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With new rules, use of masks reaches a tipping point – Greenfield Daily Reporter

Posted on July 24, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

HANCOCK COUNTY Face coverings have joined phones, keys, purses and wallets among the things people now must grab before heading out the door.

Health and government officials for weeks have encouraged their use to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Starting this week, the biggest stores in Hancock County began requiring shoppers to don them before coming inside. Next week, a statewide order goes into effect mandating their use in many situations.

For those who havent obtained any masks yet, theyre available to purchase unlike early in the pandemic and are easily made. A search on Amazon Thursday afternoon for COVID-19 face mask turned up 1,000 suggestions.

Gov. Eric Holcomb on Thursday, July 23, signed an executive order calling on Hoosiers to wear masks in all indoor spaces starting on Monday, July 27. The order also applies to any outdoor space where distancing is impossible. Also on Thursday, Indianas attorney general, Curtis Hill, issued an advisory opinion suggesting Holcomb had overstepped his authority to issue the order, but that opinion doesnt block it from taking effect, The Associated Press reported.

The requirement, coming amid a rising number of infections statewide, is designed to blunt transmission of the novel coronavirus as Hoosiers interact more freely, Holcomb said. According to state figures, up to 40% of people who harbor the virus may have no symptoms and so may be unwittingly spreading it to others, prolonging the outbreak and putting more people vulnerable to serious illness at risk.

But what type of mask should people be wearing starting on Monday?

According to guidance posted by the Indiana State Department of Health, cloth, non-medical face coverings are appropriate for people interacting in public. Medical-quality face coverings, such as N95 respirators, are considered critical supplies that should be used only by health-care workers. Surgical masks, the guidance says, should be reserved for health-care workers and first-responders who are in close contact with patients.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says a cloth face covering may not protect the wearer, but it may keep them from spreading COVID-19 to others.

Masks should fit snugly; cover the bridge of the nose; and should tuck under the chin.

A face covering can take many forms. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a YouTube video called How to Make Your Own Face Covering. In it, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams walks through simple steps on how to make a covering by folding a scarf, bandanna, hand towel or T-shirt and using a couple rubber bands.

Hancock Health, meanwhile, recently donated more than 250,000 ear-loop face masks to the community.

Amanda Everidge, director of community health improvement for healthy365, an arm of Hancock Health that promotes healthy living, said the masks were donated to schools, cities and towns, local businesses, law enforcement, nonprofit organizations, churches, mental health providers and long-term care facilities.

Those in need of being connected to resources within the community throughout the COVID-19 pandemic are encouraged to reach out to the healthy365 Connection Center by calling 317-468-4231.

Meanwhile, This week, Walmart and Kohls, which have locations in Greenfield; and Meijer, which has stores in McCordsville and Cumberland, started requiring shoppers to wear masks. Kroger and Home Depot, which also have locations in Greenfield, started their shopper mask mandate on Wednesday.

Walmart has stationed heath ambassadors to remind those without masks of the new requirements and to work with those who dont have one.

Not far into the Greenfield store beyond its entrance stands a display of five-packs of washable masks selling for $7.50 each.

This week, signs outside the Walmart and Kroger stores reminded shoppers about the new requirements. Many shoppers were complying, judging from visits by a reporter.

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With new rules, use of masks reaches a tipping point - Greenfield Daily Reporter

Adequate nutrition is crucial to fight Covid-19: Assocham – The Indian Express

Posted on August 17, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

By: Lifestyle Desk | New Delhi | Published: August 17, 2020 2:10:54 pmMake sure you are eating healthy. (Source: Getty Images/Thinkstock)

Highlighting the need for inclusion of vitamins and minerals in our diet, the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), an apex trade association of India, in its second edition of the Illness to Wellness series stated that boosting ones immunity using local, traditional food is the first course of action to beat coronavirus, if contracted.

There are several foods which are rich in natural minerals and nutrients but we destroy their nutritional value in the course of our cooking and consumption practices. An example is wheat which in its original form is dalia. It has important minerals like phosphorus but in our strange wisdom we powder it into a refined maida which is nothing but starch and increases weight and risk of diabetes, said Dr Shikha Sharma, founder and managing director of Dr Shikhas NutriHealth, and one of the speakers at the event.

Listing food items like barley, chana, sattu, seeds pumpkin, sunflower, chia and flax along with others, she said that these can be included in diet for a nutrition boost across all age groups.

Anil Rajput, chairman, ASSOCHAM CSR Council, weighing in on the economic and personal effect of coronavirus, said, COVID-19 has had de-stabilising effect on almost all walks of life for almost five months now. Right now, from nations to societies to economies to health of individuals, it has been an extremely stressful period for all. It has forced on us an unprecedented situation. One has taken quite a bit of time for us to understand the magnitude and painful reality of how slow the recovery is likely to be. It is the individual who has been at the centre of all-round anxiety and insecurity be at economic or personal health front level.

The event themed Building immunity through nutritious food during COVID-19 saw experts speak on healthy living with focus on wellness and preventive health through healthy habits, diet, exercise, and holistic health.

Dr Sharma also enlisted several Ayurvedic herbs that can be used to boost immunity and create an all-rounded diet. Ashwagandha is a very powerful herb that can be given to both seniors and children. It builds the bodys immunity and reduces stress. Giloy purifies the blood and keeps the pH intact, she said. She further added tulsi and turmeric to the list.

Dismissing the need for a protein or carbohydrate rich diet, Dr Sharma stressed on the importance of a balanced diet with ample supply of essential fatty acids, protein and carbs found through local traditional grains, millets, pulses, dairy products and greens. She said, The beauty of Indian traditions during COVID times is that we need the support of this amazing knowledge of Indian Ayurveda and traditions to beat it.

ALSO READ | Explained: What is the impact of Covid-19 on the eating habits of older adults?

Nutrition educator and wellness consultant Sangeeta Narayan commented on mental health and importance of a proper diet. She said, Stress plays a very important part in mental health considering the current times. With everything changing, we have to be adaptive. The first and foremost thing is to have a proper six-eight hour sleep, plan your day in advance, doing all the chores can be overwhelming so allocate tasks for each day whether living with a family or alone. Add fruits or food items rich in vitamin C, they act as a stress buster and immunity booster. Having proper meals is important especially a nutritious and nourishing breakfast. Exercising plays a very important role in managing stress and keeping the mind clear.

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Adequate nutrition is crucial to fight Covid-19: Assocham - The Indian Express

8 Simple Ways to Improve Your Posture While You’re Working From Home – POPSUGAR

Posted on August 22, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

Regardless if you're a fan of working from home, it's the norm for many for the foreseeable future, and we've all started to adjust to new routines. That means sleeping in a few extra minutes because your commute is gone, only planning Zoom outfits from the waist up, and creating makeshift desks in whatever room has the fewest number of distractions. But unlike the ergonomically designed workspaces in an office, home workstations can be less-than-optimal for your posture.

"Poor posture creates excessive pressure and stress on your spinal joints and muscles, which leads to tension, fatigue, and pain," Wilson Wang, DC, a chiropractor in Seattle, told POPSUGAR. And because working from home blurs the line between work and living spaces, it's easier to work longer hours. "That is diminishing our opportunities for movement, which is healthy for our joints and muscles and relieves stress," Wang explained.

Added Nora St. John, MS, NCPT, education program director for Balanced Body: "For many of us, working from home may mean using a laptop on the dining room table or the couch, which often puts our body out of alignment for extended periods of time. This can lead to pain in the neck, shoulders, hips, or lower back."

If your back is feeling especially achy these days, there are ways to relieve some of that pressure and save yourself long-term discomfort. Ahead are eight ways to combat bad posture while working from home, all from the comfort of where else? your home.

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8 Simple Ways to Improve Your Posture While You're Working From Home - POPSUGAR

Give yourself a boost: 3 ways to keep the immune system in top shape – Las Vegas Sun

Posted on August 1, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

Boosting our immune system to help us fight disease and illness more effectively is crucial, pandemic or no. Eating healthy, along with exercising regularly and engaging in stress-relieving activities, are critical.

Through a balanced, varied diet, you can improve your immune system by consuming antioxidant-rich foods and phytochemicals, or chemical compounds of plant origin, explains Samantha M. Coogan, director of the Didactic Program in Nutrition and Dietetics at UNLV.

Coogan says that antioxidants fight off free radicals, which, according to MedicalNewsToday.com, are unstable atoms that can damage cells, which can lead to potential infection. When these cellular linings are broken or disrupted, foreign matter or waste products can potentially enter the cell and attack the organelles and cell as a whole, Coogan says, adding that such antioxidants as vitamins A, C and E, along with copper, selenium and zinc, are beneficial in helping to prevent these kinds of attacks on cells.

While people often turn to supplements to get antioxidants and vitamins, Coogan doesnt recommend them. Food first, she says, followed by supplements only if necessary.

Move for Health

Exercise is another important factor in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Working out directly affects your immune system because of the purposeful stress response you put onto the body, Coogan says, adding that when we work out, free radicals are produced.

But isnt that counterproductive?

So you want to boost your immune system, but youre not sure what to eat. Samantha M. Coogan, director of the Didactic Program in Nutrition and Dietetics at UNLV, has some recommendations. Next time youre at the grocery store, load up on the following:

red, orange and yellow produce

citrus fruits

berries

green, leafy vegetables

squashes

gourds

eggplant

garlic

onion

leeks

seafood

meat

eggs

milk

nuts

green tea

Coogan says the production of free radicals is a normal occurrence, and explains why nutrition before and after a workout is critical to help fight off those free radicals after your exercise session, and to help recover and repair the stressed and damaged muscle tissue.

Again, Coogan assures this is all completely normal, and even beneficial. The more we expose our bodies to that type of external stimulus, it requires the body to react every time, she says. Each time, it will adapt more quickly and readily.

Finding a safe way to exercise during the pandemic can present its difficulties, especially in the summer when living in the desert. Lifting weights at home, following a yoga instruction video on YouTube and hiking are just a few ways to incorporate activity into your daily routine.

Another advantage of exercise: its role in alleviating stress, which can wreak havoc on the immune system.

Neurotransmitters and stress hormones are released in direct response to external stimuli, whether it be physical stresslike exercise or physical traumaor mental and emotional stress, Coogan says. Cortisol tends to be one of the biggest culprits when it comes to stress, which also hinders weight management or loss, because cortisol increases fat around the organs, known as visceral fat. While other stress hormones like epinephrine and norepinephrine are responsible for the fight or flight response, cortisol is the main obstacle when it comes to weight maintenance and our stress response, Coogan says.

Exercise for the mind

People are more stressed now than ever before, but even during a pandemic, we can incorporate stress-relieving activities into our daily lives.

One way to reduce stressful responses: Give yourself something on which to focus. Stimulating your brain can help stave off stress, especially if you try something new, Coogan says, although she clarifies that doing something familiar can be just as effective.

Find something unrelated to work, school, the pandemic or whats going on around the world right now, and find something that brings you happiness and puts a smile on your face, Coogan says. The health expert recommends video games, a comforting TV show or movie, reading, meditation, puzzles, yoga, brain teasers, painting, adult coloring books, an instrument, knitting or learning a new skill.

Coogan says that during the pandemic, she picked up embroidery as a new hobby. Im so in love with it, she says. I am a very detail-oriented person, and getting lost in the intricacies of the patterns and the way the threads come together to form this beautiful work of art produces very happy hormones and brings me a lot of joy and satisfaction in the work Ive done. I can get lost in it for hours as I give all my attention to the detail of the pattern, with my favorite music playing or a comedy special on in the background.

Coogan says the activity doesnt have to be intricate or complicatedor produce anything. If it has a positive benefit to you, keep doing it, she says. If youve mastered that boss level 100 times, but each time you do it, it makes you feel good, then keep doing it. If sitting on the couch for nine hours straight binge-watching See with Jason Momoa brings you joy and fulfillment for that day, despite no productivity in the traditional sense, thats also OK, Coogan says, adding that she may or may not have done that herself.

Vegging out, she says, is still a way of taking control of stress. Just dont let yourself get lost in your own silence or your own head, Coogan says, warning that can trigger even more stress. Its all about moderation and finding healthy habits.

Make sure to switch up what youre doing, she saysand maybe dont binge-watch Netflix every single day.

For more information on micronutrients, Coogan suggests visiting the National Institutes of Healths nutrient recommendation page.

This story appeared in Las VegasWeekly.

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Give yourself a boost: 3 ways to keep the immune system in top shape - Las Vegas Sun

Healthy snacks, setting small goals best ways to lose the pandemic 15 weight gain – cleveland.com

Posted on August 2, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

CLEVELAND, Ohio We dont need fancy research studies to deliver the same message that comes across loud and clear when we try to wriggle into pre-COVID-19 jeans. As a country, weve put on weight. Call it the Pandemic 15.

When normal life was upended, we indulged in Netflix and chill, with the chill augmented by ice cream. Nightly glasses of wine were an antidote to a day of Zoom work meetings. We baked the sourdough bread, and we ate it with relish. With gyms closed, exercise seemed like even more of a chore than usual.

About 22% of adults said they had gained five to 10 pounds since stay-at-home orders went into place, according to a survey conducted by Grand Canyon University in Arizona. Risk factors for weight gain while sheltering in place were inadequate sleep, snacking after dinner, lack of dietary restraint, eating in response to stress, and reduced physical activity.

In times of major stress, people feel as if they have so much disruption in their lives no routine, kids home from school, working from home that they dont have the bandwidth to think about diet and exercise, said Gary Foster, chief science officer at WW, formerly known as Weight Watchers.

People werent thinking (the pandemic) would last this long, Foster said.

An Italian study found that obese people in northern Italy had significantly gained weight 1 month after the beginning of a lockdown. Lack of exercise, boredom, anxiety and depression, and consumption of unhealthy foods were correlated with significantly higher weight gains.

People prone to emotional eating did just that, even if they had established healthy habits before the pandemic, said Meghann Featherstun, clinical dietician and wellness coach at University Hospitals.

The lack of work or school schedules was a big factor in changing our eating patterns, said Emily Iammarino, a pediatric dietitian at MetroHealth Systems.

When youre home, that routine and schedule can really go out the window and its easy to find yourself eating meals at odd hours and snacking a lot in between, Iammarino said in an email. Youll be snacking on some pretzels while listening in on a Zoom conference and before you know it, the bag is empty.

Another big factor is the lack of physical activity, Iammarino said. At work, walking to your car, the bathroom, printer or water cooler, adds up over time, Iammarino said. Many people arent going shopping, out to eat, or to the gym as much as they used to, increasing the time spent just sitting at home.

Some people gained weight during the disruption. Others used their new daily routine to renew a commitment to a healthy goal, make more time for exercise and take control of their food intake, Featherstun said.

I have seen both ends of the spectrum, Featherstun said.

At UH, enrollment in a seven-week workplace health and wellness class for employees swelled recently, Featherstun said. More employees felt they had time to participate because they are working from home, she said.

The UH wellness program, which focuses on balanced meals, food behaviors and exercise, always had an online component, but was exclusively online starting in April, she said.

Other weight-loss support groups also offered online help to people struggling to maintain healthy habits despite the disruption in their lives.

When state-wide shutdowns occurred across the country, WW quickly changed its weekly meetings into virtual workshops, giving members a sense of community at a time when they couldnt be with family or friends, Foster said.

The pandemic can be an obstacle to health and wellness, or good time reimagine how your family eats and set new routines, Foster said.

Its an opportunity for a reboot, he said.

Here are idea about how to work towards a healthy lifestyle, from Foster, Iammarino and Featherstun:

Eat proper meals; dont graze all day. Hide the chips and place fruits and veggies in a prominent place in the refrigerator.

Think of one small change you can do today, such as eating breakfast, choosing healthy snacks or moving your home office further away from the kitchen.

Look for small wins. Whats important is progress, not perfection.

Set specific and reasonable goals. It might be walking for 15 minutes, or drinking a glass of water with meals.

Experiment with new healthy recipes. Make extra batches so that you have homecooked meals waiting and dont have to rely on fast food.

Switch up your exercise routine. If youve mostly been doing workouts in your living room, start going for walks, and vice versa.

Expect setbacks and dont let them derail you from your health and wellness goals. Just get back to your routine as soon as possible.

Practice self-compassion. Berating yourself for a slip-up calling yourself a lazy idiot with no willpower is not productive. Talk to yourself as you would a friend, by being honest by not harsh.

Expect to lose about 1-2 pounds a week. Slow and steady wins the race, Featherstun said.

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Healthy snacks, setting small goals best ways to lose the pandemic 15 weight gain - cleveland.com

Amway strengthens the health and fitness community; launches ‘Fit Hai to Hit Hai’ digital sessions – NewsPatrolling

Posted on July 30, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

Promotes healthy living, fitness, the importance of balanced diet and supplementation through these virtual sessions

Hisar: Keeping fitness at the forefront to encourage healthy living and embracing a healthy lifestyle, Amway India, one of the countrys leading direct selling FMCG companies, launched its first-ever virtual fitness series ,Fit Hai to Hit Hai. Supporting the Government of Indias initiative Fit India Movement, the leading wellness brand continues to promote and spread awareness around healthy living, fitness, the importance of balanced diet and supplementation through various engagement activities. The hour-long session received participation from over 2000 direct sellers and consumers.

Commenting on the initiative, Gursharan Cheema, Senior Vice President, North & South, Amway India, said, The ongoing pandemic has led to a shift in consumer behavior, with a rise in awareness and appreciation for healthy living and strong immunity, consumers are exploring newer ways to remain fit. As a leading health and wellness brand, we have been at the forefront of promoting healthy living through various activities. We believe fitness is a lifestyle choice and goes beyond just physical. It has led to people becoming more conscious and aware to ensure their overall wellbeing, which is a great shift. In collaboration with our direct sellers, specifically health enthusiasts, we are building communities, bringing people together to engage and exchange knowledge on healthy living, benefits of a balanced diet along with the bodys nutritional requirement for its proper functioning. In line with this, we have customized the Fit Hai to Hit Hai to build deeper engagement with our direct sellers and consumers. We are ecstatic to see an overwhelming response for both the sessions from our direct sellers and consumers, especially the youth direct sellers.

After the success of the first session with Apoorva Chikara, an Ultrathon Runner, we organized the second session of the series with an engaging dialogue with Capt. Dharamveer Singh, TEDx speaker, runner, mountaineer and fitness enthusiasts. During the session, Capt. Dharamveer Singh shared his fitness mantras and health tips with the participants. He emphasized on the importance of a balanced nutrition-rich diet and the role of supplementation in helping achieve a healthy living. He highlighted Amways Nutrilite range of dietary supplements make for a perfect choice to help optimally meet ones nutritional requirements for the proper functioning of the body.

The Fit Hai To Hit Hai series is aimed at fostering the spirit of community building among its direct sellers and bringing together likeminded individuals who share common passions. These communities act as an important tool to encourage Amway direct sellers to move beyond traditional ways of interaction and bond over shared interests using social media as one of the platforms. Embracing the wave of digitization, Amway has scaled up these initiatives by making them virtual and reaching a larger set of consumers.

Amways Nutrilite is the worlds No. 1 selling vitamins and dietary supplements brand with a strong legacy of more than 80 years in the plant-based approach to supplementation. The Nutrilite range of dietary supplements are specially created to help urban Indians, who want to stay healthy, but often, unknowingly miss out on their daily requirements of vital nutrients. The products being focused in these sessions are Nutrilite All Plant Protein, Nutrilite Traditional Herbs Range, Nutrilite Omega, Nutrilite Daily, Nutrilite Cal Mag D, amongst others.

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Amway strengthens the health and fitness community; launches 'Fit Hai to Hit Hai' digital sessions - NewsPatrolling

One 19th-century artist’s effort to grapple with tuberculosis resonates during COVID-19 – Reading Eagle

Posted on July 31, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

Elizabeth Lee, Dickinson College

(THE CONVERSATION) Like everyone else, artists have been challenged by new conditions and routines since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many have had to adjust what they make as well as how and where they work, coming up with innovative ways to be productive in makeshift studios with limited supplies and in relative isolation.

One thing is certain, though: In response to daily headlines of devastating illness, suffering and death, the need for creative expression and meaningful reflection on loss remains essential.

For the past several years, Ive been researching the impact of disease on late 19th-century American artists. At the time, medical science was ill-equipped to manage rising rates of communicable disease, leaving art to help fill a need to comprehend and process illness.

One of the artists featured in my forthcoming book on art and disease is the painter Abbott Thayer, whose life and work underwent dramatic change following the death of his wife from tuberculosis. For the grieving painter, art functioned as a kind of medicine.

A romantic disease

In the late 18th century, tuberculosis started to be tinged with romanticism; it was thought of as an illness that could lead to elevated consciousness, creative insight and intellectual acuity. The poet John Keats and the pianist Frdric Chopin both died young from tuberculosis, cementing its reputation as an affliction of artists.

An early biographer of Robert Louis Stevenson argued that tuberculosis enhanced the writers talent, and in a sculptural relief depicting Stevenson during a stay in New York City, Augustus Saint-Gaudens portrays the bohemian writer with long hair and a cigarette in hand, looking alert and productive, despite being propped up by a stack of pillows in bed. As one critic observed, the relief captured Stevensons picturesque unfitness, as though illness heightened his allure.

If the effects of the disease were poorly understood, so too was the way in which it spread.

For hundreds of years, the cause of disease was believed to be miasmas, or foul-smelling air. Eventually, in the 1880s, medical science realized invisible microorganisms were the source of contagion, and that germs could be quietly passed from person to person. Unlike miasmas, which could be identified through smell, germs moved undetected through crowded cities. They were everywhere.

Pure air and healthy living

By the time the wife of painter Abbott Thayer succumbed to the disease in 1891, germ theory was widely accepted and would have been familiar to the artist, who was the son of a physician and public health expert. Fearing his three young children would be next, he sought out a healthy environment a place with plenty of fresh air and surrounded by nature, where the family could eat nutritious meals, roam freely outdoors and get plenty of rest.

The Thayers werent the only family looking for therapeutic settings. The 1870s marked the start of the sanatorium movement, in which individuals who had tuberculosis, or thought they might, were able to steel themselves against the illness in medically supervised, open-air compounds often near the mountains, desert or the sea. At the time, tuberculosis was the cause of roughly one in seven deaths in the U.S.

The life Thayer created for him and his children in Dublin, New Hampshire, was modeled on this type of facility. Their home, at the base of Mount Monadnock, gave the family ample opportunities to be immersed in fresh mountain air, which was then thought to be the purest type of air.

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On a typical day, Thayer spent his morning painting and then climbed Monadnock or took long trail walks with his family. These outdoor activities encouraged the kind of deep breathing believed to free toxins from contaminated lungs.

The Thayers also slept outdoors in individualized lean-tos a three-sided shelter that allowed them to breathe fresh air throughout the night. Thayer also invented a breath catcher a device worn around the nose and mouth, not unlike the protective masks of today which prevented the bodys noxious exhalations from freezing onto bedding at night, according to the thinking of the time. He also wore a special kind of wool underwear marketed for its protective qualities against disease in a further attempt to avoid germs.

Angels of vigor

While Thayer was working to protect the health of his family, his art underwent a shift.

Early in his career, Thayer mostly painted landscapes and portraits. But following the illness of his wife Kate, Thayer turned his own children Mary, Gerald and Gladys into the primary subjects of his work.

In the first of these, Angel, he painted his eldest child Mary as a heavenly creature, whose pale, chalky skin underscored by her white robe and wings conveys a fragility evoking the effects of tuberculosis.

The painting brings together the contradiction of a healthy daughter and sickly mother, collapsing the promise of wholesome youth and the fear of bodily disintegration.

In A Virgin of 189293, Thayer depicted all three children standing outside. The clouds, which emerge from Marys shoulders as wings, allude to Thayers earlier depiction of her in Angel and thus to her role as a stand-in for his late wife.

Given the way in which Kates illness focused the familys attention on nature and health, it seems significant, too, that the children, shown barefoot and windswept, walk vigorously and purposefully. Their classical clothing pays tribute to the ancient Greeks, celebrated in Thayers time for their commitment to physical fitness and outdoor living.

Immersed in a therapeutic environment while perhaps on one of their treks up Monadnock, Thayers children embody the life their father embraced. They become models of healthy outdoor living in an era of contagious disease.

The image may look antiquated, but it resonates today.

Both tuberculosis and COVID-19 target the lungs. Symptoms for both diseases include shortness of breath and coughing. There was no effective way to treat tuberculosis until the development of streptomycin in the 1940s, so prevention and perseverance during Thayers time as with COVID-19 often involved good hygiene and healthy living. Like Mary, Gerald and Gladys, we are still taking walks in nature in an effort to escape the psychological and physical limitations of quarantine.

Today, filling our lungs with fresh air remains a reassuring sign of health just as it did more than a century ago.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/one-19th-century-artists-effort-to-grapple-with-tuberculosis-resonates-during-covid-19-142343.

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One 19th-century artist's effort to grapple with tuberculosis resonates during COVID-19 - Reading Eagle

8 Nutritionists of Color Bringing Healthy Food to All – Healthline

Posted on July 30, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

People of color need to see others who look like them, eating, being well, and thriving.

My new favorite vegetable is kale. As of late, I like it sauted in garlic and olive oil and topped with chicken, salmon, or shrimp.

If Im being fancy, Ill add some chopped nuts and craisins to make what my 5-year-old calls warm salad.

This is just one way I up the nutrition in my eclectic diet. It also includes green smoothies, baked macaroni and cheese, ice cream, cake, and pralines. I call it balance.

When Im looking for more inspiration, I check in with the experts.

The eight dietitians and nutritionists below know the ins and outs of how to eat for optimum health while embracing the foods we love, the foods we think we hate, the foods we crave, and the foods we refuse to let go of.

Maya Feller is a registered and certified dietitian residing in Brooklyn, New York. She received her Master of Science degree and came to nutrition as a second career to help people of color care for themselves.

Feller believes theres no one-size-fits-all recommendation for entire groups of people regarding nutrition and that representation of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) matters in the health and wellness world.

We cannot talk about nutrition [and] our health without having diverse voices in many positions, the same way we cannot have conversations about womens health from a public health perspective without having women in decision-making positions, says Feller.

Feller believes representation in nutrition should extend beyond racial and ethnic groups.

We need to have discussions about Black trans lives in wellness. We need to make space for Black LGBTQIA+ leaderswe need to see representations of different types of Black familieswe need to talk about weight bias and stigmaand the fear of the Black body, she says.

In her work, Feller is breaking down the stigmas people of color face around nutrition and disease. To do that, she recommends that any nutrition plan be individualized, personal, and supportive of a persons overall health.

An Oklahoma native who now lives in Washington, D.C., Tambra Raye Stevenson said she became interested in nutrition after watching many family members die from diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.

The founder of NATIVSOL Kitchen, Stevenson, who has a bachelors in nutritional science and a masters of public health, is a self-proclaimed food freedom fighter. She believes racism is baked into the public health system from the farm to healthcare and needs to be disrupted.

The system is intentionally designed to create nutricide in our communities, meaning death by fork, she says.

This includes food deserts and lack of nutrition access in Black communities.

Stevenson advocates for people of color, especially Black people, to return to their food roots by eating more beans and greens.

Stevenson also created Women Advancing Nutrition, Dietetics, and Agriculture (WANDA) to inspire women and girls to become the food heroes in our communities on the frontline of [the] food fight.

Jessica Jones has been working as a nutritionist for more than 10 years. She pens an official health column for SELF magazine and was recently named a member of the Bay Area Dietetic Association.

She has a passion for helping people from diverse backgrounds transform the way they eat and make peace with the food they love.

Jones doesnt focus on weight. Instead, she wants people to know that they can pursue health at any size. With an all foods fit approach, Jones makes sure her clients dont have to worry about being judged for their choices or their habits.

Wendy Lopez is a registered dietitian who focuses on providing nutritional counseling and diabetes management to clients in a clinical setting.

Lopez co-founded the healthy living website and podcast Food Heaven and co-authored 28-Day Plant-Powered Health Reboot, a guide to plant-based eating, with Jessica Jones.

Alicia C. Simpson is a registered dietitian based in Atlanta. She came to the nutrition field after working in pharmaceutical sales and noticing how many people of color depend on prescription medication to live.

She realized there was a better way.

I made the decision that my life and the community would be better served learning how to preventchronic health conditions rather than continuing the cycle of normalizing medication over lifestyle changes, Simpson says.

In her work with PeaPod Nutrition, she brings much-needed inclusivity and representation to the nutrition and wellness space.

Simpson wants to break down the myth that healthy food is not delicious food and that people have to accept having diabetes and other chronic diseases as inevitable.

Growing older does not mean growing sicker. You have the power to change your quality of life [with] every single meal you eat and every single step you take, says Simpson.

Aja Gyimah is a registered dietitian in Toronto, Canada. As the founder of Compete Nutrition, Gyimah specializes in using nutrition to improve athletic performance.

She says she wants to broaden the all foods fit message to include healthy and traditional foods from cultures of color.

Right now the image of healthy eating doesnt include many traditional foods of BIPOC cultures, leaving us feeling that we need to ditch our foods in order to be healthy when this is not the case, says Gyimah.

According to Gyimah, eating more fruits and veggies even the canned or frozen kind along with drinking water and eating less processed foods can make a big difference in a persons overall health and wellness.

Gyimah believes you dont have to throw away all the foods you love.

Its not what you eat thats important, its more about figuring out how all of the foods you eat can fit into a healthy diet, she says.

Marisa Moore is an Atlanta-based registered dietitian. As an integrative and culinary dietitian, she believes in meeting clients where theyre at.

Moores emphasis is on focusing on what can be added to a plate to make it healthy and nutritious instead of what should be taken away.

Giving up your cultural foods is not a prerequisite for health, she says.

Moore also advocates for Black people to embrace their traditional foods, such as greens, okra, sweet potatoes, and black-eyed peas. She believes representation is essential in the health and wellness space.

Its important for people of color to see people in the wellness space who look like them, eating, being well, and thriving, Moore says. Theres comfort in knowing that the person in front of you gets it!

For Moore, getting it has led her to want to help people pursue wellness and prevent chronic disease with delicious food in a realistic way.

Vanessa Rissetto is a registered dietitian. She currently serves as the dietetic internship director at the NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development. She was formerly the senior dietitian at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York.

Rissetto doesnt believe in quick-fix reset diets. On her Instagram, she advocates for full-fat foods, no processed meat, balance, drinking lots of water, and getting sleep.

She is the co-founder of Culina Health with Tamar Samuels, also a registered dietitian.

All of Culina Healths practitioners are trained in cultural competence as well as cultural humility. For Samuels, this means helping people enjoy the foods they love while directing them to achieve their goals around food and nutrition.

All people need and deserve to see themselves and their cultural food represented. These experts are taking big steps toward making that a reality for people of color.

The movement toward health can be specific, like a plant-based approach, or more of an all foods fit formula.

These dietitians and nutritionists know that what you eat fuels your body, and they can help you figure out the ideal fuel for you.

Nikesha Elise Williams is a two-time Emmy awardwinning news producer and author. Nikeshas debut novel, Four Women, was awarded the 2018 Florida Authors and Publishers Association Presidents Award in the category of Adult Contemporary/Literary Fiction. Four Women was also recognized by the National Association of Black Journalists as an Outstanding Literary Work. Her latest novel, Beyond Bourbon Street, will be released August 29, 2020.

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8 Nutritionists of Color Bringing Healthy Food to All - Healthline

Combating Age-Related Arthritis In Pets – longislandweekly.com

Posted on July 30, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

Most experts agree that pets are living longer than they ever have before. This happy news is likely a result of improved veterinary care and dietary habits. In fact, 50 percent of the approximately 80 million dogs in this country are older than the age of 7 that is roughly 40 million dogs that are considered senior or geriatric dogs in the United States.

With this pet population living longer, geriatric dogs, along with their owners and veterinarians, are faced with a whole new set of age-related conditions. As dogs age they are faced with similar issues that humans face, such as muscle loss, arthritis and orthopedic issues or injuries. If your dog is starting to avoid active playing or running or if he has trouble with daily activities such as jumping up on a favorite chair or into the family car, he may have age-related illnesses such as arthritis.

With more than 25 years of experience, renowned veterinarian Dr. Albert Ahn, Veterinary Consultant with MYOS Pets, has tips on how to keep our aging dogs healthy.

The sooner you notice potentially negative changes, the sooner you can take action to provide proper care, Ahn said. Being proactive in this way could make a huge difference when it comes to combating arthritis and reducing any associated suffering.

A.About 60 percent of all dogs over the age of seven end up suffering from arthritis (although it can appear at any age), so it is a very common issue. Larger dog breeds and obese dogs are especially at risk of developing it.

A.Common signs to look out for include the following: difficulty getting up, moving around, and climbing stairs, disinterest in walking or playing, increased lethargy, decreased pep, dwindling muscle mass, weight gain (often a result of becoming more sedentary due to pain), limping, mood issues and yelping when held or touched.

A.Dog owners can help prevent arthritis in their dogs by feeding them a nutritionally complete diet, ensuring they are getting enough exercise (particularly low-impact exercise that doesnt put strain on the joints), using supplements that promote joint and muscle health and keeping up to date with vet checkups.

A.Diet certainly does play a role. Obese dogs are at higher risk for arthritis since the joints are constantly stressed by the excess weight. Therefore, starting a dog on a nutritionally-smart diet from an early age can be a solid tool for prevention. For the same reason, a diet focused on weight loss is also helpful for treatment less strain from weight will lead to less pain and inflammation of the joints, which can help halt arthritic progression.

A.Depending on the severity of the arthritis, surgery might be recommended by a veterinarian. However, its more common to be given a treatment plan that will help minimize the pain, reduce inflammation and rebuild the muscle. Supplements will be extremely beneficial here. Anti-inflammatory ones such as CBD oil, fish oil, glucosamine and even curcumin can help alleviate pain. A natural supplement such as Fortetropin can be used to build the muscle back up and reduce any further atrophy from occurring, thus supporting the joints and ligaments. Muscle health should always be prioritized throughout the treatment protocol as it is needed for mobility and vitality. Diet, hydrotherapy and acupuncture can also be great additions.

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Healthy Living: Right tools for the job | News | dailyindependent.com – The Independent

Posted on July 28, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

Regardless of how it might seem at times, life is not a static existence. Change is the one constant we all experience throughout the stages of life.

Our bodies grow and age, and as we progress, we learn new skills and gain new abilities such as speech and mobility. We learn to do things either through necessity or intent, and our bodies and minds respond based on the demands we place upon them. Some of these things have short- or long-term benefits both mentally and physically, whereas others result in negative effects.

Apart from what we consciously or even subconsciously do, our bodies themselves have a certain degree of programming, so to speak. The human heart is programmed to beat, to pump and return blood throughout our circulatory system, without any deliberate effort on our part. Lungs will expand and draw in oxygen, food is digested, and there is a steady undercurrent of communication between our brains and the rest of our body to which we are blissfully unaware.

Something so simple as sweating, or our bodys reaction to temperature, arent things we need to or can control. Our skin even quietly replaces itself about every seven years and we dont consciously notice the process.

But all of these things are interconnected and interdependent. Simply put, what we are doing directly impacts the effectiveness of our bodys programming, and our bodys programming directly affects what we are able to do, or at least our predisposition toward the ease or difficulty of certain things. When speaking of health our health it is important to understand at least the basics of how both our active and passive bodies operate and interact with each other. A good place to begin is the understanding that rather than needing to build ourselves from scratch, so to speak, our focus should be more on maintenance or improvement.

When we consider health from the perspective of maintenance or improvement, the concept becomes much easier to manage. But maintenance requires a wide variety of tools, some of which are crucial in our earliest years, and some that change over time. Some of us will be fortunate enough to need fewer tools to manage our health and some might need a good deal more. Some might even require certain specialized tools to maintain their level of good health, but all of us will need at least a few of the basic ones.

At birth, the most crucial tools in our toolboxes are our parents. They see to our external needs while our infant bodies begin operating on programming. Parents ideally either have or can learn the basic skills required to care for an infant and help it grow toward maturity. Parents (or primary caregivers) have access to the resources that will not only help their young charges grow, but also prevent early physical and/or emotional damage which impedes or damages that growth. As we age, we develop the ability through learning to add personal tools to our toolbox. Experience, research, or simply trial and error can provide valuable insight to maintaining our personal health.

Beyond their guardianship, parents and their parents, and so on, provide crucial insights to future health issues. Many things (both positive and negative) are hereditary. A family health history can help us avoid certain things that have caused health problems in our families, or at least alert us to the need of be vigilant against the occurrence of those things. Knowledge of a family history of diabetes, even if the occurrence skipped a generation, could possibly allow for lifestyle changes to prevent it or lessen its effects.

Research can be a powerful tool in maintaining good health. In the information age, there is a staggering amount of information available about even rare health conditions. All one needs to do is open a web browser and type in whatever concern they might have. Although valuable, the difficulty here is that not all information presented in this format is accurate; some are extremely inaccurate and simply a vehicle to sell cures that are ineffective or even dangerous. Most information that comes from a major hospital or accredited organization is a good starting point, however.

Obviously, the most effective tool we can keep in our health toolbox is our local health provider. Health providers such as doctors, nurses and other health professionals have both the credentials and vested interest in helping us maintain our health. An added bonus is health care providers also have the knowledge to help us better use the other tools at our disposal. Telling a health care provider our family health history, for instance, allows them to better improve our health and possibly prevent future problems.

It is essential to use all the tools at our disposal properly, and to maximum effect. A jackhammer is seldom needed to plant a flower, after all, nor would a screwdriver be ideal to remove a nail. But unfortunately, in an era of misinformation and unqualified advice, maintaining our health has become much more confusing than it ever should be.

This section is dedicated to healthy living, and to that end if you have a question about a medical condition or health concern, email us at cromans@dailyindependent.com and we will provide you with the best possible answers from dependable sources. And if you are a dependable source providing health care and would like to offer information on a problem you believe needs addressed for public benefit, please email us as well.

Our goal is a healthy community, and we can get there together.

We are making critical coverage of the coronavirus available for free. Please consider subscribing so we can continue to bring you the latest news and information on this developing story.

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Healthy Living: Right tools for the job | News | dailyindependent.com - The Independent

Be a dragon and run 5k with summer health challenges – Keighley News

Posted on July 29, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

KEIGHLEY people have been set a series of healthy challenges this summer.

Keighley Healthy Living has come up with the challenges to encourage residents to try something new each week that will improve their physical or mental health

The first week is Lets Get Skipping based on the charity's ongoing skipping campaign with people asked to complete either one minute, three minutes or seven minutes of skipping each day.

Week two is entitled "Dragon breath", encouraging people to breathe well, and this will be followed by One more fruit and veg, Write down the good things, Couch to 5K, and Bird spotting.

For further information, visit khl.org.uk, follow Keighley Healthy Living on Facebook or Twitter, or use the hashtag #keighleysummerchallenges.

Keighley Healthy Living is giving away free skipping ropes. Email admin@khl.org.uk or call 01535 677177 to get yours.

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MiraBurst, the world’s largest producer of miracle berry products, is dedicated to helping people reduce their intake of added sugars and sweeteners…

Posted on July 24, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

MiraBurst-Freeze-Dried-Miracle-Berries

Explore MiraBurstA healthy way to transform the taste of sour and acidic foods and drinks into something delectably sweet! Experience the sweet sensation with MiraBurst products and sweeten up your life while giving your health a boost with its many health benefits!

New York , July 23, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Miracle Berry: The Superfruit Every Diabetic Should Know About

MiraBurst Products and its Benefits

Consuming miracle berries is beneficial for ones health because the miracle berry is a superfruit, meaning it holds a robust nutritional value. The miracle berry is an all-natural, non-GMO fruit. It is the only fruit on the planet that has both taste-enhancing properties and several health benefits. As a taste enhancing berry, it allows for easy incorporation of healthy fruits, low sugar or sugar-free desserts as well as healthy smoothies and drinks into ones diet.

As a superfruit, themiracle fruitcontains antioxidants (polyphenols which consist of flavonoids and phenolics, vitamins A, C, E and others), essential amino acids, micronutrients and other phytonutrients. These phytonutrients are essential for healthy living. The phytonutrients work together to help manage blood sugar levels and help support the bodys natural immune system response. As a superfruit and a taste-modifier, miracle berries are a gamechanger for diabetics, pre-diabetics, as well as people looking to manage their weight.

Miracle berries are highly perishable fruits. In order to prolong the shelf life of the berries they have been converted into fast dissolving tablets without any additives or preservatives. This will allow consumers to recreate the same experience as eating the actual non-GMO and organic miracle berries. These tablets dissolve on the tongue and immediately create a unique taste-modifying experience. Consumers should allow the tablet to dissolve on the tongue for about 2-3 minutes to allow the active substance (miraculin) to properly activate the sweet receptors on the tongue before consuming the sour and acidic foods, fruits or drinks. The taste-modifying effect will last for up to 60 minutes after the tablet has fully dissolved on the tongue.

MiraBurst currently sells taste-enhancing miracle berry tablets that are fast-dissolving, have no additives or preservatives, and are made from 100% pure miracle berry powder. All MiraBurst miracle berries are grown under the most natural and organic environment in Ghana and cultivated by Fair Trade farmers. MiraBurst is the industry-leading source for all-natural, non-GMO, organic and pure miracle berry products.

Who Can Benefit from Miracle Berries?

MiraBurst miracle berry tablets are a gamechanger for everyone. MiraBurst tablets are perfect for parents looking to help their children prevent tooth decay due to sugary diets. Health-conscious eaters and people looking to lose weight can use these tablets to enjoy healthy fruits and fruit salads, foods, and smoothies and drinks in their diet while satisfying their sweet tooth. Chemotherapy patients can benefit from the berrys taste-enhancing properties because it can temporarily help mask chemotherapy-associated metallic taste.

MiraBurst is particularly beneficial for diabetics and borderline diabetics. MiraBurst can help diabetics and pre-diabetics improve their bodys sensitivity to their own insulin and manage blood sugar levels. Diabetes is a chronic disease that comes in four forms: Type 1, Type 2, Pre-Diabetes, and Gestational Diabetes. All types of diabetes result in high blood sugar levels. MiraBurst helps in the management of all types of diabetes and prediabetes.

MiraBurst pairs well with several diabetic superfoods recommended by the American Diabetes Association, such as unsweetened Greek yogurt, blueberries and other berries, grapefruit, and citrus fruits. MiraBurst miracle berries can make an unsweetened Greek yogurt parfait taste like ice cream. Fruit smoothies and green smoothies with lemon can taste sweet and even more delicious. Miracle berry can even make lemon water or apple cider vinegar with lemon water taste like a sugar-free lemonade, which is beneficial for diabetics since apple cider vinegar has been shown in clinical to improve the bodys sensitivity to insulin whilst lemon water help prevent blood sugar spikes after meals.

With regular use of MiraBurst tablets and an adoption of a low sugar diet as well as consumption of healthy fruits recommended by the American Diabetes Association, diabetics and borderline diabetics can manage their blood sugar levels and improve their overall health. Miracle berries can serve as diabetics trusted sidekick by helping reduce their sugar intake for all types of diabetics.

MiraBurst connects people affected by diabetes everywhere to an innovative means of reducing the added sugar in their daily diet. To learn more about MiraBurst and to try the miracle berry products yourself, visitwww.miraburst.comtoday!

About MiraBurst

MiraBurst was founded in 2014 by Dr. Emmanuel Asare with a mission to use the miracle berry to help solve the global problem of excessive sugar consumption and sugar addiction. Founded in response to the rise of diabetes and pre-diabetes (borderline diabetes), MiraBurst is dedicated to introducing consumers to the miracle berry to help cut down on consumption of sugar and sweeteners without sacrificing sweet taste.

Themiracle berry, known as the miracle fruit or Synsepalum dulcificum, is native to Ghana, West Africa. This superfruit has the ability to modify the taste of sour and acidic foods, fruits and drinks to sweet tasting without any added sugar or sweetener. This is due to the active substance in the pulp of the berry a glycoprotein called miraculin. Miraculin has a unique effect on the taste buds by supercharging the sweet receptors on the tongue. These taste-altering properties can make sour and acidic drinks, like lemon water with apple cider vinegar taste like a sugar-free lemonade.

Try it. Love it. Share it.#TasteTheSweetSensationFollow us on instagram@MiraBurst

Christina Asare

(516) 597-5259

420 Jericho Turnpike,Suite 328Jericho, NY 11753

Phone: (516)597-5259

Address: MiraBurst

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Swimming is a great aerobic exercise that also promotes toning – Kingsport Times News

Posted on July 24, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

If your goals are endurance, improved mood, injury recovery, joint health, or upper-body strength, this is a must read.

According to Health Real Wellness magazine, about 40% of adults in the U.S. cant swim. If that number includes you, the Kingsport Aquatic Center offers lessons for adults and children.

Swimming is a great aerobic exercise thats also good for toning. This is because even the parts of your body that arent actively moving are supporting you against the resistance of the water.

Swimming is an excellent all-around activity because it:

Keeps your heart rate up but takes some of the impact stress off your body

Helps maintain a healthy weight, healthy heart and healthy lungs

Tones muscles and builds strength

Builds endurance, muscle strength, and cardiovascular fitness

The concepts of swimming and water activities have evolved greatly since the first written document on swimming by Nikolaus Wynmann in 1538, The Swimmer, or A Dialogue on the Art of Swimming and Joyful and Pleasant to Read.

At its inception, swimming was understood simply as moving in water first, in order to survive and then to compete. Today, the term clearly connotes swimming sports, and as such can be defined as an activity in which a person practices a regulated Olympic sport in order to move as fast as possible through the water thanks to the propulsive forces generated by arm, leg, and body movements overcoming the resistance the water presents to progress.

Swimming was part of the first modern Olympic games in 1896 in Athens. The skills of swimming have been adapted to different contexts and participants. The result is that there is now a great diversity of additional water activities: aquatic Olympic sports (water polo, diving, and synchronized swimming), non-Olympic sports and leisure activities.

The term aquatic activities covers all these plus swimming, and can be defined as motor activities performed in water for purposes that may be utilitarian, competitive, educational, therapeutic or recreational.

Detra Cleven, a master swimmer, said, I began swimming at a young age. My father wasnt into the tea parties or dolls, so he took me to the swimming pool after he got off work. I loved to splash around. However, I took some time off after college. I dabbled in the water, expanding to water aerobics, water walking, and general lap swimming. As my family, career, life happened, I would leave the water for a while and then find my way back.

Detra took swim lessons and loved it enough to start her competitive swimming journey at the age of 8 through high school and college. To this day, she still swims competitively with the Kingsport Aquatic Center Master Viperfish Team.

The downside to using swimming as an exercise is that finding space can be hard, but with the Kingsport Aquatic Center, the availability is more open in our area.

Detra expressed that she found swimming to be a place for her. With swimming being an individual sport with a team component, she loves the time to think, improve, and work on HERSELF. For Detra, swimming is both a mental and physical work in progress.

With Detras hard work and dedication, she competed in swim in the Tennessee and North Carolina area and eventually in the National Swim Meets across the U.S. This allowed her to meet and become friends with more people who love the water.

I have had success with Masters Swimming competitions, including being the national champion in the 50 butterfly and 200 individual medley.

I am also international masters champion in the 100 breaststroke, Detra added.

With that being said, Healthy Kingsport would like to ask you this question: If your doctor gave you a prescription that said it would improve your mood, improve energy, keep you mentally sharp, help you manage weight, reduce your risk of disease and injury, extend your life span, and cost little to nothing, youd probably say, Say what?

Healthy Kingsport would say, a prescription is immediately available and you dont need a doctor to write it for you. Its swimming!

Exercise Almanac is not finished. Next weeks article will discuss HIIT (high-intensity interval training): the benefits/downside and the good-to-knows.

Healthy Kingsport is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a community that actively embraces healthy living by promoting wellness, enhancing infrastructure and influencing policy. Aiesha Banks is the executive director of Healthy Kingsport. She can be reached at [emailprotected].

Avoid These Foods And Drinks To Reduce Your Risk Of Kidney Stones – Doctor NDTV

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

Kidney stones can cause severe pain and discomfort. Several diet modifications can help in controlling the risk of kidney stones. Here are some foods you must avoid.

Drinking enough water can help control kidney stone risk

Kidney stones are hard deposits that can cause severe pain. These stones originate in the kidneys or urinary tract. This condition causes severe pain at one side of the lower back. There are several causes behind the deposition of kidney stones. Not drinking enough water, consuming too much salt and sem health conditions may lead to kidney stones. Diet plays an important role in controlling and preventing kidney stones. Several foods can help in preventing the condition while others can increase the risk. You need to follow all necessary precautions that can help you control your risk. Here are some foods you need to avoid.

Too much salt intake is linked with a higher risk of kidney stone formation. It is also one of the risk factors for this condition. Salt promotes calcium build up in urine. You should avoid foods loaded with salt. Also, skip adding extra salt to foods. Limiting processed foods is also beneficial as these are loaded with salt and sugar.

High sodium intake can increase the risk of kidney stonesPhoto Credit: iStock

Some sources of protein especially animal protein increase the amount of uric acid you produce. Someone at a higher risk of kidney stones can choose alternates from plant-based sources like chia seeds, quinoa, tofu, cottage cheese and nuts.

Also read:6 Home Remedies That Work Like Magic To Get Rid Of Kidney Stones

Consume oxalate in moderation. Foods high in oxalate trigger the formation of kidney stones. But before eliminating oxalate completely from your diet, you must consult an expert.

Also read: All you need to know about kidney stones

Carbonated drinks are linked to several health issues. These are loaded with sugar with low or no nutrients. These are also harmful to your kidneys.

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Drinking enough water is the ultimate tip to keep your kidneys healthy. Enough water intake helps you flush out toxins and reduce the risks of kidney stones significantly.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.

DoctorNDTV is the one stop site for all your health needs providing the most credible health information, health news and tips with expert advice on healthy living, diet plans, informative videos etc. You can get the most relevant and accurate info you need about health problems like diabetes, cancer, pregnancy, HIV and AIDS, weight loss and many other lifestyle diseases. We have a panel of over 350 experts who help us develop content by giving their valuable inputs and bringing to us the latest in the world of healthcare.

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How to Improve Gut Health – LIVESTRONG.COM

Posted on July 24, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

Getting in a workout can help boost the beneficial bacteria in your gut.

Image Credit: PeopleImages/E+/GettyImages

The trillions of bacteria in your gut play vital roles in keeping your body and mind healthy and functioning properly.

But certain foods or lifestyle changes can cause gut problems and even lead to health issues. Here are 12 ways to improve gut health.

1. Aim for Diet Diversity

In a healthy person, the microbiome the bacterial environment in the GI tract is characterized by a very wide variety of gut bacteria (known as microbiota), according to a March 2016 article in Molecular Metabolism. In other words, the greater diversity of bacteria species, the better chance they'll contribute to certain health benefits. A decrease in the number of species, on the other hand, may lead to illness.

In order to get richness of microbiota species, you need richness in dietary choices. The more diverse your day-to-day menu is, the easier it will be for your microbiome to adapt to some curve balls you throw at it. Keep in mind that whole foods are the best options.

Speaking of adding some healthy foods to your menu, try going more plant-based your gut will thank you.

People following a vegan or vegetarian diet have a different gut microbiota than omnivores, per an October-December 2018 review in Tzu-Chi Medical Journal, possibly because vegan diets may deliver more fiber. When you up the fiber through plants, you're increasing the growth of more beneficial bacteria that provide anti-pathogenic and anti-inflammatory effects, as well as cardiovascular protection.

A plant-based diet is an effective way to not only support your gut microbiome, but also to maintain overall optimal health.

"Try adding some more chicory root, leeks, cabbage, chickpeas, lentils and beans to your diet because they are super high-fiber foods that also serve as prebiotics, which promote good bacteria in your gut," says Jenny Champion, RD, CPT.

3. Up Fermented Foods and Probiotics

Fermented foods are quite buzzy lately, and for good reason. These foods help strengthen your gut microbiome, according to Harvard Health Publishing. Using a tried-and-true method, fermented foods are preserved not only for a longer shelf life, but to boost nutritional value, too probiotics included.

Probiotics are specific strains of bacteria that add to the population of beneficial microbes in the gut, per the Mayo Clinic. If you see the words "naturally fermented" on food labels, you've found another gut-friendly food.

4. Dont Forget About Prebiotics

Many vegetables, whole grains and legumes contain prebiotics, which help the probiotics (aka good bacteria) flourish.

Image Credit: Sam Barnes/Moment/GettyImages

Another way to maintain a healthy balance of gut bacteria is by helping the beneficial microbes that are already in your microbiome to grow.

Enter prebiotics, plant fibers that act like fertilizers to stimulate growth, according to the International Food Council Foundation. You can find prebiotics in high-fiber fruits, veggies, whole grains and legumes, i.e. whole foods containing complex carbs. Since your body can't fully digest those carbs, they become food for your gut bacteria.

5. Avoid Sugar Substitutes

Sure, artificial sweeteners can be an easy way to save some calories when battling the scale, but your gut can take a beating if you have too much. Not only do they cause gas and diarrhea, but sugar substitutes can increase blood sugar and weaken insulin response by changing the composition of gut microbiota, according to a January 2019 article in Advances in Nutrition.

"If you're trying to kick that artificial sweetener habit, snack on more fresh fruit," Champion says. "It's always a safe bet when you need a sweet treat that's also good for you."

6. Have All the Polyphenols

Dietary polyphenols are substances found in plants that help feed those beneficial gut microbes.

Coffee, tea, red wine, chocolate, fruits and vegetables are great ways to give your gut nice doses of polyphenols, per a February 2019 article in Food and Function.

"Most polyphenols are not absorbed in the small intestine or upper GI tract, and go down to the large intestine where they are broken down by bacteria," gastroenterologist Jacqueline Wolf, MD, tells LIVESTRONG.com.

The products created as bacteria break down polyphenols may potentially have an effect on depression and other health conditions, she says. "There are studies showing that polyphenols can protect against chronic diseases such as cancers and cardiovascular diseases and have an impact on obesity."

7. Practice Good Oral Hygiene

The bacteria living in your mouth can migrate to your gut, altering your microbiome.

Image Credit: nortonrsx/iStock/GettyImages

Just like your gut, there are tons of bacteria living in your mouth. Oral bacteria involved in chronic gum infections can move down to the gut and alter the microbiota there, where they may play a role in certain metabolic disorders as well as some cancers, according to a March 2019 article in the Journal of Microbiology.

So, brush your teeth twice a day, floss, visit your dentist for cleanings and voice any concerns about your oral health: You'll be keeping more than your mouth healthy by doing so.

Getting more sleep is a on a lot of people's to-do lists, and for good reason. Yes, you're more alert and perform better with an adequate night's rest. But health problems can arise when you're not getting enough and can even possibly affect your gut, according to the Gastrointestinal Society.

"There's evidence from studies in irritable bowel syndrome that poor sleep is associated with increased abdominal pain the next day. This is supported by research in chronic pain, which suggests that sleep deprivation increases sensitivity to painful stimuli," says GI health psychologist Sarah Ballou, PhD.

"The activity of the digestive system depends on circadian cues so that, in general, the digestive system is less active at night," Ballou says. That means that when your circadian rhythm gets out of whack, it could lead to increased GI symptoms, she adds.

It's a well-known fact that exercise does wonders for you mentally and physically. And recent studies show its effects can even reach the tiny bacteria in your gut.

Working out can boost your amount of beneficial gut bacteria species, enrich your microbiota diversity and help in the development of new bacteria, according to a March 2017 article in Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity. Exercising seems to be particularly beneficial for bacteria that can contribute to reducing weight and easing some GI and metabolic disorders.

Aim for 150 minutes of moderate activity each week, per the Mayo Clinic.

10. Go Easy on the Drinks

Too much alcohol could cause an imbalance of bacteria within your gut, which can lead to unpleasant GI symptoms.

Image Credit: Alexey Dulin / EyeEm/EyeEm/GettyImages

Having a drink here and there is perfectly OK, but when "here and there" turns into "one too many" pretty often, you can cause chaos in your gut.

Alcohol promotes dysbiosis (when environmental factors disrupts bacterial imbalance) and bacterial overgrowth, which can lead to inflammation, per a 2017 article in Alcohol Research Current Reviews. Cancers, liver disease and neurological pathologies may also be aggravated.

"Alcohol (particularly red wine) in moderation can actually be good for gut health, but of course too much of a good thing isn't necessarily better," Champion says. "Excessive booze-drinking can cause gut inflammation, reduce healthy bacteria while increasing harmful bacteria and cause chronic bloating and constipation."

11. Avoid Unnecessary Antibiotics

Sometimes prescription antibiotics are warranted in order to kill a bacterial infection, but they can cause gut disturbances. That's because antibiotics also kill "good" gut bacteria along with the "bad" bugs making you sick, creating dysbiosis, according to a May 2019 article in the Chinese Medical Journal. Different antibiotics or their combinations will result in different changes to the microbiome.

"With a change in the gut flora, diarrhea can occur due to the imbalance of the bacteria," Dr. Wolf says. "Some antibiotics are more likely to result in the overgrowth of Clostridia difficile that can cause severe diarrhea and colitis. Clindamycin and ciprofloxacin are two antibiotics with a higher risk for C. difficile. These two antibiotics cause a marked loss of mucosal barrier and immune function in the gut."

If you're currently on antibiotics, it's generally a good idea to eat plenty of probiotic-rich foods to help restore good-for-you gut bacteria.

OK, easier said than done. But life stressors can significantly change your microbiome. Microbes can respond to hormones and neurotransmitters that are involved in your stress response, according to February 2017 article in Hormones and Behavior. This can change the composition of your gut bacteria but more research is required to fully understand how this actually occurs and the effects.

Nonetheless, cramps, constipation, diarrhea and changes in appetite can all occur due to stress-related changes in gut bacteria, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. And once you start dealing with one of these conditions, the condition itself can be a source of stress and anxiety, in turn worsening gut symptoms.

Breathing techniques, meditation, regular exercise and seeking out a mental health professional can all be helpful to try to lift some weight off your shoulders.

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How to Improve Gut Health - LIVESTRONG.COM

5 Fibre-Rich Low-Calorie Fruits That Can Help You Maintain A Healthy Weight – NDTV Doctor

Posted on July 21, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

Weight management: Fruits are tasty as well as healthy that can help you manage a healthy weight. High-fibre fruits can help you reduce appetite and promote weight loss. Here's a list of low-calorie, high-fibre fruits you must try.

Fruits rich in fibre can help in weight management

Are you trying to maintain a healthy weight? But hunger pangs usually between the meals make you consume unnecessary calories. For a healthy weight, you need to consume calories according to your physical activity throughout the day. To beat hunger pangs, fruits are one of the best options to choose from. Fruits are beneficial for health in several ways as these are loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fibre and much more. Fruits contain natural sugar that can satisfy your sweet tooth too. Here are some fruits you can choose for weight management. These are high in fibre which can keep you full for longer and make you eat less. These fruits are low in calories too.

The health benefits of apples are quite famous. It is a fibre-rich fruit that can offer you multiple nutrients. Apples are loaded with fibre which can keep you full for longer and also keep your digestion healthy. Around 100 grams of apples contain just 52 calories.

Also read:Do Not Miss These Seasonal Fruits And Vegetables This Rainy Season

The bright red strawberries are delicious as well as healthy. You can add strawberries as a topping too. Strawberries are loaded with fibre, vitamin C and antioxidants. These are low in calories too.

Strawberries are loaded with antioxidantsPhoto Credit: iStock

Pear is a delicious fruit with limited calories. It is high in nutrients as well. This fibre-loaded fruit can promote gut health, offer anti-inflammatory properties, lower risk of diabetes, help in weight loss and much more.

Also read:Monsoon Diet For Hypertension: Regulate Your Blood Pressure With These Seasonal Fruits

Guava is loaded with vitamin C that can help boost immunity. This weight loss-friendly fruit is also beneficial for diabetics. It can also help relieve constipation. You can enjoy the sweet taste of guava and reap the amazing health benefits it offers.

Fruits rich in fibre can help you maintain a healthy weightPhoto Credit: iStock

Papaya is also a great appetite suppressant as it contains optimum level fibre. Not just your health, papaya is beneficial for your skin too. Squeeze a lemon and sprinkle some salt on freshly sliced papaya and enjoy the tasty treat.

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Also read:Forget Low-Carb Diet, Eat These 6 Fruits For Quick Weight Loss

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5 Fibre-Rich Low-Calorie Fruits That Can Help You Maintain A Healthy Weight - NDTV Doctor

NET Health confirms 12th death related to COVID-19 in Smith County – CBS19.tv KYTX

Posted on July 22, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

NET Health has reported 45 new cases of COVID-19 in Smith County.

SMITH COUNTY, Texas NET Health has confirmed the 12th death related to COVID-19 in Smith County.

Health officials say the patient was an 88-year-old woman resident of Whitehouse.

As of Wednesday, July 22, NET Health has reported 45 new cases of COVID-19 in Smith County, bringing the total to 2,006.

Below are the eleven previous COVID-19 deaths in Smith County:

Smith County residents without health insurance can discuss their risk of exposure to COVID-19 by contacting the NET Health Center for Healthy Living at (903) 617 6404.

If you believe you have COVID-19 symptoms, please be sure to call before going to your doctor or emergency department to prevent any potential spread.

If you have been exposed to a person with COVID-19 within the last 14 days, symptoms may appear 214 days after exposure. Symptoms of COVID-19 may include any of the following:

For more information about free COVID-19 testing locations, community strategies to control the spread, and local updates are listed at https://www.NETHealthCOVID19.org.

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NET Health confirms 12th death related to COVID-19 in Smith County - CBS19.tv KYTX

Can You Still Have a Baby If You Have Uterine Factor Infertility? How Uterus Transplants May Offer Hope – Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic

Posted on July 20, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

The consequences of infertility can be devastating for women and couples.

Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services.Policy

Medical experts are working hard to find better solutions to help these women. For a certain type of infertility known as uterine factor infertility, theyre testing an amazing procedure that could give some women with UFI hope for having a baby.

Women with UFI either dont have a uterus or have one that is not functional. In the past, there has been no way for these women to get pregnant. But in recent years, uterus transplant has emerged as a potential solution for certain women. This involves removing a functioning uterus from one woman who is done having children and implanting it into a woman with UFI so that she can get pregnant and carry a baby.

It might sound futuristic, but its really happening.

As part of a clinical trial at Cleveland Clinic, two mothers who received uterus transplants from deceased donors have now given birth to healthy babies.

Maternal-fetal medicine specialist Uma Perni, MD; transplant surgeon Cristiano Quintini, MD, who is the principal investigator on the clinical trial; and transplant surgeon Andreas Tzakis, MD, PhD, who spearheaded bringing uterus transplantation to Cleveland Clinic in 2015, explain how this process works and what the future holds.

A: UFI can be what we call acquired, which means that a woman has undergone surgery to remove her uterus. Or it can be congenital, meaning there is an underlying abnormality that caused her to be born without a functioning uterus.

A: The main options would be adoption or surrogacy. Some women are happy with those solutions, but they may not work for everyone because of cultural or religious reasons. Some women also have a deep desire to carry a child on their own.

These are the women who could benefit from a uterus transplant. Its a recent kind of transplant, and it was a significant innovation in the medical field when we first showed that it can be successful. We place a new uterus into a woman that will allow her to become pregnant and carry a child of her own. Its the only available treatment for uterine factor infertility.

A: Its a new procedure, so its not widely available. Its still considered experimental and is only performed as part of a clinical trial.

A: The first step is for us to identify a uterus donor who is of childbearing age and has previously given birth. Meanwhile, the woman who is going to receive the uterus transplant goes through in-vitro fertilization. Her eggs are retrieved and fertilized with sperm in the IVF lab.

The surgery to remove the uterus from the donor is extremely technically challenging. Having a perfectly harvested uterus is critical for the success of the transplant. The uterus is then transplanted into the recipient. Thats also a long and delicate procedure.

During recovery, the recipient takes immunosuppressant medication to prevent her immune system from rejecting the new uterus. If theres no sign of rejection after several months, infertility specialists complete the embryo transfer and work with the patient to make sure her pregnancy is carried out successfully until the delivery.

A: From what we know so far, these pregnancies are pretty similar to pregnancies in women with their own uterus. We are still very early in this field, though, and were still learning what the risks are and how these pregnancies are different. We know theres an increased risk for preeclampsia in women who have had a uterus transplant. They also must stay on immunosuppressant medications during pregnancy to avoid their body rejecting the uterus. Delivery must happen via C-section, so thats different as well.

A: The uterus is removed after the woman delivers one or two babies, depending on her preference. This minimizes the amount of time she needs to be on immunosuppressant medications.

A: We want to establish uterus transplantation as a viable treatment option for women with absolute uterine factor infertility. The main challenge remains how to have this procedure become available and affordable for use in a broader population.

Here at Cleveland Clinic, we are pioneering a new aspect of uterus transplantation which involves the use of a uterus from a donor who has died, as opposed to one from a living donor. Recently, a second patient in our clinical trial gave birth after receiving a transplanted uterus from a deceased donor. Both of these births were incredibly joyous occasions for the families and for our entire transplant team. Its a very exciting time because were finally seeing the amazing and life-changing outcomes this transplant can have.

Switch Your Regular Tea With Ashwagandha Tea For Better Immunity, Improved Mental Health And Much More – NDTV Doctor

Posted on July 20, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

Ashwagandha is a herb loaded with multiple health benefits. It may also help control symptoms of various conditions. Here are some notable health benefits of drinking ashwagandha tea you must know.

Ashwagandha tea can help boost immunity

Ashwagandha is an ancient medicinal herb. This magical herb can offer you some amazing health benefits. Ashwagandha is beneficial for various medical conditions as well as for your mental health. It can also aid in weight loss. The scientific name of Ashwagandha is Withania Somnifera. Many are not aware of the ways to add ashwagandha to diet. One of the easiest ways to reap the benefits of this tea is by preparing ashwagandha tea. If you love sipping tea you can sometimes switch your daily cup with ashwagandha tea. In this article, you will learn about different health benefits of this tea and the method to prepare it.

1. Good for your mental health: Ashwagandha tea is good for your mental health as it helps in controlling stress and anxiety. Studies also suggest reduction in stress and anxiety with the help of ashwagandha.

2. May help reduce inflammation: Several conditions can lead to chronic inflammation. Drinking this tea may help reduce inflammation.

3. Good for your cholesterol levels: Unhealthy cholesterol levels can increase the risk of heart disease significantly. A healthy diet may promote good cholesterol numbers. Ashwagandha tea may also help.

4. Ashwagandha is also beneficial for diabetics. Several human studies have suggested that it can reduce blood sugar levels in both healthy people and those with diabetes.

5. A strong immune system can help prevent the risk of diseases. Several foods and drinks can help promote a strong immune system, ashwagandha tea is one of these.

Also read:Ashwagandha: 8 Reasons To Include It In Your Diet

Ashwagandha tea can help you beat stress and anxietyPhoto Credit: iStock

You can find ashwagandha tea bags easily. You can also prepare this tea with ashwagandha powder or dried roots. Bring a glass of water to boil, add 1 ashwagandha root to this boiling water. Boil for at least 5 minutes. Later, turn off the gas and add lemon or honey to enhance the taste. Lemon and honey will also enhance the immunity-boosting properties of the drink.

Do not overdose with this tea. If you have any underlying health condition, consult your doctor to know the exact quantity.

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Also read:Ashwagandha Health Benefits: From Better Immunity To Improved Brain Function Know All The Health Benefits Of Ashwagandha

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Switch Your Regular Tea With Ashwagandha Tea For Better Immunity, Improved Mental Health And Much More - NDTV Doctor

Keep your kids active and healthy as they head back to school – Kingsport Times News

Posted on August 22, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

All around the country, kids are heading back to school or getting used to virtual learning. Everyones summer pretty much went by in a blur; most parents are either jumping for joy or dreading getting back to the daily grind of normalcy.

As parents, we are making sure we get mental learning underway with our children, but lets not forget the physical activity. Science supports that physical activity enhances brain function and cognition, both of which improve academic performance.

Once school resumes on campus, keep the kids active when they get home. Instead of heading straight for the television, encourage your child to play a game of catch with a friend, skip rope, shoot some hoops, ride a bicycle, dance or even play a game of hopscotch. Join in on activities with your child. This will benefit you along with your child. Watching their parent make healthy choices and give their kids an opportunity to talk about their day will reduce childrens anxiety and stress levels. After working up an appetite, create a healthy meal together in the kitchen. Homemade pizza is an easy go-to. Start with a whole wheat or cauliflower crust, add tomato sauce and then choose some healthy toppings such as cheese, spinach, veggies and leaner meat options. Serve a slice with a tossed salad and you have a quick and healthier dinner option.

If your childs school resumes online, keep the same mindset keep kids active. Take 5-10 minute breaks between class subjects and do different exercises, stretches or activities. Reach out to your childs P.E. teacher to get some at-home activities that are age- appropriate. Throughout the day, help keep your childs energy levels up, which will improve the mind and mood. Reinforce a healthy atmosphere by incorporating a healthy breakfast, lunch and snack daily. Healthy foods include whole grain waffles or eggs, baked chicken nuggets or ham and cheese wraps, pieces of fruits/veggies or granola bars.

Exercise is beneficial for cognition because it increases blood and oxygen flow to the brain and also creates increased levels of norepinephrine and endorphins, resulting in a reduction of stress and an improvement in mood. With the uncertainty of these days, this is really important to your childs daily routine.

Just like you, your child doesnt need to log 30 to 60 minutes in the gym or in a specific exercise class. A game of tag here, a bike ride there are both fine. Short bursts of activity, with periods of rest in between, are actually the way our body was designed to move. Its not a bad idea to join your child in a game of tag or a trip around the block on your bicycle.

When the entire family works together, fitness and health are both fun and doable. For help keeping your family healthy, please refer to the Healthy Kingsport website at http://www.healthykingsport.org.

Healthy Kingsport is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a community that actively embraces healthy living by promoting wellness, enhancing infrastructure, and influencing policy. Aiesha Banks is its executive director. She can be reached at abanks@healthykingsport.org.

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Keep your kids active and healthy as they head back to school - Kingsport Times News

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