Category: Healthwatch
HealthWatch 2020Q4
In light of the coronavirus, many are taking steps to ensure everything they touch is clean and sanitized. This is even more true when it comes to our kitchen, a place where we are constantly handling foods. Its hard to know what products or methods are effective and which ones arent. 1. Gas Stove Its important to make sure you are cleaning your gas stove after every meal with either soap and water or detergent and water. A gas stove is an area in your home that can become a breeding ground for infections over time, if not regularly cleaned. 2. Kitchen Counters and Slabs Many keep their fruits, vegetables, and other ingredients on their counters or slabs before being washed. Its recommended that you keep this area particularly clean with a mixture of salt and lemon water. 3. Fruits and Vegetables When it comes to items we are consuming, we want to be especially sure it has been cleaned properly to lower the risk of contamination. Trying to find a cleaning product for our fruits and vegetables
HealthWatch: Probiotics
Are you currently taking probiotics to improve your gut health? New research from the American Gastronenterological Association is showing that it might not be as helpful as we are led to believe. Since researchers started to learn more about our gut bacteria, or microbiome, probiotics have become more popular. Yogurt and dietary supplements contain certain bacteria and yeast, which are organisms found in probiotics. Depending on your location, you can find probiotics sold over the counter or by prescription. Since probiotics are not considered drugs in the United States, they arent regulated in the same way as other pharmaceutical products. This can lead to an increase in misleading information and has acted as a barrier to scientific research when it comes to how helpful probiotics actually are. For example, research has found there isnt enough evidence that suggests the use of probiotics to treat Crohns disease, ulcerative colitis, or IBS. The American Gastronenterological Association
Healthwatch: Tips for Lowering Your Risk of Dementia
Theres no effective treatment for dementia, which affects 50 million people worldwide, but the World Health Organization (WHO) says theres much that can be done to delay or slow the onset and progression of the disease. In May, WHO issued the following recommendations to reduce the risk of dementia globally, and combat cognitive decline: Regular physical exercise Dont use tobacco Drink less alcohol Maintain a healthy blood pressure Eat a healthy diet, particularly Mediterranean foods Avoid dietary supplements such as Vitamins B and E WHO said there are 10 million new cases of dementia every year, and this figure is set to triple by 2050. The disease is a major cause of disability and dependency among older people and can devastate the lives of affected individuals, their careers and families, the organization said. Although the report stressed that social participation and social support are strongly connected to good health and individual well-being, it said there was insufficient
HealthWatch: Keeping Your Mind Sharp in Retirement
Seniors who stay active mentally may be able to help keep their mind sharp longer. When it comes to brain power, much like your muscles, the use it or lose it concept applies, says Dana Anspach, CEO and founder of Sensible Money in Scottsdale, Arizona. Retirees who engage in life-long learning keep their brain engaged by challenging themselves to learn new skills. Its important to find things youre curious about and dive in. And in retirement, you have the time to do it. Taking classes in retirement can also be a way to meet new people with similar interests and socialize. You can go lots of places to learn. You can purchase CDs or DVDs. You can learn from great teachers, Frank says. We have a sense of community. You will meet people in classroom and continue conversing after class. Were all teaching and learning together. Some colleges, including Pennsylvania State University and Colorado State University, allow seniors to audit classes tuition-free. Other universities, such as Boston
HealthWatch: Healthy Cooking Habits
3 Easy Tips for Healthier Cooking When it comes to healthy cooking, a lot of focus goes into choosing good ingredients loaded with the nutrients you and your family need. But the truth is, the way you prepare food can be just as important as what you buy. Certain cooking techniques will help maximize your foods nutrition, while others will minimize the intake of less healthy elements like added sodium and unhealthy fats. Here are three simple ways you can easily adjust your cooking for a healthier lifestyle! 1. Treat Your Vegetables Right Boiling and overcooking certain vegetables robs them of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. By steaming them instead, you will preserve more nutrients in vegetables than boiling, stir-frying, or even blanching. For canned vegetables, you can lower their sodium content by up to 40% by rinsing them in water. However, rinsing can also remove some of the Vitamin C from some canned vegetables. Using no- or low-sodium canned foods is an even easier way to
HealthWATCH: Staying in Shape Post-Retirement
Once we retire, we tend to bask in our newfound free time, but few of us realize that we should be spending part of that time exercising. Some fitness buffs may treat retirement as a chance to double up on their favorite activities, but for the rest of us, the challenge becomes extracting the most benefit in the least amount of time. Consistency is the key, said Michele Stanten, a certified fitness instructor in Coopersburg, Penn. Some people who are gung-ho at first try to do an hour of exercise, find its too much, and stop. Its more effective going out for 10 minutes one day, then 10 minutes the next day. Build up gradually and be consistent. Stanten consults with SilverSneakers, a free fitness program for seniors that comes with qualifying Medicare plans. It includes access to participating gyms at more than 14,000 locations across the U.S., along with instructor-led yoga, dance and other fitness classes. Regardless of your goalto gain muscle mass, lose body fat, lower your cholesterol,
HealthWatch: What Are Screens Doing to Our Eyes and Our Ability to See?
In todays society, if youre not sleeping, chances are youre looking at some type of screen. Whether its a computer monitor, a television, a handheld tablet, a GPS or our smartphones, we spend 10-14 hours a day staring at a screen. Many of us are familiar with the problems this can cause, such as headaches, dry eyes, eye muscle strain, and even blurred visionbut few of us know what can be done to correct it. The easiest thing to do would be to avoid screens as much as possible. However, for those of us who use our cellphones and computers every day for work, its impossible to avoid screen-time. So what are our options? One option is to adjust the brightness on your screen. Dr. Joshua Dunaief, a professor of ophthalmology at the University of Pennsylvanias Perelman School of Medicine also recommends shifting your screens color scheme away from blue and toward the yellow end of the spectrum. While some research has linked too much blue light exposure at night to insomnia, even daytime exposure
HealthWatch: Drink Water to Feel Less Bloated
When you feel bloated, drinking water sounds as if it would only make matters worse, but can often help, according to James Lee, MD, gastroenterologist with St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, California. Especially if youre on a high-fiber diet, for instance, your body will need more water to work more efficiently, says Dr. Lee. Water mixes with water soluble fiber and makes it into a gel-like substance. This affects the motility of the gut and reduces the symptom of bloating. Drinking more water can relieve bloating caused by dehydration. When youre dehydrated, your body clings to the water your body does have, causing you to puff up. So next time youre feeling a little bloated, reach for a drink! It may make you feel better. Source: Health.com
HealthWatch To Lose Weight, Eat More
With the holidays over, many of us make New Years resolutions -and chief among them is often losing weight. Theres no lack of advice -and it all seems to focus on calories in vs. calories out. Which is important, but this year you may want to try eating more now to eat less later. It sounds counterintuitive at first, but it makes sense when you think about it. Youre hungry, and grab a 100-calorie snack pack of cookies or pretzels. Its only 100 calories, so how bad can it be for you? But as you know, its more likely to make you hungrier than if you ate something more substantial. According to Amy Goodson, RD, dietitian for Texas Health Ben Hogan Sports Medicine, eating small amounts of carbohydrates does nothing but spike your blood sugar and leave you wanting more carbs. She goes on to recommends a protein such as peanut butter or string cheese with an apple. They are higher in calories per serving, but the protein and fat helps you get full faster and stay full longerand you end up eating
2017 - Q3 Healthwatch
3 Tips For A Healthy Summer Its finally summer! Something we wait for all year in Cleveland. And, while you should definitely take some time to have fun, recharge, and spend time with family and friends, here are three health tips that will help you have a healthy summer! 1. Eat More Berries: An easy way to improve your diet this summer, is to have a cup of mixed fresh berries every day. Theyre full of antioxidants, which may help prevent damage to tissues and reduce the risks of age-related illnesses. Theyre also high in fiber, which helps keep cholesterol low and may even help prevent some cancers. 2. Drink alcohol for your heart! Ok, this one comes with a caveat. No one needs to be encouraged to have a drink during the hot summer months, but dont overdo it. Research shows that drinking alcohol in moderation defined as about two drinks a day can help protect against heart disease. 3. Plant a garden: Gardening is a great way to reduce stress. It helps you focus, beautifies your
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