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Could an Exercise Pill Replace Your Workouts?
New research hints that an Rx-based fitness regimen might exist in the future Continue reading
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Could THIS be the Secret to Burning More Fat?
Short, frequent workouts blast fat… but is it a realistic—or doable—routine? Continue reading
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Doing THIS Could Cause Heart Problems
You know soda isn’t good for your waistline, but new research shows it’s not too sweet on your heart, either. Drinking excessive amounts of soda can cause irregular heart function and even death, according to a new study presented at the European Heart Rhythm Association meeting in Athens.
The finding comes after a 31-year-old woman from Monaco went to the hospital suffering from irregular heartbeats and fainting. It turns out that the only thing she drank for 16 years was soda; she put away about two liters of the sugary stuff a day. Researchers examined six other case studies of excessive soda drinkers and found their habits had all resulted in irregular heart function, erratic heartbeats, and, in the case of one patient, death.
The Scary Cause
Researchers believe that drinking too much soda can lower the body’s potassium levels. High fructose corn syrup and caffeine, both key ingredients in many sodas, are diuretics. So when you consume too much of them, they can lead to excessive urine production and diarrhea that flush potassium from the body, says study author Nadir Saoudi, MD, chief of cardiology at the Princesse Grace Medical Centre in Monaco. Caffeine may also keep the kidneys, which regulate potassium levels, from properly doing their job.
Since potassium helps the heart maintain a regular beat, deficiencies can cause irregularities. Low potassium levels also make extreme soda drinkers prone to deteriorated skeletal muscles, says Saoudi. Once broken down, components of those muscle tissues flow though the bloodstream and can throw off electrolyte balances, leading to further heart problems.
Why Diet Soda Isn’t the Answer
Caffeine-free diet soda drinkers aren’t off the hook, either. While these drinks don’t contain corn syrup or caffeine, drinking diet soda is correlated with weight gain and obesity, which are major risk factors for heart problems, says Saoudi. Plus, previous research from the University of Miami shows that people who down diet drinks on a daily basis are 43 percent more likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke than those who don’t drink them.
How Much Is Too Much?
Researchers haven’t yet determined how much soda is too much when it comes to your heart, but for now, they recommend no more than one 16-ounce bottle a day. Drink more than that? It’s not too late to squelch your soda habit. Even if you’ve downed soda exclusively for years, your potassium levels and markers for normal heart function can improve in as little as one week, says Saoudi. However, if your potassium levels are already low (the case for 98 percent of Americans, according to the CDC), you should probably drink even less soda than the recommended daily limit of one 16-ounce bottle a day.
Saoudi recommends sticking with water and eating several servings of potassium-rich produce a day—especially if you insist on indulging your soda habit. Sweet potatoes, beet greens, tomatoes and—of course—bananas are all good sources of the nutrient.
photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock
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Could You Give Up Mirrors?
Just how far would you go to nix insecurities about your looks? One body-image expert decided to avoid looking at her reflection for an entire year—and then chronicled the experience in a new memoir, Mirror, Mirror Off the Wall.
Kjerstin Gruys, who’s currently pursuing her PhD in sociology at the University of California, Los Angeles (with a focus on appearance and social inequalities, no less) realized she had a problem when, in the months leading up to her wedding in 2011, she started coming down with a crippling fixation on her appearance.
“It was right after I found my wedding dress that I started really obsessing over my body, to the point that it started affecting my sense of self-worth,” says Gruys. Having battled an eating disorder in high school, she recognized that dangerous territory and knew something had to give. “I thought to myself, ‘My purpose in life isn’t to nitpick my appearance all day—so what am I doing? If I removed all the mirrors from my life, I’d remove that temptation and could focus on things that actually matter.’”
And so her ban on mirrors began. The rules were simple: No checking herself out in mirrors, photographs, or reflective surfaces of any kind for an entire year. Not even on her wedding day.
“I basically had to relearn how to live life,” says Gruys. “You don’t think about it, but your reflection is everywhere. I had to learn how to get ready without seeing myself and to look away when I came across bathroom mirrors and store windows, for example.”
But during that year, Gruys describes feeling a sense of relief—even in the midst of wedding planning. “I had this calm, relaxed feeling of balance,” she says. “I knew my friends wouldn’t let me walk around with broccoli in my teeth, so I didn’t really have to think about my appearance at all. I was free to actually enjoy my wedding, live my life, and focus on my goals.”
And when the moment came to see her reflection for the first time in a year? “My friends and family covered a mirror with sticky notes that said all these positive things about me,” says Gruys. “As I peeled them off, I didn’t notice my body hang-ups. I saw color—rosy cheeks, white teeth, yellow hair—then I saw everyone sharing the moment with me, which was an incredible reminder of what really matters.”
A body-image expert herself, Gruys’ story proves that confidence crashes can happen to anyone—but with the right approach, you can squash them before they get out of hand. Next time you’re tempted to nitpick, Gruys suggests a few go-to moves:
Redefine the way you see your body
Make a list of your favorite and least favorite assets, and then assign each a positive adjective or description, suggests Gruys. For example, instead of looking down and just seeing hips, think of yours as sexy, swinging hips. “This exercise helps you see the body part’s function and value, even if it’s not your favorite,” she says
Make a weekend (naturally) mirror-free
A yearlong ban on checking out your reflection is pretty hardcore—but you can reap similar benefits by experimenting on a smaller scale, like by taking an au naturale camping trip with friends. “You know you won’t stumble upon a mirror out there, so you can feel that peace without stressing over avoiding your reflection,” says Gruys.
Set boundaries
If insecurities have you obsessing over a desire to lose a few pounds here or tone up there, you might find it difficult to abandon your fixation altogether—but you can at least establish some limits for it. “I’m a calorie counter, so I give myself license to crunch numbers when I’m in the grocery store, but not again once I’ve brought my food home,” says Gruys. “That way, I know I’m eating healthfully without having to dwell on the specifics every day.”
Make your pad a safe zone
Identify your mojo-busting triggers and remove them from your life, whether that means tossing those “skinny” jeans you haven’t worn in years or ditching junk food you can’t trust yourself around. “I’ve found that the key to having self control is purposefully arranging your environment so you don’t have to use it as often,” says Gruys. “There’s no sense in battling it every day for no reason.”
photo: BananaStock/Thinkstock
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Could THIS Be the Secret to a Happier Relationship?
A whole bunch of love stories have one thing in common this wedding season: The couples met on the Internet. And here’s some great news for those newlyweds: Married couples who first connected online have a slight edge when it comes to relationship longevity and marital satisfaction, according to a new study out of the University of Chicago.
The results are based on a survey of more than 19,000 people who tied the knot between 2005 and 2012. (Full disclosure: eHarmony.com commissioned the survey, but before the data was analyzed they agreed to publish the results no matter what, and independent statisticians oversaw the analysis.) Turns out, more than one-third of the now-married couples met online. And while you may think that the survey’s results are due to the fact that people who meet their spouses online tend to be older, that’s not the case: The researchers controlled for age, the year the couple was married, and more.
So what accounts for the added bliss? The researchers didn’t study the “why” factor, but lead study author John Cacioppo, PhD, a psychology professor at the University of Chicago and a scientific advisor to eHarmony.com, has some ideas: For one, it follows that people who feel ready for marriage—who aren’t commitment-phobes—are typically the ones who go looking for it online.
Then, of course, there is the sheer number of options you have on the Internet, says Cacioppo. In one night, you can see 10 men in a bar—or hundreds of men’s dating profiles.
There’s also a big difference in self-disclosure, says Cacioppo.
Online, you’re learning a lot more about those dudes much faster—a list of interests, values, even their reasons for revving up their dating profile, says Diana Kirschner, PhD, a relationship expert and CEO of LoveIn90Days.com, who was not involved in the study. “You can read that in five minutes,” she says. “You could not get all that information talking to someone at a party for five minutes.”
But even if you prefer meeting dates at parties versus on profiles, there’s something to be learned from all that online disclosure: “Don’t be afraid to share what you enjoy the way you would do in the profile,” says Kirschner. “Talk about what gives you a lot of passion or pleasure or joy.” You’ll set yourself up for a healthy and happy relationship if you find someone who knows about—and is into—the real you from the start.
And just as you’d list your favorite activities in an online profile, stick to those when you’re getting to know someone in person, too. “I think it’s important to suggest activities that you’re really having fun with,” says Kirschner. “Suggest a mini golf outing or a trip to the beach that you’re going to enjoy and be present for.”
Overall: “Be honest and authentic,” she says. That’s great advice for long-lasting love—whether you’re several years into your relationship or are feeling out a new guy.
photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock
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Could You Have Celiac Disease?
Now that going gluten-free is so trendy, it can be easy to forget that, for some people, giving up gluten isn’t a choice—it’s a health requirement. And unfortunately, the disease that’s causing people to cut out wheat isn’t going away. In fact, the number of new celiac disease diagnoses in America has continued to increase over the last decade, according to a new study in The American Journal of Gastroenterology.
Using a population-based sample from Olmsted County, MN, researchers identified all of the new cases of celiac disease since 2000 and used that data to estimate the incidence rates for the whole country. They found that the number of new cases per year rose from 11 people per 100,000 in 2000 to 17 people per 100,000 in 2010.
While researchers aren’t sure exactly what could be causing all of the new cases, previous research has suggested that prior gastrointestinal infections, breastfeeding practices, and changes in the production of wheat, among other things, may be to blame.
Even though celiac disease seems to be everywhere, the overall prevalence is still only 0.7 percent, or 1 in 141 people, according to the recent National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. You probably know more than one or two people who avoid gluten, though—so what’s up with that?
In addition to the 1 in 141 people who have celiac disease, an additional 1 in 180 people have a non-celiac gluten sensitivity*, which is when you have similar symptoms (diarrhea, abdominal pain, weight loss, etc.) that are alleviated by a gluten-free diet, but you aren’t diagnosed with celiac disease because you haven’t suffered damage to the small intestine, says Alberto Rubio-Tapia, MD, a co-author on the study and assistant professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic. Of course, countless others are also cutting out wheat due to the recent influx of people raving about seeing health benefits after going gluten-free. And let’s face it, curbing your cookie and pasta intake is bound to slim you down.
If you suspect that your body and gluten don’t mix, it’s absolutely crucial to see your doctor before you tweak your diet, says lead study author Joseph Murray, MD, professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic.
The first step will be a blood test, but your results may turn up normal—regardless of whether you have celiac disease—if you’ve already cut out gluten. If you get tested at the first sign of symptoms and still get a negative diagnosis, you might be suffering from a different condition like irritable bowel syndrome or Crohn’s disease. If your blood test comes back positive for celiac, you’ll still need a biopsy of the small intestine to confirm whether you have the disease or a non-celiac gluten sensitivity.
If you are one of the 0.7 percent of people who do have celiac disease, the foundation of your treatment will be eliminating gluten from your diet, says Murray. You may also be given supplements to deal with deficiencies (like anemia or vitamin D deficiency), which can happen when you’re dealing with intestinal damage. Finally, follow-up with your doctor after six months sans gluten to make sure your symptoms are improving.
*According to results from the Continuous National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2009-2010.
photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock
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As if you really needed convincing, here’s one more reason to order that salmon avocado roll: Higher blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and death in adults over age 65, according to a new study published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
Most observational studies on the topic have relied on self-reported fish consumption. But for this long-term observational study, researchers examined the blood levels of three kinds of omega-3s in about 2,700 participants aged 65 and older. The study tracked those participants for 16 years, and the participants with the highest omega-3 levels in their blood lived, on average, 2.2 years longer than those with the lowest levels.
The people with the highest blood omega-3 levels also had a 27 percent lower risk of dying from all causes when compared to the people with the lowest blood omega-3 levels. The risk of death from coronary heart disease in particular was significantly lower.
While this study followed older adults, the findings are relevant to younger people, as well, says lead study researcher Dariush Mozaffarian, MD, doctor of public health and an associate professor in the department of epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health. “If you start at a young age and eat fish your whole life, the benefits could be even greater,” he says.
That’s particularly true since the good news about seafood keeps rolling in: In a study presented today at the American Association for Cancer Research’s annual meeting, omega-3 were shown to considerably slow or even stop the proliferation of triple-negative breast cancer cells. Another new animal study published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology suggests that fish oil has immune-boosting benefits and may be good for people with a compromised immune system.
So how much fish should you eat if you want to reap its health benefits? Try for an average of 400 milligrams per day, which you can get if you have fish twice per week, says Mozaffarian. (The omega-3s get into your tissues and last for several days, so you don’t have to eat it every single day.) Keep in mind that omega-3 content varies among the different fish species; fatty types like salmon, herring, anchovies, bass, trout, white tuna, and swordfish pack the most.
photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock
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Could You Have a Seizure?
Last week, Kelly Osbourne was rushed to the ER after suffering a seizure on the set of her E! show, Fashion Police. And two weeks earlier at the Oscars, Charlize Theron assisted a security guard who was having one. Both headline-grabbing incidents aimed a spotlight on a mysterious medical symptom that can be almost as terrifying to witness as it is to experience. Now out of the hospital, Osbourne says that her doctors still don’t know what caused her episode. But the scary truth is, it’s not uncommon for an otherwise healthy person to have a seizure.
Find out what the signs are, if you might be at risk, and how to handle it if it happens to someone you’re with.
A seizure’s frightening signs:
Seizures are the result of abnormal electrical pulses in the brain. They’re usually characterized by jerky convulsions, body trembling, and muscle contractions that may make a person black out and/or collapse to the ground, as Kelly Osbourne reportedly did. Not all seizures have these obvious physical symptoms; sometimes a sufferer will simply feel confused, blank, or disoriented. And because these tip-offs are so subtle, she may not even realize she’s had a seizure, says Jacqueline French, MD, a professor of neurology at New York University Langone Medical Center and president of the American Epilepsy Society. An episode typically lasts from 30 seconds to three minutes, after which the brain returns to normal.
Who’s at risk:
If you’ve had head trauma in the past—for example, a concussion bad enough to knock you out—you may be more prone to seizures. A family history of seizures, brain infections such as meningitis or encephalitis, and even very low blood sugar can also put you at higher risk. But as in Kelly Osbourne’s case, often no underlying cause is ever ID’d. “If a person has just one seizure, it may be considered an isolated incident,” French says. “But suffering two seizures in any time period meets the definition of epilepsy—a neurological disorder characterized by unprovoked seizures.” Luckily, regular meds can keep epilepsy under control.
What to do if you witness one:
First, call 911. Though the seizure will typically stop on its own after a few minutes and a sufferer will return to normal, don’t take any chances. While you wait for EMTs to arrive, maneuver the person to the ground so she’s lying on her back, then cushion the back of her head with something soft, like a jacket or your purse. Tilt her head to the left, which makes it easier for her to breathe and prevents saliva or vomit from going back into her lungs, French says. Clear the area of sharp objects so she can’t injure herself if she’s convulsing violently, and keep her comfortable until help arrives.
photo: Photodisc/Thinkstock
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Could You Have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
When Jessica Alba woke up with a completely numb arm, she thought she’d suffered a stroke. But one trip to the ER and one CAT scan later, her doctors discovered the real culprit: carpal tunnel syndrome, a painful condition caused by compression of a nerve in the wrist. While you may associate the syndrome with arthritis-addled seniors, it’s actually incredibly common—and women are three times more susceptible to carpal tunnel syndrome than men, according to the National Institutes of Health.
What Is It?
When too much fluid fills the space inside your wrist—or the tendon inside it thickens due to age or overuse—the adjacent nerve is squeezed and your fingers lose sensation. Eventually, this prevents normal circulation in your arm, which means the pain and numbness can creep from your fingertips all the way to your upper arm and neck.
While these symptoms are definitely scary, they’re different from what you’d experience if you were having a stroke, says Steven Beldner, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon at Beth Israel Hand Surgery Center in New York City. In that case, you’re more likely to lose feeling in an entire limb.
You’ll know you have carpal tunnel syndrome because it always begins in the wrist, thumb, or one of your fingers—and it can only extend as far as your neck.
Risk Factors
Ever sleep in a strange position and wake up with tingling fingertips? That’s carpal tunnel syndrome. Most people experience brief bouts of the condition at least a few times in their lives, but there are certain circumstances that make some people more prone to it than others.
Abnormal levels of estrogen (common among pregnant, menopausal, or overweight women) are one of the leading causes of carpal tunnel syndrome—which is why your lack of a Y-chromosome makes you more likely to suffer from the condition.
And since the wrist tendon gets bigger and stronger the more you use it, doing activities like typing, knitting, or lifting weights too frequently also makes you more susceptible. (Alba blames her condition on the long hours she spends working on her new eco-friendly business, The Honest Company.)
Other people who have a higher carpal tunnel syndrome risk: those with small wrists, thyroid issues, arthritis, diabetes, or previous wrist injuries, Beldner says.
Treatment Options
An occasional case of the tingles is no reason to freak out: Just shake off numbness or boost circulation by making a fist, relaxing it, and repeating the cycle.
If you tend to lose sensation in your fingers a few times a week, anti-inflammatory meds, warm compresses, and wrist splints can help keep your carpal tunnels clear.
Make sure to see a doctor if you begin to lose control of your hand muscles, can’t feel your fingers no matter how much you move them, or feel like the pain is getting progressively worse. Depending on your condition, he or she may prescribe a cortisone injection or surgery.
To prevent a problem from happening in the first place, minimize activities that use your wrists, or wear wrist splints while you do them. Stretching helps, too: Just like a rubber band, your tendon gets smaller when it’s pulled, so stretching periodically can help release the tension in your carpal tunnels.
photo: Photographer Name/Collection Name/Thinkstock
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