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On Nutrition: Thankful for simple things
“What everyday blessings have you experienced that are often easy to forget?” That question from my morning reading made me think.
I’ve become grateful for warm weather and gorgeous sunsets while horse camping in Arizona these past few weeks. And as we travel home to a colder climate, I’ve come to realize what life would be without some...Read more
'Stab in the heart': Health care workers reflect on abuse they've faced during pandemic
BOISE, Idaho — By late September, Rikki Koberlein couldn't take another day.
For months, she had been yelled and cursed at, called a "political pawn" and told she wasn't doing her job properly.
As an intensive care unit nurse at West Valley Medical Center in Caldwell, Idaho, Koberlein said, "nursing is my calling." But the abuse day after ...Read more
One more reason to walk away from fast food -- fast
When Massimo Stano took the gold medal in race walking at the Tokyo Olympics last summer, he flat-footed his way across 12.4 miles in 81 minutes and 0.05 seconds -- that's walking an astounding 10 mph.
That's how fast you want to walk away from fast foods. (On your 10,000 steps a day, you probably hit 3-plus miles per hour.) A new study in the ...Read more
How much sun exposure is needed to make vitamin D?
DEAR DR. ROACH: Does our skin make vitamin D from sun exposure through a car's windshield? Sometimes I expose my stomach for about 10 minutes while driving or riding in a car, but I'm not sure if the skin responds the same way through glass as it does with direct sun exposure. -- S.R.
ANSWER: Sunlight allows our skin to convert 7-...Read more
Mayo Clinic Minute: Sharpen your knife skills to avoid injury
The kitchen can be a chaotic place during the holidays. With all of the cooking, baking and food preparation, kitchen knife mishaps can occur.
In this Mayo Clinic Minute, Mayo Clinic experts weigh in on how to avoid an unnecessary trip to the emergency department for a kitchen knife injury.
People tend to do a lot more cooking around the ...Read more
Flu is spreading around the Philly region and the nation. The holidays could help it take off
It's still early in the flu season, but it looks as if we're in for a tougher time this year than last, when COVID-19 precautions practically drove that other respiratory virus underground.
This year, flu is off to a faster start and contagion is increasing, especially among children and young adults, according to the CDC.
Public health ...Read more
Nurses to graduate early and head to the pandemic front lines
BALTIMORE -- Seeking to ease a nursing shortage exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic, the University of Maryland School of Nursing will allow nursing students to exit a bit early and begin working in the field.
It’s the fourth time the school has approved such a move, which affects students scheduled to graduate Dec. 23.
The students ...Read more
The hunt for a simple blood test to detect Alzheimer's disease
Even in the prime of our lives, while still healthy and clever, our brains may be secretly developing the deadly plaques and tangles of Alzheimer’s disease. The first sign of trouble is memory loss — and, by then, damage is done.
But innovative new blood tests can now detect these hidden signs of disease, years before the onset of ...Read more
Kids eat more vegetables when you put more on their plate
Do you try to negotiate with your kids to get them to eat their vegetables? One Brussels sprout, 10 more minutes of TV time? (Don't let it go over one hour for toddlers, and keep it balanced with physical activity for older kids.) Or do you promise dessert if they eat their salad? That's hit or miss, at best, and then you have to fret about ...Read more
Unrelenting back pain was a red flag symptom of cancer return
DEAR DR. ROACH: My father died two years ago at age 73. For about six months, he had been experiencing excruciating back pain, which surgery didn't help. A few years earlier, he had been treated for bladder cancer. He was due to have a follow-up appointment with his cancer specialist but didn't because he was overwhelmed with the back pain and ...Read more
Biogen Alzheimer's drug shows brain swelling in 35% of patients
Biogen Inc.’s controversial Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm produced brain swelling in 35% of patients who took the approved dose, although most didn’t experience symptoms, company researchers said in a study.
The study in JAMA Neurology found that 362 of 1,029 patients who received the approved dose of the drug experienced the side effect, ...Read more
Diabetes Quick Fix: Aga Kahn's Chicken Curry and Rice
While at Le Cordon Bleu, I learned about this aromatic and gently spicy chicken curry developed by the school for the Aga Kahn. It became his favorite curry dinner. This recipe was inspired by that dish. By the way, this is a great way to use leftover turkey or chicken. Just add them to the skillet for a minute to warm and finish the recipe.
...Read more
Mayo Clinic Q and A: Kids 5-11 and the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I have three girls, ages 6, 8, and 11. They have been attending school virtually for the past year and a half, and I have been limiting their encounters with friends and family due to COVID-19. Although I am vaccinated for COVID-19, I'm not still sure if my children should be. I'm worried about side effects and how effective ...Read more
Ask the Pediatrician: Which flu vaccine should children get this year?
Q: Does it matter which flu vaccine my children get this year and when they get it?
A: Many people don't realize it, but flu can be a very serious illness. It causes thousands of deaths in the United States every year, even among previously healthy children. With COVID-19 expected to still be spreading this fall and winter, it is even more ...Read more
After COVID-19 infection you still need your shots, study finds. Young adults may be more vulnerable
PHILADELPHIA — Natural immunity has become a popular excuse for not getting vaccinated against COVID-19, but a new study from the University of Pittsburgh found that antibody levels left over from a prior infection vary significantly — and in many cases aren’t enough to protect people from getting sick again.
The study, which was posted ...Read more
Navigating the holidays safely
As the holidays approach, COVID-19 cases are surging in parts of the U.S., and community transmission is high. With more people planning to travel and gather in the weeks to come, health experts are issuing updated guidance for how to celebrate the holiday season safely.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers safer ways to ...Read more
Beware of 'restorative' therapies for ED
"Feeling like a shockwave, shockwave, shockwave, shockwave ... Ooh yeah, babe, get 'em with the shockwave." Marshmello, AKA Christopher Comstock, sings that plaintive tune about a broken heart, but it just as well could be the over-the-top marketing slogan of a facility that offers "restorative therapy" for erectile dysfunction.
There's a ...Read more
Sister insister: Visitors to 95-year-old dad should be vaccinated
DEAR DR. ROACH: I am one of four daughters, ages 69 to 61. Our dad is 95 and still lives independently, although one of us four girls comes each night to have dinner with him. He doesn't drive anymore, and we do all of his shopping and errands for him. He is frail and has Parkinson's disease. Our dad and three of the girls have been fully ...Read more
Insurers balk at paying for Biogen's $56,000-a-year Alzheimer's treatment
U.S. health insurers say they want more proof before paying for Biogen Inc.’s Aduhelm, stalling sales of the costly new Alzheimer’s therapy that the company hailed as a breakthrough for patients.
None of the 25 large insurers that responded to a Bloomberg News survey judged the $56,000-a-year drug “medically necessary,” a term used to ...Read more
Nutrition News: Holiday Strategies
Holiday Strategies
Some would argue that the words "healthy" and "holidays" don't belong in the same sentence. I disagree. While the holidays may offer more temptation to overeat, they don't have to sabotage our efforts to eat healthy foods. Turkey, sweet potatoes, pumpkin and green beans all fit into a healthy eating plan. The key is to eat ...Read more
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