National Post - Health

A few lessons from balancing a patient’s health care equation

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 22:26:35 Z

Dr. James Aw: It is a dilemma unlike anything I’ve faced in my career. Jeff is a middle-aged family man who has been a client of my clinic since 2004. During that time, he’s appeared in our offices exhibiting a series of conditions. Red spots appeared on his skin. His kidneys weren’t working properly

As trim as a tribute: Gyms offering Hunger Games-inspired fitness plans, but do they work?

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 22:00:31 Z

With the new Hunger Games-inspired exercise trend, we may be witnessing the perfect marriage between a pop culture phenomenon and the fitness industry’s love of a good pun.

Dr. Cheeseburger will see you now: Why your physician being fat matters

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 18:10:04 Z

Dr. James Aw: Early in my career, I was a junior doctor at a clinic where one of the senior doctors would go on smoke breaks with his patients. He had the look of a lifelong smoker — lots of wrinkles, hoarse voice and yellowed fingers

A treatment for the postpartum stage tailored to all of mom’s needs

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 18:14:23 Z

Over the course of her career, athletic therapist Janette Yee has worked with countless clients. Some have been elite athletes

Educated Exerciser: Active video games could improve kids’ fitness, but usually don’t

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 23:34:47 Z

In the last few years, advances in technology have allowed active video games like Wii Fit, Dance Dance Revolution and X-Box Kinect to explode in popularity. Most families I know either have one or want one

Michelle Cederberg wants to help you build an energetic life, one step at a time

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 20:32:52 Z

About a decade ago, personal trainer/motivational speaker Michelle Cederberg hit a wall and was anything but motivated

Weighing in on the weight loss debate

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 18:25:01 Z

Jennifer Sygo: What would happen if we accepted our weight, and our body, for what it is, and instead focused on the things we can do to be healthy?

Heart health and diet: Why it’s never too early to develop a taste for sardines

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:08:12 Z

Jennifer Sygo: Starting heart-healthy habits when you are relatively young could significantly reduce your likelihood of developing heart disease for decades to come — but it doesn't hurt to put good practises into play later in life, too

How we assess stress

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:10:43 Z

Jane Macdougall: It’s the most common mental health issue, so why is it so hard to measure?

Bell’s Let’s Talk campaign and the continuing struggle to raise awareness of mental illness

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:45:02 Z

In its first year, the Bell Let’s Talk campaign managed to rally more phone traffic than the 2010 Olympics moment when Sidney Crosby scored his famous game-winning goal, a previous Bell volume record

Mental health awareness: ‘Suicide is preventable’

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 22:38:16 Z

Harmony Brown recalls having suicidal thoughts when she was as young as nine years old. She attempted suicide at 17 and went through years of emotional turmoil before finally finding the help she so desperately needed

Discerning germs: ‘Hygiene hypothesis’ favours exposure over manic cleanliness

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 23:01:52 Z

Dr. James Aw: Is all this washing and disinfecting really necessary? Is it proactive prevention? Or overly paranoid fear?

Don’t drink your calories and five other tips for eating better in 2012

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 23:42:29 Z

Jennifer Sygo: Yes, it’s here. That special time of year when waiting in line for equipment at the gym and fending off co-workers who want to pawn off leftover holiday chocolate on you suddenly becomes the norm.

Limits and truths of dietary advice

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 23:32:40 Z

Jennifer Sygo: Why is it that we hear one thing in nutrition research, only to be told something seemingly contradictory a short time later?

Blackwell on Health: Study finds out who comes to work sick

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 20:19:39 Z

A new Canadian study has some interesting findings about who is most guilty of showing up at the office or factory sneezing, coughing and generally sharing their germs with all comers

Breaking mealtime myths: Yes, your morning coffee is good for you

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 23:02:40 Z

Jennifer Sygo: Are there certain foods that don’t receive the respect they deserve? In this second instalment of a two-part series, we’ll continue to take a look at foods that have fallen out of nutritional favour

Buffy Sainte-Marie shares her secrets for staying fit and on course

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 00:05:50 Z

At 70 years young, Buffy Sainte-Marie has been a leading light on the Canadian music scene since playing alongside Neil and Joni and Leonard in the Yorkville coffee houses of the 1960s

The danger of jumping to conclusions

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 20:21:13 Z

Doctors who don’t listen closely to patients risk letting their biases lead to misdiagnoses

Paging Dr. Mario: Are video games a health scourge or saviour?

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 22:17:13 Z

Paging Dr. Mario: Are video games a health scourge or saviour?

Athletes risk a lot more than just losing with fad diets

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 22:44:15 Z

Jennifer Sygo: Athletes can be particularly susceptible to so-called nutrition gurus who espouse alternative diet plans. More and more often, I see athletes in my practice adopting gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan or raw diets.

Blackwell on Health: Alcohol’s deadly toll

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 00:04:49 Z

Blackwell on Health: Alcohol’s deadly toll

Jennifer Sygo: Is diet pop really hazardous for the heart?

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 15:55:26 Z

Jennifer Sygo: Is diet pop really hazardous for the heart?

Mental Wellness: Nine ways to help your children ease back into class

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 22:21:21 Z

While the return to classes is an annual event, the stress associated with getting ready never quite seems to go away. The good news is that there are some simple strategies families can use to help alleviate back to school stress

Wellbeing: The case for silence

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 22:30:32 Z

At the start of his book about seeking refuge from a world that’s become too noisy, author George Prochnik assures readers that he’s not just some old crank

Fat not necessarily fatal, new studies find

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 23:18:43 Z

A new tool that ranks overweight and obese people according to underlying health has found that otherwise healthy obese people live as long as those of 'normal' weight

Can riding thrill rides cure what ails you? Well, sort of

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 22:11:26 Z

Dr. James Aw: Next Monday in Toronto, people will begin paying $175 to go for a walk. The total distance travelled amounts to only 150 metres, but will leave participants short of breath.

Blackwell on Health: Fighting malaria with smelly feet

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 17:01:45 Z

Sometimes simple solutions -- from hygienic disposal of sewage to wearing condoms and using mosquito nets -- bring the most sweeping improvements in health.

Wellbeing: Why we get annoyed, and what you can do about it

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 20:55:01 Z

To get to the core of what drives us batty, author Joe Palca had to invent his own methodology

Wellbeing: How money manipulates our relationships

Wed, 06 Jul 2011 19:14:57 Z

What is a little money between friends? According to new research, at the very least, it’s not going to stimulate bonding

Canadian soldiers have lower death rate than general public: study

Mon, 20 Jun 2011 22:38:36 Z

The study shows those who enlisted in the Canadian Forces between the start of 1972 and the end of 2006 had a 35% lower chance of dying of any cause within those years than the average person in this country

Bodychecking in youth hockey: When is it safe to allow?

Mon, 20 Jun 2011 19:29:24 Z

A study published Monday by Canadian researchers, suggests that the overall risk of injury at the Bantam level, aged 13-14, is not influenced by whether bodychecking is allowed at the previous Peewee level

Cell phones could increase cancer risk: WHO

Tue, 31 May 2011 16:58:42 Z

The type of electromagnetic fields emitted by cellphones could be cancer-causing, says an international panel of experts, including Canadians, who studied the risk of brain cancer posed by the use of wireless phones

Beware the bulge of buying in bulk

Mon, 30 May 2011 21:51:10 Z

Jennifer Sygo: Is bigger necessarily better? Not when it comes to food packaging, at least if you’re watching your weight. But buying bigger is a habit many of us have adopted in recent years.

Controversial organs help boost transplant total

Tue, 17 May 2011 15:46:51 Z

Blackwell on Health: A few years ago, some Canadian hospitals began harvesting organs from people whose hearts had stopped for a period of at least five minutes but were not yet brain dead, hoping to expand the pool of donors and cut transplant wait lists

Pass the spinach? Hardly, if it's lean muscle you're after

Mon, 16 May 2011 22:01:49 Z

If you’re over 50, do you need more protein in your diet? According to the Canadian Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs), older adults have the same protein needs as younger ones.

Why business travel may be hazardous to your health

Mon, 16 May 2011 22:01:34 Z

The Hollywood films Up In the Air and Planes, Trains and Automobiles provide two different portraits of the business traveller. The second movie has the John Candy character of Del Griffiths.

Study highlights long mental-health wait-lists for youth

Mon, 16 May 2011 17:22:29 Z

Tom Blackwell: There have been numerous warnings issued lately about the shortage of mental health services for Canada’s young people, and the sometimes dire consequences.

AIDS vaccinated monkeys 'stopped virus in its tracks': U.S. researcher

Wed, 11 May 2011 22:02:46 Z

An experimental vaccine helped monkeys with a form of the AIDS virus control the infection for more than a year, suggesting it may lead to a vaccine for people, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday.

Little evidence dietary, lifestyle changes linked to Alzheimer's risk: panel

Wed, 11 May 2011 22:02:32 Z

There is no strong evidence that any dietary or lifestyle changes can reduce a person's risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, a U.S. government panel said on Monday.

Hot flashes can last up to 10 years, new study claims

Fri, 06 May 2011 22:02:09 Z

Hot flashes that are common during and after menopause may last an average of more than 10 years, suggests a new study.