Now that the days are dark, wet and cold, I find myself drinking a couple extra cups of coffee or tea every day.
Luckily for me most evidence supports the health benefits of both coffee and tea (black or green). Dr. Aaron Carroll over at Healthcare Triage recently made two videos to reassure us coffee lovers that moderate consumption of both coffee and tea is a good thing!
Every fall I post my recommendation that everyone get a flu shot.
In support of this week being National Influenza Vaccination Week (what, you haven’t heard?), here is a pretty cool animated video from NPR: Flu Attack! How A Virus Invades Your Body
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC), which sponsors Vaccination Week, offers these key points on their seasonal flu webpage:
… read on
- CDC
I’m not a gadget person, and I don’t embrace the “quantified self” movement, which seeks to keep track of everything measurable about the human body—weight, body mass index, blood pressure, heart rate, calories consumed, miles walked, jogged, biked, etc.
But ever since I wrote the post Why sitting is bad for your health I’ve been more committed to racking up 10,000 steps every day.
Now, the 10,000 steps a … read on
Did you ever stop to wonder how the skin of your lips differs from the skin on the rest of your face?
The skin over your lips is very thin and highly vascular, hence their typical “vermilion” or red color. Your lips also have more nerve endings, making them very tactile and sensitive.
These anatomical differences make our lips attractive and nice for kissing, but they also make our lips … read on
Do you suffer from dry, red, or itchy eyes?
Dry eyes are really common, especially in the late fall and winter when we spend more time in the dry indoor air.
But did you know the eye drops you use might actually be making your eyes look and feel worse?
Like so many over-the-counter (OTC) products, there are dozens of eye drops from which to choose. How do you know … read on
A few weeks ago I posted about some simple ways to deal with stress and panic attacks, and I mentioned that I had received an adult coloring book from a friend and thought it was a great way to focus and relax my mind.
Apparently other people think so, too!
I just read this article in The Atlantic: The Zen of Adult Coloring Books
… read onSeveral trend pieces about adult
Ted-Ed Talks just posted an excellent video on YouTube explaining How stress can make you sick. Occasional stress is normal and even helpful, but chronic stress can lead to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.
Because of the “brain-gut” connection, chronic stress can also affect digestion and lead to conditions like irritable bowel syndrome and obesity.
Even worse, chronic stress can cause … read on
I’ve said it many times in this blog: Don’t go to the hospital alone! And don’t let your friends or family members go alone, either.
Having or being a patient advocate during a hospitalization can really improve communication among the patient, the patient’s family and the myriad of health care providers in modern hospitals.
Related story from KevinMD: There are too many cooks in the health care kitchen
Better communication … read on
When you go to the grocery store is your cart full of “free” foods, such as soy-free, dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, etc.?
With so many of these products being heavily marketed, and poor health information being widely spread on the internet through Facebook, blogs and other social networking sites, it’s easy to make assumptions about food allergies for your and/or your children.
Common symptoms that everyone gets occasionally—nausea, diarrhea, … read on
I’ve posted before about the frighteningly ill-advised health tips I see perpetuated on Pinterest: How NOT to whiten your teeth
Another non-scientific and potentially dangerous home treatment that I frequently see pinned is ear candling.
Ear candling involves placing a specially-designed candle (or cone) into one ear and lighting a wick at the other end. Theoretically, the heat from the flame creates a mild vacuum pressure that draws “impurities” out … read on