You see them just about everywhere these days, earbuds and headphones. But wearing them might increase your chances of getting run over.
We are talking about the small buds or even larger headphones people use to listen to music. They fit nicely inside the ear and give you a great sound, but they also tend to block out any outside noise and that's where the problem comes in.
It's basically distracted walking and it's taking a bigger toll around the country than you'd probably think. A new study has found that the number of pedestrians seriously injured or killed while walking near roads or railways while wearing headphones or earbuds has tripled in the last 6 years alone. Although the numbers are still small, with only 47 deaths happening this way last year, that's still a big increase for the 16 occurring back in 2004 and 2005. This study, published in the Journal Prevention found that in some cases horns or even sirens were used before the pedestrian was struck.
We've heard recently about the issues with distracted driving, but now it looks like we need to concentrate a bit more on avoiding distracted walking. Something that unfortunately could prove fatal. But the solution is simple, turn down the volume and pay attention to what's going on around you, especially if crossing a street.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Nicotine Patches: Do They Work?
When it comes to quitting smoking, that nicotine patch many use might not do the trick.
It looks like the nicotine replacements don't work as well as most of us thought, at least not by themselves.
Hopefully many smokers are trying to break the habit this new year. That's one of the best things you can do for your own health. But according to this new study, if you're just using nicotine patches, gum or lozenges alone, that might not do the trick.
Researchers have found that these nicotine substitutes didn't help someone quit smoking over the long term any more than just going cold turkey. Those types of nicotine replacements were not the "magic" pill needed to kick the habit. But they do seem to work well if used along with professional therapy offering counseling and advice on how to cut back on this habit. As a matter of fact, those trying to quit by using the patches or gum alone ended up smoking again twice as often as those using these same nicotine replacements along with counseling.
And here in Colorado that counseling, and the nicotine patches, are supplied for free. All you need to do is call the Colorado Quitline. It's funded by the state and is set up to help you with what you need to quit, something that's sometimes tough to do on your own. To get a hold of the Quitline simply call 1-800-Quit-Now or go to www.coquit.org.
It looks like the nicotine replacements don't work as well as most of us thought, at least not by themselves.
Hopefully many smokers are trying to break the habit this new year. That's one of the best things you can do for your own health. But according to this new study, if you're just using nicotine patches, gum or lozenges alone, that might not do the trick.
Researchers have found that these nicotine substitutes didn't help someone quit smoking over the long term any more than just going cold turkey. Those types of nicotine replacements were not the "magic" pill needed to kick the habit. But they do seem to work well if used along with professional therapy offering counseling and advice on how to cut back on this habit. As a matter of fact, those trying to quit by using the patches or gum alone ended up smoking again twice as often as those using these same nicotine replacements along with counseling.
And here in Colorado that counseling, and the nicotine patches, are supplied for free. All you need to do is call the Colorado Quitline. It's funded by the state and is set up to help you with what you need to quit, something that's sometimes tough to do on your own. To get a hold of the Quitline simply call 1-800-Quit-Now or go to www.coquit.org.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Eating Out Weight Loss
You want to lose weight, but find yourself eating out a lot. What can you do?
It basically has to do with portion control, but oftentimes that's easier said than done.
If you're trying to lose weight, or even more often simply trying not to gain weight, then eating out can be tough. That's mainly because of the big calorie laden portions restaurants serve.
And what most of us don't realize is that our brains are trained to "clean" off our plates so more than likely whatever is put in front of us goes into our stomachs. So cutting back on what's served to you can also cut down on your weight. In a word, controlling your portions can also help control your weight.
Some tips experts give include splitting a meal with someone else, that way you only get half of what's served. And in most restaurants, that half will be more than enough. Also, instead of ordering an entree plate order off the a la carte side of the menu. In other words did you really want three tacos with rice and beans or just a couple of tacos by themselves? By simply using these tips researchers were able to get a group of middle aged women to lose 3 to 4 pounds over a six week period. They simply did it by watching portion size, picking less fattening foods and putting down their forks before they felt stuffed. Something all of us can do, especially when eating out.
It basically has to do with portion control, but oftentimes that's easier said than done.
If you're trying to lose weight, or even more often simply trying not to gain weight, then eating out can be tough. That's mainly because of the big calorie laden portions restaurants serve.
And what most of us don't realize is that our brains are trained to "clean" off our plates so more than likely whatever is put in front of us goes into our stomachs. So cutting back on what's served to you can also cut down on your weight. In a word, controlling your portions can also help control your weight.
Some tips experts give include splitting a meal with someone else, that way you only get half of what's served. And in most restaurants, that half will be more than enough. Also, instead of ordering an entree plate order off the a la carte side of the menu. In other words did you really want three tacos with rice and beans or just a couple of tacos by themselves? By simply using these tips researchers were able to get a group of middle aged women to lose 3 to 4 pounds over a six week period. They simply did it by watching portion size, picking less fattening foods and putting down their forks before they felt stuffed. Something all of us can do, especially when eating out.
Kids, Junk Food & ADHD
Kids and junk food go hand-in-hand, but could that be one reason behind the rise in ADHD.
It looks like food might affect more than just the weight of a child, especially if they have ADHD.
Over the last few years, there have been a lot of diets that claim to help control Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in kids. These have included diets that restricted certain types of food coloring or eliminated things they might be allergic to like wheat, eggs or nuts. But researchers found that these types of restrictive diets don't actually do much in the way of controlling ADHD symptoms. Instead these researchers found that the best way to help out, diet wise, was to put the child on what is essentially a healthy and balanced eating program. After looking at more than 70 prior studies and grouping the results all together, these researchers found that a simple diet high in whole grains along with fruits and veggies, while staying low in fats did the best at controlling kids ADHD symptoms.
But they also point out that oftentimes diet alone might not do the trick and should be used in combination with behavioral therapy and treatments with medication when needed. But all in all, getting your kids on a healthy diet, in addition to simply keeping them healthier, might also get some behaviors under control.
It looks like food might affect more than just the weight of a child, especially if they have ADHD.
Over the last few years, there have been a lot of diets that claim to help control Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in kids. These have included diets that restricted certain types of food coloring or eliminated things they might be allergic to like wheat, eggs or nuts. But researchers found that these types of restrictive diets don't actually do much in the way of controlling ADHD symptoms. Instead these researchers found that the best way to help out, diet wise, was to put the child on what is essentially a healthy and balanced eating program. After looking at more than 70 prior studies and grouping the results all together, these researchers found that a simple diet high in whole grains along with fruits and veggies, while staying low in fats did the best at controlling kids ADHD symptoms.
But they also point out that oftentimes diet alone might not do the trick and should be used in combination with behavioral therapy and treatments with medication when needed. But all in all, getting your kids on a healthy diet, in addition to simply keeping them healthier, might also get some behaviors under control.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Acts Of Kindness & Mood
Can random acts of kindness improve your own mood? Turns out it can.
You probably heard stories over this past holiday season about people's "good Samaritan" acts. They donated time, donated money, paid off other people's layaway bills. Although this happens often during the holidays, doing something to help someone else anytime during the year may actually help you.
Research is showing that helping someone else out can actually treat depression. And this type of treatment is very effective and usually low cost. According to the researchers involved in a new study, although doing something positive for someone else might only seem like it makes you feel good for a short time after, it can actually have a longer lasting effect. And the more often it's done, the longer that effect hangs around.
Plus, in a pay-it-forward kind of way, it can actually affect other parts of your life as well. Helping others can help your depression, which puts you in a better mood. Your family or co-workers might recognize this better mood and compliment you on something, putting you in an even better mood. This can snowball over time to help increase your own self worth.
So the secret here is to do something for someone else, and it doesn't even have to cost you anything. Thank the cashier at the store, help someone shovel snow, or even let someone take the parking spot you were eyeballing. These simple acts can go a long way towards improving your own mood all year long.
You probably heard stories over this past holiday season about people's "good Samaritan" acts. They donated time, donated money, paid off other people's layaway bills. Although this happens often during the holidays, doing something to help someone else anytime during the year may actually help you.
Research is showing that helping someone else out can actually treat depression. And this type of treatment is very effective and usually low cost. According to the researchers involved in a new study, although doing something positive for someone else might only seem like it makes you feel good for a short time after, it can actually have a longer lasting effect. And the more often it's done, the longer that effect hangs around.
Plus, in a pay-it-forward kind of way, it can actually affect other parts of your life as well. Helping others can help your depression, which puts you in a better mood. Your family or co-workers might recognize this better mood and compliment you on something, putting you in an even better mood. This can snowball over time to help increase your own self worth.
So the secret here is to do something for someone else, and it doesn't even have to cost you anything. Thank the cashier at the store, help someone shovel snow, or even let someone take the parking spot you were eyeballing. These simple acts can go a long way towards improving your own mood all year long.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Exercise For Kids Makes Them Smarter
Exercise can help keep your kids fit. But now it looks like it might also help keep them smart.
Turns out this is another example of the overall health benefits of exercise, especially as children and their brains are developing.
A group of Dutch scientists combed through earlier research on children to see how exercise actually affected them. They looked at over 12,000 children from the United States, Canada and South Africa. These researchers found a huge connection between exercise and academic performance. As a matter of fact, they found the more physical activity children had the higher test scores they also had, especially in the basic subjects Math, English and Reading.
According to the authors of this study, part of the reason this might be happening is because exercise increases the blood and oxygen flow to the brain. This can help increase the hormones that reduce stress and at the same time bring on new nerve cells in the brain which help with academics.
So in addition to hitting the books, getting regular exercise this year might translate to a better report card.
Turns out this is another example of the overall health benefits of exercise, especially as children and their brains are developing.
A group of Dutch scientists combed through earlier research on children to see how exercise actually affected them. They looked at over 12,000 children from the United States, Canada and South Africa. These researchers found a huge connection between exercise and academic performance. As a matter of fact, they found the more physical activity children had the higher test scores they also had, especially in the basic subjects Math, English and Reading.
According to the authors of this study, part of the reason this might be happening is because exercise increases the blood and oxygen flow to the brain. This can help increase the hormones that reduce stress and at the same time bring on new nerve cells in the brain which help with academics.
So in addition to hitting the books, getting regular exercise this year might translate to a better report card.
Healthy Resolutions
Now that the New Year has come and gone, it’s time to think about those resolutions you made.
You probably didn’t keep all of last year's, but now its time for new ones, especially ones dealing with your health.
First off, make a resolution to schedule a check up with your doctor, get all the necessary screening tests that are appropriate for your age, and the vaccinations that can keep you healthy. Remember, don’t just go to the doctor when you’re sick. Treat your body like your car and schedule a check up now.
Next, make a resolution to find out what foods can keep you healthy and make sure you have those around the house. Get rid of the ones that aren’t good for you. That bag of chips in the pantry can be too tempting to ignore.
And always remember to give yourself the gift of time - everyday. Just 15 minutes a day to relax and you’ll find yourself more refreshed all year long.
But also remember to stay as fit as possible. Set aside 30 minutes at least 3-4 times a week for some type of exercise. It doesn't matter as much what you do, just that you do something consistently.
But the hardest part will come around late February or March as our resolutions start to gather dust. Here’s when you’ll need to recommit to staying physically active and healthy. That’s something a good strong New Year’s resolution plan will help with.
You probably didn’t keep all of last year's, but now its time for new ones, especially ones dealing with your health.
First off, make a resolution to schedule a check up with your doctor, get all the necessary screening tests that are appropriate for your age, and the vaccinations that can keep you healthy. Remember, don’t just go to the doctor when you’re sick. Treat your body like your car and schedule a check up now.
Next, make a resolution to find out what foods can keep you healthy and make sure you have those around the house. Get rid of the ones that aren’t good for you. That bag of chips in the pantry can be too tempting to ignore.
And always remember to give yourself the gift of time - everyday. Just 15 minutes a day to relax and you’ll find yourself more refreshed all year long.
But also remember to stay as fit as possible. Set aside 30 minutes at least 3-4 times a week for some type of exercise. It doesn't matter as much what you do, just that you do something consistently.
But the hardest part will come around late February or March as our resolutions start to gather dust. Here’s when you’ll need to recommit to staying physically active and healthy. That’s something a good strong New Year’s resolution plan will help with.
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