Health & Wellness - January 2015 Archives

Fruit salsa -n- sweet chips   Sweet and spicy snack mix   Southwestern potato skins                   Hearty Turkey Chili   Philly Steak Sandwich  Black Bean Burgers   Veggie pizza                   SUPER HEALTHY MEATLOAF Perhaps you've heard the phrase, "stuffing 10 pounds into a 5-pound bag?" What about making a 4-pound meatloaf with only 1-pound of beef? Here's © Chef Richard's super healthy 4-pound "meatloaf" just in time for Super Bowl weekend. Bake at 325 degrees for about an hour. The internal temperature as checked with a meat thermometer should be 165 degrees. Enjoy!  [TRT 1:05 ] Journalists: Broadcast quality video available in the downloads. Click for more healthy recipes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-5_Xkg7j7M   INGREDIENTS:  1  lb. ground beef, 95% lean meat  6  stalks of celery 1  lb. carrots ½  lb. sweet, raw onions ¾  lb. eggplant 3  cups chickpeas or garbanzo beans  2 tsp. olive oil 

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My index finger is often stiff and sometimes makes a clicking sound when I move it. It even sometimes gets “stuck.” My doctor told me I have trigger finger and that I should rest it for a few weeks to see if it improves, but that’s been hard to do since I work with my hands. Are there any other treatment options I could try? ANSWER: Trigger finger happens as a result of inflammation and irritation around a finger tendon. Therapies such as rest, applying ice or heat, and splinting the finger usually are the first steps in treatment. But other options are available, including steroid injections and surgery. Your tendons are like ropes that connect muscle to bone. Each tendon within your hand is surrounded by natural thickenings, called pulleys, which allow your fingers to move easily. Trigger finger develops when a pulley that lies underneath your knuckle becomes irritated and inflamed. This interferes with the normal gliding motion of the tendon through the pulleys in your hand.

Do you and your partner have less time for intimacy than you’d like? Mayo Clinic psychologist and certified sex therapist Dr. Jordan Rullo has tips ...

Mayo Clinic is excited about the national focus on individualized medicine and what the future holds. More than half ($130 million) of the total $215 million budget request, put forth by President Obama's Precision Medicine Initiative, is for a national biobanking initiative that draws on existing collections across the country. Mayo Clinic has among the country’s largest collections through the Mayo Clinic Biobank and the Biorepositories Program. Mayo Clinic and the Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine have made a significant commitment to building a scalable biorepository infrastructure, which includes multiple specimen processing laboratories and centralized storage. One of these collections is the Mayo Clinic Biobank, a collection of blood samples and health information donated by Mayo Clinic patients. The Biobank collects samples and health information from patients and other volunteers, regardless of health history. The Biobank was established at Mayo Clinic's campus in Rochester, Minn., and recruitment began in April 2009. Since then, the Biobank has expanded to Mayo Clinic's campuses in Jacksonville, Fla. and Scottsdale, Ariz., in addition to the Mayo Clinic Health System. The Biobank aims to enroll 50,000 Mayo Clinic patients by 2016 to support a wide array of health-related research studies at Mayo Clinic and other institutions. Steve Thibodeau, David F. and Margaret T. Grohne Director, Biorepositories Program facts about the Mayo Clinic Biobank. Journalists: Soundbites with Dr. Thibodeau and b-roll of the Mayo Clinic Biobank are available in the downloads. MEDIA CONTACT: Sam Smith, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, newsbureau@mayo.edu https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6qLBidtW-Y

New stool DNA test screens for colorectal cancer The Cologuard test may offer an easier, less expensive way to screen for colorectal cancer, which ...

Much like motor vehicles have engines, our bodies have similar parts to help us function. The heart and brain are the big anatomy regulators, but did you know the thyroid is also a crucial driver of bodily operation? When your thyroid experiences problems, your whole body starts to feel out of sorts — and your quality of life suffers. Knowing how your thyroid works and what signs indicate something is wrong will help you get the care you need and enhance your livelihood. Deb Vogelsang, nurse practitioner at Mayo Clinic Health System, answers some common questions about thyroid disease. Q. What is a thyroid? A. A thyroid is a gland at the base of the neck. This important part of your body produces hormones that regulate blood pressure, body temperature, heart rate and weight. Q. What are potential thyroid problems? A. There are four main thyroid afflictions: hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, thyroid cancer and thyroid nodules. Hyperthyroidism is the case of an overactive thyroid. Hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid is underactive. Thyroid cancer refers to malignancy in cells of the thyroid. Thyroid nodules are growths on the thyroid. While all of these conditions can be serious, each has its own symptoms and distinctions.

Hospital emergency departments see an influx of weather-related injuries with each snowstorm. Mayo Clinic emergency medicine specialist David Nestler, M.D., says falls are among the most common emergencies. "The snow and ice make it easy to slip and fall. We see many, many broken bones because of that."  Weather-related vehicle accidents, heart attacks triggered while shoveling snow and exposure injuries, like frostbite, also send more people to emergency rooms. Click on links below to see previous Mayo Clinic News Network posts: Fearful of Frostbite? Winter's Severe Cold Snap Calls for Extra Dose of Caution Slipping, Sliding and Snow Shoveling Season Winter Health: Common Sense Decisions and Smart Preparations To interview a Mayo Clinic expert about winter safety contact: Mayo Clinic Public Affairs 507-284-5005 newsbureau@mayo.edu

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: How soon can Alzheimer’s disease be diagnosed? What are the early symptoms to watch for? ANSWER: There is no one test that can be used to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease. But based on an assessment of symptoms, along with a variety of tests and exams, Alzheimer’s can often be identified in its earliest stages. Seeking medical attention as soon as Alzheimer’s symptoms become noticeable is key to a prompt diagnosis. The most common early symptom of Alzheimer’s disease is forgetfulness. Distinguishing between memory loss that is due to aging and memory loss due to Alzheimer’s can be tricky, though. As people get older, the number of cells, or neurons, in the brain goes down. That can make it harder to learn new things or to remember familiar words. Older adults may have difficulty coming up with names of acquaintances, for example, or they may have trouble finding reading glasses or car keys. In most cases, these memory lapses do not signal the beginning of Alzheimer’s disease.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — A new breast cancer risk prediction model combining histologic features of biopsied breast tissue from women with benign breast disease and individual patient demographic information more accurately classified breast cancer risk than the current screening standard. Results of a Mayo Clinic study comparing the new model to the current standard, the Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool (BCRAT), are published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhhvpZcbY00

THIS WEEK'S TOP STORIES Red wine and resveratrol: Good for your heart? Can a glass of red wine with your meal really help your heart? The substance resveratrol may reduce "bad" cholesterol and more. Cold remedies: What works, what doesn't, what can't hurt People have been saying for centuries that chicken soup helps a cold. Does it really work? What about other remedies? Get the facts and feel better soon. EXPERT ANSWERS Flat stomach: Can girdles tighten abdominal muscles? Want a flat stomach? Diet and exercise — not undergarments — are what count. Benefits of being bilingual: Delay Alzheimer's? Knowing at least two languages may help protect you against the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. Click here to get a free e-subscription to the Housecall newsletter.

Do you and your partner have less time for intimacy than you’d like? Mayo Clinic psychologist and certified sex therapist Dr. Jordan Rullo has tips ...

  Hospital emergency departments see an influx of weather-related injuries with each snowstorm. Mayo Clinic emergency medicine specialist David Nestler, M.D., says falls are among the most common emergencies. "The snow and ice make it easy to slip and fall. We see many, many broken bones because of that."  Weather-related vehicle accidents, heart attacks triggered while shoveling snow and exposure injuries, like frostbite, also send more people to emergency rooms. Click on links below to see previous Mayo Clinic News Network posts: Fearful of Frostbite? Winter's Severe Cold Snap Calls for Extra Dose of Caution Slipping, Sliding and Snow Shoveling Season Winter Health: Common Sense Decisions and Smart Preparations To interview a Mayo Clinic expert about winter safety contact: Mayo Clinic Public Affairs 507-284-5005 newsbureau@mayo.edu