Health

UGA study finds pecans can help to lower cholesterol

UGA study finds pecans can help to lower cholesterol

By Nancy Clanton, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Troy Warren for CNT #Health Pecans are high in healthy fatty acids and fiber, both of which have been linked to lower cholesterol Your elevated cholesterol levels might be driving you nuts, so it’s only right that a nut — specifically, the pecan — can help lower them. A new study by researchers at the University of Georgia’s College of Family and Consumer Sciences reports the tree nut can dramatically improve your cholesterol. Researchers reported participants who ate pecans experienced a 5% drop in total cholesterol and a 6-9% drop in LDL. For context, they compared their…
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How much does a hot dog cost? About 36 minutes of your life

How much does a hot dog cost? About 36 minutes of your life

By Nancy Clanton, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Troy Warren for CNT #Health #Foodie Small changes in diet could help you live healthier, more sustainably, study suggests That hot dog you had for lunch might cost you more than a couple of dollars, according to researchers at the University of Michigan. Eating a hot dog could cost you 36 minutes of healthy life. There is good new, however. Choosing to eat a serving of nuts instead could help you gain 26 minutes of extra healthy life, the study found. The study evaluated nearly 6,000 foods, ranking them by their nutritional disease burden to…
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How music can strengthen your brain

How music can strengthen your brain

By Michael Clayton, Mayo Clinic News Network Troy Warren for CNT #Health ‘The more languages you know, the less your risk of dementia. And music happens to be a language’ Music soothes, energizes and inspires. It also fortifies pathways in your brain that neurologists say can lead to a better understanding of cognition and dementia. To help better understand how music strengthens the brain, Dr. Bernard Bendok, chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at Mayo Clinic in Arizona, explains how music strikes a chord with researchers in this Mayo Clinic Minute. “One of the higher functions that a human brain can…
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COVID anxiety rising amid delta surge, AP-NORC poll finds

COVID anxiety rising amid delta surge, AP-NORC poll finds

By JAMES ANDERSON and HANNAH FINGERHUT, Associated Press Troy Warren for CNT #COVID-19 DENVER — Anxiety in the United States over COVID-19 is at its highest level since winter, a new poll shows, as the delta variant rages, more states and school districts adopt mask and vaccination requirements and the nation’s hospitals once again fill to capacity. The poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research also finds that majorities of American adults want vaccination mandates for those attending movies, sports, concerts and other crowded events; those traveling by airplane; and workers in hospitals, restaurants, stores and government offices.…
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Functional medicine: what it is and whether it’s right for you

Functional medicine: what it is and whether it’s right for you

By Andrea Clement, for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Troy Warren for CNT #Health More large systems incorporating functional medicine as part of their care models Functional medicine is a unique health care model that is growing in popularity among clinicians nationwide as demand increases among the patient population, particularly among people coping with chronic illness. According to the Institute for Functional Medicine, the model “is an individualized, patient-centered, science-based approach that empowers patients and practitioners to work together to address the underlying causes of disease and promote optimal wellness… (requiring) a detailed understanding of each patient’s genetic, biochemical, and lifestyle factors, and (then leveraging…
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Back to school, teens and depression

Back to school, teens and depression

By Laurel Kelly, Mayo Clinic News Network Troy Warren for CNT #Health Although depression can occur at any time in life, symptoms can differ between teens and adults With many teens heading back to school, peer pressure and academic expectations are once again a reality. These added pressures can cause ups and downs during what can be an already tumultuous time of life. For some teens, though, the lows are more than just temporary feelings. They’re symptoms of depression. Teen depression is a serious mental health problem. It affects how teenagers think, feel and behave, and it can cause emotional, functional…
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7 traits to look for in your friendships

7 traits to look for in your friendships

By Barton Goldsmith, Tribune News Service Troy Warren for CNT #Health Friends are more than just people you know, work with or hang out with at a party Being a good friend is sometimes challenging, but so worth it, because everyone’s needs get met some way and somehow. The following qualities are the ones we all wish for in a true friendship. If you have found someone who brings them to your relationship, you both deserve a lifetime of mutual support and great times. Fidelity:  Friends are loyal to each other and have each other’s back. They don’t say unkind things…
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Swimming is good exercise for better health and to avoid injuries

Swimming is good exercise for better health and to avoid injuries

By Cynthia Weiss, Mayo Clinic News Network Troy Warren for CNT #Health Swimming offers benefits for both the body and mind Swimming is often touted as a great workout for all ages, offering benefits not only for the body, but also for the mind. As a form of exercise, swimming keeps your heart rate up and builds muscle strength. It also can be a great form of stress relief. “Swimming is a wonderful sport. I definitely recommend swimming for people of all ages,” said Dr. Matthew Crowe, a Mayo Clinic orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine expert who spent many hours in…
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Why you might want to go back to double masking

Why you might want to go back to double masking

By Nancy Clanton, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Troy Warren for CNT #Health #COVID-19 As the delta and other coronavirus variants emerge, AMA again stresses importance of face coverings As kids return to school and various coronavirus variants emerge, the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is once again recommending people wear a mask in public, regardless of their vaccination status. The American Medical Association is also stressing recommendations it made early in the pandemic: Make sure your mask fits correctly and double up on face coverings. Adding layers of material to a mask or wearing two masks reduces the number of respiratory droplets that…
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WHO expert ‘had concerns’ about lab close to first COVID cases

WHO expert ‘had concerns’ about lab close to first COVID cases

By MARIA CHENG, Associated Press Troy Warren for CNT #Health #COVID-19 LONDON — When a World Health Organization-led team traveled to China earlier this year to investigate the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, a top official said he was worried about safety standards at a laboratory close to the seafood market where the first human cases were detected, according to a documentary released Thursday by Danish television channel TV2. The Wuhan branch of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention was handling coronaviruses “without potentially having the same level of expertise or safety or who knows,” Peter Ben Embarek said during…
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