Coke and Carrots for Breakfast
July 8th, 2010 · No Comments »
I have about a 45 minute commute to work in the morning where I drive two long stretches of road. There are many times I find myself nodding off while driving to work so I tried several different things to stay awake.
The first thing I tried was exercises in the car. I would shake my leg or pump my arm as if I was lifting weights or rock back and forth in the car. This only worked for a while and soon I was falling asleep again.
The next thing I tried was rolling down the windows. First I would just let the air blow in my face, then I would stick my hand out. If that didn’t work I’d stick my whole head out the window, but this isn’t safe or really effective.
What I found most effective was eating. It’s not that I’m hungry, although usually I am, it’s that it’s hard to fall asleep while you’re chewing.
I started out with apples because it’s something you can eat that doesn’t make you thirsty, but I soon found that drips from apple juice can stain shirts so I began looking for an alternative. I found one in carrot sticks.
Not only do carrots take extra effort to chew, they take longer to eat than an apple, which gives you more coverage and less down time in the car. They also contain a lot of vitamins that help wake you up. If you get thirsty eating carrots, pack some ice cold water, but feel free to kick it up a notch with some nice, cold, caffeinated coke. Cold beverages are preferable to warm drinks when you are looking to stay alert.
Just keep in mind that the best way to stay awake during the day, especially while you are driving, is to get plenty of sleep at night and stay healthy. Watch what you eat and exercise regularly. Consult your doctor if you are doing all of these things and still having trouble staying awake.
The 5 Rules of Weight Loss
May 27th, 2010 · No Comments »1. Physical activity alone will not prevent or enhance weight removal. You need to be mindful of how much you eat as well as your physical activity to achieve your ideal body makeup.
2. Strive to burn at least 400 calories every day that you can. This is the number of calories you need to burn on a daily basis to remove excess weight and keep it off. You can divide this up throughout the day.
3. Add intensity and cut your activity time. Instead of counting on one hour of moderate activity accrued each day, add intensity and cut your time in half. Just integrate intervals of intensity. For example, if you’re walking, aim to hit some hills and increase your speed and if you’re on a bike, speed it up and rev up your resistance.
4. You must lift weights to maintain your muscles, which is critical because muscles burn the most calories. Twice a week do strength training, which is muscle building. That means pushing and pulling doing chores as well as a structured weight training activity at a home gym or in a fitness center.
5. Physical activity of any duration is good for your general health. The 2008 US Guidelines recommend about 30 minutes of moderate activity five days per week. That may not cause great drops in weight, but it will decrease your risk of heart disease and other conditions. A 2002 Institute of Medicine report recommends one hour of moderate activity per day for adults and children along with healthy nutrition. The Harvard study confirms this one-hour rule for both health as well as weight reduction, so long as calories are controlled.
Dolphins May Offer Clues to Treating Diabetes
March 31st, 2010 · No Comments »
Research suggests that dolphins may offer clues to treating diabetes.
http://www.usnews.com/science/articles/2010/02/19/dolphins-may-offer-clues-to-treating-diabetes.html
Small Changes Can Get Big Results
March 31st, 2010 · No Comments »
Even if you know it’s good for you, change can cause anxiety, but changing unhealthy habits can be easier if you break it down into smaller steps. And having an attitude to change and a moment or two of creative thinking can help you trade old habits for newer, more productive ones. Try using the following ideas as a first step for getting big results from small changes.
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Talk therapy reduces back pain
February 26th, 2010 · No Comments »Talk therapy reduces back pain
Back pain patients make up for one of the largest, most costly health care in well developed countries. Researchers now believe that cognitive therapy, along with pain medication and doctors orders to stay healthy, make for longer lasting benefits as well as reduced costs.
FDA approves new pneumonia vaccine with wider reach
February 26th, 2010 · No Comments »FDA approves new pneumonia vaccine with wider reach
The FDA has come up with a newer vaccine to replace the Prevnar vaccine in current use. This vaccine provides protection from Streptococcus pneumoniae which can attack the blood, middle ear, and the covering of the brain and spinal cord. The current Prevnar vaccine contains 7 of the strains that in 2000 were most commonly the cause of sickness in children. But since the wide use of Prevnar, different strains have become stronger which are not covered by the current Prevnar vaccine. Prevnar13, which will be given on the same schedule as the previous vaccine, now contains the original 7 strains of bacteria along with 6 new strains of the bacteria.
The FDA is recommending a booster of Prevnar13 to all children under 5 who have completed the original Prevnar series. If your child is currently in the middle of the original Prevnar series, the FDA recommends finishing the series with Prevnar13.
Radiation Errors Reported in Missouri
February 26th, 2010 · No Comments »Radiation Errors Reported in Missouri
A hospital in Missouri is under scrutiny as it has been revealed that they have been over radiating patients. Half of patients being treated for brain cancer using stereotactic radiation therapy received 50% more radiation than had been prescribed. Hospital officials are puzzled over why such an error in calibration occurred. When the equipment was commissioned, or set up at the hospital, the manufacturer representative and physicist originally configured the machine. The error was not caught in any routine checks over the last five years. The calibration error was found when a second physicist was being trained on the machine.
CDC Panel Calls for Flu Vaccine for All
February 26th, 2010 · No Comments »CDC Panel Calls for Flu Vaccine for All
The Center for Disease Control is now advising a seasonal flu vaccine for the general public for the 2010-2011 flu season. Previously, the CDC outlined “high risk” patients including infants and the elderly. The CDC believes that by expanding who should get the seasonal flu vaccine, there will be less confusion about who needs the shot. There is also hope that insurance companies will cover the expense more readily if it is recommended for all. The 2010-2011 seasonal flu vaccine will include H1N1 swine flu vaccine.
Got milk intolerance? U.S. experts say it’s unclear
February 26th, 2010 · No Comments »Got milk intolerance? U.S. experts say it’s unclear
Experts say that more research is needed on lactose intolerance. Some believe that up to 12grams of lactose could be ingested in the lactose intolerant without negative effects. Lactose containing foods are an excellent source of calcium, vitamin D, protein, magnesium, potassium, riboflavin.
Mother Has Second Child After Ovary Transplant
February 25th, 2010 · No Comments »Mother Has Second Child After Ovary Transplant
A woman in Denmark has made news after she naturally conceived her second child after an ovary transplant. Faced to battle cancer, Stinne Holm Bergholdt had some of her ovary tissue frozen as they freeze embryos ready for IVF. After conquering the cancer, she went on to have IVF and conceived her first child, Aviaja in 2007. In 2008, she went back to the fertility clinic to seek treatment for a second child only to discover that she was pregnant naturally with her second child. Baby Lucca was born in September 2008.
Professor Claus Yding Andersen says this is the first time that a woman has carried two separate pregnancies using frozen ovary tissue that was transplanted. Bergholdt’s ovarian tissue was continuing to perform 4 years post transplant. Andersen hopes that freezing ovarian tissue will be a new method of fertility preservation and treatment for those facing fertility robbing cancer treatments.
