By Emily Murray

In a society where greeting others is done largely with a hand shake, the findings of recent study may leave some hesitant to   extend their hand.

Michigan researchers observed 3,749 people discretely as they washed their hands in public restrooms. After viewing this, they concluded that a mere 5% of people actually wash their hands with enough soap to kill germs and long enough for the soap to work. What’s more is that 33% of the hand washers didn’t use soap and 10% didn’t wash at all.

So how long is the long enough to kill germs? Longer than you probably think!

The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) advises scrubbing the entire upper and lower surfaces of the hand with soap for a full 20 seconds before washing it off.

So what’s the average time spent washing?

Nearly 95% wash their hands for 6 seconds.

In the battle of the sexes, women have men beat in the hand washing department. When women were observed, 78% washed their hands in comparison to only 50% of men. Additionally of those men who did wash only 50% used soap.

When we think of the many illnesses that are out there, neglecting one of the main ways we can keep ourselves healthy is a big deal.

By Emily Murray

Bad news for meat lovers! According the largest study of its kind, your veggie-loving peers may outlive you!

There have been countless studies which have pointed out the potential health drawbacks of eating meat (especially red meat) but according to the recent Loma Linda University research, there are other negative health consequences we may have never considered.

The study consisted of 70,000 subjects and after comparing data over six years, it was discovered that vegetarians generally have a 12% lower risk of death than their meat-eating peers.

The results were slightly different for women and men however. While women saw only a slight difference in their longevity or risk of certain heart related illnesses, there was a larger gap in heart health between meat eating and vegetarian men. Men who cut meat from their diet are less likely to die from heart disease or other conditions affecting the heart.

Like most nutrition or health habit based studies, there are certain questions that come to mind. If a person is cutting meat out of their diet to improve their health, it stands to reason that they may also be partaking in other health conscious  activities that have an impact on their longevity as well. This then begs the question, is it the lack of meat or the addition of healthy practices that contribute to a longer life?

Whether you agree with the statistics or not, it’s been proven that being a vegetarian is correlated with being married, completing a higher level of education and also reduced weight. These are all factors that may be part of the reason for the increased health and longevity of non-meat eaters.

So can we say that this a solid conclusion to be made between abstaining from meat and living longer? Perhaps not, but the message may be that those who are health conscious tend to live longer – a good reminder for all of us.

By Emily Murray

While nutrition may be furthest thing from many people’s minds while relaxing with a glass of wine in the evening, soon labels will be a reminder that alcohol too has nutrition facts we should be aware of.

Of course, most of us are familiar with the terms “beer belly” or “beer gut” but if you ask most people the amount of carbohydrates or calories in their favorite drink, chances are you will get a shoulder shrug in response. Drinking alcohol is often one sneaky way of adding unnecessary calories to your diet,  so wouldn’t you like to know exactly how much you are adding?

On May 28th, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) announced that alcohol producing companies may now print nutrition labels on their bottles. The labeling will be voluntary (for now, later it may be mandatory) which is pleasing not only health conscious consumers but also the companies who are incorporating healthier ways to serve their alcohol for marketing purposes. You have probably already seen this as many beer companies have developed low carb and low calorie brews over the last few years.

While this sounds like a win-win situation (and for the most part, it is), alcohol is normally consumed more freely outside of the home, at bars and restaurants where the labeled bottles will not be visible. Other factors that may undermine the potential benefits include bartenders over-pouring or under-pouring which may vary from the suggested serving size mentioned in the nutrition info therefore skewing the numbers.

While nutrition labels are not likely to turn most people off from their favorite beverage, many underestimate just how many calories they are consuming on the average night out. Bringing awareness to this will be very beneficial for many and offers the opportunity to make a well informed choice when deciding what to drink.

Until these new labels begin to appear, you can use a site like this to check the nutrition of your favorite drinks.

What do you think? Would you like to see the nutrition information for your favorite cocktail or bottle of wine?

From time to time, we all tend to get that dreaded virus, illness or other issues that cause us to take antibiotics. I know for myself, I do not look forward to these times. Plain and simple, antibiotics kill bacteria, which in turns helps ease viruses and infections. From the beginning of time, there have been many ways that mankind has used any type of “Antibiotics.” In ancient Egypt, many infections were treated with moldy bread, and through the ages folks have used moldy food and soil to treat many types of issues. It was not until the “wonder drug” Penicillin was created that started the antibiotic drug movement.

Though antibiotics have been proven to help rid of the infections and nasty bacteria that builds up, it also has been known to kill good bacteria, giving us a few unpleasant side effects.  It also causes bacterial resistance and many harmful side effects. Though some antibiotics can bring serious effects, many antibiotics are relatively harmless, with at times bring some side effects such as nausea, upset stomach, diarrhea and sensitivity to sunlight.  Be sure that when taking an antibiotic to understand what side effects it potentially may have.

Many researchers today have been showing that if taking antibiotic drugs, it is helpful to take probiotics to help build healthy bacteria in your system.  In a recent study shared at BBC News, researchers found that probiotics helped reduce the percentage of folks who developed C. Difficile-associated diarrhea compared to the 6% of patients that took placebos.  Professor Brendan Wren of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine stated, “The Probiotic approach is a good idea. It could provide a preemptive strike to make sure the balance in your gut is fine.”

There are many different ways to get probiotics today. Of course naturally there is great probiotic foods you can take, such as yogurt, Kefir, Miso soup and Kombucha tea that help get probiotics naturally into your system. In the way of supplementation,  you can find probiotics in many pill, powder and liquid form that costs an average of $15-$40 per month. Probiotics are not only a great idea to combat the conditions associated with antibiotics, it also is a great way to keep your system running great and helping you feel great.

So if you need to take that dreaded antibiotic for that nasty bug or infection, be sure to try some probiotics as well and see for yourself  if it helps you not get that BLAH feeling! Let us know how it works for you!
By Chris Haro

By Emily Murray

When we say “I am so stressed out!”,  it’s rare that we mean it in a good way. According to a new study however, it’s suggested that some difficult or challenging things may promote healthy habits are often as they support not so good ones.

Think about the last time you were stressed. Maybe it was a hectic day at work, trouble with the kids or wife/husband. In times of stress like these, we often reach out for something to comfort us. For some this may be downing a pint of rocky road but for others, it may mean taking a 5 mile run.

“Our novel finding is that people fall back into good habits in just the same way,” said study co-author Wendy Wood in the published piece in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

The reason for this she explains as follows -

“People can’t make decisions easily when stressed, are low in willpower or feeling overwhelmed,” says Wood. “These pressures limit our capacity to make decisions.”

“When you are too tired to make a decision, you tend to just repeat what you usually do,” Wood says.

The data to support this study was collected from stressed UCLA students throughout the course of 10 weeks. Their eating and news-reading habits were initially reported and later followed up on. Students recorded healthy food and unhealthy foods they ate and also whether they read news columns frequently as part of their routine. They also specified what they were readying – if it was more entertainment or news based. The normal accounts of their days were compared to their habits during exam week.

During this time of high stress, the majority of those who made healthy decisions in eating or read a lot stayed true to those patterns. Those with less healthy schedules also remained in sync with those habits.

The study authors offered advice for why we may think there are simply bad habits that come from stress.

“We don’t notice so much when we fall back into good habits — these are the ones that are working for us to meet our goals, and so they aren’t problematic. It’s the bad habits we focus on, and thus people are more aware of falling back into bad habits when their willpower is low.”

By Emily Murray

It comes as no surprise that fast food is by no means “healthy,” however, the shocking part of a recent study was just how many people underestimate the calories present in their fast food favorites.

Think quickly, do you know how many calories are in a Big Mac, a Dunkin Donut or a bucket of KFC?

Chances are, you probably guessed lower than the actual calorie content listed below:

Big Mac – 550 Calories

Donut – 270 to 490 Calories

KFC  Popcorn Chicken Bucket (Individual) – 380 Calories

Surprised? You’re not alone.

This recent study was published in BMJ and revealed that teens were the largest demographic to underestimate their calorie intake. With obesity on the rise, this is concerning for many reasons. Parents of school-age children underestimated calories nearly 23 percent while other adults came in at about 20% under what the actual calorie amounts were.

The study questioned a total of 1,877 adults, 1,178 children and adults between 11 and 20 years of age. The location of the study was four cities in the New England area in 89 fast food restaurants.

While the average adult was consuming a 836 calorie meal, when asked to guess the calorie content however, their average guess was 175 calories less. The discrepancy in the teen guesses vs. actual calories was even greater. On average they ordered a meal containing 756 calories and underestimated by 256 calories.  Younger children typically had a 733 calorie meal and were guessing  amounts that were lower by 175 calories.

Results also varied by chain restaurant. For example, those at Subway underestimated their calories more than those at chains associated with unhealthy dining like McDonalds and Burger King.

While it’s common practice now for fast food restaurants to post the nutritional information of their meals, not everyone takes the time to look, or perhaps follow the theory that ignorance is bliss. Whatever the case perhaps this study will draw more attention the need to be vigilant with our health and nutrition collectively as a nation.

By Emily Murray

As more of the country becomes “obese” (by medical standards) fear for our collective health has left many of us looking at our own eating habits. Perhaps one of the most commonly misunderstood nutrients is fat. While it may have a bad connotation in our minds, dietary fat is essential for our body to function.

The Mediterranean diet includes many of these good fats and a recent study published in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry has showcased just how great this diet can be for you not only physically but mentally too.

For some time now we have associated the Mediterranean diet with health benefits including reduced risk of stroke, heart attacks or even asthma in children. The new study however hones in the brain powering capabilities of a diet high in good fats.

Not only is dietary fat important for day-to-day functioning, but it also can help preserve brain function in later years. This was the theory that was researched by the University of Navarra in Spain. Participants were a combination of males and females and ranged from 55 to 80, with no incidence of heart disease but were at an elevated risk of high blood pressure, stroke or becoming overweight.

Three groups were created:

#1. Mediterranean Diet w/extra-virgin olive oil

#2. Mediterranean Diet supplemented with mixed nuts

#3. Low-fat diet

After nearly six and a half years, study participants underwent cognitive testing and 60 out of the entire group had developed slight cognitive impairments while 35 developed dementia. Of the 60 with mild cognitive impairment, 12 were from group 1 (Mediterranean Diet w/extra-virgin olive oil), 6 from group 2 ( Mediterranean Diet supplemented with mixed nuts) and 17 from group 3 (the low-fat diet).

Aside from these results, it appears that those with a higher fat diet scored better in the cognitive testing than the low-fat groups.

Kind of makes “fat” a bit less of a dirty word now doesn’t it?

By Emily Murray

No matter how we feel about it, your metabolism will continue changing throughout your lifetime.

Perhaps there is no greater way to see this than by reaching adulthood, What you could eat as a teen catches up with you in your 20s and 30s. When you become “middle age,” the effects of carrying around this extra weight can be seen in the health of your heart. It appears that working out however can greatly increase the chances of keeping your heart healthy. While this is something we have always known, the extent of it’s benefits are still being learned.

Over the course of 8 years, those who increased their fitness level or remained fit had a much lower risk of being admitted to the hospital with heart related issues, according to research conducted at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas.

To put this in to perspective, for every metabolic equivalent (MET) that is increased in the middle aged, there was a 17% lowered risk of future heart failure.

While we have known for some time now that of course exercise helps our overall health, this research is important because it studies how fitness improvement over a measurable time directly impacts the heart. All participants underwent two types of cardio measuring activities 8 years apart to measure heart health.

What does this mean for you?

Well if you are approaching or currently in the middle age years, it’s more important than ever to maintain or build your fitness level. Health comes down to not only exercising, but also proper nutrition.

If you aren’t sure where to start, here are some exercise ideas and programs that can get you started on the right foot.

Tummy Toning for Women

Weight Reduction 

By Emily Murray

The use of opioid medication is common for those in need of pain management. In general, the treatment is deemed as both effective and safe when not abused.  A new study however has revealed that these type of narcotic medications may make men more likely to experience difficulties in the bedroom. Should this be a factor when deciding on medication? These researchers think men should be aware before they make a choice for treatment.

Erectile dysfunction is a condition that an estimated 75% of all men will experience at one point or another throughout their lifetime. The causes vary and there is not a “cure” but rather several ways to treat it. So how can pain medication have any impact on this?

The new study from the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research took a closer look at the information of men taking medication for ED or low testosterone and found they were also the men who were more likely to be taking pain meds for chronic back issues. As this is a new link being drawn between long-term opioid use and ED, the study leader has explained that this is one side effect most men are not aware of – but perhaps they should be. For the study, long-term use is defined as more than 120 days or more than 90 days if there were more than 10 prescriptions written. High doses were defined as the equivalent of 80 milligrams of OxyContin daily or 120 milligrams of morphine.

The information of more than 11,000 men with back pain was gathered by researchers. Of the entire group, slightly over 900 took medication for the ED or testosterone replacement therapy. While there are many other reasons that men may suffer from these two conditions, after factoring for these, it was concluded that men taking painkillers are roughly 50% more likely to suffer from these problems.

Proponents of the study have questioned whether the back pain itself and not the medication use could be causing the problem.

Scientific evidence however suggests the problem may be directly linked to opioid use however, since it is known to lower testosterone levels when used in high doses over time.

While there is additional research that will likely answer the remaining questions raised by the study, researchers are hoping that by bringing this issue to light men will be better equipped to decide whether or not a long-term pain killer regimen is right for them.

By Emily Murray

Arguably, technology is more important in the medical field than anywhere else, so why then are so many hospitals relying on outdated systems? This is what researchers behind the latest revealing survey would like to know. When old technology is relied on, the hospital loses money and the patient loses time.

How much money is lost exactly? According to the study U.S. hospitals are losing nearly $8.3 billion in productivity and increased patient discharge times due to outdated technology.

While the technology is available, it comes down to one main issue concerning the doctor-patient and even doctor-to-medical staff relationship:  security. Because some of the easiest ways of contacting a person are now largely social media based or through iPhone messaging, there are security and privacy issue surrounding contacting patients through these channels. Likewise, even withing the hospital there are security issues preventing this fast communicating from happening when patient information is needed from nurse to doctor or vice versa.

It was estimated that the average clinician wastes 46 minutes each day waiting for patient information. The reason for the lapse may vary. For doctors, outdated pagers may have spotty service or are unreliable. On the other end, maybe the patient doesn’t have email access or can’t use a personal phone at work, but the outcome is the same – massive capital lost. In just one year the average hospital loses $900,000 in productivity.

We have all been through the process of waiting to be discharged from the hospital and it’s essentially a similar experience across the board. You get the news you can go home and then you wait…and wait. This new study revealed that this is largely due to the lapse in time it takes for staff to communicate and get the necessary patient information for discharge, making the average wait 102 minutes while roughly 37 of these minutes are spent waiting for information with outdated systems.

A USA Today synopsis of the study reveled how one South Carolina hospital is trying to turn this around. The Beaufort Memorial Hospital began using a secure-texting system instead of pagers to rely information between nurses and doctors/ These iPhones are equipped with an app from the Apple Store that actually is capable of encrypting messages and storing them. The same hospital has also updated sign in methods and reduced the amount of log in information that needs to be memorized in order to speed things up while still keeping the system secure.