The Worst Time to Grocery Shop

Posted on May 6, 2013 by admin

You know that buying Chunky Monkey is a bad idea–so how did a pint find its way into your grocery bag? Your hunger could be to blame. You’re more likely to buy high calorie foods if you shop on an empty stomach, according to a new study recently published in Jama Internal Medicine.

Researchers asked 68 people to avoid food for five hours. They then served half of them crackers to eat until they felt satisfied. Finally, all of the participants shopped at an online grocery store. The result: The hungry shoppers chose more high-calorie foods than their just-fed counterparts.

In a follow-up study, researchers tracked people’s food purchases in a brick-and-mortar grocery store at two different times: right after lunch, when they were most likely to be full, and right before dinnertime, when they were likely to be hungry. Interestingly, hunger didn’t significantly affect how many items the shoppers bought—but it did affect the kind of food they purchased. Hungry shoppers filled their carts with more high-calorie foods and fewer lower-calorie foods than the full shoppers.

Previous research suggests that hunger makes your brain find high-calorie grub more appealing. One explanation: When you’re hungry, your body thinks food is scarce, says study co-author Aner Tal, PhD, a post-doctoral research associate at Cornell University’s Food and Brand Lab. You’re hard-wired to look for high-calorie foods to make up for this deficiency and prevent it in the future, he says. And while this makes sense for an animal in the wild, it’s not the smartest strategy for humans who have access to so much unhealthy food.

It seems obvious, but the best way to prevent your instincts from taking over your shopping cart is to avoid grocery shopping when you’re hungry and stick to a premade grocery list. If you typically swing by the grocery store on your way home from work before dinner, pack a snack. And if you can’t eat before you shop, push your cart directly to the produce aisle to pick up (and pay for) an apple to take the edge off. Then steer clear of the foods that don’t deserve a place in your pantry.

photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

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What Your Haircut Says About Your Melanoma Risk

Posted on May 6, 2013 by admin

If you’re debating between chopping off your locks or keeping them long, consider this: Having longer hair may decrease your risk of getting melanoma on your head and neck, according to a new study published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology.

Researchers used data collected for the French regional melanoma registry Observatoire des Mélanomes de la Région Champagne-Ardenne (OMECHA) and examined 279 individual cases of melanoma. Analysis of the cases showed two different melanoma distributions of the head and neck that most likely are due to sun exposure while driving: peripheral (which occurs on the scalp, forehead, ears, and neck) and central (which occurs on the eyelids, nose, cheeks, and chin). For men, 57 percent of melanoma cases occurred in their peripheral regions and 43 percent happened in their central region. Women only saw 21 percent of melanoma cases in their peripheral region, though, and 79 percent of melanoma cases in their central region. The findings suggest that women have more cases of central melanoma because their peripheral areas are more protected by their hair, says Candice Lesage, MD, dermatologist, lead study author.

A windshield may protect skin from UVB rays, which are responsible for sunburns, but UVA rays, which have longer wavelengths, penetrate the glass and can harm your skin. Though participants’ specific hairstyles weren’t recorded, women tend to have longer hair, which can protect their peripheral skin regions, leaving mostly the central area exposed to sunlight. Because men typically have shorter hair, both their peripheral and central regions are left vulnerable to UV rays. Hair can act as a barrier that prevents sunlight from reaching the skin—more so for people with darker, thicker hair—similar to how clothes can provide UV coverage for your body.

“The more of your skin that’s covered by your hair, the more protected you are,” says Jessica Wu, MD, assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Southern-California, who was not part of the study. Keep in mind: Even if you grow your hair out, your scalp can still be exposed to harmful rays where you part your hair or where your hair is naturally thinner. For extra protection—particularly if you’re rocking short hair—slather on the sunscreen and wear a hat, says Wu. While thicker lotions can be messy, a gel or foam sunscreen shouldn’t mess with your style.

photo: Viacheslav Nikolaenko/Shutterstock

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Are You Getting Enough Vitamin E?

Posted on May 6, 2013 by admin

Vitamin E content probably isn’t first thing you check out on a nutrition label, but make sure to give it a once-over. Vitamin E can help prevent obesity-related illnesses and boost your heart health, according to two studies presented at the Experimental Biology 2013 meeting between April 20-24.

The first study, conducted by researchers at Case Western Reserve University of Medicine, suggests that vitamin E may help relieve symptoms of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), an obesity-linked condition that can lead to liver failure or even cancer.

In another study conducted by Ohio State University, researchers tested the effects of vitamin E on the blood vessels of ex-smokers. They found that participants who took a vitamin E supplement saw a 4.3 percent improvement in vascular function, compared to the placebo group’s 2.8 percent. Overall, the study showed that adding vitamin E to ex-smokers’ diets led to a 19 percent drop in cardiovascular disease.

The Office of Dietary Supplements recommends that adults consume up to 15 milligrams of vitamin E per day. In addition to these recent findings, vitamin E has been shown to offer some protection against heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Want to up your intake? Don’t reach for a pill—if you get the wrong kind of supplement, it’ll be half as effective as eating vitamin E in its natural form. Instead, make one (or more) of these vitamin E-rich meals:

Almond Horchata (14.4 mg per serving)

Photo: Patricia Heal

Grilled Almond Butter and Berry Sandwiches (8.7 mg per serving)

Photo: Stephanie Foley

Almond Egg Custard (6.8 mg per serving)

Photo: Catherine Sears

Roasted Sweet-Potato Salad (5.2 mg per serving)

Photo: Kurt Wilson

Pork Braised in Kiwi-Coconut Sauce with White Beans (5.2 mg per serving)

Photo: Mitch Mandel

Light Spinach Roll-Ups (5 mg per serving)

Photo: Mitch Mandel

Southwestern Chicken Salad with Crispy Tortilla Chips (4.3 mg per serving)

Photo: Elizabeth Watt

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Get This: Sunless Tanner Innovations Unveiled

Posted on May 3, 2013 by admin

Check out the list of links that should be on your radar today:

There’s a new self-tanner you can put on in the shower! Fingers crossed that this means the end of that funky faux-tan smell. [The Cut]

NASA says there should be dozens of shooting stars this Sunday night. Don’t forget to check them out! [USA Today]

Fun new veggie alert: Mini cucumbers are popping up at more and more grocery stores. [Fresh Plaza]

A new law in Indiana limits access to abortion clinics. [ThinkProgress]

In a cruel twist of fate, cutting back on calories may make you more likely to crave junk food. [Medical Daily]

Speaking of which, women may be more susceptible to binge eating than men, according to a new animal study. [The Daily Meal]

Researchers have now proven what anyone with an online dating profile could have guessed: Marriage rates increase in areas where more people have access to the Internet. [The Atlantic]

Microsoft has officially announced that Hotmail is dead. Hasn’t it been dead for a while now…? [USA Today]

There’s actually an iPhone app called “Become a Pickup Artist.” Somehow, we’re guessing high scores in the game don’t translate to real-life pickup skills. [Jezebel]

photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

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Heart Failure Set to Spike 46 Percent

Posted on May 3, 2013 by admin

Brace yourself for this super scary wake-up call: The American Heart Association (AHA) projects that cases of heart failure will increase 46 percent by 2030, according to an announcement made last week. That’s eight million instances of heart failure per year, compared to the five million that happen today. Experts also predict that Americans will end up paying $ 244 per person annually to care for people with the condition, thanks to higher insurance rates and taxes.

“It’s primarily a disease of older patients, and the mean age of the population is going to increase greatly over the next 20 years,” says Paul Heidenreich, MD, assistant professor of cardiovascular medicine at Stanford University, who led the analysis. All of the estimates were made based on population projections from the Census Bureau, says Heidenreich. Experts assumed that other, harder to predict factors—such as medical innovations, care, and the population’s general health habits—would remain the same.

“If we have more obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure, then we would expect even more heart failure,” says Heidenreich.

Want to make sure you don’t end up as one of those eight million? “People need to be aware of their blood pressure and cholesterol, look at those things early,” says Heidenreich. ”Aside from being active and having a good diet, help the important people in your life achieve those things as well. You can take care of yourself, but if everyone else is declining around you, how much good is it going to do you?”

These tips, recipes, exercises, and more will help protect your heart—and keep costs down for everyone:

4 Ways to Prevent Heart Disease in Women

Heart-Healthy Recipes

The Keep-Your-Heart Pumping Workout

Heart Health Numbers You Need to Know

5 Steps to a Healthy Heart

The Most Prescribed Heart Medicines

photo: Creatas/Thinkstock

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How to Work Out When You Totally Don’t Want To

Posted on May 3, 2013 by admin

As awesome as a great workout can feel, it’s hard to magic up the motivation to make it happen some days. But new research suggests you should power through, even if you’re not 100 percent feeling it.

Even “forced” exercise can help protect against anxiety and stress, according to a study from the University of Colorado at Boulder. So essentially, dragging yourself to the gym is just as beneficial to your Zen levels as going voluntarily. “Sometimes, you just have to bite the bullet and push yourself to work out, even if you’re feeling less than inspired,” says Wendy Larkin, master trainer at Crunch San Francisco. “I have to force myself to go on a run every Sunday, but after I do, I feel better, my mood is better and I sleep better.”

Need a little help getting off the couch? These tactics can keep you strong the next time you get the urge to bail.

Schedule sessions with a trainer
If this seems like a duh, that’s because it is. Think about it: You commit a) weeks in advance to b) actual appointments where c) someone will be expecting you, so you basically have to show. Plus, you’ll still get charged if you back out. “Go in on a regular sessions with a few friends, and make it a regular thing,” suggests Larkin. “You’ll get the same workout, but you can divvy up the cost.” That, and sweating it out with your crew sounds way better than going at it solo.

Start a work-buddy system
Larkin says she sees it all the time: People plan to get their sweat on after work, but then talk themselves out of it by 5 p.m. With crazy deadlines, last-minute meetings and the like, your workplace is booby-trapped with gym-bailing temptations—so you need allies to stay strong. “Find a few people in the office with similar fitness goals, and make a pact to keep tabs on each other,” says Larkin . Tell them to make sure you leave at X time so you make your workout—and vice-versa. Then follow up to keep each other accountable.

Splurge on foxy workout gear
Like a good LBD on a night out, gym gear that plays up your assets can give your mojo a serious boost and make you want to put it to good use. “When you look and feel good, you have a little more pep in your step, and the reasons you didn’t feel like going to the gym earlier will fade,” says Larkin. Plus, paying top dollar for super flattering workout clothes definitely makes you want to get your money’s worth.

Establish a gym family
Introduce yourself to your fitness instructor before class, and take a few minutes to chat it up with people you recognize as regulars. As people get to know you, they’ll be more likely to learn your capabilities, push you if they see you slacking off, and call you out when you skip a week, Larkin says. You’ll also feel more compelled to show up at the gym if you know you’ll be expected.

Leave important things in your gym locker
If you accidentally-on-purpose forget to bring your hairdryer and make-up bag home after a gym sesh, you’ll be forced to go back the next day to get ready. “Half the challenge is getting in the door, so the more reasons you give yourself to stop by, the better,” Larkin says.

Get a vacation on the books ASAP
Beach season is so close, you can practically smell the sunscreen already. “Most people rev up their workout routines right before taking a big trip, so wherever you’re going this summer, get your reservations nailed down as soon as you can,” says Larkin. Not only will thinking of your trip give you that extra push you need to get through a tough workout, but it also gives you a deadline you can’t cheat. Nothing is more motivating than having to be in a bikini in, oh, 35 days.

photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

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Task Force Recommends HIV Testing For Everyone

Posted on May 3, 2013 by admin

Next time you see your doctor, don’t be surprised if she pulls out an HIV test as part of your regular checkup. Earlier this week, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force—an independent panel of medical experts who set guidelines concerning health screenings—announced that all adults between the ages of 15 and 65 should be routinely tested for HIV. It’s a departure from the Task Force’s previous HIV guidelines, released in 2005, which advised that only people in high-risk groups (for example, men who have sex with men) be tested regularly.

Why the ramped-up recommendation? It has to do with the fact that treating HIV is most effective early in the course of the disease, when a person is more likely to be asymptomatic, says Douglas K.Owens, MD, professor of medicine at Stanford University and a member of the Task Force. “Starting antiviral medication early, before HIV has caused damage, can keep a person healthy for years and increase survival rates,” says Owens. The best way to catch HIV when there are no symptoms is with blanket, routine screening, he says. Another benefit of early detection: taking antiviral meds early on can reduce the amount of virus in a person’s body. That makes it less likely the disease will be transmitted, thus lowering the number of new infections per year—which is currently at about 50,000 in the United
States, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

The Task Force suggests that all adults undergo a minimum one-time screening, and all pregnant women should be tested as well, since HIV transmission from mom to baby can be prevented with meds. How often you need to be re-screened, however, depends on your health history and if you have any risk factors associated with the disease, such as IV drug use or intimate contact with someone with HIV. It’s something to discuss with your doctor, who can help you determine the frequency with which you should be tested.

Oh, and don’t worry about the test depleting your wallet. If you already have insurance, your insurer will pick up the cost without any copay or lab fee. Because HIV testing is now a recommended preventive screening, it is part of the constellation of other preventive exams that are automatically covered under the Affordable Care Act, says Joanne Peters, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services.

photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

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Get This: A Mediterranean Diet May Improve Memory

Posted on May 2, 2013 by admin

Check out the list of links that should be on your radar today:

First researchers confirmed that loading up on produce and healthy fats promotes heart health. Now, they’re saying it could also help improve your memory. Is there anything the Mediterranean diet can’t do? [ScienceDaily]

Warren Buffet wrote an amazingly pro-woman editorial for Fortune magazine: “For most of our history, women — whatever their abilities — have been relegated to the sidelines. Only in recent years have we begun to correct that problem.” Gotta love that guy. [Fortune]

A prosthetics manufacturer is giving many of the Boston Marathon amputees free artificial limbs. [Reuters]

Seriously sad: More people in the U.S. die from suicides than car crashes. [The Atlantic Wire]

Binge drinking—even just on weekends—can dramatically increase your risk of liver damage, according to new research. [Medical Xpress]

Lay off the sleeping pills: The number of ER visits due to sleep aid-related problems is on the rise. [Medical Daily]

There’s a masturbate-a-thon happening right now in Philadelphia to benefit local sex ed groups. Great cause, but who exactly is donating based on the amount of time participants dedicate to solo time? [Huffington Post]

Fashion designer John Galliano says that he won’t be attending the Met Gala this year because there are too many stairs. OK… [NY Post]

Your smartphone may soon be able to give you all the tests you typically get at your annual physical. Anyone else find this a little unnerving? [AP]

photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

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New Guidelines Issued to Help Assault Victims

Posted on May 2, 2013 by admin

Huge news for victims of rape and sexual assault: The U.S. Department of Justice just released a new set of guidelines for how medical personnel should respond to assaults. The provisions, updated for the first time since 2004, give detailed advice on how to administer a sexual assault forensic exam (used by hospitals to provide medical care to the victim and collect evidence). The guidelines seek to address the latest research on the full psychological and physical consequences of sexual assault, as well as incorporate the latest advances in forensic science and medical care.

Keep in mind that these are just guidelines, though—hospitals don’t have to adopt them. But they do serve as an important reference for states, hospitals, and other facilities that help rape victims. “I do think it will be used to improve care, and people will look to it as a model,” says Barbara Sheaffer, medical advocacy coordinator for the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape. “I think there will be a lot of follow-through on it,” agrees Scott Berkowitz, president and founder of the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN).

So what are the major changes to the guidelines? Here’s what you need to know:

If you’re admitted to the hospital after being raped, your safety and wellbeing should take precedence over evidence collection. This is the biggest difference from the original guidelines established in 2004, which focused more on helping the justice department prosecute the perpetrator. This is a win-win for victims and law enforcement: Prioritizing the victim’s needs actually increases the odds that he or she will cooperate with police later. The hope is that a gentler, more victim-centric approach will make it easier to nab offenders and promote the healing of victims.

If you’re unsure whether you want to report the crime to police, you shouldn’t be pressured to do so. The new guidelines state that victims should call the shots about reporting, unless the victim is a minor (in which case many states are required to report the crime). No matter what you decide, you will be encouraged to have a forensic medical exam anyway. The exam will check you for injuries, provide protection against possible STDs and pregnancy, and collect evidence in case you choose to report the crime later.

During the exam, you should be offered emergency contraception to prevent pregnancy. It may sound like a no-brainer, but this is actually new advice: The 2004 guidelines were less explicit about telling hospitals to do this. If your health care provider has moral or religious objections to giving you the morning-after pill, he or she should at least tell you where you can get access to it ASAP. (Keep in mind: Plan B is most effective if taken within 120 hours of an assault.)

Use of alcohol or drugs should not mean that your assault is taken any less seriously. You know that rape is rape, regardless of whether you were drunk at the time, but it’s encouraging that it’s been added to the guidelines. Medical personnel should treat you with the same urgency and care, regardless of the circumstances surrounding your assault.

Hospitals should be sensitive to the unique needs of members of different groups. The new guidelines take care to describe the circumstances of certain populations so that hospital staff can better tailor their response to each victim—whether they’re older, disabled, American Indian or Alaska Native, or LGBT. “It’s acknowledging that violence cuts across all people, all groups,” says Shaeffer.

photo: Fuse/Thinkstock

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UPDATE: DOJ Appeals Emergency Contraception Ruling

Posted on May 2, 2013 by admin

If you were hoping (like the rest of us) that the morning after pill would be as accessible as condoms by now, you’ll have to wait a little longer. On May 1, the Department of Justice appealed the decision to make all forms of levonorgestral-based emergency contraception available over the counter for women of all ages. This happened just one day after the FDA approved Plan B One-Step for sale on store shelves to women 15 and older.

Back on April 5, we reported that Federal Judge Edward Korman ordered the FDA to make emergency contraceptives available over the counter—right next to the condoms and pregnancy tests—for women of all ages. The Department of Justice had 30 days to make an appeal, and they made it yesterday. Their argument: That the court did not have the authority to tell a federal agency like the FDA how they can treat a product, says Susannah Baruch, interim president and CEO of Reproductive Health Technologies Project. They asked Judge Korman for a stay, or a temporary suspension of the case. Whether or not he grants it, the DOJ can continue their appeal with the Second Circuit courts. The bottom line: It can take months for women of all ages to have complete, unburdened access to emergency contraception.

Luckily, this appeal does not affect the FDA’s recent approval to sell Plan B One-Step over the counter to women age 15 years and older (a more restricted version of what the federal judge asked for on April 5). This decision came on April 30, when the FDA approved a new application by Teva (Plan B One-Step’s manufacturer). The good news: This increases availability since you won’t have to search for an open pharmacy counter to get the pill, and it drops the age requirement down to 15. The bad news: It still means you’ll have to show a government-issued ID to a store clerk, which may be an issue for anyone without an ID or anyone who forgets it at home. Essentially, the age and point-of-sale restrictions are still there—they’re just tweaked a little. Plus, this only refers to Plan B One-Step, not the two-pill dose nor any of its generics.

You can expect to see Plan B One-Step out from behind the pharmacy counter (and available to women 15 and older) in the next few months, says Baruch. They are currently working on a new plastic packaging, which will make it easier to store on a shelf without worrying about theft or tampering. Since it is a very small and expensive product, it will likely contain an anti-theft device, placed behind an anti-theft covering, or stored behind the cashier, says Baruch. A store clerk will also require a government-issued ID at the time of purchase. While this is all super inconvenient, it’s still easier than searching for a 24-hour pharmacy counter.

“There is simply no medical justification for the FDA’s move this week or for the administration’s refusal to follow the court order to put Plan B on the shelves,” says Baruch. “There is only political interference in scientific decision-making, and we will continue to fight for full access to emergency contraception for every women—every woman without restrictions—when and where she needs it.”

In the meantime, keep checking back for the latest coverage of these proceedings.

photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

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Athens Java Hut

Serving Jittery Joe's Coffee, Cecilia Villaveces, Cakes and Italian Gelato

Author Archives: admin

The Worst Time to Grocery Shop

What Your Haircut Says About Your Melanoma Risk

Are You Getting Enough Vitamin E?

Get This: Sunless Tanner Innovations Unveiled

Heart Failure Set to Spike 46 Percent

How to Work Out When You Totally Don’t Want To

Task Force Recommends HIV Testing For Everyone

Get This: A Mediterranean Diet May Improve Memory

New Guidelines Issued to Help Assault Victims

UPDATE: DOJ Appeals Emergency Contraception Ruling