A mother's voice will preferentially activate the parts of the brain responsible for language learning, say researchers from the University of Montreal and the Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Centre. The research team made the discovery after performing electrical recordings on the infants within the 24 hours following their birth.
The brain signals also revealed that while the infants did react to other women's voices, these sounds only activated the voice recognition parts of the brains. "This is exciting research that proves for the first time that the newborn's brain responds strongly to the mother's voice and shows, scientifically speaking, that the mother's voice is special to babies," said lead researcher Dr. Maryse Lassonde of the University of Montreal's Department of Psychology and the Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Centre.
Mom's Voice Plays Special Role in triggering Newborn's Brain
Study: Long Ring Finger in Men Linked to Cancer Risk
A new research claims that men whose index finger is longer than their ring finger are at lower risk to develop prostate cancer, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.The British Journal of Cancer said that researchers studied the ratio between the 2nd and 4th finger of the right hand in 1,524 prostate-cancer patients and 3,044 fit people over 15 years. Men with longer index fingers were 33 percent less likely to develop prostate cancer, and men under 60 had an 87 percent lower risk.
In the prostate-cancer group, index fingers were longer in about 23 percent of the participants and shorter in 57 percent.
In the control group, index fingers were longer in 31 percent and shorter in 52 percent. The rest of the men had fingers of equal length. The findings are in line with a new study of 366 Korean men, which found a significant association between digit ratio and prostate-cancer risk.
Tune into Your Baby’s Health Now
Because their bodies are still growing, babies and children are more vulnerable to environmental pollutants than adults. Give your bundle of joy a head start by creating a safe, healthy, and nontoxic haven, free of hazards that could hinder his or her mental and physical development.
Dress organically:
While the pesticides used to grow conventional cotton won't rub off onto your baby's skin, you can rest easier knowing that organic fabrics have done less harm to our fledgling planet.
Play it safe:
Not all toys that seem cute are safe. To make sure they are not harmful, look for labels that claim playthings are PVC-free and nontoxic.
Decorate with care:
As in the rest of house, decorating a nursery or playroom with green, natural materials will ameliorate your little one's indoor environment.
Food for thought:
Know exactly what your little munchkin is eating by making your own baby food from organic fruit and vegetables.
Safe sipping:
Bottles are a tricky topic-it always seems like today's hot new arrival is tomorrow's chemical culprit. Much of the current debate hovers around a chemical called bisphenol A, or BPA. To skirt the issue, look for bottles made without BPA, or made from glass.
Risk of Epilepsy Measured, May Be Still Higher
One in 26 Americans will develop epilepsy at some point in their lifetime, according to a population based research.Lifetime risk up to age 50 was 1.6% and rose to 3.0% at age 80, Dale C. Hesdorffer, PhD, of Columbia University School of Public Health in New York City, and colleagues reported in the Jan. 4 problem of Neurology.
Given the recent U.S. population, nearly 12 million individuals (3.9%) can be expected to develop epilepsy in their remaining lifetime, the researchers forecast based on their findings from the population of Rochester, Minn.
Woodland strawberry genome sequenced
The genome of the woodland strawberry, cousin to today's cultivated strawberry, has been sequenced by a worldwide research consortium. It is the second smallest plant genome sequenced, with just 14 chromosomes, and could help breeders create tastier and hardier varieties of the famous berry as well as other crops in its family, which includes almonds, apples, peaches, cherries and raspberries.
The research is in this week's online edition of the journal Nature Genetics.
"We've created the strawberry parts file," the leader of the International Strawberry Sequencing Consortium, Kevin Folta, at University of Florida, said in a release "In the old days, we had to go out and figure out what the parts were. Now we know the components that make up the strawberry plant."
8 Benefits of Home Cooking
When it comes down to feeding your body and mind, nothing is superior to preparing your food from scratch, with quality ingredients and served with love. If you have never experienced this phenomenon then try it out for 90 days and see how you feel.
• Saves money
Packaged and prepared meals cost you considerably more than cooking with raw ingredients at home. Preparing meals at home can save you money.
• Saves time
In the time it takes to drive to a restaurant, place your order, wait for your order, return home and serve the meal, you could have made a three-course meal from scratch with time to sit and chew slowly.
• Less salt and Trans fats
preparing meals at home allows you to control the amount of salt and oils you use in your recipes. This in turn reduces the possibility of weight gain and clogged arteries.
• Balanced meals
Taking the time to plan your weekly menu not only helps to save time and money, but also provides a way to create meals with a balance of protein, carbohydrates and fat, plus all the essential vitamins and minerals needed for the adult and child’s body. When eating balanced meals your body feels satisfied, has fewer cravings and this in turn prevents late-night snacking.
• Avoid food poisoning
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) 76 million people are poisoned by food each year. This is caused by food-borne pathogens such as bacteria, viruses and parasites that can seriously harm or even kill you. When preparing meals at home you can better control the temperatures when cooking meats, keep hands and countertops clean and properly wash your raw produce.
• Better energy
Food can be healing medicine or it can deplete your energy and cause sickness and pain. In Cook Your Way to the Life You Want, Christina Pirello writes that we run a risk by having someone else prepare all our meals.
• Brings family together
Preparing meals at home and including family members in meal preparation is a way to give and share love. When food is prepared with a calm mind and loving thoughts it can become a tonic for both the physical body and the soul.
• Weight control
with larger portions people tend to eat more, but cooking at home allows you to control serving sizes and prevent overeating. Buy locally, in season, the best quality food, organic when possible. When cooking from scratch you know exactly what is going into your recipes. The choices you make can keep you healthy and help prevent weight gain, digestive troubles and allergic reactions.
Californians Are Smoking Less and Less
Californians smokes less than most other Americans.According to a research released previous week by the California Department of Public Health, just 13.1 percent of California residents reported smoking last year, compared with 20.6 percent nationally.
California currently has the second-lowest smoking rate in the country, trailing only Utah.
The declining rate here reflects a culture that is particularly conscious of health and the environment, and it was hailed by state officials as evidence of the success of a strategy to demonize smoking.
Health Net CA Individual Plans Approved!
Health Net CA has announced this morning that they have received regulatory approval to sell their new January 1 plans to individuals & families.
Health Net CA (not including the Farm Bureau) will only be offering 3 total individual health plans for January 2011. These include:
*HMO 40
*ValueNet PPO
*Optimum Advantage HSA PPO
That's it folks. I have the rates and paper applications available for use until the online quoting and application system goes live for these plans.
Nasal congestion, a sign of severe asthma
A new research has suggested that nasal congestion can be a sign of severe asthma.This means that healthcare professionals should be additional vigilant when it comes to nasal complaints.
Furthermore, more severe asthma appears to be more regular than previously thought, reveals a study from the Sahlgrenska Academy's Krefting Research Centre.
The population research included 30,000 randomly selected participants from the west of Sweden and asked questions about different aspects of health.
Lose Weight, Feel Great & Look Fantastic- Making the New Year the Best Year Yet
By Lisa Schilling
New Year may not have arrived yet, but you can see it from here. In my industry we are flooded with New Year’s Resolution Participants, NYRPs for short. These very well-meaning folks, flood into the gym determined to finally lose weight and get healthy.
We see it every year. So what is the problem? The problem is February. When it arrives over half of the NYRPs are nowhere to be found. You may wonder why this always happens, I know I did. It sent me in search of Get REAL answers.
What I found is that NYRPs like the IDEA of being thinner and healthier but they do not like the actual WORK it takes to achieve it. That is only problem number one. This natural phenomenon can be overcome for a short period time by sheer white- knuckle willpower; however, that will be as temporary as the results they achieve.
Most NYRPs are fighting their natural guttural reaction to exercise and healthy eating. In their subconscious, they just don’t want to do it. Without a renewed perspective or major life-shift that causes a heartfelt motivation, the chances of success are slim; pardon the pun.They are trying to put the cart before the horse. By putting your horse power behind you, you greatly limit the progress that can be made. In short, without the proper mindset, you can push and push, and still not find what you were hoping for.
It takes a mental shift to implement a physical shift. Often this comes in the form of a major life event, which forces you to “wake up and smell the coffee,” so to speak. When you approach the goal from a new direction and allow the horse power to pull you along, it won’t seem so tedious and painful.
So much of what I teach is to shift your focus from losing weight, to getting healthier and fit. When you exercise and eat better because your goal is to improve your functional health, you always meet your goal. If you only focus on losing weight it seems illusive, and what you must go through to achieve it, a chore.
By focusing on the health benefits of your behavior you are more likely to see the need for practicing these behaviors regularly. To most people weight loss is a destination. Hurry up and get there so you can go back to the old habits even faster. That is the rub. Those habits got you where you are now. Go back to what you did before, and you will end up back where you were.
By focusing on your health, you can embrace moderation and consistency without the guilt. This creates a sustainable lifestyle. By creating a routine that supports activity and healthy eating, you will gradually find a healthy weight and at the same time reduce the numerous health risk factors associated with caring too much weight.
The current situation facing our NYRPs is a sad fate of yo-yo efforts. In the long run, that kind of manipulation will lead to more health problems than it was intended to heal. To Get REAL results, you need to start slower and maintain longer.
The current situation typically finds sedentary, overweight people, setting unrealistic resolutions and then going at it full force. They know they should be doing something about their weight, so they start by exercising too much, too long and too often. While at the same time they are reducing their calories so low that the body will decide it needs to hold onto every ounce of fat for fear of starvation.
This is creating a very ugly situation. Have you ever been around someone doing it this way? These are not happy campers. No wonder they quit by February. They are taking on the routine of a conditioned athlete, in a not so conditioned body. Many end up injured, bummed out or burned out. This leads them to just chuck it all and go back to what they did before, which is usually…nothing.
This pattern is repeated annually around the world. I say it is time to Get REAL and decide to do it different. Get your thinking lined up and start a moderate activity plan that you advance as you gain more endurance. Start a beginner weight training program twice a week. And slowly begin reducing your calories by simply making mindful choices. Then advance this plan as needed to stay challenged.
By the way, don’t wait to start this new moderate wellness plan, start at your next choice. When you find yourself overindulging, cut yourself some slack and make a better choice at the next opportunity. Wellness is not a sprint, it is a marathon. You will still be here in 10 years, so make good use of that time and work toward being the healthiest, “whatever age you are” around.
If you wish to learn more please visit my site http://getrealwellnesssolutions.com
Whole-Fat Dairy Products May Lower Type 2 Diabetes Risk: Study
New study suggests that whole-fat dairy products generally shunned by health experts contain a fatty acid that may lower the risk of type 2 diabetes.The fatty acid is called trans-palmitoleic acid, according to the study in the Dec. 21 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine, and people with the highest blood levels of this fatty acid decrease their odds of diabetes by 62 percent compared to those with the lowest blood levels of it.
In addition, "people who had higher levels of this fatty acid had better cholesterol and triglyceride levels, lower insulin resistance and lower levels of inflammatory markers," said research author Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, co-director of the program in cardiovascular epidemiology at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard School of Public Health.
Anthem CA Quote Upload Available Today (New Plans)
The Anthem Blue Cross CA quoting and application system has been uploaded and is currently quoting the new approved individual & family health plans for 2011 (PPACA-compliant).
The new plans quoting include:
*Tonik 5000 PPO
*Premium Plus PPO (six deductible choices)
*PPO Share 3500, 5000 and 7500
*HMO plans
You can get quotes for the current plans via my link
Lumenos HSA plans will not be available for online quoting until approximately January 20, 2011. For more information on Lumenos HSA, send me an e-mail as I have the rates available at this time.
Plans still pending CDI approval are
*Core Guard PPO
*SmartSense PPO
*Clear Protection PPO
*some Lumenos PPO & HSA
Child Only Health Insurance California 2011 -Anthem Blue Cross Live Blog
I am blogging this live while attending an Anthem Blue Cross conference call. Important news concerning Child-only health insurance coverage in California beginning January 1, 2011 for children under 19.
Per CA AB 2244, children may apply for coverage without a parent being a co-applicant during certain periods. This includes both healthy children and children with pre-existing conditions who need guaranteed-issue coverage. Children receiving guaranteed-issue coverage can be rated up in premium (as of today) but cannot be declined.
The enrollment periods will be as follows:
*January 1,2011 - March 1, 2011 Open Enrollment Period
*The Birthday Month of the Child (regardless of which day in the month)
Outside of these open enrollment windows, children will not be able to apply for coverage on child-only coverage policies. Outside of the open enrollment or birthday month, children will only be allowed to apply with a parent as co-applicant (and the parent must be approved for coverage for the child to be offered coverage).
Anthem will be imposing a 15-day waiting period for effective dates on all individual health plans beginning January 1, 2011. So a child-only PPO application submitted January 1, 2011 will be eligible for a start date of January 16, 2011.
As soon as I find out how the rate-ups are going to be set up for children-only guaranteed-issue health coverage, I will post a blog.
Anthem states that the maximum cutoff age to apply is 18 3/4 years of age.
Garlic protects against hip osteoarthritis
Women who consume a diet high in allium vegetables, such as garlic, onions and leeks, have lower levels of hip osteoarthritis, suggests a latest study.
The findings, by researchers at King's College London and the University of East Anglia, not only highlight the possible effects of diet in protecting against osteoarthritis, but also show the potential for using compounds found in garlic to develop treatments for the situation.
A relationship between body weight and osteoarthritis was previously recognised, although it is not yet totally understood. This study is the first of its kind to delve deeper into the dietary patterns and influences that could impact on development and prevention of the condition.
Human Hemoglobin May Turn Staph Aureus Bacteria Deadly, Researchers Find
Human hemoglobin, the oxygen carrying protein in red blood cells, is the most efficient fuel for Staphylococcus aureus infections, according to a study that may help clarify how the bacteria homes in on certain patients with deadly consequences.Hemoglobin also contains the iron needed for bacteria to develop and spread. Researchers led by Gleb Pishchany from Vanderbilt University Medical School’s microbiology department showed in laboratory testing how Staph aureus latches on more simply to hemoglobin from humans than other mammals to cause invasive infections.
Exercise prevents middle-age weight gain
A new research has revealed that young adults, mainly women, who maintained high levels of moderate and vigorous activity over a period of 20 years experienced smaller gains in weight and waist circumference during the transition from young adulthood to middle age, compared to individuals with lower activity levels.
Arlene L. Hankinson, of the Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, and colleagues conducted a research to evaluate the relationship between maintaining higher activity levels and changes in body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference over 20 years in youthful adults.
Low-Sugar Cereals Help Kids Eat Healthier
Children are more likely to eat a nutritious, balanced breakfast if they give low-sugar cereals, even if they add a little table sugar to their bowls, a new study says.Though children may favor cereal that’s high in sugar, they’re more likely to eat fruit at breakfast when served a cereal containing less sugar, researchers say.
The research observed what 91 children aged 5 to 12 at a summer day camp ate when served either high-sugar or low-sugar cereals.
Stem Cells Used to Make Pancreas, Gut Cells
Stem cells can be transformed into the pancreatic cells needed to treat diabetes and into difficult layers of intestinal tissue, scientists demonstrated in two experiments reported on Sunday.In one, a team turned immature sperm cells into pancreatic tissue, while another group turned embryonic stem cells into complex layers of intestinal tissue.
Both studies show latest ways to use stem cells, which are the body's master cells and which can come from a variety of sources.
Anthem Blue Cross CA Partial Plan Release 12/10
Anthem Blue Cross has announced that a portion of the health plans held up for approval by the CDI (California Dept of Insurance) have been approved and are available for sale today.
In addition to the 3 HMO plans and PPO Share 3500 and 7500 which were previously approved for sale, the following plans are now available today for quoting and applications:
Premier Plus PPO (1000, 1500, 2500, 3500, 5000 and 6000 deductibles)
Lumenos HSA PPO 1500 (non-maternity)
Lumenos HSA 5000 (with maternity)
Tonik 5000 PPO
PPO Share 5000
PPO Share 1000
Anthem has indicated that plan online quotes and applications for the new plans will be available Saturday, 12/18 and after.
Quotes and plan summaries can be found on my Anthem Plan Finder
Click on "Get Quotes" under "individuals & families" and it will open the planfinder in a new window.
Still pending are:
SmartSense Plus
Core Guard Plus
Clear Protection Plus
Lumenos Plus
Chronic Lyme disease: A dubious diagnosis
Dr. Bernard Raxlen arrived at Manhattan's glamorous Gotham Hall on a cool autumn night in 2008 to get a humanitarian award.With a lime-green Lyme disease advocacy ribbon pinned to his dapper black suit, Raxlen joined partygoers sipping martinis below a stained-glass skylight bigger than most New York City apartments.Money was in the air. The "Unmask A Cure" gala invitation listed Goldman Sachs, New York Private Bank & Trust and Marquis Jet as sponsors. The event increased money for the Turn the Corner Foundation, a Lyme nonprofit on whose medical advisory board Raxlen sat.
The scene was light-years from the institutional brick building where the Connecticut Medical Examining Board was considering disciplinary action against Raxlen for the fourth time in 10 years. Raxlen had been accused of telling a lady dying of Lou Gehrig's disease that she had chronic Lyme disease, an illness that might not even exist.
Heart trouble? Blood test to tell years in advance
A new blood test may be able to tell whether a seemingly strong person is at risk of dying from heart disease , US researchers said.An older , less sensitive version of the test detects a certain protein in only a small percentage of people ,but a research of the newer test made by Roche found it in about 25% of 3,500 blood samples .And people who had detectable levels of the protein , released by damaged heart muscle , were nearly seven times more likely to die of heart disease within six years.
Both tests look for a protein called cardiac troponin T, which indicates muscle damage in the heart , but the newer test called Elecsys Troponin T is 10 times more sensitive . "This test is among the most powerful predictors of death in the common population we've seen so far ," saidJ amesdeLemosof theUniversity of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas , whose study appears in the Journal of the American Medical Association .
MLR and Agent Commission (and the future) California
As many of you may have heard, the health insurance carriers have begun announcing commission reductions to agents due to MLR (Medical Loss Ratio) requirements under PPACA. Blue Shield CA just left us all a nice voicemail this evening (after business hours BTW) about commission cuts. The average for an agent is approximately 50% pay cut in 2011 (starting in 3 weeks).
No doubt that is going to hurt and it is possible many agents (especially newer agents) will leave the health insurance business. Veteran agents may be able to withstand the slash on new business compensation because of a large client base of older business which will be, at least for now, uneffected by the cuts.
I have observed in the last few days an attempt by agents, insurance carriers and organizations that train, recruit or mentor agents, to justify this going forward. To the extent that reduced earnings on health insurance would allow fewer agents to achieve higher potential production at lower commission (the overall thought process), certainly there could be a place for those fewer agents to continue to succeed in this business. Except.............
What happens on 1/1/2014? Let's say a savvy agent sets up a staffed call center (the chosen model by the carriers, obviously), hires a bunch of service reps, sub-agents and telemarketers and garners a large volume of sales to achieve the highest commission payouts. That could be a lucrative business model right up to the point where the health insurance exchanges open in 2014. Then what?
Imagine an agent selling 300+ health insurance policies in 2011, 2012, and 2013 (over 900 total) and watching the 900+ clients disappear into an insurance exchange offering no compensation or virtually no compensation to the agent. All of that work for a couple of years of income at already-reduced commissions to see it all evaporate in the blink of an eye.
Now there are agents who are whistling past the graveyard saying "that's not going to happen", "repeal is on the way", "NAHU will protect our earning power." Now, they may be right.
I am inclined to believe what I see, not what I think/hope might happen. Sure changes could be made. Sure a panel could be set up to review agent compensation. Since this change has ALREADY happened (compensation and MLR), the pragmatist in me says to anticipate that the 2014 changes will occur basically unchanged and on schedule.
"Well", some might say, "there will still be a place for agents in the system". Don't be so sure. We are not specifically mentioned in PPACA. At best we are included with navigators like Dept of Fish & Game, Trade Unions, Civic Organizations and the like. It's us, community service organizations and someone spawning salmon in the pond.
The California Health Exchange is a fact. It was passed into law and signed by Gov Schwarzenegger a few months ago. It exists and regardless of what happens with PPACA (ObamaCare), the California exchanges would have to be repealed separately.
The architect of the future California Exchange is the same person who set up the Massachusetts Connector Exchange. I won't mention his name here but you can certainly Google it.
Agent compensation in Massachusetts for indivdiual & family health insurance is..........zero, nothing , nada, bupkiss, the big 'goose egg' (insert your favorite phrase here).
So, the same guy who set up 'the big goose egg' in agent compensation in Massachusetts will be very heavily involved in setting up the California Exchange. Sure, it could be different out here, but are you really willing to bank on it.
Health insurance agents in California will have to make some hard decisions going forward. Some will bury their heads in the sand and hope it all goes away. Some will swear on all that is Holy that big brother NAHU (National Assn of Health Underwriters) and Janet Trautwein will ride in on a white horse to save the day. Some will move on to other things like life insurance. And some will stick it out and try to make the best of a lousy situation over which they have no control.
The bottom line is this for agents: "Am I willing to work twice as hard for half as much with the very real risk that it could all go away anyway in three years?" I wish I had the answer, for myself and for other agents. As of today, I just don't know.
How To Spot Eyesight Disorders in Children
Diligent parents know that taking care of their children is much easier when they play an active role in spotting their health problems before they get out of hand. Because kids have such active metabolisms, they can recover from physical ailments, injuries and diseases much faster than adults can, making consistent health monitoring a great way to nip problems in the bud at an early stage. This applies in the field of ocular wellness just as much as it does anywhere else, and making sure your kids can see as well as possible is simple with some easy eyesight tests you can do at home. ***************************************************************
For infants, toddlers and younger children who can't read, you can use a number of at-home methods. Infants ought to be able to focus or fixate on something bright and follow it by the time they are three, and you can use any favorite toy to test this capability. You can also make simple printed cards that are blank on one side and striped on the reverse to test your child's ability to focus their gaze, as most should be attracted to the stripes.
Just like learning about proper teeth brushing, dietary habits and exercise, establishing good eyesight practices is something that parents can really help their kids with. Notice your child's reading, television and computer usage habits. Does it seem like they need to be abnormally close to the material on a regular basis? If so, they may have a vision problem, or in some cases, their improper use of whatever they're looking at may lead to issues later on, especially where backlit screens and monitor displays are concerned. Excessive squinting and apparent trouble focusing can also be indicators that your child may require professional attention.
Doctor's visits are expensive, even for those who have good insurance. While at-home testing is no substitute for medical help, it can actually make things a lot easier to budget for by giving you a good idea of what to expect. There are many online versions of the "letter-style" vision testing chart used by optometrists, and you can print one out and perform tests on your children from the comfort of your home.
Thomas Doane is a freelance writer for Eyeglass Guide. He’s written about presbyopia, cataract surgery, and other related topics.
Shellfish may help preserve seniors' eyesight
Eating foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon and tuna, seems to be fine for not only the heart and mind but the eyes. A latest study adds shellfish to that group. It found that seniors who ate at least one serving a week of fish or shellfish high in omega-3s reduced their risk of developing advanced age-related macular degeneration, a disease that affects vision, by 60 percent.The findings are consistent with mounting proof that high levels of dietary omega-3 fatty acids benefit eye health, the researchers said.
"But, unlike earlier studies, we included shellfish intake in the determination of omega-3 fatty acid consumption," said researcher Bonnielin K. Swenor of the Wilmer Eye Institute at John Hopkins University. "This is main because shellfish, particularly crab and oysters, are a main component of the diet" of the study population.
Brain Scan Might Someday Spot Autism
A kind of brain imaging that measures the circuitry of brain connections may someday be used to diagnose autism, new research suggests.Researchers at McLean Hospital in Boston and the University of Utah used MRIs to analyze the microscopic fiber structures that create the brain circuitry in 30 males aged 8 to 26 with high-functioning autism and 30 males without autism.
Males with autism showed differences in the white matter circuitry in two regions of the brain's temporal lobe: the superior temporal gyrus and the temporal stem. Those parts are involved with language, emotion and social skills, according to the researchers.
Fat-fearing moms putting babies on diets
If you've ever wondered how crazy America's obsession with weight can get, look no further than this strange trend among some fat-fearing parents, mothers who put their babies on diets.And I'm not talking about pudgy 10-year-olds who think Wii Fit passes for work out. I'm talking babies, under a year old, with chubby cheeks and folds in their thighs — you know, the kind most other people coo over as the picture of health.
According to a recent Good Morning America report, and some Mommy blogs, pediatricians around the country are finding that "more and more parents are putting their babies on diets," even diluting their nutrient-rich principle and breast milk with water, to keep them from getting "fat."
The fear itself is not far-fetched. Dieting babies come at a moment in America's ballooning child obesity epidemic when one in 10 children below the age of 2 is overweight, and experts have come up with a new term to describe the heaviest: "the super-obese," according to the ABC story. So parents today are more consumed than ever with their babies' girth.
New vitamin D recommendations
Despite mounting pressure to urge several Americans to sharply boost their vitamin D levels, latest government recommendations are not advocating a huge increase in the amount of the "sunshine vitamin" that people get.
The United States and Canada asked the Institute of Medicine, which is division of the National Academy of Sciences, to update the official vitamin D recommendations for the first time since 1997. A 14-member expert committee convened for the task concluded that most Americans and Canadians up to age 70 need no more than 600 international units of vitamin D per day. The elderly may need as much as 800, the committee concluded.
Before, experts called for children and younger adults get 200 international units a day, adults ages 50 to 70 get 400 and the aged to get 600. But a flurry of research indicating that vitamin D may have a dizzying array of health benefits, and that many people may have insufficient levels, had reignited an intense debate over whether federal guidelines were outdated, leaving millions unnecessarily vulnerable to heart disease, cancer, diabetes, infections and other ailments. Some doctors have begun routinely testing their patients' vitamin D levels and recommeding that people should routinely consume 2,000 or 3,000 international units a day. Sales of vitamin D supplements have raised sharply in recent years.
If you're around a baby, get whooping cough vaccine
Most Georgia infants get the vaccines they require to help protect them from pertussis -- a highly contagious disease better known as whooping cough.While Georgia has not observed high rates of the disease so far this year, outbreaks in other states are prompting public health officials to say another time that a vaccine for the baby isn’t enough. They advise all adults and teens who come into contact with an infant to roll up their sleeve and get a vaccine, too.
The advisory applies not just to parents, but to adolescent siblings, aunts, uncles, grandparents and day care employees anyone who is going to spend time with the baby.
“What we want to have people do is make a cocoon of immunity around the infant,” said Jeff Diamond, a spokesman for the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
More Protein, Fewer Refined Carbs May Keep Weight Off
If you've worked hard to shed those additional pounds and want to keep the weight off, a new Danish study suggests that you consider eating more protein and fewer refined carbohydrates.Based on the findings, the researchers recommend consuming mostly what's known as low-glycemic index carbohydrates, such as whole-grain breads. The glycemic index (GI) is a measure of the ability of carbohydrates to raise blood glucose levels; those with a low GI cause blood levels to raise more slowly, explained Dr. Thomas Meinert Larsen, a co-author of the study, published in the Nov. 25 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
What is it about the high protein, low glycemic index carbohydrate diet that maintains weight under control? "Possibly a stronger satiating effect and more balanced blood sugar regulation," Larsen hypothesized.
Eating orange and dark green vegetables linked to longer life
This time no beta-carotene in vegetables that has the spotlight, but rather its cousin: alpha-carotene. Both are members of the carotenoid antioxidant family. Scientists trust carotenoid antioxidants promote health by counteracting oxygen-related damage to DNA.Consumption of fruits and vegetables has long been associated with lower risks of health troubles such as cancer and heart disease, said Dr. Chaoyang Li of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in Atlanta, in e-mail to Reuters Health.
However, it is still not understandable which elements contribute to the health effects or how they do so, he added, pointing to recent studies that have found no apparent benefit for beta-carotene supplements.
To investigate the merits of oft-ignored alpha-carotene, Li and his colleagues analyzed information on more than 15,000 people who were participating in the Third Nationwide Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Follow-up Study. All of them provided blood samples at the start of the study, along with other medical and lifestyle information.
Many fat women think they are slim: research
An American study questioned over 2,000 women about their size, diet and work out habits and took measurements. It found that many women were often unaware about whether they were a healthy weight or not.
Co-author Dr Mahbubur Rahman, of University of Texas, said: "As obesity numbers climb, many women see overweight as normal, not based on the scale but on how they view themselves."
It was found that 25 per cent of overweight women misjudged their body weight along with 16 per cent of common weight women.
The study was published in the journal Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
The findings have serious consequences for obesity prevention, the researchers said, as many women do not recognise they are overweight and so will not connect programmes.
The study found that Hispanic and African American women who were overweight thought they were healthy compared with 15 per cent of white women.
The trend was reversed for common weight women who thought they were overweight with fewer Hispanics and African Americans falling into this category than white women.
Healthy weight women who thought they were too fat were twice as likely to skip meals, diet and smoke more cigarettes than the overweight women who thought they were slim.
Facebook Heartbreak Leads to Man's Asthma Attacks
We often hear that social networks can be fine for emotional health by reconnecting us with old friends, helping us build professional contacts and countering isolation, but Italian doctors have reported a case where logging onto Facebook made an 18-year-old man hyperventilate.The patient, whose asthma was well-controlled with steroid inhalers and Singulair pills, began having more asthma attacks when he logged onto Facebook and learned that his ex-girlfriend had un-friended him and friended "several new young men." Frustrated by being cut off from his former flame, the jilted boyfriend became her Facebook friend under a nickname and regained access to her profile picture.
However, the sight of her picture left him hyperventilating and short of breath, "which happened repeatedly" as he called up her profile, wrote Dr. Gennaro D'Amato, a respiratory and allergy specialist at the High Specialty Hospital A Cardarelli in Naples, Italy, in this week's issue of The Lancet.
6,795 Reported Cases Of Whooping Cough In California So Far This Year
With the highest rates of whooping cough in 63 years and reports of flu starting coming in throughout the USA, Californian and other states' health authorities are urging people to get vaccinated. With apparently only 1 in 3 Americans getting a flu shot last year, public health experts are beginning to show some concern about the next months. Fewer than 1 in every 13 adults got vaccinated against whooping cough last year.America had nearly got rid of whooping cough completely some thirty years back. Since the 1980s, numbers have been steadily rising. Experts say that the major reason is a drop in vaccination rates. All adults are susceptible to catching pertussis (whooping cough) when their childhood shots start wearing off.
Little babies are susceptible to the complications of whooping cough, that is why 50% of those infected have to be hospitalized. Whooping cough is much less dangerous for an adult than for an infant.
22% of parents refused to have their kids vaccinated in 2003; in 2008 the percentage shot up to 39%. Nobody is sure what the percentage is currently. In some cases, low adult vaccination rates are due to lack of awareness; many adults simply don't know they should have their booster shots. It is something doctors should begin reminding their patients about more thoroughly, health officials say.
Symtomps of Cancer
Chronic Cough:A persistent, new cough or a cough that won't go away. Blood and/or mucus may accompany the cough and can be caused many conditions. In relation to cancer, a chronic cough with blood or mucus can be symptom of lung cancer. Cancer is an extensive term that encompasses more than one hundred unusual types of cancer. It is important to note that some types of cancer do not present any symptoms until they are in advanced stages. This is why cancer screening and risk assessment are vital for cancer prevention and early detection.
Persistent Fatigue:Fatigue is one of the most commonly experienced cancer symptoms. It is typically more common when the cancer is sophisticated, but still occurs in the early stages of some cancers.
Unintentional Weight Loss:While it may be a welcome surprise to lose weight without trying, it can be a red flag for many illnesses, including cancer.
Pain:Typically, pain is not an early symptom of cancer, except in some cancer types like those that spread to the bone. Pain generally occurs when cancer spreads and begins to distress other organs and nerves. Lower back pain is cancer symptom that is related with ovarian cancer and colon cancer. Shoulder pain can also be a symptom of lung cancer.
Fever:A fever is a very non-specific symptom of many mild to severe conditions, including cancer. In relation to cancer, a fever that is persistent or one that comes and goes habitually can signal stress on the immune system.
Stem cell therapy helps victims of heart failure
A year and a half ago, Michael Jones' failing heart left him so weak he couldn't even climb stairs.But today, after receiving an infusion of his own cardiac stem cells, the 67-year-old handles stairs with ease, works his southeastern Jefferson County land on his tractor, indulges his love of woodworking and is making plans to begin jogging.
"I feel truly well," Jones said. "It's awesome. They're using the body to actually heal itself."
Jones is one of several part patients suffering with heart failure who have benefited from a University of Louisville stem cell study that was the subject of a presentation Monday at an American Heart Association session in Chicago.
Study co-leader Dr. Roberto Bolli from U of L described initial results of ongoing research using cardiac stem cells to heal hearts. His partner in the study is Dr. Piero Anversa of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.
Four months after being given stem cells, Bolli said, nine patients showed an average of 9% improvement in left ventricular function — how well the heart pumps blood to the rest of the body and an indication of how well the heart is working.
World's First Stem Cell Clinical Trial to Treat Stroke Begins in U.K.
Doctors in Scotland, working with British biotech company ReNeuron, administered a sequence of injections in a patient over the weekend to test whether stem cell therapy could help those disabled by stroke. The patient, who is in his 60s, was severely disabled by a stroke 18 months ago and requires continuous care.
Doctors injected little doses of ReNeuron's neural stem cells into a healthy region of the patient's brain, close to where neurons were damaged by the stroke. They hope the injected cells will release chemicals that stimulate new brain cells and blood vessels to grow, while healing scar tissue and reducing inflammation, The Guardian reported.
Doctors said the surgery procedure was successful and that the patient is doing well and has already been discharged from the hospital. If the patient continues to do well over the next few weeks, 11 more men who have been disabled by ischemic stroke -- the most common type, caused by a blockage of blood flow in the brain -- will be treated in the coming year with progressively higher doses.
The primary goal of this early study is safety. The doctors want to ensure that the treatment is not making patients any worse, but they will also be monitoring patients closely for improvements and to see whether the stem cells are repairing any areas damaged by the stroke, as was the case in animal studies of the treatment.
Bypass patients can benefit from a few drinks
Light alcohol consumption was associated with a 25 percent reduction in extra heart procedures, heart attacks or strokes in the study by Italian researchers, presented at the annual meeting of the American Heart Association in Chicago."The benefit of light amounts of alcohol consumption has been documented in healthy individuals, but our analysis showed a benefit from light alcohol intake in post-coronary bypass patients," said Dr. Umberto Benedetto, of the University of Rome La Sapienza.
However, bypass patients with a condition called left ventricular dysfunction who were heavy drinkers, defined as having more than six drinks every day, were twice as likely to die from heart problems, the study found.
The Italian researchers used a questionnaire to compare alcohol consumption in 1,021 men who underwent heart bypass operation and reviewed their medical history for 3-1/2 years.
The study also found no adverse correlation between moderate alcohol consumption and any medication.
The American Heart Association recommends men limit themselves to two drinks a day and women to one drink a day, because too much alcohol can raise blood pressure and have other negative effects.
Fitness For Men In Three Easy Tips
1.Exercise – Exercise changes with each body time. The exercise for fitness for men should include, cardiovascular exercises, walking and aerobics.Cardio - Cardiovascular exercises help in regulating heart rate, breathing process, loose 100 to 500 calories, increase metabolism rate and get six pack abs.
Walking - One should walk at least 3.5 KM every alternate day. This works on every muscle and rejuvenates unused muscles, burns calories, helps inhale enough oxygen and regulates one's diet.
Aerobics - Aerobics works on your energy level. It enhance heart rate, rejuvenates the nervous system, burs calories and regulates blood circulation.
2.Nutrition – There is no point in exercising if you don't give proper food to your body. Nutrition intake in very important for fitness for men. Men should aim at lean muscles and the solution lies in protein diet. Spices should not be avoided completely. Spices also have medicinal values. They regulate working of the nervous system, prevents the occurrence of infection and work wonders on energy level. Men diet should include, loads of green, poultry protein from egg, meat, milk etc, rice or pasta, loads for fruit fibers and water. Avoid fatty food like butter and ghee.
3.Lifestyle - Men, generally tend to have an erratic lifestyle. This has an effect on both mind and body. If your mind is not at peace, no amount of exercise and nutrition can get you complete healthy living. Thus, you need to regulate your lifestyle. Fix a realistic time-table, to eat, work and family time. Some times in high profile jobs it becomes difficult to maintain a time-table but you alone are the best person to know how to fit in all important aspect of the day together.
When you are stressed, rather than going bar hopping spend time in sports, spend quality time with family and talk out your worries. Don't carry office to home or vice versa. Take up only that amount of work, which you know is possible. Taken a break from regularity in intervals. This will help you maintain your mental balance. Which is very important for concentration, clarity and memory.
Yoga gives a boost to person's mood
A latest research suggests that yoga has a greater positive effect on a person's mood and anxiety level than walking and other forms of exercise, which may be due to higher levels of the brain chemical GABA.GABA, gamma-aminobutyric acid, is a chemical in the brain that helps to control nerve activity.
GABA activity is reduced in people with mood and anxiety disorders but yoga has been shown to raise the levels of the chemical.
Observing all of these observations together, the study by Chris Streeter from Boston University School of Medicine (Massachusetts) and colleagues demonstrated that improved GABA levels measured after a session of yoga postures are associated with improved mood and decreased anxiety.
The authors suggest that the practice of yoga stimulates specific brain areas, thereby giving increase to changes in endogenous antidepressant neurotransmitters such as GABA.
Burn seasonal calories, stress with yoga
Maybe you're just bouncing back from a Halloween candy sugar high. Or perhaps you're bracing for the delicious diet traps that come with Thanksgiving.Yep, we're rushing headlong into the holiday period, that time of year when we juggle plates that are frighteningly full, both literally and figuratively.
It's simple for yoga practice to fall by the wayside.
And yet, as I maintain to rebound from my surgery and prepare for the hectic holidays, I find myself taking joy in some of my favorite feel-good poses.
One of those is the low lunge or Anjaneyasana .
OK, so regularly the first time around, this pose doesn't feel so good. Especially if you haven't warmed up.
Luckily, the low lunge is one of those poses that uses just about every muscle in your body – so you begin to heat up quickly as it tests your balance, flexibility and focus by bringing energy (when you feel the burn) all over.
It's great for using up those extra calories from chocolate bars or cranberry sauce. But it also provides a opportunity to stretch the places we often scrunch up when we're stressed: the shoulders, neck and chest.
Yoga asanas for a healthy heart
Scientific studies show that risk factors for heart disease such as hypertension, diabetes, bad cholesterol, triglycerides and stress can be significantly lowered with Yoga. Here are some yoga asanas that are good for the heart.Yogic way of life offers a solution to elevate the health of body, mind and soul. Yoga is a cure for many diseases - diabetes, obesity and psychiatric illnesses - as much as it offers immense benefits to alleviate heart diseases. Yoga has an important role in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases that includes recurrence of heart attacks, hypertension and coronary heart diseases. Yoga influences the hypothalamus directly, the area of the brain that controls endocrine activity, and helps prevent heart attacks.
A complete yoga program involves exercises (asanas), breath control (pranayama), sleep control(yoga Nidra) and mind control(meditation).These are the tenets for cardiac health; also probably the reason why cardiologists universally, recommend yoga to their patients. The curative benefits of yoga enhances heart health, lowers blood pressure, reduces chronic stress, boosts the immune system and enhances cognitive ability.
Heart disease is a problem of modern times. It is psychosomatic in nature. Improper lifestyle, faulty diet and negative thinking play an important part in triggering heart disease. Our thoughts, feelings and emotions affect our body and mind. Negative emotions spark chemical processes throughout the entire body. Any irritation in the lining of arterial walls - which includes high levels of fat in the blood, smoking and high blood pressure can trigger heart diseases. Here are some yoga asanas that are good for the heart. Many of these poses are therapeutic for diabetes, high blood pressure and are powerful de-stressors.
PCIP Premium Decrease (HHS)
According to recent press, the federal government has indicated that it plans to decrease the premiums for the federal PCIP (temporary risk pools) by 20% in order to encourage greater enrollments.
Apparently enrollment in the new PCIP has been lackluster at best.
I do not yet know if the decrease will be applied to the CA PCIP as it is being run by the state (MRMIB) and not a direct federal risk pool.
Unless the government can find more $$$ to pump into the pools, this is going to likely create a reduced number of enrollment slots meaning less people will be able to be covered at the lower premium.
California's PCIP is scheduled to hold an average of 23,100 people at any given time with a possible increase in two years if scheduled federal funding is available. Obviously a 20% premium decrease under existing funding ($761MM) would likely lower the number of subscribers by that same percentage.
Fast Food Kids' Meals Still Unhealthy
Despite pledges made by some of the leading fast food chains, many seem to still be promoting mostly unhealthy meals and choices to children, according to a new report by researchers from Yale University's Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity in New Haven, Conn.The latest report examined the marketing of 12 top fast food chains, and then looked at the amount of fat calories, fat, sugar, and sodium in 3,039 kids' meals and 2,781 menu items. The findings are slated to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association in Denver.
Unhealthy Food Choices Are the Default
Of the 3,000-plus kids meals, just 12 met the nutritional criteria for preschoolers, and just 15 met the nutrition criteria set for older children, the study showed. In fact, one particular meal from most fast food restaurants contains at least half of young people's daily recommended sodium.
Fast food marketing to kids also leaves much to be desired, the researchers report. Preschoolers see 21% more fast food ads today than in 2003 and older children see 34% more fast food ads, the latest report found.
"There is a staggering amount of exposure to fast food advertising that begins when children are as young as 2," says Jennifer Harris, director of marketing initiative at the Rudd Center.
McDonald's and Burger King have upheld their 2008 commitment to show healthier meals in TV ads directed to children under 12.
This is "a start, but it's not enough," says Harris.
Fast food ads don't always run during children's TV programs, and many ad campaigns, with social media advertising, are about building brand recognition instead of food choices.
"About 60% of ads are not on kids programming, but a lot of children are seeing them and having a large impact," says Harris. For example, "American Idol, Glee, or sports programs are places where we will see a lot of unhealthy fast food ads."
Bait and Switch?
"There is still a lot of fast food advertising aimed at kids," says Margo G. Wootan, PhD, the nutrition policy director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a consumer group based in Washington, D.C.
Other options aimed at curbing marketing unhealthy food choices to kids include the recent San Francisco ban on giving away toys with unhealthy children's meals.
"The goal is not take the happy out of happy meal, but to put the happy and healthy together," she says. "It's nice that some companies have changed their advertising, but we need to address all ways that they market to kids," Wootan says.
Yoga can enhance mood and reduce anxiety--study
Practicing yoga on a regular basis can enhance mood and give a boost to the sense of well-being by reducing anxiety, suggest researchers from the United States National Institutes of Health (NIH).Yoga can fight against stress, reduce heart rate and blood pressure, raise our lung capacity, and improve our muscle relaxation and body composition.
Previous studies have proved that yoga is effective in cases of anxiety, depression and insomnia as well.
Overall, yoga works with our body mechanism in order to improve our stress coping mechanisms and mind-body awareness.
"Yoga in its full form combines physical postures, breathing exercises, meditation, and a distinct philosophy", NIH backgrounder points out.
Study details
The study, aimed at establishing an association between yoga postures, enhanced gamma-aminobutyric (GABA) levels and decreased anxiety, looked at 2 different groups of healthy people for a period of 12 weeks.
While participants of the first group practiced yoga three times a week for one hour, those in the second group went for long walks.
The brains of all the participants were scanned using magnetic resonance spectroscopic (MRS) imaging at the inception of the research.
Further, the GABA levels of the participants in both the groups were compared at the end of the study.
Also the participants were themselves asked to report their psychological fitness at certain points.
Study results
The participants in the yoga group reported a tremendous decrease in their anxiety levels and mood swings as compared to the walking group.
“Over time, positive changes in these reports were associated with climbing GABA levels,” said lead author Chris Streeter, MD, an associate professor of psychiatry and neurology at the Boston University School of Medicine.
Citing the promising revelations of the study, the researchers suggest that yoga ought to be treated as potential therapy for certain mental disorders.