Tag Archives: facebook

5 ways to keep your salad skinny

Salad is the secret to a having beach-ready body, right?  Not necessarily.   Sure, salad greens and chopped vegetables are low in calories and great for weight control.  But what else you toss into your salad can keep it light or load it up with as many calories as a cheeseburger and fries!   It’s easy to go overboard on toppings – especially at a well-stocked salad bar – so choose with care:   Eat a colorful salad    Instead of adding nuts, cheeses, seeds, and crispy tortillas, get a variety of flavors with a colorful mix of veggies that fill you up on very few calories. A cup of raw, chopped veggies has just 25 calories compared to a handful of nuts at 250 calories or more. Great salad veggies include broccoli, carrots, cucumber, bell peppers and red onion. And by eating a colorful mix, you get greater variety in vitamins and minerals, too.   Choose lean proteins    Tasty as they may be, crispy chicken, tuna salad and crunchy bacon can make your salad a fatty disaster.  You can lighten up without sacrificing flavor by going with lean proteins such as grilled chicken, fish, egg whites, ham, turkey, shrimp and edamame. Go easy on cheese    Your bikini bottom will thank you for skipping toppings like goat cheese, cheddar cheese, and crumbled blue cheese – which are high in fat and have over 100 calories per ounce. Instead, opt for shredded, part-skim mozzarella or grated parmesan cheese – just a little bit adds a lot of satisfying taste. Pick fresh fruit rather than dried    No question dried cranberries and raisins add a sweet note to your salad, but at 60 calories for two measly tablespoons are they worth it

Study finds Facebook helps users ‘Like’ themselves better

Spending a few minutes peeking at one’s Facebook profile reportedly elevates a person’s self-esteem but reduces their ambition to excel, according to researchers. The University of Wisconsin-Madison study that unearthed these social-media phenomena seemingly employed a controversial cognitive test to arrive at its findings, and also discovered the Facebook-borne ego boost lead to diminished ambition, or the desire to excel on subsequent cognitive evaluations. The study, “Self-affirmation underlies Facebook use,” was published in the June issue of the Journal of Media Psychology and was conducted by a team led by Catalina Toma. Toma is a UW-Madison assistant professor of communication arts. “Most have a very large audience of friends and they selectively present the best version of self, but they do so in an accurate manner,” Toma told ABC News of typical Facebook profiles. “We had people look at their own profiles for five minutes and found that they experienced a boost in self-esteem in a deep, unconscious level.” The study employed the widely-used, but still reportedly controversial Implicit Association Test, which requires participants to make snap word-based associations, reportedly said to reveal intensely personal truths, and ones about which test-takers may not even be aware on a conscious level. Also, the study correspondingly uncovered a tenuous correlation between the Facebook-induced self-esteem boost derived by those who briefly viewed their profile and the study participants' motivation to excel on a simple mathematical test taken afterward. “Facebook gives you a real good image of yourself, but you then don't have to look for that in other ways,” Toma reportedly said. “Your motivation to perform well might be reduced because you already feel really good.” According to the Toma team’s abstract, the study shows  “that Facebook profiles are self-affirming in the sense of satisfying users’ need for self-worth and self-integrity, “ and  “that Facebook users gravitate toward their online profiles after receiving a blow to the ego, in an unconscious effort to repair their perceptions of self-worth.” Click to read more on the Facebook study.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/02/study-finds-facebook-helps-users-like-themselves-better/

Babies who share bed with parents 5 times more likely to die of cot death

Babies sharing beds with their parents face a five-fold risk of dying of cot death, even if their parents are not smokers, new research shows. The increased risk of death extends to babies previously thought to be at low risk because they are breastfed and the mother has not taken alcohol or drugs, according to a study published in the British Medical Journal Open. The findings come after 1472 Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) cases and 4679 control cases from Australasia, the U.K. and Europe were analyzed in the largest ever study of cot death. The SIDS rate would plummet if parents avoided bed sharing and public healthy messages were more forceful about the dangers for babies under three months, the authors, led by Professor Robert Carpenter, said. “Eighty-eight percent of the deaths that occurred while bed sharing would probably not have occurred had the baby been placed on its back in a cot by the parents' bed,’’ the authors concluded. The risk of SIDs while bed sharing decreased as the baby gets older. Bed sharing has increased “markedly’’ over the last decade, the study found. Parents who endorse the practice are active on the Internet and Facebook. Murdoch University associate professor Catherine Fetherson said research shows between 30 and 50 percent of parents share a bed with their babies at some time. She believes a blanket message against bed sharing is driving parents underground. “They are continuing to do it, even though people are being warned against it and so what is happening is they are shutting down all communication with health professionals,’’ she said. Click for more from news.com.au.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/21/babies-who-share-bed-with-parents-5-times-more-likely-to-die-cot-death/

Not my kid: Most parents unaware teen is using study drugs

Many parents are not aware that their teenage children abuse “study drugs,” a new poll suggests. In the poll, just 1 percent of parents said their teenage children had taken drugs such as Adderall or Ritalin without a prescription. That is much lower than the percentage of teens that surveys suggest are using the drugs. For example, a 2012 study of high schoolers found that about 10 percent of sophomores and 12 percent of seniors said they had used the drugs without a prescription. The new finding highlights the growing issue of stimulant drug abuse, or when teens take stimulant medication (or “study drugs”) to help them study for a test or stay awake to do homework. Such medications are prescribed for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Teens without the condition may fake symptoms in order to get a prescription, or obtain the drugs from friends. The new findings, from the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health, examined parents' awareness of the issue, surveying parents of U.S. children ages 13 to 17. About 11 percent of parents said their teens had been prescribed stimulant medication for ADHD. Among parents of children who were not prescribed ADHD medications, 1 percent said their teens had used these drugs for study purposes. About 4 percent said they didn't know if their teen had abused these drugs, and 95 percent said their teens had never abused the drugs. This disconnect between teen drug abuse and parents' awareness of drug abuse may be in part due to the fact that study drugs have more subtle effects than drugs such as heroin and cocaine, allowing teens to more easily hide their drug use, the researchers said. About half of parents polled said they were very concerned about teens in their communities abusing study drugs. And more than three-quarters supported school policies aimed at stopping this type of drug abuse, such as rules that would require children with prescription ADHD medications to keep the pills in a secure place like the school nurse's office. The findings “underscore the need for greater communication among public health officials, schools, parents, and teens regarding this issue,” the researchers said. Follow Rachael Rettner @RachaelRettner. Follow MyHealthNewsDaily @MyHealth_MHND, Facebook & Google+. Originally published on LiveScience.Copyright 2013 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/20/not-my-kid-most-parents-unaware-teen-is-using-study-drugs/

What you need to know about new PSA screening guidelines

Recently, the American Urological Association (AUA) announced new guidelines for prostate specific antigen (PSA) testing.  These guidelines were designed to help urologists, and ultimately patients, reduce prostate cancer mortality by making informed screening decisions.  These recommendations were based on comprehensive literature reviews and the strength of the existing evidence.   Here is what you need to know: • The AUA recommends against screening in men under age 40.  Such blanket recommendations can increase the risk of younger men being overlooked and potentially resulting in worse disease later in life. Men under 40 need to be educated about prostate cancer and given a clear understanding of their individual risk factors.   Obesity/excess weight, a family history of prostate cancer, and African American race are the driving risk factors of this disease. • The AUA recommends against routine screening in men of average risk aged 40 to 54 years old.  Early diagnosis and treatment are the two most important factors to successfully eliminating prostate cancer. • The AUA strongly recommends careful consideration of the pros and cons of screening for men between the ages of 55 and 69.  The risk of prostate cancer increases significantly by age 65; so it’s wise for men in this age bracket to be screened. These men have the greatest opportunity for early detection and treatment to eliminate their prostate cancer with optimal quality of life. • The AUA suggests screening for prostate cancer every two years rather than annually. PSA is not a perfect test.  Prostate cancer can be an indolent cancer, taking many years to decades before it causes problems or it can behave in a highly aggressive manner. PSA is not able to differentiate these two cases. However, by tracking PSA velocity and density we can more accurately predict one’s risk of cancer. • The AUA recommends against PSA screening in men over age 70 with a life expectancy less than 10-15 years.  Now that such a large percentage of Americans live well into their 80s, prostate cancer screening should be part of overall wellness monitoring for these men. Prostate cancer remains the second leading cause of cancer death in men, killing approximately 34,000 men each year.  Since the widespread adoption of PSA screening in the early 90s, there has been a 39 percent reduction in prostate cancer mortality rates; so there is no doubt that PSA screening is successful – when used correctly.   Speak with your doctor about your individual risk factors for prostate cancer and your treatment goals.  Through comprehensive education about prostate cancer testing, diagnosis, and treatment options, American men can make well-informed decisions about what’s best for them. Dr. David B. Samadi is the Vice Chairman of the Department of Urology and Chief of Robotics and Minimally Invasive Surgery at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. He is a board-certified urologist, specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of urological disease, with a focus on robotic prostate cancer treatments. To learn more please visit his websites RoboticOncology.com and SMART-surgery.com. Find Dr. Samadi on Facebook.Dr. David B. Samadi is the Vice Chairman of the Department of Urology and Chief of Robotics and Minimally Invasive Surgery at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. He is a board-certified urologist, specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of urological disease, with a focus on robotic prostate cancer treatments. To learn more please visit his websites RoboticOncology.com and SMART-surgery.com. Find Dr. Samadi on Facebook.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/17/what-need-to-know-about-new-psa-screening-guidelines/

When it comes to cancer, information is power

Noreen asked me to fill in for her today.  Don't worry, she has actually been feeling better this past week.  She got to take a break from chemo, which always makes her feel better, and she learned her tumor markers dropped from 600 to 53!  We are very excited about that bit of news. The reason I am writing this week is because there has been a lot of attention given to the announcement by Angelina Jolie that she underwent a preventative double mastectomy with reconstruction when she learned she had the BRCA (BReast CAncer ) gene.   I, too, had the surgery after testing positive for the gene.  People, myself included, were stunned by Angelina's announcement.  When one of the most famous and arguably beautiful women in the world has a preventative mastectomy, it sheds a spotlight on the issue and reminds us that not even fame and fortune can save us from cancer.   Since Angelina “came out,” breast cancer advocates, doctors, news commentators and others have given their opinions on whether or not Angelina and other women with the breast cancer gene and/or breast cancer have made the “right” decision by having a double mastectomy. But there is no “right” or “wrong” in these situations.  No one wants a mastectomy . . . no one.  Women (and some men) choose the long, painful and disfiguring surgery to either remove cancer from their bodies or to try and prevent it when they have a greatly increased risk of getting breast cancer.    Angelina and I had an 87 percent chance of developing breast cancer.  Eighty-seven percent! You have all followed Noreen's blogs.  She is one of my closest friends.  When I compared having a mastectomy to what she has endured, for me, a mastectomy felt like the better option.   Still, the message I want to send is that surgery is not the only option for women who have the breast cancer gene or otherwise have an increased risk. The important thing is that you don't keep your head in the sand.  Information is power.  You should talk to your health care provider and determine whether you are at an increased risk.   If testing for the breast cancer gene is recommended, just remember your life won't change if you find out you have it; you just have more information so you can explore more options.   Surgery is just one option.  Women at high risk are also eligible for increased screenings, which could help “catch” cancer early and give you a fighting chance if you do develop the disease.   Like I said, there is no right or wrong answer, but when you have all of the information, you can determine what option is best for you.     Noreen will be back next week.  Until then, keep up with her on Facebook    Michelle McBride is the President of the Noreen Fraser Foundation.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/15/when-it-comes-to-cancer-information-is-power/

Snack before you shop

Maybe you’ve heard that going supermarket shopping while hungry can cause you to spend more money. But, did you know that researchers at Cornell University found that hungry grocery shoppers are more apt to slip high-calorie foods into their cart? You can keep your food bill and your waistline in check simply by eating something before heading out to the grocery store. Grabbing a quick snack is probably easier on the weekend than it is after work when you are tired and your stomach is growling.  Choosing sugary candy and cookies from the office vending machine isn’t very diet-friendly nor will these hold you for long. Your best bet is to plan ahead and have a healthy, satisfying grab-and-go snack at the ready.  Here are some simple and tasty ideas: String cheese and grapes This refreshing sweet and salty combo could not be easier to pack. You can count on the natural sugar in the grapes to give you a nice energy boost while the protein in the cheese will digest slowly, keeping hunger in check until you sit down to dinner. Hummus and veggies Talk about smart substitutes! Let some baby carrots or sliced peppers answer the call for something crunchy, and by pairing them with hummus you have a light yet savory alternative to a bag of fatty deep-fried chips. Apple slices with peanut butter Simply cut an apple in half and core it. Then fill each cavity with a spoonful of creamy peanut butter. You get the fruity-nutty taste of a PB&J sandwich without the bread, plus a lot more tummy-filling fiber and protein.   Gorp!   This acronym stands for “good old raisins and peanuts,” but with some creative license it covers a healthy trail mix, too. Prepare a batch in minutes by mixing some dried fruit, almonds, high fiber cereal, and whole wheat pretzel sticks. Then fill zip-lock baggies with 1/2 cup portions.   Strawberries and Cream Start with a single serving of Greek yogurt and top it with juicy ripe sliced strawberries.  Greek yogurt is creamier than traditional yogurt and much higher in protein, which keeps you feeling full longer. The berries provide natural sweetness and tang and feel free to add a drizzle of sugar-free chocolate sauce over the strawberries to make this healthy snack seem more like a decadent dessert. For more tips, delicious high fiber meal plans, recipes, and proven ways to lose weight and look great, check out my new book The Miracle Carb Diet: Make Calories and Fat Disappear – with Fiber! Tanya Zuckerbrot MS, RD, is a registered dietitian in New York City and the bestselling author of The Miracle Carb Diet: Make Calories and Fat Disappear – with fiber, and The F-Factor Diet: Discover the Secret to Permanent Weight Loss.  Follow Tanya on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, and visit her website Ffactor.com  source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/14/snack-before-shop/