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Articles Written By AndreaGroth

 

Summer Sunscreen Facts

July 4th, 2019

For pale faces like me, sunscreen is an absolute necessity. I would not be able to enjoy my outdoor lifestyle without serious protection for my skin. Recent research found that some ingredients from sun protection products are being absorbed into your body. Is this a risk to your health? Researchers say these sunscreen ingredients– avobenzone, oxybenzone, octocrylene and ecamsule – are present in the blood after sunscreen application at levels that would, under current Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines, trigger a requirement for further safety testing. Unfortunately, sunscreen... Read More

Are Optimists Healthier Than Pessimists?

June 27th, 2019

Are you a glass half-full person? In other words, are you hopeful and confident about the future?  If so, you might be healthier than your friends who believe that the worst will happen. Many studies have reported that optimism influences health. Among the findings:   Highly pessimistic men were three times more likely to develop hypertension. People with positive emotions had lower blood pressures. The most pessimistic men were more than twice as likely to develop heart disease compared with the most optimistic.   It is hard to know if optimism is the result of good health, or if... Read More

Three Things You Might Not Know About Coconuts

June 20th, 2019

Coconut is a unique fruit because it is available year-round rather than during a season. While loosely referred to as a fruit, a coconut is actually a drupe.  A drupe is a fruit that contains a seed. Also called a stone fruit, other drupes include plums, cherries, almonds, and olives. Botanically speaking, a coconut can be a fruit, a nut, and a seed. Coconut has been denoted with many benefits, some controversial.  For example, coconut oil has been touted as a good fat for cooking.  It is high in healthy fats that can boost fat burning and provide your body and brain with quick energy. They... Read More

Do You Need a PSA Test?

June 16th, 2019

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer among men. Until 2012, the screening for prostate cancer, called the Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) test, was the standard for predicting prostate cancer for men 55 and older. Because PSA is a protein produced by both cancerous and noncancerous tissue in the prostate, it was determined to be inaccurate in detecting prostate cancer.  Normal PSA is 4 nanograms per milliliter of blood, but a high PSA levels doesn’t always mean cancer and low levels don’t always mean a healthy prostate. In 2012, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommended... Read More

Camping Strategies for Your Health and Safety

June 5th, 2019

It’s almost summer, a time for outdoor activities including sleeping in the great outdoors.  Camping helps us refresh our mind and soul. There’s nothing better than seeing the wilderness wake up as the sun lights up the sky! Camping requires some preparation to keep you warm, safe, and healthy. If you are planning a camping trip this year, keep in mind these essential health and safety tips.   Assess your fitness level.  If you are planning a particularly strenuous trip, make sure you are fit enough to withstand the strain of the journey. You may want to consider working with a fitness... Read More

4 Health Facts About E-Cigarettes

May 30th, 2019

May 31st is World No Tobacco Day.  7 out of 10 smokers say they want to quit. Quitting tobacco, including chewing tobacco, is one of the best things you can do for your health. Smoking in particular harms nearly every organ in your body, and nearly one-third of deaths from heart disease are the result of smoking and secondhand smoke. Some smokers have switched to e-cigarettes to ease the transition to a smoke-free life.  E-cigarettes are devices that vaporize a nicotine-based liquid which is then inhaled, much like a cigarette.  Is the e-cigarette a better alternative to smoking tobacco?  Here... Read More

Three Reasons to Consider Drinking Green Tea

May 23rd, 2019

For me, summer is the time when I drink iced tea. I like all kinds of tea on a hot day – iced black tea, half and half (aka Arnold Palmer), and those great shaken teas at coffee shops. Tea is awesome and can be healthy. In fact, I’ve found green tea particularly appealing because it is so good for you. Green tea is made from Camellia sinensis leaves and buds that have not undergone the same withering and oxidation process used to make oolong and black teas. For those interested in managing their caffeine intake, eight ounces of green tea contain about 35 mg of caffeine, about half the amount... Read More

Everything You Wanted to Know About Chiggers (And Maybe More Than You Wanted to Know)

May 16th, 2019

On a recent trip to visit my family, I brought home an unwelcome souvenir–chigger bites.  Chiggers are mites, but they have many nicknames like harvest mites, harvest bugs, harvest lice, mower’s mites, or red bugs. Technically chiggers are arachnids, in the same family as spiders and ticks. Since I haven’t experienced chigger bites since I was young, I had forgotten how heinous those bites can be.  I want to share my experience with you, so you can avoid a week-long itch fest if you get chigger bites. Where chiggers reside. Chiggers live in every country. Their favorite spots are... Read More

Tips for Reducing Anxiety Through Diet

May 9th, 2019

The National Institute of Mental Health reports that 40 million adults—18% of the population—struggle with anxiety. Anxiety is normal; job interviews, public speaking and other everyday occurrences can cause anxiety.  It only becomes a problem when it extends beyond worry in an unreasonable, uncontrollable way. Anxiety can be a symptom of another mental illness, such as panic disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, phobias, or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).  Anxiety and anxiety disorders are the most common behavioral health issues in the U.S. There are some important health habits... Read More

Brushing Your Teeth Twice a Day Lowers Your Health Risk

May 2nd, 2019

Thirty percent of Americans only brush their teeth once daily.  That is certainly enough to reduce the level of plaque-causing bacteria–it takes about 24 hours to develop on teeth–but you are more likely to have cavities if you only brush once daily, particularly if you are only brushing in the morning.  If you are going to brush once a day, it should be at night. It is always tempting to take a few shortcuts to simplify our lives.  I’d like to make the case that brushing once daily is not enough. Let’s talk about the health benefits of brushing twice daily. Prevent gum disease.... Read More

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