Benefits of water: Are you getting enough fluids to stay healthy? By Sandee LaMotte

CNN

5 Things You Can Do to Feel More Energised Right Now By Michele Foley/Pop Sugar

While it's hard to undo a night of crappy sleep, there are definitely small things you can do to try. The next time you're feeling sluggish and not on top of your game, find help with one of these methods.

1. Drink water: A lack of energy is often a sign that you're dehydrated. Not only can being dehydrated make you feel sluggish, but it can also cause you to feel foggy and more prone to headaches. Make sure you always have water on hand by investing in a reusable water bottle.
2. Go for a walk: A little fresh air and sunshine can do a lot when it comes to boosting energy. If you sit at a desk all day, give yourself at least 15 minutes to get outside and away from your desk. Doing so will also do wonders for your productivity.
3. Reach for an energising snack: Your brain and body need food to keep going through the day, but choosing items there are loaded with sugar or fat may do more to load you down than lift you up. Avoid a mid-afternoon sugar crash by opting for snacks that are full of good-for-you protein, fibre, and whole grains.
4. Stretch: A quick stretch session can help energise you by getting the blood flowing and also aiding in digestion. Yogi Tara Stiles recommends these poses to wake up the body and add much-needed energy to your day.
5. Dance: Throw on a playlist, crank up your stereo, and get moving for a few minutes! Dancing has been shown to make people feel more happy and less stressed. And like any form of exercise, dancing translates to more energy throughout the day. Not a fan of dance? Hop in a conference room and do a set of jumping jacks instead! Yahoo!

A guide to prevent, treat and recover from a host of athletic injuries By Encarnacion Pyle

Physical exercise is great for the mind, body and spirit. And playing a team sport can be good for learning accountability, dedication and building confidence and leadership skills. But participating in athletics isn’t without its risks, whether you’re an elite athlete, a weekend warrior or take an occasional jog or bike ride. Sports medicine experts say that’s why it’s important to learn how to prevent injuries and look beyond your medicine cabinet to treat some of the most common sports injuries. And once you’ve recovered, it’s also good to know how to keep from suffering the same injury again.“A lot of injuries happen within the first few months of a person taking up a new activity,” said Dr. James Borchers, director of sports medicine at Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center. “The last thing we want people to do is to defeat themselves before they even get started.” One way to reduce the risk of this happening is by talking to your doctor about the appropriate level of exercise for your fitness level and abilities, he said. Many injuries occur when people do too much, too quickly. When starting an exercise routine or a new workout program, start slowly, Borchers said. You should gradually build up the intensity, duration and frequency. It’s also important to warm up before and after exercising, stretch regularly and vary your workout so you don’t overuse one set of muscles, said Dr. Sylvia Rozek, a sports medicine doctor at Mount Carmel Fitness & Health. A certified personal trainer, physical therapist or strength/conditioning coach can teach you good techniques and create a safe and realistic exercise program, she said. There are basically two types of injuries: acute and overuse, said Dr. John Diehl, a family practice and sports medicine doctor at OhioHealth’s McConnell Spine, Sport & Joint Physicians group. Acute injuries usually occur after a single traumatic event, such as a twist, fall or collision, Diehl said. They can include broken bones, sprains such as ligament injuries, strains such as muscle and tendon injuries and cuts and bruises, he said. Overuse injuries typically occur over time, when an athletic activity is repeated so often that parts of the body don’t have enough time to heal, he said. Examples include runner’s knee, swimmer’s shoulder and tennis elbow.“Younger athletes are more likely to suffer an acute injury during a sporting event or as a result of a serious accident, while older athletes or weekend warriors are more likely to get an overuse injury,” he said. People should seek medical treatment for serious injuries, but can manage many sports injuries themselves, experts say. Diehl said the RICE method — short for rest, ice, compression and elevation — is helpful. And some sports-medicine experts add a P, for protection. If pain or other symptoms don’t improve, see a doctor or sports-medicine expert. More persistent problems might require rehabilitation, surgery or both, said Dr. Christopher Kaeding, executive director of sports medicine at Ohio State. And don’t let the fear of re-injury become an excuse for giving up exercising or a sport you love, he said. The Columbus Dispatch

Cycling to work could help you live longer and greatly reduces the chance of developing cancer, study reveals By Sarah Knapton

They are often derided as Mamils (middle-aged men in Lycra), but a new study suggests Britain’s urban cyclists will have the last laugh. Cycling to work lowers the risk of dying early by 40 per cent, and reduces the chance of developing cancer by 45 per cent. Similarly a daily bike ride to the office nearly halves the risk of heart disease, according to a major study by the University of Glasgow, who tracked the health of more than a quarter of a million people over five years. Over the study period 37 people in the cycling group died, but the researchers say the findings suggest that 63 would have died if they had all commuted by car or public transport. The findings held true for both men and women. Just four per cent of adults cycle to work each day, around two million people. Dr Jason Gill, from the Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences at Glasgow University, said the government must do more to make cycling safer and more popular. “Cycling all or part of the way to work was associated with substantially lower risk of adverse health outcomes. “If these associations are causal, these findings suggest that policies designed to make it easier for people to commute by bike, such as cycle lanes, city bike hire, subsidised cycle purchase schemes and increasing provision for cycles on public transport may present major opportunities for public health improvement.” Walking to work was also found to be good for health, although it does not offer the same benefits as taking a bike. Commuting on foot was associated with a 27 per cent lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease and a 36 per cent lower risk of dying from it. Overall walking to work lowered the risk of early death by 27 per cent. But there was no link with a lower risk of cancer or dying early from any cause in walkers, the study found. People who preferred to stroll to work also had to walk for two hours a week in total to see health benefits, at an average speed of three miles per hour. Experts behind the study, published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), said the lower benefits seen for walking compared to cycling could be due to the fact cyclists covered longer distances in their commutes than the walkers, cycling is a higher intensity exercise and cyclists were generally more fit. Dr Carlos Celis-Morales, from the University of Glasgow, said: "Walking to work was associated with lower risk of heart disease, but unlike cycling was not associated with a significantly lower risk of cancer or overall death. "This may be because walkers commuted shorter distances than cyclists, typically six miles per week, compared with 30 miles per week, and walking is generally a lower intensity of exercise than cycling." The study also found some health benefits if people cycled part of their journey and took public transport or drove the rest of the way. The people taking part in the research were aged 52 on average at the start of the study and were followed for five years. Professor Lars Bo, an expert in sports science from the Western Norwegian University of Applied Sciences, Bergen, Norway said the UK government must do far more to help people cycle or walk to work. “The UK has neglected to build infrastructure to promote cycling for decades and the potential for improvements to increase cycling and the safety of cycling is huge,” he said. “Cities such as Copenhagen have prioritised cycling by building bike lanes; tunnels for bikes, so cyclists do not need to pass heavy traffic; and bridges over the harbour to shorten travel time for pedestrians and cyclists. Today, no car or bus can travel faster than a bike through Copenhagen. “The findings from this study are a clear call for political action on active commuting, which has the potential to improve public health by preventing common (and costly) non-communicable diseases. “A shift from car to more active modes of travel will also decrease traffic in congested city centres and help reduce air pollution, with further benefits for health.” The Telegraph

Feeling blue? Try a bowl of blueberries to lift your mood By Claire Murphy

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Consuming flavonoid-rich foods such as wild blueberries can have a significant positive effect on young people's mood, a university study has identified. In two trials published in 'Nutrients', children and young people consumed a drink containing wild blueberry or a matched placebo and were asked to rate their mood. In both trials, they recorded a big increase in positive mood. Professor Shirley Reynolds, expert in adolescent mental health and director of the Charlie Waller Institute, said: "Sustained low mood is a problem that is common at all ages and is a core feature of depression," she said. "This research is important because it suggests that including flavonoids as part of a healthy mixed diet might help prevent low mood and depression." Previous research has shown wild blueberries can improve cognitive function in primary school children. The Irish Independent

What you should really be eating to protect yourself against dementia By Chloe Lambert

Dr Estep’s rules for keeping your brain young The Telegraph

Eat at every meal:

• Vegetables, including leafy greens and herbs, and pulses
• Small portion of carbohydrates such as white rice or pasta, sourdough breads such as ciabatta
• Vinegar and other fermented foods such as miso and pickled vegetables
• Coffee or tea (Drink with meals to inhibit the absorption of iron. Decaffeinated coffee works too, as does herbal tea)
• Olive oil and nuts

Eat a few times a week:

• Fish and seafood, particularly smaller, fattier fish such as herring, sardines and anchovies (If you are vegetarian, choose an omega 3 supplement)
• Fruits
• Cheese
• Eggs; poultry
• Alcohol (Red wine is best, no more than two small glasses a day. If you don’t drink, don’t start)

Eat occasionally or never:

• Red meat
• Commercial white bread
• Milk and milk products
• Deep fried food

Heartburn Meds Alter the Gut By Melinda Wenner Moyer

Photo Credit: paramountfitness.co.uk

Acid blockers reduce the diversity of bacteria in the intestines—and that could lead to trouble. In 2014 Americans filled more than 170 million prescriptions for acid blockers known as proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) to treat gastric conditions, including indigestion, peptic ulcers and acid reflux. These medications are among the top 10 prescribed in the country as a class and are also available over the counter. Surveys suggest that they are widely overused, and in such cases, the drugs may do more harm than good. In fact, two new studies found that PPIs alter gut bacteria in ways that could increase the risk for dangerous intestinal infections, adding to a body of research highlighting the drugs' adverse effects. To figure out why people who take PPIs are more likely to get an intestinal infection, researchers at the University of Groningen and Maastricht University Medical Center in the Netherlands, as well as the Broad Institute of Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, sequenced the bacterial DNA found in the fecal matter of 1,815 people. Doing so gave them a snapshot of the bacteria found in the subjects' intestines. A comparison of the profiles of subjects taking PPIs with those who were not revealed that, among other things, PPI users had less gut bacterial diversity. The researchers, who published their results in the journal Gut, found that these differences existed even when PPI users did not have gastrointestinal conditions, which suggests that the differences were caused by the drugs rather than simply an artifact of disease. (PPIs are also prescribed to hospital ICU patients to prevent stress ulcers, among other uses.) Researchers at King's College London, Cornell University and Columbia University obtained similar results from a comparably designed study as well as a small interventional study in which individuals' gut bacteria were analyzed before and after patients took PPIs for four to eight weeks. PPIs may limit the gut's diversity by reducing its acidity and thus creating an environment that is more or less amenable to certain microbes. And that imbalance could then lead to infection, says Rinse Weersma, a gastroenterologist at the University of Groningen. The drugs may induce “a change in the microbiome that creates a niche where Salmonella or C. difficile can grow,” he explains. Because a person's microbiome can also influence intestinal absorption of calcium and other vitamins and minerals, these drug-induced changes could explain why people who take PPIs are more likely to fracture certain bones and have nutritional deficiencies. Although no one yet knows how concerned long-term PPI users should be, one thing is for sure: “There should be ongoing dialogue and management between physicians and patients who take these drugs,” says Joel Heidelbaugh, a family physician at the University of Michigan who studies PPI overuse. “There are thousands of patients who are on these drugs indefinitely without needing to be.” Scientific American Photo

6 ways to befriend your bones and fend off osteoporosis By Carrie Dennett

ON NUTRITION

What have you done for your bones lately? One in two women — and one in four men — age 50 or older will break a bone due to osteoporosis. And until they break that wrist, or hip, or vertebrae in the spine, odds are they will have no idea they have osteoporosis. If you have a family history of osteoporosis, you are at greater risk, because 70 percent of our bone destiny is due to heredity. But you still can help shape the health of your bones. We actively build bone until our mid-20s. After that, we start to slowly lose bone mass, a decline that temporarily steepens for about five years post-menopause in women. If you have bone-healthy habits during your youth, your bone will be better able to withstand some of the natural erosion that comes with age. Your bones may become less dense, but it might never progress to osteoporosis. While it’s ideal to develop bone-healthy habits in childhood, you can take action at any age to improve both bone and muscle health. What does muscle have to do with osteoporosis? The more muscle you hold on to as you age, the more likely you are to avoid falling if you start to lose your balance. Contrary to popular belief, you hardly ever break a hip, then fall. You fall — often to the side — then break a hip. Here are some of the best bone-building nutrition and lifestyle tips:
Count on calcium. If we don’t get enough calcium in our diet, our bodies will take it from our bones. Adults should aim for 1,000-1,200 mg from foods and supplements, but more isn’t better. Calcium-rich foods include dairy products, canned sardines and salmon (because you eat the bones), tofu made with calcium, calcium-fortified foods and some dark leafy greens. Kale, collard and mustard greens are good (so is broccoli), but spinach and beet greens contain oxalic acid, which makes its calcium unavailable to us. Oxalic acid is greatly reduced by cooking, and consuming a food with oxalic acid does not affect absorption of calcium from other foods you eat during the same meal.
Stock up on vitamin D. Vitamin D is essential for absorbing calcium, but it also helps build muscle. We don’t get much vitamin D from food, and if we are vigilant about preventing skin cancer, we aren’t getting much natural vitamin D through our skin. Taking 800-1,000 IU of supplemental vitamin D with food is recommended for osteoporosis prevention, especially here in the Northwest.
Power up with protein. Getting adequate but not excessive protein is important to protect both muscle and bone mass. Divide your weight in pounds by two to get your rough protein goal in grams. So, if you weight 150 pounds, aim for 75 grams of protein per day.
Load up on produce. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables creates an environment in the body that prevents bone and muscle breakdown.
Get — and stay — active. Weight-bearing exercise — walking, running, strength training — stimulates bone-building activity and builds and maintains muscles. Exercises that help maintain balance, such as tai chi, can also help avoid falls. If you already have osteoporosis, ask your doctor what exercises are safe for you to do.
Avoid “bad to the bone” behaviors. These include smoking and excessive intake of alcohol, caffeine and sodium. Yo-yo dieting has also been shown to reduce bone density.

Carrie Dennett, MPH, RDN, CD is a Seattle-based registered dietitian nutritionist, blogger, enthusiastic home cook, vegetable gardener, and caretaker to a golden retriever and three backyard hens. She loves to read, drink coffee, watch movies, do yoga, go on long walks and travel, both locally and abroad. Carrie Dennett is a registered dietitian nutritionist at Menu for Change and Nutrition By Carrie. Her blog and website is nutritionbycarrie.com. Reach her at nutritionbycarrie@gmail.com The Seattle Times

16 Early Warning Cancer Symptoms

Life'd

J&J must pay $72 million for cancer death linked to talcum powder By Jonathan Stempel

Johnson & Johnson was ordered by a Missouri state jury to pay $72 million of damages to the family of a woman whose death from ovarian cancer was linked to her use of the company's talc-based Baby Powder and Shower to Shower for several decades. In a verdict announced late Monday night, jurors in the circuit court of St. Louis awarded the family of Jacqueline Fox $10 million of actual damages and $62 million of punitive damages, according to the family's lawyers and court records. The verdict is the first by a U.S. jury to award damages over the claims, the lawyers said. Johnson & Johnson faces several hundred lawsuits claiming that it, in an effort to boost sales, failed for decades to warn consumers that its talc-based products could cause cancer. Fox, who lived in Birmingham, Alabama, claimed she used Baby Powder and Shower to Shower for feminine hygiene for more than 35 years before being diagnosed three years ago with ovarian cancer. She died in October at age 62. Jurors found Johnson & Johnson liable for fraud, negligence and conspiracy, the family's lawyers said. Deliberations lasted four hours, following a three-week trial. Jere Beasley, a lawyer for Fox's family, said Johnson & Johnson "knew as far back as the 1980s of the risk," and yet resorted to "lying to the public, lying to the regulatory agencies." He spoke on a conference call with journalists.

Carol Goodrich, a Johnson & Johnson spokeswoman, said: "We have no higher responsibility than the health and safety of consumers, and we are disappointed with the outcome of the trial. We sympathize with the plaintiff's family but firmly believe the safety of cosmetic talc is supported by decades of scientific evidence." In October 2013, a federal jury in Sioux Falls, South Dakota found that plaintiff Deane Berg's use of Johnson & Johnson's body powder products was a factor in her developing ovarian cancer. Nevertheless, it awarded no damages, court records show. Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc. (VRX.TO) now owns the Shower to Shower brand but was not a defendant in the Fox case. Reuters and MSN

Added: I would never use Baby Powder. There's been articles of warnings and also knowing some chemistry, it's not healthy. Wonder if Johnson & Johnson will take the product off market. Would other corporations follow suit ? It's a shocking outcome for Jacqueline Fox to have died from ovarian cancer directly linked to her use of baby powder. And what about cornstarch in general ? We use cornstarch for preparing gravies and puddings, for example. Would it be a matter of quantities ? What will the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decide regarding baby powder and what would the FDA say about the consumption of cornstarch in foods ?
*****
By Ivana Kottasova. Talc is a naturally occurring mineral composed of magnesium, silicon, oxygen, and hydrogen. It's used to absorb moisture in many kinds of cosmetic products, from baby powder to make up. The American Cancer Society says it is not clear if products containing talcum powder increase cancer risk. The International Agency for Research on Cancer, which is part of the World Health Organization, classifies talc as "possibly carcinogenic to humans." Because products containing talcum powder are classified as cosmetics, they do not have to undergo review by the Food and Drug Administration. However, they must be properly labeled and "they must be safe for use by consumers under labeled or customary conditions of use," the FDA states. CNN

The Rubdown By Hannah Maria Hayes

What massage can—and can’t—do for a dancer’s body.

 

Just knowing you have an appointment with your favorite massage therapist can be an incentive to get through a long day in the studio. Achy muscles and tension will soon melt away and be replaced with that lovely sense of blissful relaxation.

Luckily, a massage is more than just a guilty pleasure. It can actually increase circulation, reduce muscle tightness and relieve stress. But while massage therapy has many positive benefits, it’s not exactly the panacea some dancers wish it were. Before you skip the doctor, make sure you know both the benefits and limits of a good rubdown. 

How Massage Works

Massage is not just about relaxation. Massage therapists look at how to make a muscle, joint and tendon fire more effectively and even decrease spasm, says Ron Mulesa, company massage therapist for the National Ballet of Canada.

There are several types of massage therapy. Dancers most often get a Swedish massage, which helps create a relaxation response in the body, or deep-tissue massage, which helps to reshape patterns of tightness by working on fascia (the connective tissue that wraps each muscle and groups of muscles, much like the casing of a sausage).

…Reduce Muscle Soreness?

Massage can increase your circulation, which helps improve recovery. The relaxation effects can also improve your perceived level of fatigue. “If a dancer relaxes after a rehearsal while their body is being worked on, they’ve already started the body’s healing process,” Mulesa says. “That sets them up to feel better, which means they can perform better.”

…Provide Stress Relief?

Massage has been proven to help reduce both physical and mental stress. “The best thing massage can do for you is to help you relax your body,” Vogel says. It is also known to improve sleep and help decrease depression and anxiety. Dance Magazine Photo

Fetal Development of Nerves By Joanne Marie

Your nerves perform many vital functions, from controlling your muscles to helping you sense your body's movements and allowing you to hear and taste. The nervous system begins to develop early in pregnancy, eventually forming nerves that link all the parts of your body to the brain and spinal cord. Although this complex network continues to develop throughout childhood and adolescence, the essential framework is well formed and ready to function at birth.

Early Development
During the third week of pregnancy -- when the fetus is less than 1 inch in length -- an indentation called the neural groove forms along the middle of the back. The edges of this groove eventually join to form a structure called the longitudinal neural tube, which develops into the brain and the spinal cord. During the next few weeks, the brain enlarges and folds on itself, until it resembles a fully formed brain. The spinal cord continues growing during this period. Nerve cells in both areas send out extensions that connect with other nerve cells, forming microscopic structures called synapses that communicate messages from one nerve to another. Parts of the brain and spinal cord also organize into different areas during this period. These areas are called gray and white matter. The gray matter contains mostly central parts of nerve cells, or cell bodies. The white matter contains primarily nerve cell extensions, or processes. Nerve processes continue to grow and eventually develop into the long, thin structures found outside the brain and spinal cord. These structures are generally called nerves.

Peripheral Nerves
Nerves outside of the brain and spinal cord are called peripheral nerves. Nerves containing nerve cell processes that control muscular movement are called motor fibers. Those that carry the sensations of touch, pain and temperature back to the brain and spinal cord are called sensory fibers. By the 16th week of pregnancy, peripheral nerves have grown and organized their activity to the extent that a baby can actively move. By week 25 of pregnancy, fetal nerves are able to manage fine movements, such as those needed for control of the facial muscles. This was shown in a study published in March 2013 in the "International Journal of Gynecology," in which 24 normal fetuses were studied with four-dimensional ultrasound examinations. The fetuses were found to produce common facial expressions, including smiling, sucking, blinking and yawning. These movements involve not only control of muscle activity, but also relaying of complex information back to the fetal brain about the position of the muscles and the parts of the face they control.

Autonomic Nerves
Fetuses also develop another highly specialized network called the autonomic nervous system. After birth, it controls organ and tissue functions that occur without conscious thought, including beating of the heart and breathing. The autonomic nerves begin to develop during approximately the fifth week of pregnancy. They originate from special nervous tissue called the neural crest, which begins to form outside the nervous system and moves into a position near the spinal cord or in the walls of certain organs. These nerves form complex connections with each other, the spinal cord and the brain. Autonomic nerves are also important for special functions, such as balance and hearing. By week 32 of pregnancy, nerves in the ears are functional, and a baby begins responding to sounds. This was shown in a study published in 2011 in the journal "Developmental Science," in which researchers found that a fetus's heart rate changes in response to the sound of her mother's voice.

Other Events
In addition to their connections to the brain and spinal cord, nerves form complex structures called plexuses. These are sites where nerves connect with each other. From a plexus, interconnected fibers form nerves that travel to their destination, where they interact with muscles and other structures. Nerve plexuses begin to form as early as 14 weeks of pregnancy, as shown in a 2012 paper published in "Advances in Clinical and Experimental Medicine." Researchers studied the fetal brachial plexus, which contains nerves that control muscles in the arms and hands. They found that most growth occurs between weeks 14 and 18, and continues later in fetal development at a slower rate. In addition to the development of nerve cells, specialized cells called Schwann cells develop from neural crest tissue during fetal life. Schwann cells produce myelin, a fatty substance that surrounds many nerves. Myelin insulates nerves, helping them transmit messages smoothly and rapidly. Essential for normal muscle function, myelin begins appearing on peripheral nerves by about 20 weeks of pregnancy and continues to accumulate rapidly throughout the first year of a baby's life.

Joanne Marie began writing professionally in 1981. Her work has appeared in health, medical and scientific publications such as Endocrinology and Journal of Cell Biology. She has also published in hobbyist offerings such as The Hobstarand The Bagpiper. Marie is a certified master gardener and has a Ph.D. in anatomy from Temple University School of Medicine. Houston Chronicle

Coffee and Tea May Protect the Brain By Tori Rodriguez

Daily drinkers have lower rates of depression and cognitive decline. Coffee and tea may do more than just jolt you awake—they could also help keep your brain healthy, according to a slew of recent studies. Researchers have linked these beverages with protection from depression, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. A study reported in November 2013 found older Chinese adults who regularly drank any kind of tea had a significantly smaller risk for depression: 21 percent for those who drank tea between one and five days a week and 41 percent for daily drinkers. The researchers also asked about the participants' leisure activities to ensure that the tea, and not teatime socializing, provided the protective effect. Some studies suggest that coffee and tea drinkers have lower rates of cognitive decline, too, but the evidence is mixed. Research in rodents that has focused on specific compounds in coffee and tea supports the idea that some of these chemicals reduce the risk for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. In one such study, published online last June in Neurobiology of Aging, supplementing rats' diets with a component of coffee called eicosanoyl-5-hydroxytryptamide shielded the animals' brains against the pathological changes typical of Alzheimer's. In 2013 another experiment found the same compound to have protective effects against a mouse model of Parkinson's. Caffeine may not just defend the brain but help it, too—a paper in September in the same publication reports that spiking the mice's drinking water with caffeine reduced the protein tangles seen in Alzheimer's, and it also prevented spatial memory deficits. Scientific American Photo

31 Signs You're Not Getting Enough Vitamins

Dietitians Emily Haller and Keri Gans on the dead giveaways that you need to step up your nutrient intake.

Back in 2004, nutritionists everywhere were screaming at movie theater screens, threatening to boycott Mean Girls when Regina George "innocently" (you never know with Queen Plastic) asked how butter's contents translated into nutritional value.  We'll limit this healthy-eating lecture to a minimum: In order for your body to function, you need to make sure you're consuming enough essential nutrients in your everyday diet with actual healthy food. Just so you know...butter does not count as a good carb and no, your beloved chicken-and-broccoli combination platter doesn't satisfy anything but your 1:33 a.m. craving for Chinese food. Okay, so you might be the outlier and pack kale for lunch and reach for a banana post-workout—TEACH US YOUR WAYS—but are you 100% sure you're meeting the daily requirements of all that is good? We tapped into the minds of registered dietitians Emily Haller and Keri Gans for dead giveaways you need to step up your nutrient intake. Blurred vision? You might need to eat more carrots—not be prescribed glasses.

 

Vitamin A

Dry eyes

Blindness at night

Scaling, dry skin

Diarrhea

The next time you get a paper cut, grab a bandage and chew on some carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, or tuna. Vitamin A encourages healthy cell production to heal wounds, boost your immune system, and strengthen your vision. Aim for roughly 2,333 IU a day.

 

Vitamin C

Depression

Gingivitis

Impaired wound healing

Corkscrew hair follicles

Prone to bruising

Nosebleeds

Bleeding gums

High blood pressure

An orange a day—not really, but 85 mg daily will do—keeps everything that we just listed above away. This antioxidant protects against don't-want-ever illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, asthma, and the common cold.

 

Vitamin D

Softened bones (over an extended period of time)

Susceptibility to infectious diseases like the flu

There are no clear symptoms of vitamin D deficiency, however, the longer someone goes without getting the nutrient—by not basking in the sunlight enough or eating enough almonds or fatty fish—the more likely it is your skeletal health decreases. The only way to be positive of your status is to get yourself checked. The daily recommendation is 600 IU.

 

Calcium

Fatigue

Frequent muscle cramps

Prolonged abnormal appetite—meaning eating isn't appealing to you (WHAT??)

Development of osteoporosis (over a longer period of time)

You remember those Got Milk commercials? Brilliant. But there's a slight chance their message didn't stick when you were a kid. Calcium helps your heart, prevents bloods clots, and of course, fortifies your bones and teeth. Adults should aim for about 1,000 mg per day from sources like milk, yogurt, cheeses, almonds, and salmon.

 

Protein

Hair that falls out

Thinning hair

Sore muscles

Not building muscle while exercising (if you're trying to bulk up)

Constantly getting sick

Muscle loss

Is it just us or is everyone talking about protein these days? Although standard recommendations for women say to consume about 46 g per day, fitness experts usually suggest eating 1 g of protein per pound if you're trying to gain muscle mass—so 130 g of protein for a 130-pound woman. Don't go overboard with your red meats though: The quality and quantity of protein sources can impact your risk against cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

 

Fiber

Constipation

Constant hunger

So this is why we're starving by 11:39 a.m. (sorry, donuts). A healthy fiber intake—of about 20 to 35 g every day from oats, beans, and broccoli—can help with irritable bowl syndrome, high cholesterol, and irritable bowel disease. Basically, fiber is your gut's best friend.

 

Iron

Pale skin

Always feeling cold

Dizziness

Headaches

Difficulty breathing

Ahhh, iron—it's the mineral that allows our cells to retain oxygen and keep our blood circulating. When you don't hit the recommended 18 mg a day, you put yourself at risk of things like anemia. All you need is to stock up on spinach, fish, nuts and seeds, and you'll survive.

From: Marie Claire  Harper's Bazaar Photo

What Adults Need to Know about Pediatric Depression By Deborah Serani

Research shows that children, even babies, experience depression. The clinical term is called Pediatric Depression, and rates are higher now than ever before. In the United States alone, evidence suggests that up to 1% of babies, 4 percent of preschool-aged children, 5 percent of school-aged children, and 11 percent of adolescents meet the criteria for major depression. According to American Association of Suicidology, Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death in adolescents ages 15 to 24, and is the 6th leading cause of death in children ages 5 to14. Suicide is significantly linked to depression, so early diagnosis and treatment of Pediatric Depression is not just extremely important – it is life-saving. The fields of neurology, psychology, psychiatry and pediatrics started tracking symptoms of longing, sadness and anxiety in children, which helped launch the official discipline of child psychiatry in 1920. Many pioneers like Melanie Klein, John Bowlby, Anna Freud, D.W. Winnicott, Rene Spitz, and Erick Erickson broadened the field of child depression, detailing theories on trauma, despair and melancholic reactions in children. But it would take almost a century more for science to truly root itself in the belief that children could, without a doubt, have depression. The 21st century showed a rapid growth of clinical interest in mood disorders in children, influenced by advances in medical technology and the field of neurobiology joining forces with psychology and psychiatry. Evidenced based research studies started streaming in, each one validating aspects of pediatric depression, its symptoms, etiology and methods of treatment. Scientists agreed that though children had immature and underdeveloped affective (emotional) and cognitive (thinking) skills, depression was something they can experience. Children have mood changes, are capable of having negative thoughts, and tend to show depressive symptoms in more behavioral ways. Examples like joyless facial responses, listless body posture, unresponsive eye gaze, slowed physical reactions and irritable or fussy mannerisms, just to name a few. Not only did studies confirm the existence of Pediatric Depression, but distinctive symptoms were seen in differing stages of childhood. These results widened the scope of understanding depression in children, and helped highlight that patterns of depression vary with a child’s age. So, the history of Pediatric Depression began with a steadfast “No way it could ever be” to a more thoughtful “Oh yes it can,” to a postmodern “and it’s intricately unique.”

Facts Every Adult Should Know

1. Myth: Depression looks the same in children as it does in adults.
False. Children don’t have the verbal language or cognitive savvy to express the textures of depression. Instead, body symptoms like aches and pains, fatigue, and slowness present as can tearfulness, unrealistic feelings of guilt, isolation and irritability.
3. Myth: Pediatric Depression will go away on its own.
False: A serious mental illness cannot be willed away or brushed aside with a change in attitude. Ignoring the problem doesn’t give it the slip either. Depression is a serious, but treatable illness, with a success rate of upwards of 80% for children who receive intervention.
5. Myth: The risk of suicide for children is greatly exaggerated.
False. Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death in adolescents ages 15 to 24, and is the 6th leading cause of death in children ages 5 to14. Suicide is significantly linked to depression, so early diagnosis and treatment of Pediatric Depression is extremely important.
6. Myth: There are no proven treatments to treat Pediatric Depression.
False. Volumes of studies show that talk therapy treatments like play therapy, family therapy, and individual therapy offer significant improvements for children who experience depression. Upwards of 80% of children who receive treatment move into remission. The other 20% may require medication to help with their illness – and, though this is often a hot topic for controversy, there are evidenced-based studies that support this as a treatment option.
7. Myth: Antidepressants will change a child’s personality.
False. Antidepressants normalize the ranges of moods in children who have a mood disorder – and will not change your child’s personality what-so-ever.
9. Myth: When a depressed child refuses help, there’s nothing parents can do.
False. If your child refuses to go to talk therapy or take medication, there are things you can do. You can seek therapy with a trained mental health specialist to learn how to help your child in spite of the fact that he won’t attend sessions. In a crisis situation, you can drive your child to the nearest hospital emergency room, or contact family, friends or the local police for assistance in getting him there.
10. Myth: Seriously depressed children CANNOT lead productive lives.
False: Many children with depression can grow up to live full, productive lives. In fact, many high profile people, including President Abraham Lincoln, Writer J.K. Rowlings, Artist Michelangelo, Actor Harrison Ford, Choreographer Alvin Ailey, Actress Courteney Cox, Entrepreneur Richard Branson, Prime Minister Winston Churchill, Rocker Bruce Springsteen and Baseballer Ken Griffey, Jr. have been very successful in their chosen professions – despite struggling with depression in their young lives. If you suspect that a child is struggling with depression, immediately contact a physician. Share your concerns and plan for a full medical evaluation to begin this diagnostic process. Once medical tests show no other reason for the fatigue, sadness, aches and pains that often come with depression, a mental health professional will evaluate further for this pediatric mood disorder.
Pediatric Depression is a serious, but treatable disorder. And there is great hope for healing when detected early. Scientific American Photo

A Milestone in Africa: No Polio Cases in a Year By Donald G. McNeil Jr.

It has been one full year since polio was detected anywhere in Africa, a significant milestone in global health that has left health experts around the world quietly celebrating. The goal had seemed tantalizingly close in recent years, but polio always managed to roar back, particularly in Nigeria. Then officials embraced a vigorous new approach to vaccination and surveillance in that country, hiring thousands of community “mobilizers” to track down the unvaccinated, opening operations centers nationwide to monitor progress and seeking out support from clerics and tribal chiefs. The result has been remarkable. The last African case of polio was detected in Somalia on Aug. 11, 2014, the final sign of an outbreak with its roots in Nigeria — the one country where the virus had never been eradicated, even temporarily. But the last case in Nigeria was recorded on July 24, 2014. “This is a big success, but it’s still fragile,” said Dr. Hamid Jafari, the initiative’s World Health Organization director. “There’s always a worry that there could be an undetected case in a population you’re not reaching.” The case count has been below 2,000 annually since 2001, and eradication efforts now cost about $1 billion a year. But to the frustration of epidemiologists, the virus is a master of the cross-border jailbreak. Thirty-four cases have been found this year, all in Pakistan or Afghanistan, the last places in which the virus is known to persist. Many scientists now say a worldwide victory over polio is in sight. Even assuming there are no more cases, Africa will not be officially declared polio-free for two more years. The W.H.O. requires three case-free years because surveillance is difficult in a continent of isolated villages and nomadic herders. Reaching the milestone is a testament to the persistence, deep pockets and adaptability of the eradication initiative, which is led by the W.H.O., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the United Nations Fund for Children, Rotary International, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the United Nations Foundation. International New York Times Photo

10 Top Foods That Might be Causing Cancer By BlueHair Dave

1. Highly Processed White Flours

After refining, processed white flours not only lose most all of their nutrients but they are also bleached with a chemical called chlorine gas. The EPA sites this gas as dangerous, irritant, that can be lethal. It is also very highly glycemic and bad for your blood sugar. Not only are they making us fat they might also be contributing to rising cancer rates.

2. Microwave Popcorn

Everybody loves a yummy bag of popcorn. Making it in the microwave is easy and convenient. Unfortunately, according to Wikipedia the bags of microwave popcorn are lined with perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). This chemical is also found in Teflon. Studies have shown that this chemical can be linked with infertility in women and exposure significantly increases risk of kidney, bladder, liver, pancreas and testicular cancers. Find more out at cancer.org.

Many microwave popcorns also still use diacetyl which Conagra stopped using due to employees using it getting lung cancer.

3. Artificial Sweeteners

If you have to avoid sugar, are on a diet or have diabetes you might be using artificial sweeteners. However, many studies show that people usually GAIN weight when using them and can make it harder to control blood sugar. More studies are coming out that show aspartame, when broken down becomes a deadly toxin called DKP. This breakdown of chemicals is known to cause certain brain tumors.

4. Alcohol

Many of us enjoy a nice drink now and then but over consumption of alcohol can lead to many health issues including diabetes, obesity and many types of cancers. A recent study showed that postmenopausal women who drank one drink per day or less had a 30% increase in breast cancer rates than women who did not drink at all. Alcohol is the 2nd leading cause of cancer following tobacco. Experts working with the World Health Organization Research on Cancer found evidence that alcohol is the main cause of mouth, esophagus, liver, colon, mouth, rectum, and female breast cancers.

5. Refined Sugars and Soda Pop

Many believe that refined sugars are the preferable food for cancer cells which helps them grow. High Fructose Corn Syrup being one of the main culprits because it is most easily metabolized by cancer cells. This puts most cakes, sodas, sauces, juices, etc. on the NO NO list.. Sorry sweet tooths!

6. Processed Meats

Like some hot dogs, sausages, bacon and lunch meats? Most of them have excessive salts and chemicals. Some studies show that people who regularly eat processed meats increased their chance of early death by as much as 43%. Sodium Nitrates are the biggest offenders and also a well know carcinogen with smoked meats being particularly bad.   

7. Smoked, Pickled and Salted!

Put a fork in me after I eat these foods. These foods often have nitrates that turn into N-nitroso that is associated with higher cancer risks when digested. Smoked meats that are high in fat can help lead to stomach and colorectal cancer.  

8. Potato Chips

They sure make a great tasting quick snack but the negative effects far outweigh the short term pleasure. High in both fat and calories that cause weight gain. Add in often high Trans-Fats with sodium and you have the recipe for cancer- and heart disease-related health problems.    

9. Farmed Salmon

Over 60% of salmon eaten in the United States is farm raised. Being fed unnatural diets with chemicals, antibiotics, pesticides and other known carcinogens these otherwise healthy fish are not very healthy at all. Studies have also shown high numbers of PCBs and mercury in them.  

10. Diet Foods

Often loaded with Aspartame, a chemical in artificial sweeteners, diet foods are not very healthy at all. Excessive sodium, colors and refined ingredients are often added to make up for flavor loss. Many low fat foods actually have many MORE calories than their ‘Non diet’ associates.  

11.  Hydrogenated Oils

These are vegetable oils. They must be chemically removed from their source and are often deodorized and colored. Also, excessive Omega-6 fatty acids cause health problems.  

12. Red Meat

Small amounts of red meat in a diet can be shown to be a good thing. Try to eat grass fed which has properties of linoleic acid which helps fight against some cancers. However, when speaking about colon cancer, red meats eaten everyday can lead to increased cancer risks.  

13. Canned Tomatoes

Many canned foods. Most cans are lined with a chemical called bisphenol-A or BPA. A Study about 2 years ago showed that BPAs affect the way genes worked inside rats’ brains. The FDA seems to agree this is a problem and is supporting efforts to reduce, replace or eliminate the amounts found in canned foods. The high acidity leaves tomatoes more dangerous because they can leech the BPA more readily from the can lining. Bulletin Daily News/Hartford Courant

F.D.A. Gives Food Industry 3 Years to Eliminate Trans Fats By Sabrina Tavernise

WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday gave the food industry three years to eliminate artery-clogging, artificial trans fats from the food supply, a long-awaited step that capped years of effort by consumer advocates and is expected to save thousands of lives a year. Trans fats — a major contributor to heart disease in the United States — have already been substantially reduced in foods, but they still lurk in many popular products, including frostings, microwave popcorn, packaged pies, frozen pizzas, margarines, coffee creamers, graham crackers and granola bars. The agency has estimated that banning trans fats completely could prevent 20,000 heart attacks and 7,000 deaths from heart disease each year. The agency has ruled that partially hydrogenated oils, the source of trans fats, no longer be “generally recognized as safe.” That means companies would have to prove that such oils are safe to eat, a high hurdle given that scientific literature overwhelmingly shows the contrary. The Institute of Medicine has concluded that there is no safe level for consumption of them, a conclusion that the F.D.A. has cited in its reasoning on the topic. Partially hydrogenated oils are cheaper than saturated animal fats like butter, and for years were thought to be healthier. They are formed when liquid oil is treated with hydrogen gas and made solid. They became popular in fried and baked goods and in margarine. Crisco, originally marketed in the beginning of the 20th century, was the archetype. But over the years, scientific evidence has shown they are dangerous because they raise the levels of so-called bad cholesterol and can lower the levels of good cholesterol, and a wariness set in among consumers. Trans fats won’t be completely gone. They occur naturally in meat and dairy products, and they are produced at very low levels in some edible oils during the manufacturing process, the F.D.A. said. And companies will be able to petition the F.D.A. for specific uses. Barry Popkin, a nutrition epidemiologist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said consumption of saturated fat in baked goods actually increased from 2005 to 2012, a shift he said was probably partially attributable to reductions in trans fats. The fats are difficult to replace in baked goods because of their unique qualities in helping with texture. International New York Times

Americans are unlikely to contract MERS, health experts say By Soumya Karlamangla and Victoria Kim

Just as peak summer season was gearing up, Koreatown travel agent Chris Chang began receiving dozens of calls from travelers concerned about an outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome in South Korea. MERS, a severe, flu-like illness, was diagnosed in a patient in Seoul last month and has since spread to 138 people and killed 14. Chang, manager at Hana Tour USA, said the company is still operating its South Korea tours on schedule, but he gives nervous customers the option to cancel. He estimated that 20% to 30% had canceled flights and tours because they feared contracting MERS. "It's their choice. It has to do with safety, so we're not going to tell them they are or aren't going to get the disease," Chang said. Despite the anxiety about MERS, health experts say, Americans are unlikely to contract the illness, even if they're traveling to South Korea. All infections so far have been associated with healthcare facilities visited by the original infected patient and haven't spread to the outside community. Plus, numbers of new cases appear to be peaking. MERS, a virus thought to have come to humans from camels, was first detected in a patient in Saudi Arabia in 2012. Characterized by fever, respiratory problems and kidney disease, it is most likely spread through close contact with infected patients, such as coughing. Since MERS was detected there have been two cases in the United States, one in Florida and one in Indiana. Both patients were infected in May 2014 and had recently traveled to Saudi Arabia and recovered after being hospitalized. Dr. Robert Quigley, regional medical director and senior vice president of medical assistance at International SOS, said MERS tends to cause panic because of its similarity to severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, which killed more than 700 people in the early 2000s. "That really was a scare for many, many countries in Asia and even Canada," Quigley said. He said that though both SARS and MERS are coronaviruses, MERS does not appear to spread as easily as SARS and isn't likely to spread much more than it has already in South Korea. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not recommend that Americans change their travel plans because of the outbreak. LA Times AP Photo Lee Jinman

Should You Limit Your Daily Coffee Intake? By Amy Capetta

Drinking up to five espressos a day, or the caffeine equivalent, poses no risk to [the] general population, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), has concluded. The agency carried out the scientific study after some countries raised concerns about the health effects of caffeine on the heart and central nervous system. According to their research, adults can consume up to 400mg per day from the typical sources (including tea, coffee, chocolate and energy drinks) and chugging down a single serving up to 200mg of caffeine can be safe, as well. But the EFSA warns to stop after five cups: Consuming more than that could be damaging to your health, they say. So what is the US’s official recommended guideline on caffeine consumption? For healthy adults FDA has cited 400 milligrams a day. But that said, “We don’t have a standard policy,” Miriam E. Nelson, PhD, Associate Dean from the Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service at Tufts University, tells Yahoo Health. Nelson and 13 other nationally recognized experts in the fields of nutrition, medicine and public health are part of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee.“Our committee put together a technical report, which we were asked to do, and submitted it to the secretaries of the Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA),” she states. “However, there are some policies, like from the American Academy of Pediatrics for children and from the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists for pregnant women. But in terms of adults, the United States doesn’t have any, which is why it was such a fascinating topic area for our subcommittee to address.” The team considered two factors in their proposal: coffee, which is the major source of caffeine in our nation’s diet, and caffeine. “What we saw was that there was strong, consistent evidence in coffee,” says Nelson. “Within the three to five cups a day range, which is up to 400mg, coffee was not associated with any increased, major health risks. In fact, there was moderate but consistent evidence that drinking coffee in moderate amounts actually reduces your risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases in healthy adults.” She adds that coffee may also reduce risk of some liver cancers and cancers of the endometrium. And yes, caffeine had a perk, as well. “With respect to caffeine, what we saw was that there was, in fact, moderate evidence that caffeine intakes around that amount — and not coffee but caffeine — can reduce risk of Parkinson’s disease,” says Nelson. Caffeine may even protect the brain from Alzheimer’s disease, nutritionist Keri Glassman, founder of Nutritious Life, tells Yahoo Health. “German and French researchers have demonstrated that caffeine has a positive effect on tau deposits, one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s,” she states. “They showed how giving regular doses of caffeine to mice bred to develop tau protein deposits in their brains slowed memory decline compared to controlled mice.” Yahoo! Health Photo