Monday, December 28, 2009

plantar fasciitis

It's called plantar fasciitis and affects millions of us each year. But an Orthopedic group has just come out with some ways to fix the pain without surgery.

We all have a strip of fibrous tissue that comes from the back of our heel across the bottom of our foot. If that tissue gets inflamed it can give us a pain that doesn't seem to want to go away. It usually starts after a lot of heavy walking---like holiday shopping. The first couple of steps in the morning after getting out of bed are the worst, then the foot kind of “warms up” during the day but you'll notice the pain returning in the evening as the foot gets tired from walking or standing all day.

Different things have been tried---stretching, steroid injections and even surgery, but they don't always work very well. But now the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society is telling us that your best course of action is home stretching. They recommend doing a very specific set of foot and heel stretches before you take your first step in the morning and four to five times during the day for the first month, then as needed after that. Plus they recommend adding non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication, like ibuprofen, use ice on the heel and add gel heel inserts to your shoes.

Using these techniques should help put an end to that heel pain that's starting to slow you down.

Monday, December 21, 2009

Sugar Loaded Sodas

When it comes to losing weight you might have switched from sugar to sugar
free drinks. But can combining the two help you lose even more weight?

Here’s the deal. Sugar loaded sodas can add to your weight and according to new research, diet sodas might make you eat more. So if you’re confused as to what to do, you’re not alone.

But new government research has found that combining sugar free drinks with some carbohydrates might help suppress you appetite.

Researchers had participants drink one of two different things -- either a diet free soda, along with a sugar filled beverage, or a club soda and the same sugar filled beverage. Then they did some blood tests. They found blood sugar was the same for both groups but they did find a difference in a chemical our stomach releases that lets us know we’re full--- called GLP-1. The group that had both a diet soda and sugar filled drink also ended up having more of this chemical in their bloodstream.

Past studies have shown that when diet drinks are consumed without additional carbohydrates, our bodies don’t release this chemical, which is probably why we ended up eating more later on.

According to these researchers, although they can’t say this is a sure fire way to lose weight, by combing artificial sweeteners with regular sweeteners, it does look like it might be something that---as they put it---might be relevant in daily life. Stay tuned for future studies.

Monday, December 14, 2009

Kids vs. Dirt/Germs

When it comes to our kids, keeping them clean and germ free not be the best thing to do.

It’s ok for your kids to play in dirt every now and then.

This might be tough to hear, but with our American obsession with keeping clean, we are raising a generation of kids that might not be able to fight off many diseases later in life. Back when we were kids, it wasn’t unusual to play out in a dirt field than grab a bite to eat without washing our hands very well. Nowadays, most kids are conditioned to wash thoroughly before eating anything, and with the H1N1 virus around, a lot of them carry hand sanitizers to keep from getting sick.

Now I’m certainly not advocating we go out and jump in the mud, or cut back on washing our hands, but a new study is showing that it’s ok for our kids to get exposed to bacteria and germs every now and then.

Researchers looked at Filipino children from birth and followed them for twenty two years. Those that lived lives that weren’t as clean also had lower levels of a marker in the blood, c reactive protein, indicating they had stronger immune systems as adults.

So again, the lesson here is not to ignore basic hygiene but to remember that children’s immune systems need a workout to get stronger. It’s okay from time to time to let them ignore the 30 second rule or maybe share a bag of candy or popcorn with other kids. It could make them stronger adults.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

The Birds and the Bees

When it comes to “the talk” it looks like parents might be giving it too late.

It’s dreaded by every parent and even every child---“the talk” about the birds and the bees. But according to a new survey, parents aren’t giving it early enough.

When we were kids, we hated our parents even bringing up the subject, and as parents nothing makes us sweat more than anticipating sitting down with our boy or girl and explaining all about sex.

Which is probably why researchers found that forty percent—almost half--of adolescents had already had sex before talking to their parents about important topics like safe sex, birth control or even sexually transmitted diseases. And this is troublesome news since teens who talk with their parents about it are more likely to delay their first sexual encounter and more likely to practice safe sex when they do become active.

But as any parent can tell you, this is one tough subject to bring up. So here are a couple of tips that might help. Instead of trying to talk about everything at once, make it an ongoing dialogue starting early in life, focusing on what the child can absorb. And take advantage of everyday excuses to bring up the subject—some sexual reference in at movie or TV show, a pregnancy in the family or even a visit to the doctor. You’ll find that once you start the conversation not only does it become easier to bring up again, but you’ll also realize it’s something your children do want to hear about---from you---and it’s always much better to get the
information from you than from their friends.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Eczema

It's a painful skin condition usually requiring creams and medicine. But a simple household solution might hold one key to relief from eczema.

Eczema can be itchy, painful. And for children in particular, this skin disease can keep them from even getting a good nights sleep.

Millions of people suffer from this skin disorder and they usually treat it with lotions, creams, prescription ointments or oral medication. And sometimes the skin around eczema can crack, leading to a bacterial skin infection---then they need antibiotics.

But now researchers have found that a simple household item—bleach, used in a diluted bath, can dramatically cut back both on the eczema rash itself and on infections that can accompany it. Dermatologists found that adding a small amount of household bleach to a child's bath can provide this relief. They added half a cup of bleach to a full tub of water and had the children bath in it for ten minutes every day.

This simple solution cut down on eczema symptoms in over two thirds of the children using it. These researchers do caution to not apply the bleach directly to the skin---make sure it's only the diluted form you use---and to check with your child's doctor first.

But this simple homemade solution might be one time that kids won't have
to be convinced to take their bath.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Bottling Up Your Anger

We all try to be nice to each, but can bottling up your anger cause health problems?

It seems to be even worse if you do it at work. As a matter of fact it looks like bottling up your anger at the office can increase your chances of having a heart attack. And that's especially true for men.

No one is advocating that you blow your top at work in every situation or even everyday, but new research out of Sweden shows that men increase their risk of having a heart attack simply because they don't vent.

Researchers found that men who failed to express their resentment over conflicts with coworkers or supervisors more than doubled their risk of having a heart attack. And those that consistently ignored ongoing work related conflicts tripled their risk of dying from heart related issues.

On top of that, other Swedish researchers found that having an overbearing or incompetent boss boosted workers' odds for a heart attack or other heart related issues as well.

So what's the answer to all this? None of these researchers are recommending striking back at those you work with or venting at every opportunity. Other experts do encourage trying to set up a work environment were coworkers feel free to express different opinions. On top of that, they also encourage you to talk with your family at night about “how your day went” on the job. This can help you share your feeling in a better way---a way that could go far in keeping your heart healthy as well.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Store Bought Chicken

You buy brand name foods from a national store chain and expect it to be safe to eat. But when it comes to chicken you need to listen to this story.

Unfortunately, not as safe as you'd think. A recent survey of chicken showed an improvement from years ago but still the majority of chickens picked up where still contaminated.


And some brand name chicken companies did a lot worse than others. According to the CDC, over one million Americans end up getting sick from salmonella poisoning every year, over twenty five thousand end up in the hospital and about five hundred die because of it.


To test out how safe chicken is, Consumers Union bought broiler chickens at one hundred stores in twenty two states over the springtime. They found that two thirds of them were contaminated with either salmonella of campylobacter bacteria---both can cause severe food poisoning. Some brands---Tyson and Foster Farms, did worse with eighty percent contamination and others---Purdue in particular, did better but still had a contamination rate just below fifty percent.

The USDA says their survey showed contamination in only sixteen percent of broiler chickens they looked at. According to Consumers Union, the difference in numbers comes about because the USDA looks at chickens at the packing plant, consumers union looked at what you would get at the store.


The message here isn't to avoid getting chicken, just to make sure you keep it away from other foods when you prepare it, and to cook it fully to get rid of any bacteria that could be lurking.