is a new form of inhaling nicotine that the CDC would like to seriously curb.
It’s what you do with an e-cigarette, and it’s gaining in popularity. The battery-powered cylinders deliver nicotine with a puff of hot gas, minus the smoke. [..]
The federal government has no authority to regulate e-cigarettes, although that is expected to change soon. The FDA has proposed rules that would allow it to regulate them like other tobacco products.
Tim McAfee, MD, talks to WebMD about why the agency is concerned about their growing use, despite a lack of research on the health risks. McAfee is the CDC’s director of the Office on Smoking and Health.
New Guidelines May Widen Use of Statins
By Steven Reinberg HealthDay
Recommendations focus on patient risk factors rather than cholesterol numbers, experts say
Nov. 12 (HealthDay News) — New guidelines introduced Tuesday by the nation’s leading heart experts could greatly expand the number of Americans taking cholesterol-lowering statins.
The fundamental shift: Doctors are now being told to no longer adhere to rigid clinical guidelines that trigger the use of a statin when cholesterol levels reach a certain threshold.
Instead, people will be advised to take a statin if they already have heart disease, if their bad (LDL) cholesterol is extremely high (190 milligrams per deciliter of blood or more) or if they’re middle-aged with type 2 diabetes.
Evidence Ties Obesity to Disability in Older Women
By Dennis Thompson HealthDay
Studies found higher risks for heart disease, mobility problems and early death
Nov. 11 (HealthDay News) — Women who are obese as they near retirement age have a higher risk of early death and may find their remaining years blighted by disability, researchers say.
Obese women are three to six times more likely to suffer a disability late in life that will make it difficult for them to get around, with the risk rising with their level of obesity, according to a new study published online Nov. 11 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Health Risks, Costs Higher With Multiple Births: Study
By Robert Preidt HealthDay
Having triplets or more resulted in 20 times greater medical expenses compared to single births
Nov. 11 (HealthDay News) — Multiple pregnancies are a major health issue involving significantly greater health risks for both mothers and babies and much higher medical costs, compared to pregnancies involving only one baby, a new study finds.
Researchers looked at data on nearly 438,000 births by U.S. women aged 19 to 45, between January 2005 and September 2010. Of those births, 97 percent were single babies, about 2.85 percent were twins, and 0.13 percent were triplets or more, according to the study appearing Nov. 11 in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Hormone Therapy May Work Only for These Women
By Robert Preidt HealthDay
Study finds gains in memory, sleep and focus aren’t universal
Nov. 13 (HealthDay News) — Hormone therapy helps with menopause-related symptoms such as sleep and memory problems only if a woman also has hot flashes, according to new research.
The study included 150 Finnish women who had recently gone through menopause. Of those, 72 had seven or more moderate-to-severe hot flashes a day, while 78 had three or fewer mild hot flashes daily or no hot flashes.
Women With Asthma May Take Longer to Get Pregnant
By Steven Reinberg HealthDay
They ultimately had same number of children as women without the respiratory condition
Nov. 14 (HealthDay News) — Women with asthma seem to experience delays in getting pregnant, Danish researchers report.
Whether this trend is because asthma has a direct biological effect on fertility or because having asthma reduces the frequency of intercourse isn’t clear, however, the researchers said.
“There is an association between asthma and infertility due to an increased time to pregnancy,” said lead researcher Dr. Elisabeth Juul Gade, of the Respiratory Research Unit at Bispebjerg University Hospital in Copenhagen.
Women Less Likely to Have Orgasm During Casual Sex?
Women are less likely to have orgasms during casual sex than when they’re in committed relationships, according to new research.
One study of 600 college students found that women were twice as likely to reach orgasm from intercourse or oral sex in serious relationships, compared to hookups. The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the International Academy of Sex Research and at the Annual Convention for Psychological Science this year, The New York Times reported.
Exercise in Pregnancy May Boost Baby’s Brain
By Kathleen Doheny HealthDay
Whether early advantage continues through childhood remains to be seen
Nov. 10 (HealthDay News) — Moderate exercise during pregnancy may boost your baby’s brain development, according to new research.
The study involving 18 moms-to-be and their babies found that “at 10 days, the children have a more mature brain when their mothers exercised during the pregnancy,” said study researcher Elise Labonte-LeMoyne, a Ph.D. candidate in kinesiology at the University of Montreal.
Walking May Cut Stroke Risk in Older Men
By Steven Reinberg HealthDay
British study suggests the number of weekly hours walked, not how fast, is what matters
Nov. 14 (HealthDay News) — Older men may reduce their risk of stroke by taking a daily walk. And that walk doesn’t have to be especially brisk, British researchers report.
The new study suggests that walking for an hour or two might lower the risk of stroke by as much as one-third, and walking three hours or more daily might cut the risk by two-thirds.
“Stroke is a major cause of death and disability and it is important to find ways to prevent stroke, especially in older people who are at high risk,” said lead researcher Barbara Jefferis, a senior research associate in the department of primary care and population health at University College London.
This study suggests that maintaining an active lifestyle, specifically by walking, could prevent stroke in older adults, she said.
Music Training May Boost Young Brains
By Dennis Thompson HealthDay
Effects appear strongest when kids start lessons before age 7
Nov. 12 (HealthDay News) — Playing a musical instrument can cause fundamental changes in a young person’s brain, shaping both how it functions and how it is physically structured, researchers say.
More U.S. Teens Try E-Cigarettes, Hookahs: Report
By Steven Reinberg HealthDay
Cigarette smoking hasn’t declined among young people, researchers find
Nov. 14 (HealthDay News) — The rapidly growing use of electronic cigarettes, hookahs and other smoking alternatives by middle school and high school students concerns U.S. health officials.
While use of these devices nearly doubled in some cases between 2011 and 2012, no corresponding decline has been seen in cigarette smoking, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday.
Could Weight-Loss Surgery Help Slow Aging?
By Alan Mozes HealthDay
Small, early study found longer ‘telomeres’ in genes of patients with cholesterol and inflammation problems
Nov. 15, 2013 (HealthDay News) — Beyond slimming the waistlines of morbidly obese patients, weight-loss surgery also may help reverse the aging process in some patients, turning back the clock on a key sign of decline in the body’s cells, a small, early study suggests.
Investigators said the finding could be an unforeseen positive side effect of invasive weight-loss (bariatric) surgery for some people with cholesterol and inflammation problems. Such surgery comes in a variety options, all designed to prompt a dramatic shedding of pounds following intestinal rerouting or a reduction in stomach size.
Cells Show Signs of Faster Aging After Depression
By Brenda Goodman HealthDay
Study found structures called telomeres were shorter in people with the condition
Nov. 12 (HealthDay News) — The cells of people who have had depression may age more quickly, a new study suggests.
Dutch researchers compared cell structures called telomeres in more than 2,400 people with and without depression.
Like the plastic tips at the ends of shoelaces, telomeres cap the ends of chromosomes to protect the cell’s DNA from damage. Telomeres get a bit shorter each time a cell divides, so they are useful markers for aging.
Brain Stimulation Shows Promise for Eating Disorders
By Alan Mozes HealthDay
Small study found almost half of those with anorexia, bulimia had symptom relief
Nov. 12 (HealthDay News) — New research suggests that some patients with anorexia or bulimia who receive targeted, noninvasive magnetic brain stimulation may experience relief from their binge eating and purging behaviors.
Doctors used a procedure called “repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation” on 20 patients with entrenched cases of anorexia or bulimia. The treatment prompted measurable symptom improvement among half of those in the group, and the finding raises hopes for an alternative way to battle tough-to-treat eating disorders.
Exercise May Help Ease Depression in Teens: Study
By Robert Preidt HealthDay
Experts note a similar effect has long been noted in depressed adults
Nov. 10 (HealthDay News) — Teens can suffer from depression like everyone else, but a small new study hints that exercise might help ease the condition.
The British study included three boys and 10 girls with depression who were enrolled in trainer-led workouts three times a week for 12 weeks. The teens were also encouraged to exercise 30 minutes a day on the other days.
Many People Ignore Calories on Fast-Food Menus
By Kathleen Doheny HealthDay
Of 2,000 customers, 40 percent noticed the information and 10 percent used it
Nov. 15, 2013 (HealthDay News) — Posting the calorie content of menu items at restaurants is designed to make diners stop and think, tally up the total and make wiser choices.
In real life, that doesn’t seem to be the case, according to new research.
In a poll of 2,000 Philadelphia fast-food customers, aged 18 to 64, few used the information, even if they noticed it, said study author Brian Elbel, an assistant professor of population health and health policy at the NYU School of Medicine.
“Forty percent of the sample saw it and about 10 percent [overall] said they used it and reported to us that they purchased fewer calories,” he said.
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