Health and Fitness News

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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Veering from the usual tradition of recipes that are from the health pages of the New York Times and due to the frigid temperatures, I decided to pull some comfort food recipes from my personal files that will serve to warm the body and soul even if you aren’t braving the elements. The recipes are also large enough for leftovers for week night meals. Served with a salad and your favorite beverage, they make a great warming meal. Bon appétit

Many of us had ham for New Year’s Day and are wondering what to do with that ham bone and the left over ham. So if you can’t face another ham sandwich here are a few recipes for soups and a casserole.

One soup recipe that uses a ham bone has been served in the US Senate for over 100 years. The current version does not include potatoes but I like tradition in this case. I also would add a cheese clothe sachet of bay leaf, parsley, peppercorn and thyme for flavor. I also use chicken broth in place of the water. You can play with your own seasoning to taste.

There are numerous versions of this recipe, this one uses ham hocks but the left over ham bone can be substituted.

My daughter says to increase the sauce by half for a creamier dish.

Les Halles is long gone but the traditional French Onion Soup that was served there lives on but it’s hard to find a proper soupe á l’oignon. My favorite recipe is from Bernard Clayton, Jr.’s The Complete Book of Soups and Stews with some variations. It is from a restaurant near the Halles Metro station. M. Calyton’s version uses a hearty homemade beef stock which is time consuming to make. I found that either Swanson’s or College Inn Beef Broth produces a good result, just reduce the salt. The low sodium broth didn’t produce the hearty broth that’s needed to compliment the flavor of the caramelized onions and the cheese.

French onion soup in France is served as the traditional French farmer’s breakfast or the end of the day repast for the late night café and theater crowd. It was made famous in the great open market of Les Halles in Paris where hungry truckers converged from all over France with their fresh produce.

Remember stay warm, if you have to go out: dress in layers, keeping hands and head covered, a scarf to cover you mouth and nose. Try to limit your time outdoors and be aware of the symptoms of frostbite and hypothermia

Frostbite Symptoms

By The Mayo Clinic Staff, Mayo Clinic

Signs and symptoms of frostbite include:

   A slightly painful, prickly or itching sensation

   Red, white, pale or grayish-yellow skin

   Hard or waxy-looking skin

   A cold or burning feeling

   Numbness

   Clumsiness due to joint and muscle stiffness

   Blistering, in severe cases

Frostbite typically affects smaller, more exposed areas of the body, such as your fingers, toes, nose, ears, cheeks and chin. Because of area numbness, you may not realize you have frostbite until someone else points it out.

Hypothermia Symptoms

By The Mayo Clinic Staff

Shivering is your body’s automatic defense against cold temperature – an attempt to warm itself. Constant shivering is a key sign of hypothermia. Signs and symptoms of moderate to severe hypothermia include:

   Shivering

   Clumsiness or lack of coordination

   Slurred speech or mumbling

   Stumbling

   Confusion or difficulty thinking

   Poor decision making, such as trying to remove warm clothes

   Drowsiness or very low energy

   Apathy or lack of concern about one’s condition

   Progressive loss of consciousness

   Weak pulse

   Slow, shallow breathing

A person with hypothermia usually isn’t aware of his or her condition, because the symptoms often begin gradually and because the confused thinking associated with hypothermia prevents self-awareness.

Hypothermia not necessarily related to the outdoors

Hypothermia isn’t always the result of exposure to extremely cold outdoor temperatures. An older person may develop mild hypothermia after prolonged exposure to indoor temperatures that would be tolerable to a younger or healthier adult – for example, temperatures in a poorly heated home or in an air-conditioned home.

Symptoms of mild hypothermia not related to extreme cold exposure are nearly identical to those of more severe hypothermia, but may be much less obvious.

Avoiding That New Year’s Hangover

By Robert Preidt, HealthDay

Drink in moderation and eat beforehand, doctor says

Dec. 31, 2013 (HealthDay News) — Hangover headaches are a common problem over the holidays, but there are ways to prevent them, an expert says.

The best way to avoid a hangover headache is to stick to non-alcoholic drinks such as sodas, spritzers and punches, said Dr. Noah Rosen, director of the Headache Center at North Shore-LIJ’s Cushing Neuroscience Institute in Manhasset, N.Y.

If you do drink alcohol, do so in moderation, he advised.

Shingles and Stroke Risk

By Serena Gordon, HealthDay

Study also found increased odds of heart attack, mini-stroke in older adults years after infection

Jan. 3, 2014 (HealthDay News) — People who’ve had shingles — a viral infection also known as herpes zoster — before age 40 may have a higher risk of stroke years later, a large new study suggests.

Adults who get shingles after 40 don’t have an increased risk of stroke. But along with those who had shingles before 40, they do have a higher risk of heart attack and “transient ischemic attack” (TIA), sometimes called a mini-stroke, the study authors said.

E-Cigarettes: Separating Fiction From Fact

By Serena Gordon, HealthDay

Health experts say more research needed into the devices’ safety and effectiveness as a quit-smoking tool

Jan. 3, 2014 (HealthDay News) — It’s the new year, a time when a smokers’ thoughts often turn to quitting.

Some people may use that promise of a fresh start to trade their tobacco cigarettes for an electronic cigarette, a device that attempts to mimic the look and feel of a cigarette and often contains nicotine.

Here’s what you need to know about e-cigarettes:

Cigarette Tax Hikes May Prevent 200 Million Deaths

By Randy Dotinga, HealthDay

Study authors suggest that nations triple tobacco taxes

Jan. 2, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Tripling cigarette taxes around the world — an ambitious notion — would prevent 200 million people from dying prematurely over a century and shrink the number of smokers worldwide by one-third, a new review estimates.

Tripling the taxes would have the biggest effect in poorer countries where cigarettes are fairly affordable and continue to grow in popularity, Dr. Prabhat Jha, director of the Center for Global Health Research of St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, said in a hospital news release.

Hormone Takes the High Out of Weed, Rodent Study Finds

By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay

Researchers hope findings will lead to drug to treat marijuana abuse

an. 2, 2014 (HealthDay News) — In experiments with rodents, scientists have discovered that a steroid hormone blunts the effects of marijuana, virtually eliminating its high.

The hormone, pregnenolone, occurs naturally in the body. In the laboratory, it worked by reducing the reaction to THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the intoxicating ingredient in marijuana, the researchers said.

“When the brain is stimulated by high doses of THC, it produces pregnenolone — a 3,000 percent increase — that inhibits the effects of THC,” said senior researcher Dr. Pier Vincenzo Piazza of Neurocentre Magendie in Bordeaux, France.

Osteoporosis Drug Could Change Treatment: Study

By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay

Early results indicate romosozumab can rebuild bone

Jan. 2, 2014 (HealthDay News) — A new medication for osteoporosis prompts the body to rebuild bone and could potentially strengthen the skeleton against fractures, researchers report.

The experimental drug, romosozumab, frees the body’s ability to stimulate bone production by blocking biochemical signals that naturally inhibit bone formation, explained Dr. Michael McClung, founding director of the Oregon Osteoporosis Center in Portland, Ore.

The treatment is one-and-a-half to three times more effective than current osteoporosis drugs in rebuilding bone density at the lumbar spine, according to clinical trial results McClung and his colleagues reported in the Jan.1 online edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Quitting Smoking May Cut Cataract Risk

By Mary Elizabeth Dallas, HealthDay

Chances of the vision problem declined over 20-year period for those who quit, study found

Jan. 2, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Smokers who kick the habit may reduce their risk of developing the blurred vision problem known as cataracts, new research shows.

This common medical condition — in which the lens of the eye becomes progressively cloudy — is a leading cause of impaired vision. But researchers in Sweden found that middle-aged men who smoked at least 15 cigarettes per day could lower their risk for cataracts over the course of two decades if they quit smoking.

‘Low T’ Therapy: Is It for Me?

By Serena Gordon, HealthDay

Despite widespread ad campaigns, testosterone replacement isn’t a panacea, but can help some men, experts say

Jan. 1, 2014 (HealthDay News) — When men are young, testosterone tends to get a bad rap, often blamed for aggressive and overly competitive behavior. But as men get older, the bad rap continues, though for a different reason.

In older men, it’s low testosterone that has captured attention.

Testosterone, the male hormone, plays a vital role in many body functions, and low testosterone levels can leave men tired, uninterested in sex, infertile and with thinning bones, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

It’s also a fairly common problem in older men. As many as four in 10 men older than 45 have lower than normal levels of testosterone, according to the American Urological Association.

Landmark ADHD Study Backed Drugs Over Therapy at a Cost: Report

By Margaret Farley Steele, HealthDay

Children denied counseling may have lost out, experts say

Dec. 30, 2013 (HealthDay News) — Many children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may have missed out on valuable counseling because of a widely touted study that concluded stimulants such as Ritalin or Adderall were more effective for treating the disorder than medication plus behavioral therapies, experts say.

That 20-year-old study, funded with $11 million from the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health, concluded that the medications outperformed a combination of stimulants plus skills-training therapy or therapy alone as a long-term treatment.

But now experts, who include some of the study’s authors, think that relying on such a narrow avenue of treatment may deprive children, their families and their teachers of effective strategies for coping with ADHD, The New York Times reported Monday.

Kids With ADHD, Aggression May Benefit From 2nd Med

By Brenda Goodman, HealthDay

Modest improvements in violent behavior noted with addition of antipsychotic drug

Jan. 2, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who also are extremely aggressive might benefit from taking an antipsychotic drug along with their stimulant medication, a new study suggests.

Prescribing powerful antipsychotic medications to children with behavioral problems is controversial. Little is known about the long-term safety of these medications, which are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. And previous studies have provided little evidence to support the idea that they help quell youngsters’ violent outbursts.

But the new study, which was published online in the January issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, suggests there might be some merit to the idea, at least for severely troubled kids.

Daycare Surfaces May Hold Germs Longer Than Thought

By Mary Elizabeth Dallas, HealthDay

Even well-cleaned cribs were contaminated with bacteria that can cause illness, study found

Jan. 3, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Germs that cause common illnesses, including ear infections and strep throat, can linger on surfaces such as cribs, children’s toys and books for hours after contamination — even after the objects are well cleaned — according to a small new study.

Researchers suggested that additional steps may need to be taken to protect children and adults from Streptococcus pneumoniae and Streptococcus pyogenes, particularly in schools, daycare centers and hospitals.

Experts’ Recommendation for Older, Heavy Smokers

By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay

Yearly testing will prevent some lung cancer deaths, experts conclude

Dec. 30, 2013 (HealthDay News) — A highly influential government panel of experts says that older smokers at high risk of lung cancer should receive annual low-dose CT scans to help detect and possibly prevent the spread of the fatal disease.

In its final word on the issue published Dec. 30, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) concluded that the benefits to a very specific segment of smokers outweigh the risks involved in receiving the annual scans, said co-vice chair Dr. Michael LeFevre, a distinguished professor of family medicine at the University of Missouri.

Specifically, the task force recommended annual low-dose CT scans for current and former smokers aged 55 to 80 with at least a 30 “pack-year” history of smoking who have had a cigarette sometime within the last 15 years. The person also should be generally healthy and a good candidate for surgery should cancer be found, LeFevre said.

Daily High-Dose Vitamin E Might Delay Alzheimer’s

By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay

Although study showed a small effect, experts note the nutrient doesn’t attack underlying cause

Dec. 31, 2013 (HealthDay News) — There might be some good news in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease: A new study suggests that a large daily dose of vitamin E might help slow progression of the memory-robbing illness.

Alzheimer’s patients given a “pharmacological” dose of vitamin E experienced slower declines in thinking and memory and required less caregiver time than those taking a placebo, said Dr. Maurice Dysken, lead author of a new study published Dec. 31 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

“We found vitamin E significantly slowed the rate of progression versus placebo,” said Dysken, who is with the Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center of the Minneapolis VA Health Care System.

Experts stressed, however, that vitamin E does not seem to fight the underlying cause of Alzheimer’s and is in no way a cure.

Unhealthy Cholesterol Levels Might Raise Alzheimer’s Risk

By Mary Elizabeth Dallas, HealthDay

Keeping cholesterol under control may help brain as well as heart, study suggests

Dec. 30, 2013 (HealthDay News) — Keeping “bad” cholesterol in check and increasing “good” cholesterol is not only good for your heart, but also your brain, new research suggests.

A study from the University of California, Davis, found that low levels of “bad” (LDL) cholesterol and high levels of “good” (HDL) cholesterol are linked to lower levels of so-called amyloid plaque in the brain. A build-up of this plaque is an indication of Alzheimer’s disease, the researchers said in a university news release.

The researchers suggested that maintaining healthy cholesterol levels is just as important for brain health as controlling blood pressure.

What Yoga Can and Can’t Do for You

By Serena Gordon, HealthDay

Sure, it’s a stress-buster, but it also helps with anxiety, depression, insomnia, back pain and other ills, experts say

Dec. 30, 2013 (HealthDay News) — Chances are that you’ve heard good things about yoga. It can relax you. It can get you fit — just look at the bodies of some celebrities who sing yoga’s praises. And, more and more, yoga is purported to be able to cure numerous medical conditions.

But is yoga the panacea that so many believe it to be?

Yes and no, say the experts. Though yoga certainly can’t cure all that ails you, it does offer significant benefits.

Peer Pressure May Influence Your Food Choices

By Mary Elizabeth Dallas, HealthDay

Researchers found people were more likely to eat what they thought others were eating

Dec. 30, 2013 (HealthDay News) — Peer pressure might play a part in what you eat and how much you eat, a new review suggests.

British researchers said their findings could help shape public health policies, including campaigns to promote healthy eating.

The review was published Dec. 30 in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.