June 8-14, 2013 - Original Health Articles

Estate-Planning Pointers for Caregivers

When you're caring for an aging parent or elderly relative, it's important to make sure that he has all of the correct legal documents in place to protect his best interests. This means that in the event he can't speak for himself, his preferences can still be followed when it comes to making medical and financial decisions.

8 Ways to Access Low-Cost Counseling Services

If you are under a lot of stress, feeling anxious or going through a tough time, talking to a therapist may help you deal more effectively. While many behavioral health professionals accept insurance today you are still responsible for co-pays, co-insurance, and deductibles—expenses that can add up quickly and add financial stress to your life.

What You Need to Know About Melamine

Plastic. It's cheap. It's durable. It's colorful, and if you have kids you've probably got at least one collection of brightly-colored, serving plates in your kitchen. So convenient—just plop their favorite lunch on one of those cute, flowered-shape yellow dishes and zap it in the microwave.

Hearing Problems in Toddlers: Diagnosis and Treatment

In 1999, Congress passed legislation requiring newborns to be screened for hearing loss. In the years since, early intervention aids and therapies have enabled numerous hearing-impaired children to develop normal language skills at the same age as their peers with hearing that isn't compromised.

Strength Training: How Long Until You See Results?

We know about the health benefits of strength training—better metabolism, energy, bone health and posture—but the real reason many of us lift weights is because it makes us look better. How long does it take to get "cut arms" and "ripped abs?" That depends on how you train, what you eat and how careful you are about form and technique.

5 Best Anti-Aging Supplements

You can't stop yourself from getting older. But a good supplement can help slow the toll that Mother Nature takes on your skin and your body. Why You Need Anti-Aging Vitamins "As people age, the metabolism changes and they get rusty, crusty, fat, and inflamed, and some hormones decline while others rise.

Creative Cocktails With a Nutritious Twist

Skip the traditional alcoholic drinks that are full of empty calories and mystery mixers. Instead, order (or pour) a drink that can help fill the nutritional gaps in your diet—and enjoy a healthier happy hour. Fruity Flavors Scan the drink menus at trendy bars and restaurants, and you'll find spiked fresh juices and creamy, alcohol-laced smoothies that have moved beyond classic strawberry margaritas and piña coladas.

The Ups and Downs of Multitasking While Exercising

If you're working hard at finding opportunities to fit in non-exercise related activities and get in a workout too, multitasking while you exercise might be the answer. Many people like to be distracted from the actual exercise—they use TV or music to keep their mind off the difficult task—and some claim it makes them workout longer.

5 Types of Friends You Need (and a Few You Don't)

"Women have friendships outside of their romantic relationships and families in order to maintain independence," says relationship advice expert April Masini, who runs a free advice website at www.AskApril.com. "Their friends give them an escape, a perspective, and an outlet for everything that happens within their family relationships.

Doctor Bias Toward Overweight Patients May Interfere With Care

Researchers from Johns Hopkins recently explored a weighty issue: How being overweight might impact the way doctors treat their patients. "There have been several studies that have demonstrated that healthcare providers have negative attitudes towards obese patients," explains Kimberly Gudzune, MD, MPH, assistant professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

8 Tips to Overcome Your Fear of the Dentist

Fear of pain and negative ideas about the practice of dentistry is a relatively common problem for both children and adults. Anxiety can stem from previous bad experiences, fear of the unknown, feeling loss of control or a sensory response to the unmistakable  sounds and smells in a dental office.

7 Tips for Age-Appropriate Style

We all know mothers who wear their teenage daughter's clothes, or shop in the juniors department, selecting styles and cuts that are too young for their age and their figure. This is a big fashion "don't," says Wendy Lyn Phillips, personal branding and image expert with 25 years of experience in the beauty and fashion industries, and author of Naked to KnockoutTM Beauty from the Inside Out.

Newly Diagnosed With Parkinson's Disease

You've just been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Now what? The single most important thing you should do is learn everything you can about this disease, including the symptoms and various treatment options. Parkinson's Disease Parkinson's disease is a chronic, degenerative, neurological disorder of the central nervous system.

Parkinson's Clinical Trials: How to Find and Join

Clinical trials are an important part of learning how to prevent, diagnosis, treat, and manage diseases such as Parkinson's disease. A clinical trial is a biomedical or health-related study with humans. They are the next step after scientists complete successful studies in the laboratory.

New Parkinson's Treatments

Scientists continue to research Parkinson's disease in the hope that some of their research findings will have clinical application in the form of new treatment options. New Treatments on the Horizon In a paper published in the International Journal of Neuroscience, Robert A.

Why Genes Matter for Parkinson's Disease

Genetics, and the role of genes in disease development, has become a major focus for many Parkinson's disease researchers. Although only about 15 percent of Parkinson's patients have a family history, most cases of the disease involve interactions between genetic and environmental factors.

Organic Cosmetics: Will Your Skin Know the Difference?

To most of us, the word "organic" on a label means the product is better for you. And every year the availability and quality of organic beauty products grows, offering a variety of options in every price range. So should you switch to organic cosmetics? Will they be better for your skin? Read on to see what "organic" really means when it comes to makeup.

9 Activities for Indoor Family Fun

Your home is your haven, and it can also be a great source of easy and inexpensive entertainment. Angie Cunningham, a life coach who bills herself as an "Intentional Living Enthusiast," suggests the next time you find yourself looking for something to do, you might want to consider some of these budget-friendly indoor activities, many of which can be tailored to include your whole family: 1.

The Anti-Angiogenesis Diet: Can It Prevent Cancer?

It may surprise you to know that most of us have numerous microscopic and (mostly) harmless cancers lurking in our bodies. Part of the reason these tiny tumors never pose a health threat has to do with a process called angiogenesis: the formation of new blood vessels.

Exercise Realization: Less Is More

Hey there, you on the treadmill! If you're putting in hour-long sessions in hopes of seeing decreasing numbers on your scale, it may be okay to step off and cut yourself a break. Short workouts may be as effective at longer ones for weight loss, according to a study published online in the American Journal of Physiology.

8 Ways to Downsize Your Life

Less is more. Take a few tips from Los Angeles psychotherapist Allison Cohen, M.A., MFT, who says these steps will not only help you streamline your life but also address the importance of cognizance, or mindfulness, in our daily lives. "Too often we are busy looking ahead or checking behind us because we are consumed with 'having it all' and 'getting it all done,' says Cohen.

10 Household Cleaning Uses for Vinegar

Don't underestimate the power of vinegar, experts say. "Vinegar has a variety of helpful attributes, and of course it's a naturally occurring product," says Mary Findley, owner of Mary Moppins Cleaning Supplies and author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Green Cleaning.

Keep Age-Related Weight Gain in Check

While exercise is important to overall health, conditions such as arthritis and chronic back pain can make even normal, day-to-day activity quite difficult. But all is not lost (or, rather, gained) when it comes to keeping your weight in check. Here are five things you can do.

10 Easy Ways to Increase Your Vitality

Call it vim, vigor, or life force, vitality is the energy that drives your health, happiness and ability to be productive as you get older. Your personal choices, such as how you decorate your home, who you invite for dinner, the hobbies you engage in, and what you eat from day to day, all affect how you feel mentally, physically and spiritually.

4 Questions Every Woman Should Ask Her Doctor

According to Michael L. Blumenfeld, MD, director of clinical services, Center for Women's Health at Ohio State University's Wexner Medical Center it's important for women to be proactive when it comes to their own well-being. "This means getting annual exams, which are still important," says Blumenfeld who admits to being concerned women will see doctors less in response to new national guidelines advocating less frequent mammograms and Pap smears.

Spa Secrets: Get Glowing Skin at Home

Next time you're tempted to drop $100 or more on a professional facial, save your cash and opt for a DIY version. Home treatments allow you to forego chemicals in favor of all-natural (and inexpensive) ingredients, many of which you probably already have in your kitchen.

Why Some People Get Acne and Others Don't

While it may be unfair, some people are predisposed to have acne breakouts, while others are blessed with clear, unblemished skin. Now researchers from UCLA, Washington University in St. Louis, and the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute, have discovered that which group you fall in (zits or not) seems to be associated with the type of bacteria that's predominant on your skin.

Hair-Dye Dilemma: Natural or Chemicals?

Sure, you want to cover those grays, but you also want the most gentle, natural approach to hair color. Which color is best for you?  "The only truly 'natural' hair color is henna," says Stephanie Scuoppo, stylist at the Miano Viel Salon & Spa in New York City.

Probiotics: The Key to Clear Skin?

About 80 percent of us experience at least a few bouts of acne, whether in our teens and even as adults. We use special soaps, cleansers, solutions, medications, diets and other treatments to keep our skin clear. But alas, the blemishes come back (or don't go away at all).

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