DAILY HEALTH UPDATE | Friday | November 13, 2015
Courtesy of: Dr. Darren Taylor
Mental Attitude: Being Mindful May Help Guard Against Obesity. Individuals with higher levels of dispositional mindfulness (an awareness and attention to current feelings and thoughts) are significantly less likely to be obese than those with lower levels of this type of self-awareness. Previous studies have shown that mindfulness can help people overcome cravings for unhealthy foods, and it may help people overcome their reluctance to exercise. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, October 2015
Health Alert: Teens Are Heavily Influenced By Alcohol Ads. According to a new study, advertising strongly influences which brands of alcohol teens drink. Researchers found that 13-20 year olds are over five times more likely to drink alcohol brands advertised on television and 36% more likely to drink brands advertised in magazines, compared with other brands that do not advertise. The authors of the study write, "These findings indicate that youth are, in fact, consuming the same alcohol brands that they are most heavily exposed to via advertising." They add that alcohol advertising is primarily self-regulated by the industry and that the finding could possibly lead to state and federal policy changes in advertising to help reduce underage drinking. American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, October 2015
Diet: Caramel Apples Can Harbor Dangerous Bacteria. If you crave a caramel apple treat this fall, make sure they are freshly made or refrigerated. Last fall, an outbreak of Listeriosis occurred in twelve states, resulting in seven deaths. Many of the infected had eaten commercially produced, prepackaged caramel apples. Investigators found the caramel apples punctured with dipping sticks and left unrefrigerated over a couple of weeks can harbor the bacterium called Listeria monocytogenes. mBio, October 2015
Exercise: It's Never Too Late to Start Exercising! Among a small sample of seniors, those who participated in an eight-week resistance training program experienced improvements in strength, endurance, balance, and coordination when compared with a control group who did not train with weights. Post-study interviews indicate the seniors in the resistance training group had noticeably better physical function and greater confidence than those in the control group. Journal of Gerontology and Geriatrics, October 2015
Chiropractic: Common Lifting Technique Reduces Load on Back. When picking up an object, it's fairly common for individuals to place a hand on their thigh to support their upper body. A recent study set out to determine if this strategy actually reduces the load on the back. Ten healthy participants were asked to lift both a pencil and a crate from the floor using four different lifting techniques. The researchers measured hand forces, ground reaction forces, full-body kinematics, and trunk muscle activity and found substantial reductions in low back loading when using a hand on the thigh for support. The Journal of Biomechanics, October 2015
Wellness/Prevention: Future Blood Test May Detect Alzheimer's Disease. By testing for antibodies that precede Alzheimer's disease (AD) symptoms by several years, doctors may soon be able to determine which patients may develop AD. This could afford individual's the opportunity to make healthy lifestyle changes aimed at slowing the disease's progression, or someday possibly preventing it. American Osteopathic Association, October 2015
Quote: “Life is not always a matter of holding good cards, but sometimes, playing a poor hand well.” - Jack London