Healthy Reader

9 ways to boost your energy

Conner Flynn — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:55:13 +0000

Energy can be a real problem throughout the day and the causes of your low energy can be varied and wide ranging. It could be your diet, the bed you’re sleeping on or anything else. So what do you do when you find yourself falling asleep at work?

Try a glass of water first, experts say, as fatigue can be a sign of dehydration. If that doesn’t work, go check out Health.com’s list of 9 ways to boost your energy. There are many good tips that will have you awake and alert.

[Health]

Doctors’ Deal With Coke Creates Controversy

Conner Flynn — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:41:41 +0000

Soft drinks are tasty, but it’s one the worst things affecting our health in this country and around the world. So it’s no surprise that this story has people in an uproar.

The American Academy of Family Physicians has a new six-figure alliance with the Coca-Cola Co. The deal will fund educational materials about soft drinks for the academy’s consumer health and wellness Web site, www.FamilyDoctor.org.

Academy CEO Dr. Douglas Henley said Wednesday that the deal won’t influence the group’s public health messages, and that the company will have no control over editorial content. He said the new online information will include research linking soft drinks with obesity and will focus on sugar-free alternatives.

I nearly peed myself laughing at that. At least they weren’t bought and paid for by a drug company, for once. For the full story, hit the link.

[AOL]

Chronic-Stress reliever for women is often high-fat food

Conner Flynn — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:59:56 +0000

It’s common for many people to eat more when they are under stress. Others eat less. But people under chronic stress are more likely than others to eat fattening foods and feel that their eating is out of control, according to a recent study.

The researchers found that people who had a higher degree of chronic stress were more likely than the other survey participants to say they ate high-fat foods and felt they lacked control over their eating and hunger.

[USAtoday]

Nearly 546,000 Pounds of Beef Recalled

Conner Flynn — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:05:55 +0000

Contaminated fresh ground beef caused a possible E. coli outbreak that killed two people and sent 16 others to hospitals, according to federal health officials on Monday. Twenty-eight people may have become ill after eating beef produced by Fairbank Farms of Ashville, N.Y. All but three of the suspected infections are in the northeastern U.S. and 18 are in New England.

Fairbank Farms recalled almost 546,000 pounds of fresh ground beef that was distributed in September to stores from North Carolina to Maine. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s recall notice said that the possibly tainted meat had been sold in several forms, from meatloaf and meatball mix to hamburger patties etc.

[aol]

Some Fresh Uses Of Mint

Conner Flynn — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:56:13 +0000

Mint. It’s not just something in tea, girl scout cookies and ice cream. It has literally a ton of uses. Click the link below for a few interesting choices. How about a recipe for a nice relaxing mint foot scrub?

Use mint to fight dandruff? Sure. Did you know that mint can cure stomachaches? It relaxes the digestive-tract muscles. So many uses, so little time. No wonder we use the word “Mint” to describe something in perfect condition. No wonder we “Mint” our coins. Mint is just that good people.

[health]

Bad Driver? Blame Your Genes

Conner Flynn — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:03:31 +0000

Seems like we are blaming our genes for everything. Sometimes it’s justified, sometimes not. In a study published recently in the journal Cerebral Cortex, researcher Steven Cramer found that people with a certain gene variant performed more than 30 percent worse on a driving test than people without it.

The study might also help explain why there are so many bad drivers on U.S. highways. Roughly 30 percent of Americans have the variant.

Maybe instead of driving school they need some gene therapy.

[AOL]

Halloween Face Paints May Be Toxic

Conner Flynn — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:02:04 +0000

If your kids are going to paint their faces this Halloween, you may want to think twice, according to a new report released.

The report, issued by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, is titled: Pretty Scary: Could Halloween Face Paint Cause Lifelong Health Problems? They tested 10 face paint products, stuff that is widely available via the Internet or in craft or Halloween stores.

“All 10 face paint products tested contained lead, and six out of 10 had known skin allergens, including nickel, cobalt or chromium, at levels above recommendations of industry studies,” said Stacy Malkan, the campaign’s co-founder and a co-author of the report. Malkan is also the author of Not Just a Pretty Face, a 2007 book detailing what she sees as the potentially hazardous ingredients in cosmetics.

That is scary. The stuff on that list is some toxic mumbo-jumbo. For the full story, hit the link. I would say, just don’t paint your face.

[Health]

Most teen parents not raised in poverty or by single parents

Conner Flynn — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:21:44 +0000

This is fascinating and maybe not very surprising. A new look at the characteristics of teen parents shows that most aren’t from single-parent households or from households in poverty.

The study comes from the nonprofit Child Trends for the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, shows that teens who report having a baby or fathering a child:

39% lived with both biological parents; 19% reported living with one biological and one step-parent.

28% lived in families with incomes below the federal poverty line.

Those who have had a teen birth are disproportionately more likely to be from single-parent families compared to teens overall, but the study finds more than half of teen parents were themselves from two-parent families.

I leave it to you to determine why exactly that is, but it is fascinating.

[USAtoday]

Calorie count on fast-food menus makes diners pause

Conner Flynn — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:42:23 +0000

Did you know that people who used the calorie information at fast-food chain restaurants in New York City bought 106 fewer calories’ worth of food at lunch than those who didn’t see or use the information? That’s according to a new study.

Researchers at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene analyzed the impact of the city’s menu labeling law, which went into effect in March 2008 and required chain restaurants to post calorie info on menu boards.

The researchers surveyed over 10,000 diners at 275 locations of the top fast-food and coffee-chain restaurants in the spring of 2007, and then they surveyed more than 12,000 people again this spring. Customers shared their register receipts and completed some brief questionnaires.

The findings are very interesting. The calorie info made them pause and many ended up eating fewer calories. Calories purchased dropped significantly at McDonald’s, Au Bon Pain, KFC and Starbucks.

[USAtoday]

Eat These Foods To Burn More Fat

Conner Flynn — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:30:35 +0000

Time to talk about foods that will burn fat. Eating healthy is one thing, but you can also blast fat while you’re doing it. There is a lot of emerging science about the foods that fight fat. Things with resistant starch, monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), fiber, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), and more.

You can use this knowledge to create great-tasting combos that help flatten your belly and trim the rest. Who doesn’t want that? Time to say burn baby burn to that fat. Hit up the link below for some great tips.

[health]