April 22-30, 2012 - Original Health Articles

A cardio-friendly diet is low in sugar and saturated fat, and high in protein, fiber, and complex carbohydrates. But that doesn't mean your grocery list should be reduced to flaxseed and tofu. Instead, fill your shopping cart with foods you love and some you may not have even have thought of.

Is it dysmenorrhea or just plain cramps? Dysmenorrhea is the medical name for painful menstrual periods. Most women consider a little discomfort and a few cramps as par for the course, but if your period causes you to miss work, school, or other activities, you might be experiencing dysmenorrhea.

Occasionally swapping out sugar for protein may help lower high blood pressure, according to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that was reported by Reuters. But it's unclear whether the study participants' decrease in blood pressure came about because of reduced carbohydrate intake or added protein intake.

Vaccines have virtually eliminated many deadly or debilitating diseases, and scientists are trying to replicate this success by developing effective cancer vaccines. Cancer begins when something alters the process of DNA sequencing within genes, which blocks the instructions that tell a cell to produce a normal version of itself.

As much as society might push for equality between men and women, sometimes we can't all be treated the same. In fact, when it comes to cardiovascular health, treating women differently is a positive move that could save lives. While heart disease is the leading cause of death among both sexes, research shows that lifestyle factors, other medical problems, and basic biological differences mean that men and women have different risk factors.

Our ears are designed to be self-cleaning devices, but sometimes they need a little help. It's important to clean them the right way, though, and digging around with a cotton stick is not the way to do it. So when it comes to giving your ears a proper cleaning, what's healthy and what's not? Earwax is called cerumen and is composed of oils, secretions produced by hair follicles, and tissues that line the ear canal.

As you learn all you can about treatments for your type of cancer, making sense of the results of cancer studies can be daunting. But understanding a few basic terms can help. Statistical Significance When researchers conduct studies on potential treatments, they must determine if the results they observe are in fact due to the treatment, or are simply the result of chance.

For obese individuals whose type 2 diabetes is poorly controlled, weight-loss surgery may be a lifesaving option. In fact, an operation may be more effective than traditional treatments like drugs, diet, and exercise according to two recent studies reported in The New York Times.

Living with an Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease, can make meal planning complicated, but it doesn't have to be. There are safe choices to guide your healthy eating decisions. Though there's a lot of debate...

That ache in your calf, that tingling in your toes, and, oh, your sore and swollen feet! Leg pain can be more than just an end-of-day annoyance. Aches and pains in your lower extremities are usually caused by poor circulation. You can regain some of your strength and even improve the overall look of your legs and feet by using these simple techniques to stimulate blood flow.

You walk into your favorite café with the full intent of sticking to a cup of black coffee. But then you're met with an abundant display of syrupy, creamy drinks whipped to perfection as well as sweet and savory baked goods so fresh they appear to be calling your name-and all your willpower goes out the window.

Is it possible to be overweight and feel healthy? Of course. It's even possible to fall into the clinical category "obese" and not suffer from one of the most common health problems associated with excessive weight: high blood pressure. In fact, with an optimal blood pressure reading, you may believe that you are healthier than others despite your weight.

Ever wondered why nutrition experts advise eating unsaturated fats rather than saturated ones? A recent American Diabetes Association-funded study explains how the body actually reacts differently to different kinds of fat. The body's fat cells, researchers found, can sense and discriminate between the kinds of fatty acids, and saturated fatty acids can trigger a response that interferes with insulin function.

In late 2009, the United States Preventive Task Force (USPTF) issued new recommendations for mammogram screening. The prevailing guidelines were for women to start screening mammograms at age 40 and then have annual mammograms. The USPTF instead recommended women with no known risk factors start screening at age 50 and have follow-up mammograms every two years.

Aromatherapy is a popular and effective way to elevate your mood and promote healing. You can create your own scents by planting a fragrance garden. If you fill the garden with edible herbs and flowers, you'll be able to boost your health in a fun and unique way.

Over the past few years, oncologists have experienced shortages in several older, but curative, chemotherapy drugs, including Doxil and methotrexate. Doxil primarily treats certain severe cases of ovarian cancer and multiple myeloma. Methotrexate treats many forms of cancer, including acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the most common form of childhood leukemia.

Whether your passion is cookies or your weakness is for anything sweet and greasy (think doughnuts), chances are you find yourself eating more sugar than you should. Intense cravings for sweets can be hard to overcome, but even die-hard sugar addicts can find satisfying and healthy alternatives with just a few tweaks.

Grief is the experience of loss and affects all aspects of our lives, and at some point, everyone suffers from it. Not only is grieving painful, it can take a toll on our mental and physical health. According to an excerpt from the book Coping With Grief and Loss: A Guide to Healing, grief goes hand in hand with a wide range of physical and mental problems, including memory impairment, difficulties concentrating, nutritional deficiencies, and poor work performance.

Want to spice up your romance? Look inside yourself for a minute. If you can honestly say that you possess both empathy and self-esteem, you have the foundation for a wonderful love life. If, however, you find yourself not only with poor self-esteem but also irritable and unforgiving with your partner, chances are the two of you don't have the warmest, sexiest relationship ever.

To navigate through the multitude of allergy-safe choices, look for those that carry special allergy certifications or seals that indicate they've been approved by reputable organizations. This is important because some fly-by-night companies can also "certify" products without actually meeting any allergy-safe requirements.