Health

Dark Chocolate

Written by Erica Reed. Posted in Family Health.

Dark Chocolate is good for your skinIt Does A Body Good. 

Eating for beauty benefits doesn’t mean a lifetime sentence of salad (although leafy greens do wonders for your body and your skin). Instead of feeling guilty after getting “wasted on chocolate”, you get excited, (as long as you choose the right kind of chocolate) because you’ll be reaping some beauty benefits and health rewards for treating yourself!

Some chocolate can deliver significant beauty benefits. However, the only chocolate that can supply these benefits is dark chocolate having at least 70% cocoa content. Unfortunately, most treats found in the candy aisle and conveniently located upon check-out at grocery stores and pharmacies are the wrong kind of chocolate. Dark chocolate, the good stuff, is lower in sugar and high in cocoa. It’s super-rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that nourish our bodies. For example, cocoa contains naturally occurring plant substance called; flavonoids which can contribute to a healthy heart and help reduce the risk of stroke. Dark chocolate also relaxes blood vessels, which in turn can reduce blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels. Several studies even suggest that it may also be a “feel-good” treat that increases production of mood-enhancing neurotransmitters and improved blood flow to the brain.

iHurt

Written by Danny Singles, PT, DPT, MA. Posted in Physical Health.

Your cell phone could be cause you painTwitter. Pinterest. Instagram. Facebook. Trivia Crack. Fantasy football. Email. Text messaging. Many other things. We use our phones for almost everything but phone calls. All of these things involve staring at the screen, usually with some scrolling or tapping thrown in for good measure.

In our sports clinic, my friend and fellow PT, Mark, states it best. He sees a patient sitting in our waiting chairs, hunched over and cramped up like a wadded up napkin after dinner (hopefully without the meatball stains). The question that follows is as perfect as the answer he gives to his own question. He asks them: "Do you have back pain (or neck or shoulder pain)? No, not yet? Ok, you will."

CONSISTENCY: The Key to Successful Weight Loss

Written by Alisa Rose. Posted in Physical Health.

CONSISTENCY:  The Key to Successful Weight LossHave you ever accomplished anything great with an inconsistent effort? Unless failure is considered a great achievement, you probably haven't. You must exercise consistently to get the results you want! It blows my mind how many people don't even try to be consistent with their diet and complain about not seeing results. Even the best programs are ineffectual if they are not followed on a consistent basis.

Women are sometimes afraid at the idea of adding muscle due to their fear of becoming "bulky." Relax; it's a little harder to add that kind of muscle mass than you think.

Pregnancy and Chiropractic: Happier Mom! Healthier Baby!

Written by Dr Scott Rosenthal. Posted in Family Health.

Pregnancy and Chiropractic: Happier Mom! Healthier Baby!Celeste was expecting. She felt great and welcomed each miraculous change. The baby moved easily into the head-down position. She walked comfortably with a steady confidence throughout her last trimester. The birth went smoothly and as desired. Her midwife commented on the joy of assisting in such a wonderful delivery experience. Her recovery quickly unfolded.

How close is your vision of a "normal" pregnancy and delivery to the above? First of all, IT IS POSSIBLE! With the right game plan, the odds of a "perfect" pregnancy and delivery can be greatly improved. The purpose of this article is to introduce the many, but often little-known, benefits of chiropractic care for the expecting mother and developing fetus.

Reiki In a Hospital Setting

Written by Michele Anderson, Reiki Master Teacher and Practitioner. Posted in Health.

Reiki In a Hospital SettingIf  you’ve watched television or listened to the radio lately, chances are you’ve heard an advertisement for a pharmaceutical product or medical treatment.  We have become a nation accustomed to popping pills for everything from anxiety to arthritis.   And while traditional medicine is a necessary part of combating illness, some individuals are seeking alternate forms of treatment.  One alternative therapy is Reiki, an ancient Japanese technique for relaxation and stress reduction which also promotes healing.  While not intended for diagnosis or treatment of disease, Reiki can be utilized to complement and even augment traditional Western medicine.

A World Without Desks

Written by Danny Singles, PT, DPT, MA. Posted in Health.

A World Without DesksI'm cramped in a New Jersey transit train seat like it's a sardine can. The train home from NYC is packed with a holiday weekend crowd. Some of them are returning Santas from SantaCon -- my personal favorite Santa sighting was a portly young man who was running down the street in Santa pants, boots, and hat while yelling into his cell phone. Somewhere along his inebriated meandering, he lost his shirt and was content to race through the 35 degree December weather while half naked. Ah, New York is a magical place at the holidays. Besides the people watching, the department store window displays and the Rockefeller Tree are personal favorites of mine.

While in NYC this weekend, we walked everywhere. Sure, the walking was punctuated with an occasional subway ride and lots of momentary pauses to look at rollerblading drunk Santas, but we were in NYC so we walked. How else to take in the sights?

Please Tell Us What We Are Eating!

Written by Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss. Posted in Family Health.

Please Tell Us What We Are Eating!Please tell us what we are eating!

Proponents of genetic engineering (GE)—whereby DNA from unrelated species is combined to produce improved or novel organisms—insist that the benefits of increased crop yields and less agricultural waste outweigh the potential risks, but many environmental and public health advocates aren't convinced.
According to the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), one risk of GE is that our new "frankencrops" could become invasive, toxic to wildlife, or dangerous in other as-yet unknown ways. "But the most damaging impact of GE in agriculture so far is the phenomenon of pesticide resistance," reports UCS, adding that millions of acres of American farmland are infested by weeds that have become resistant to Monsanto's popular herbicide glyphosate (known to most by its trade name Roundup). "Overuse of Monsanto's 'Roundup Ready' trait, which is engineered to tolerate the herbicide, has promoted the accelerated development of resistance in several weed species."

When All Else Fails, Play Show Me Your Movie

Written by Veronica Monet, ACS, CAM. Posted in Family Health.

You Can PlayMaggie saw Jim kick the family dog. His foot firmly connected with Grover's belly, sending him into a humiliating skid on the kitchen floor. The dog yelped and peed on the floor but he wasn't injured. Maggie was shaking with anger and a little bit of fear. It was bad enough that Jim had been yelling at her, but now he was abusing their dog? He would pay for his lapse in judgment, but right now she just wanted to get away from him. She stormed out of the kitchen and slammed the door to her bedroom.

When All Else Fails, Play Show Me Your Movie

Written by Veronica Monet, ACS, CAM. Posted in Sexual Health and Healing.

You Can PlayMaggie saw Jim kick the family dog. His foot firmly connected with Grover's belly, sending him into a humiliating skid on the kitchen floor. The dog yelped and peed on the floor but he wasn't injured. Maggie was shaking with anger and a little bit of fear. It was bad enough that Jim had been yelling at her, but now he was abusing their dog? He would pay for his lapse in judgment, but right now she just wanted to get away from him. She stormed out of the kitchen and slammed the door to her bedroom.

The Offseason

Written by Danny Singles, PT, DPT, MA. Posted in Family Health.

OffseasonNoted orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews recently authored a book about the current injury epidemic in youth sports.

Reading this book reinforced some beliefs about what I see daily in my clinic. Pre-teen and teenage athletes are constantly coming into the clinic with sports related injuries. They trickle in during the summer like drips of water from a leaky faucet. By midway through fall and into the spring, there is a steady stream of young athletes who do not make it through their seasons. Some of these injuries are traumatic, some are not. Almost all have one thing in common. The athletes who sustain them seem to be the ones who play a single sport all year round. This leads me to the topic of this month's article. What happened to the offseason?

A Metastatic Breast Cancer Story

Written by Lynn Wyatt. Posted in Women's Health.

Lynn Wyatt and her familyI had the most amazing fortieth birthday party. Ever. There were fireworks and not one, but two visits by the local police. People from all over my life were there. There was dancing to Duran Duran, Run DMC and Billy Idol. The last thing on my mind that day was my mortality.

Breast Cancer Myths & Trends

Written by LWM Staff. Posted in Women's Health.

Myth #1: Breast cancer is one disease.
There are many forms of breast cancer based in part on genetic characteristics, and each form of breast cancer has a different prognosis. Tumor testing can help determine the appropriate medicine and timing of treatment needed to treat the disease most effectively.

Why Control of Your Diabetes Is Essential to the Health of Your Mouth

Written by Andrew Swiatowicz, D.D.S.. Posted in Family Health.

Diabetes and Healthy teethWhen it comes to diabetes mellitus (DM), patients have enough to worry about. Controlling this disease is essential to maintaining the health of one's blood vessels, eyes, limbs, kidneys and numerous other parts of the body. While most patients who are diagnosed with diabetes are aware of the previously mentioned potential complications, many are surprised to hear that their diabetes can impact their oral health.
Diabetic patients report a variety of oral issues, including xerostomia (dry mouth), oral candidiasis, and poor wound healing following dental surgery. However, what dentists notice the most in their patient with poorly controlled DM is a higher prevalence of periodontitis.

Glaucoma: Early Detection Can Save Your Sight

Written by Robert L. Stamper, M.D.. Posted in Family Health.

Glaucoma is the second most common cause of preventable blindness in the U.S. Approximately 2 million Americans have glaucoma. Another one million do not know they have the disease. With early diagnosis and treatment, the vast majority of people can retain their vision for life. The key is early diagnosis, which can only be obtained by regular, routine eye exams.

In a healthy eye, fluid is constantly being made and drained through a microscopic, drainage canal. When something blocks or prevents this natural drainage, the pressure inside the eye goes up. Glaucoma is often caused by increased pressure that can develop when the fluids in the eye are not draining properly. This condition eventually damages the nerve that connects the eye to the brain (the optic nerve) and leads to loss of vision. In most cases, a person's side vision (peripheral vision) is noticeably affected.

Can High Blood Pressure Cause Erectile Dysfunction?

Written by Dianna Palimere, PhD, LCSW . Posted in Men's Health.

Can High Blood Pressure Cause Erectile Dysfunction?The short answer is yes. In fact, a study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society reported that approximately 49% of men in the age category of 40-79, with high blood pressure, had erectile dysfunction (ED). To fully explain how this happens, I'm going to pretend that not all of my readers remember the basics of penile anatomy and function that they may have learned during health class in high school...if they were lucky enough to have that. After explaining the basic mechanics of how a penis functions, I can then explain why having your blood pressure in a healthy range is so important for sexual health.

Overdo-it-itis

Written by Danny Singles, PT, DPT, MA. Posted in Physical Health.

overdoititus

What if the epic training montage from Rocky IV (YouTube it if you haven't seen it) were real life? While we can't all have a song like Hearts on Fire as our personal soundtrack or own an American Flag robe like Apollo Creed's, we can still take some lessons from Rocky's training.

Let's pretend for a minute that this montage is actually a single exercise session. In the aforementioned film clip, Rocky and Ivan Drago are shown performing interval training involving resistance exercise intermixed with bouts of high intensity cardio. This type of high intensity interval training (HIIT) is extremely popular at the moment.

The Effects of Electronics on Weight: Is Television Making You Fat?

Written by Nancy Angelini and Tom Dadant. Posted in Family Health.

electronic food

Is it possible that electronics could be an underlying cause for the rise of obesity and Type II Diabetes in the American culture? Though not the sole culprit, the truth is that television, computers, tablets and phones very much contribute to the general decline in aggregate health and weight management. The reason, however, lies far deeper than merely rendering the general population less active. Rather, it has much to do with the colored light emitted from the devices' screens and the resulting negative impact on sleep. Deficiencies in sleep, in turn, handicap not only the body's ability to utilize the energy it stores in fat but also has a profound effect on the amount of fat the body will create, fostering the tendency to gain weight.

Weight is but a System of Body Out of Balance

Written by Elaine Katen. Posted in Family Health.

weight is  out of balance

Clearly something is out of balance. More than two-thirds of all American adults over the age of 20 are overweight or obese, according to Health, United States, 2012, an annual report on the health of the nation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Center for Health Statistics. If the current trend continues, it is estimated that 42 percent of Americans – men, women and children - will be obese by 2030.

With obesity on the rise, never before in the West have so many diet programs and products been available to those who want to lose weight. Some plans count calories or carbohydrates; others control what, how much, and when you eat; a few feature supplements or appetite suppressants, diuretics or laxatives; there are the workouts regimens and repetitions; and most extreme is stomach stapling. These weight-loss regimes are well advertised in various media, and classes, books, tapes, and DVDs abound everywhere. Americans now spend an estimated $55 billion a year on diet programs and products. Why then, are so many of us overweight?

Heal Shame and Increase Your Personal Power!

Written by Veronica Monet, ACS, CAM. Posted in Family Health.

Heal Shame and Increase Your Personal Power!Healing shame is a vital step toward realizing your full potential and can have many unexpected benefits.. For instance, if you are less controlled by feelings of shame, you may have more energy and enthusiasm to explore your creativity, find your passion, realize your purpose, and find fulfillment.

Heal Shame and Increase Your Personal Power!

Written by Veronica Monet, ACS, CAM. Posted in Sexual Health and Healing.

Heal Shame and Increase Your Personal Power!Healing shame is a vital step toward realizing your full potential and can have many unexpected benefits.. For instance, if you are less controlled by feelings of shame, you may have more energy and enthusiasm to explore your creativity, find your passion, realize your purpose, and find fulfillment.

Movement = Life

Written by Danny Singles, PT, DPT, MA. Posted in Family Health.

movement=life

This is where we start. This is not unique to me; on the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) webpage, the APTA describes Physical Therapists (PT's) as highly trained medical professionals that "understand how the body works and how to get you moving again." This boils down to "Movement = Life."

7 Grains to add to your diet!

Written by Lwm Staff. Posted in Family Health.

7 grains to add to your diet

 Barley

Used as far back as the Stone Age for currency, food, and medicine, barley is a great addition to a healthy diet. Barley contains plentiful amounts of both soluble and insoluble fiber, it helps aid bowel regularity. It contains 96 calories, 22 grams of carbohydrates, and 3 grams of fiber per half-cup of cooked barley. Unrefined barley contains abundant amounts of potassium. It also has lots of magnesium, manganese, vitamin E, B-complex vitamins, zinc, copper, iron, calcium, protein, sulfur, and phosphorus. This versatile ingredient can be added to soups, stews, cereal, salads, pilaf, or ground into flour for baked goods or desserts.

A glass a day keeps the doctor away? Maybe not but in moderation there are benefits.

Written by dcfine. Posted in Family Health.

Ice cold beer

“Beer, if drank in moderation, softens the temper, cheers the spirit, and promotes health.”Thomas Jefferson

 

Studies have revealed that beer can produce the same benefits as drinking wine. Whether you prefer ales, lagers, stout, bitter or wheat beers, studies show that one drink a day for women or up to two drinks a day for men will reduce your chances of strokes, heart and vascular disease. It's no secret that the stroke is the 3rd leading cause of death in the U.S. and the leading cause of serious, long-term disabilities.
What's interesting is that it was proven (New England Journal of Medicine - Nov. 1999) that those who drank one beer a week compared to those who drank one beer a day experienced no variance in reducing stroke risks. It is said that light to moderate drinkers will decrease their chances of suffering a stroke by 20%.
A researcher at the Texas Southwestern Medical Center (May 1999) reported that those who consume moderate amounts of beer (one to two a day at the most) have a 30-40% lower rate of coronary heart disease compared to those who don't drink. Beer contains a similar amount of "˜polyphenols' (antioxidants) as red wine and 4-5 times as many polyphenols as white wine.
Alcohol has also been attributed of its ability to increase the amount of good cholesterol (HDL) into the bloodstream as well as help to decrease blood clots.
Beer also contains vitamin B6, which prevents the build-up of amino acid called homocysteine that has been linked to heart disease. Those of us who have high levels of homocysteine are usually more prone to an early onset of heart and vascular disease.

 “Clearly, drinking alcohol has some benefits. But there also are some very real risks. If you choose to drink, be mindful about it and always drink in moderation.”

— Donald Hensrud, M.D., Preventive Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.

Recently, consistent information has been provided in support of an association between light to moderate alcohol consumption and protection from vascular and all-cause mortality, ischemic stroke, peripheral arterial disease, congestive heart failure, and recurrence of ischemic events. After reviewing the information with respect to major aspects of cardiovascular pathophysiology, to potential confounders and to underlying mechanisms, several concepts emerge. First, the recommended amounts of “safe alcohol drinking” in healthy individuals are up to two standard drinks (~20 g/d) for a man and up to one drink (10 g/d) for a nonpregnant woman. 

© Thieme Medical Publishers

What you should know about Ovarian Cancer

Posted in Family Health.

Ovarian cancer is cancer that begins in the ovaries. Ovaries are reproductive glands found only in females (women). The ovaries produce eggs (ova) for reproduction. The eggs travel through the fallopian tubes into the uterus where the fertilized egg implants and develops into a fetus.

Sarah Evans | Ovarian Cancer Survivor

Written by LivingWellMagazine. Posted in Cancer.

Sarah Evans  Ovarian Cancer Survivor

In the weeks leading up to being diagnosed with ovarian cancer, I knew something wasn't right with my body. While I couldn't quite identify what it was, I could tell something was off – something was very different. A long-time fitness instructor and a healthy, active 37 year-old, the 20 pounds that I had quickly gained didn't seem logical, and on top of that, it seemed like one side of my stomach was bloating out more than the other.

The Mediterranean Diet

Written by Dr.George Moutsatsos. Posted in Family Health.

Living Well,Healthy Diet, Mediterranean Diet


In our present era where the public is bombarded with Fad Diets and costly vitamin supplements the facts belie the sobering reality.
A staggering 75% of Americans are now overweight or obese. The incidence of Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes and Cancer are rampant.

Can I give my dog Pumpkin?

Written by Dr Rose Dileva VMD,MS,CVCP,CVA. Posted in Pet Health.

Pumpkin is an excellent source of carotenoids,

 <p<Q:>:

I read in a recent magazine about pet health that it would be Ok to feed my dog some pumpkin. Is this statement true or a fallacy?

<brA: :
Pumpkin is an excellent source of carotenoids, fiber, iron, zinc, potassium and vitamin A. It is first very important to pick the correct kind of pumpkin. You DO NOT want to use pumpkin pie filler from the baking section of the supermarket. You want to use only canned pumpkin. Pumpkin’s high fiber content allows it to be of benefit in cases of constipation, diarrhea and also for losing weight. The easiest way to help lose some weight is to decrease, by a small portion, the amount of regular food you are giving your dog and to replace it with the pumpkin. Amounts range from 1/4 cup in smaller dogs to a full cup in larger dogs, generally once a day. I actually have one client who brings in a combination of organic plain yogurt, mixes it with some pumpkin and freezes it in a small ceramic bowel. She then allows her dog to eat it as he is getting his acupuncture treatment. It takes awhile to be consumed and lasts about the same amount of time an acupuncture treatment lasts ( 15 -20 minutes). It works very well and provides a great, healthy treat to give your dog as well!

Can Stretching make your Back Pain worse?

Written by Dr.Scott Rosenthal. Posted in Family Health.

Are you like so many of my new patients - suffering from severe, one-sided lower back pain that came on abruptly? Are you anxious because it’s not getting better and pills hardly touch the pain? 

Are the muscles in your lower back and buttocks gripping with an aching persistence that is only interrupted by periodic jolts of sharp pain? Does your pain surge when you change positions,

A Survivor's Story

Written by Tiffany Nardella. Posted in Cancer.

Tiffany Nardella was just 35 years old when she was diagnosed with Breast Cancer.

Tiffany Nardella was just 35 years old when she was diagnosed with Breast Cancer.

 

After college, I worked for a few years in the sexual health field with an emphasis on women's health. Since I had a heightened awareness of women's health issues, I took special care to make sure I had my annual exams and knew my own body.

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