Four things that may help you maintain digestive balance
March 27th, 20140 Around this time each year, New Year’s resolutions get lost amidst busy schedules and unexpected obligations. Even if your resolutions are a thing of the past, it’s possible to get back on track by identifying easy to follow changes that don’t require huge alterations in lifestyle. Sherri Shepherd knows a thing or two...Take steps to prevent type 2 diabetes
LANSING — In support of Diabetes Alert Day on March 25, the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) is encouraging Michigan residents to take and share the Diabetes Risk Test for the health of themselves and their loved ones. In Michigan, an estimated one out of every 10 Michigan adults have been diagnosed with diabetes (about...Regularly sleeping too long may indicate a health problem
We get it: Sleep is good for us. The National Sleep Foundation regularly campaigns “to celebrate the health benefits of sleep,” and experts have been boosting sleep’s values as no less important than proper diet and exercise.Insufficient sleep has been linked to stroke, obesity and heart disease. But sleeping too much may also be...Hand sanitizers… 8 reasons you should think before using them
Hand sanitizer is a boon for many. All you have to do is take out this little bottle of this viscous liquid, squeeze a bit on your hand, rub them together and you are good to go.Hand sanitizers, as the manufacturers say, kill 99.9% bacteria. And it is true, they do. But, the reason it was invented was to use them when one has little or...Flu is hospitalizing and killing more young adults this season
Influenza is killing more young and middle-aged adults this year than usual, in part because they’re less likely to be vaccinated, federal health officials said this month.More than 60 percent of those killed or put into the hospital by flu so far this season have been aged 18 to 64, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says....Selfless love turns off brain’s reward area, researchers say
While general feelings of love activate the same reward areas of the brain as cocaine, selfless love shuts that area down, CBS News reported."When we truly, selflessly wish for the well-being of others, we're not getting that same rush of excitement that comes with, say, a tweet from our romantic love interest, because it's not about...Loneliness, social isolation increase death risk in seniors
CHICAGO — Feeling extreme loneliness and socially isolated can increase an older person's chances of premature death by 14 percent, U.S. researchers say.John Cacioppo, a professor of psychology at the University of Chicago, and colleagues said the impact of loneliness on premature death was nearly as strong as the impact of...Study: Effects of bullying accumulate over the years
BOSTON — The negative physical and mental effects tied to bullying among children and teens may accumulate throughout the years, according to a new study.Researchers found that teens who had been bullied in the past and those currently being bullied tended to have a lower quality of life, compared to those who were bullied less or not...
High protien breakfast: A good way to start your day
February 14th, 20140 A high protein breakfast can give you the perfect start to your day. Protein can be a great way to fuel up after a long night's rest. Here are some reasons why you should enjoy a breakfast that is high in protein and some recipe ideas to get you started.Why Eat Protein?Protein is a building block of cells throughout the body. It is...Seven healthy alternatives to drinking pop
Americans continue to guzzle extra calories through sugary drinks like pop. Teens may be among the biggest offenders. Roughly one-third of high school students in the U.S. drink two or more sodas, sports drinks, or other sugary beverages per day, according to the results of a national survey released by the U.S. Centers for Disease...CVS becomes first big U.S. drugstore chain to drop tobacco
CVS Caremark Corp said this week that it would stop selling tobacco products at its 7,600 stores by October, becoming the first national drugstore chain in the United States to take cigarettes off the shelves.Public health experts called the decision by the No. 2 U.S. drugstore chain a precedent-setting step that could pressure other...Study: Risk takers cannot control themselves
AUSTIN, Texas — People who engage in risky behavior, such as unsafe sex, do it most likely because their self-control systems are not active enough, U.S. researchers say.Russell Poldrack, director of the University of Texas, Austin's Imaging Research Center, and colleagues analyzed data from 108 subjects who sat in a magnetic resonance...Grants available in search of health care innovations
DETROIT — Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and the BCBSM Foundation are partnering to provide $250,000 to safety net clinics interested in improving health care and health care delivery in Michigan. Clinics operating in Michigan are encouraged to apply for the Enhancing Primary Care in Michigan’s Safety Net Organizations...Health groups call on fast-food to drop soda from kids’ menu
WASHINGTON — Health organizations and U.S. nutrition experts say they are calling on fast-food restaurant chains to take sugary drinks off their children's menus.Margo G. Wootan, nutrition policy director at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, said McDonald's agreed to drop soda and sugary drinks from Happy Meal menus last...Added sugar linked to increased risk of heart disease deaths
ATLANTA — Sugar added to food -- not sugar naturally occurring in fruit -- is associated with increased risk for death from heart disease, U.S. researchers say.Quanhe Yang of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta and colleagues used national health survey data to examine added sugar consumption as a percentage of......
A message on mental health: Help is available and should be sought
DEARBORN — Last week, the community was shocked by the death of a young woman who took her own life. The tragic event raised questions in the community about mental health and ways to prevent and treat psychological problems.Two experts said that the Arab American community needs to improve the way it approaches mental health issues,...Cervical cancer is preventable though HPV vaccination
LANSING — In recognition that January is Cervical Health Awareness Month, the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) is reminding all women to stay current on their cervical cancer screening as a means to improve their health in 2014. In 2010, 344 Michigan women were diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer, and in 2011, 121......
Healthy lifestyle choices recommended to prevent birth defects in Michigan babies
A baby is born with a birth defect in the United States every four and a half minutes. Healthy lifestyle choices as well as medical care before and during pregnancy can reduce these chances, resulting in better infant health outcomes for all Michiganders.“Most people simply do not realize how common, costly and critical birth defects...Eight million lives saved since U.S. alarm on smoking 50 years ago
More than half of American men and over a third of women were smokers on January 11, 1964, when Dr. Luther Terry delivered the first Surgeon General's Report on Smoking and Health outlining the links between tobacco use, lung cancer and death.Fifty years later, smoking rates have been cut by about half, and a new study estimates that 8...Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan offers safety tips for coping with winter snow fall
DETROIT — Over the past few weeks, Michigan has experienced multiple snow falls, forcing Michigan residents to head outdoors to clear driveways and walkways. Now and as winter continues, physicians at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network recommend residents keep heart health in mind and pace themselves when clearing...Snow shoveling tips as Winter looms
Shoveling snow can increase your risk of heart attack, and you should take precautions to protect yourself, an expert says."When the temperature outside drops, our blood vessels narrow to prevent our bodies from losing heat," Dr. Holly Andersen, director of education and outreach at the Ronald O. Perelman Heart Institute of......
Five common New Year’s resolution mistakes and how to fix them
Every new year we make a list of resolutions, hoping to better ourselves and our lives, only to abandon our efforts entirely by Feb. 1 (if not by Jan. 2). Such failures are not mere disappointments, as they can create emotional wounds that impact our psychological well-being. Indeed, too often the annual ritual that is meant to...BCBSM extends enrollment deadline for off marketplace individual health plans
DETROIT - Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM) is extending the enrollment deadline for some of its individual health plans to Dec. 31, giving Michigan consumers more time to enroll in a health plan and ensure uninterrupted coverage into the New Year.Deadline extended to December 31 for off-marketplace plans – for consumers who......
8 strategies to avoid overeating this holiday season
With the holiday season upon us, food is everywhere. From festive holiday parties to dinners with friends and family, let's face it, this time of year tends to center around food. And, it is perfectly OK to indulge on occasion, sans the guilt, without gaining weight. The trick is to enjoy what you are eating, and to eat mindfully while...Blue Cross Blue Shield encourages consumers to use free government money to reduce plan premiums
DETROIT – Over the past week, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan has monitored the progress of healthcare.gov and has seen encouraging evidence that the site is working better, signifying important progress at a critical time for Michigan consumers. In order to have active coverage beginning Jan. 1, consumers need to select a health......