Health & Wellness - June 2015 Archives

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I’m newly pregnant and overwhelmed with food advice from my friends. Is it true that I shouldn’t eat any deli meat during my pregnancy? What about caffeine? Can it harm the baby? Are there other foods I should avoid while pregnant? ANSWER: The list of foods people think you should and shouldn’t eat while you’re pregnant can quickly become long and confusing. Although there are some specific do’s and don’ts, stick to the basics. Eating a healthy, well-balanced diet that’s low in fat and does not include alcohol is a solid way to ensure good nutrition for you and your baby. For most people, pregnant women included, healthy eating involves plenty of vegetables, fruits, whole-grain foods and lean protein, as well as some healthy fats such as those found in fish, nuts, seeds and plant-based oils. Nutrients important for women during pregnancy include calcium and vitamin D for strong bones, folate to reduce the risk of birth defects, iron to prevent anemia and protein to help your baby grow. Getting enough fiber and fluids also is important to avoid constipation and to keep you hydrated.

LISTEN: MayoClinicRadio 06-27-15 PODCAST On this week's program, scientist Dr. Richard Vile describes how a teenage girl with brain cancer changed the focus of his research.  And, Dr. Robert ...

According to the National Cancer Institute, more than 23,000 new cases of brain cancer were diagnosed in the U.S. last year. Of those, about one-third were gliomas ...

With the 4th of July holiday week coming up, experts at Mayo Clinic are offering up some injury prevention tips on some of the most common reasons that send people to the emergency department this time of year. Consume alcohol in moderation. Imbibing too much alcohol can lead to questionable decision-making, slowed reflexes and false confidence – traits that are dangerous in nearly any outdoor activity during the summer months. Never assume a campfire or bonfire is completely out. On more than one occasion, fire-happy campers have been known to dump gasoline or other extremely flammable liquids on fires that look like they are out or smoldering and ended up with third-degree burns. Children and adults make trips to the emergency room every summer after stepping into fire pits they thought were cool. Always wear a helmet when biking, motorcycling, horseback riding or on an ATV. This is like wearing a seat belt in a car – an absolute must. Riders of all kinds can sustain serious injuries in an accident, but survival chances grow exponentially when a helmet is worn. Be extra alert when operating a boat or personal watercraft.  Watch out for other boaters, water-skiers and swimmers. Every year, patients are brought to the emergency department after getting tangled up in a boat propeller. And always wear a life jacket. Avoid fireworks. Even sparklers – thought to be relatively safe – can lead to blindness and serious burns. Other larger fireworks can leave users without fingers and even limbs. Hearing loss is common among fireworks users as well. Children must be closely supervised at all times around any kind of fireworks. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7ASZgOBlG0 Journalists: The 'Saving Lives With Gus' video and sound bites with Dr. Jenkins are available in the downloads.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are two very different chronic digestive system conditions that are sometimes confused with one another. On this ...

THIS WEEK'S TOP STORIES Antibiotic resistance: Understanding the connection to antibiotic use in animals raised for food How can treating a sick cow cause you to get an infection? See how antibiotics given to food-producing animals may affect you. Top 5 lifestyle changes to improve your cholesterol Taking a brisk daily walk. Eating more soluble fiber. These are just a few changes that may help improve your cholesterol numbers. What else can you do? EXPERT ANSWERS Lack of sleep: Can it make you sick? Not getting enough shut-eye can affect your immune system. This can make you more likely to get sick and take longer to recover. Vitamin B-12 injections for weight loss: Do they work? A shot that helps you shed pounds sounds appealing, but there's no solid evidence that vitamin B-12 injections work. Click here to get a free e-subscription to the Housecall newsletter.

Most Americans have experienced the rush of daily living with demands from work, school or family obligations. Eating healthy can sometimes take a backseat to more pressing matters. "Although it may seem nearly impossible to make healthy choices when you’re so busy," says Grace Fjeldberg, Mayo Clinic Health System registered dietitian and nutritionist, "there are tips and tricks that will make mealtime easier and save you time in the long run. It all starts in the pantry." Keep the pantry stocked with healthy foods To save yourself time, always have the essentials stocked in your pantry and refrigerator to decrease “emergency” grocery store trips. Always keep fruits and veggies available in any form, such as fresh, frozen, canned, dried or juiced. When the fresh food is gone, canned or frozen options can help fill the gaps. Also, canned and frozen options are sometimes more convenient as they are already washed and cut. Think convenience — in some instances you may want to consider purchasing pre-cut fresh veggies or fruit to save time. Fjeldberg says consider having these foods available in the house for healthy meals or snacks:

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I have been in menopause for about a year and have not had many problems other than what my doctor diagnosed as vaginal atrophy. Do over-the-counter products usually help relieve the symptoms, or will I need hormone therapy? ANSWER: What you are experiencing is common. By some estimates, loss of lubrication and elasticity in the vaginal area (vaginal atrophy) affects at least half of women in midlife and beyond. Systemic hormone therapy — taken as an oral pill or a skin patch — isn’t the only treatment for menopausal vaginal atrophy. Other treatments are specific for vaginal atrophy. In fact, if you experience only vaginal symptoms related to menopause, without hot flashes and night sweats, these other therapies are probably better choices. Vaginal atrophy is caused by a decrease in estrogen production. As you approach menopause, your body’s production of estrogen — the main female hormone — ebbs and flows and eventually decreases permanently. Less estrogen can make your vaginal tissues thinner, drier, less elastic and more fragile. Estrogen reduction and vaginal atrophy may also occur as the result of certain medical treatments, such as the removal of both ovaries, pelvic radiation, chemotherapy or hormonal treatment for breast cancer.

How to overcome envy? "I have a narrow definition of me and mine. Anything or anyone outside is the other. The rewards that ...

This article and others appear on The Future of Health Care "For nearly 100 years, Mayo Clinic has been dedicated to evaluating surgical outcomes in ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCNcTfV3frY The National Institutes of Health (NIH) reports that tens of millions of Americans suffer from chronic pain. It can destroy your quality of life ...

This is one of many articles published In the Loop If you've watched HGTV or, you know, done some work of your own, you know ...