Cancer emotions: upbeat, stoic or just scared?
Years ago, a friend and co-worker of mine with ovarian cancer lost all of her blonde hair during treatment. She donned a red wig and declared, “I’m going to do cancer as a redhead!” Her upbeat nature made it easier on the rest of us to accept her illness, so it was that much more shocking the day I walked into the newsroom to see a pink wreath on her desk. Read more
The well podcast: cancer and exercise
Several studies have shown a link between exercise and lower cancer risk. However, the message often isn’t well received by patients who think it blames the victim by suggesting they wouldn’t have cancer had they just been more active. Read more
The sex of your surgeon may matter
Whether a woman receives radiation treatment after breast cancer surgery may be influenced by the gender of her surgeon, according to a new report from The Journal of the National Cancer Institute. The study, from researchers at Columbia University, set out to determine why breast cancer treatment still varies among similar patients. Read more
Caffeine may hamper diabetes control
Caffeine may make it tougher for people with diabetes to control their blood sugar, a new study shows. The finding, published in February’s Diabetes Care, adds to the confusion about the role coffee plays in diabetes risk. Although caffeine has consistently been shown to affect blood sugar levels, several studies have shown that coffee drinkers are at lower risk for diabetes. Read more
The midlife crisis goes global
The midlife crisis, a time of self-doubt and turmoil familiar to many in their 40s and 50s, is often viewed as a phenomenon of Western culture. But new research suggests that people all over the world are miserable in middle age. Read more
A ‘Dose of Nature’ for Attention Problems
Parents of children with attention deficit problems are always looking for new strategies to help their children cope. An interesting new study suggests that spending time in nature may help. A small study conducted at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign looked at how the environment influenced a child’s concentration skills. The researchers evaluated 17 children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, who all took part in three 20-minute walks in a park, a residential neighborhood and a downtown area. Read more
Die-hard sports fans face heart risk
Rabid sports fans have more to worry about than the final score. New research shows that a heart-pounding sports match may be bad for the heart. That’s what German researchers found when they tracked heart attacks during the 2006 World Cup soccer championships. World Cup teams attract some of the world’s most passionate and loyal sports fans, with wins and losses triggering nationalistic celebrations and riots. Read more
Eating healthy when dining out is getting easier
In the dining room’s soft amber glow, dozens of patrons peruse the menu at Rock Creek restaurant in Bethesda, Maryland. From a health standpoint, making a smart choice is easy. Whether it’s the slow-cooked salmon with sesame seeds, warm bok choy salad, and miso mustard dressing or the jumbo lump crab cakes with celeriac-apple slaw and lemon-caper aioli, each meal contains 600 or fewer calories — nearly half the amount found in a typical restaurant entree. Read more
The crosstrainer elliptical machine is useless for fat loss
If you are using an elliptical-type machine for intervals, then I believe that you are not getting the results you deserve. In my opinion, the elliptical machines are one of the least effective methods for losing fat – just as bad as spinning classes. Now you might know someone that is uses the elliptical all the time and is lean. But I will be the farm that they can thank their genetics, their strength training, and their nutrition for their results. I have yet to see someone transform their physique with the elliptical trainer. In fact, when someone comes to me with a failing program, I often see them using the elliptical for their interval training. And that’s the first things I change. Read more