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Money-saving tips to stretch the shelf life of your food

The average family throws out nearly 122 pounds of food per month and wastes $590 per year on food that eventually spoils. However, many common perishables remain safe way past their sell-by dates. From milk and eggs to produce, find out which storage tips will do the trick and try these tips to make food last longer. And for an easy reference you can keep on your fridge, download the Make Food Last Longer Guide. Fresh Herbs DO: Wrap in paper towels to absorb moisture, and place in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer. DON'T: Refrigerate basil, which is damaged by the cold; stand it in water on a sunny windowsill. Eggs DO: Store eggs in their original container on a refrigerator shelf. This will make them last for three to four weeks past the sell-by date. DON'T: Store eggs on the door, where eggs are vulnerable to temperature fluctuations. Lunch meat DO: Store meat in the meat compartment—it is specially designed to keep cool air in and can help meat last three to five days past the sell-by date. DON'T: Forget to reseal the package. Tomatoes DO: Store cherry and grape tomatoes in their original containers in the refrigerator. Ripen large varieties on the counter—cold temperatures halt color, flavor, and nutrient development. Once bright red, store them in the fridge. DON'T: Place ripe tomatoes near vegetables, as they give off ethylene. Hard Cheese DO: Wrap in moisture-proof plastic or foil. This will help it keep two to four months past the sell-by date. DON'T: Throw it away at the first site of mold. If the outside of hard cheese has visible mold, trim off the mold and a half-inch area of cheese below it. Yogurt DO: Store yogurt at around 39 degrees F, an appropriate temp for your fridge. This will help it keep 10 to 14 days past its sell-by date. DON'T: Be deterred by separation—simply stir and enjoy. Milk DO: Hit the dairy aisle right before checking out to minimize the amount of time milk is left unrefrigerated, and store it on a shelf pushed far back, where the air is coldest. DON'T: Store it closer to or on the door; the air tends to be warmer there. Alliums (onions, shallots, garlic) DO: Store in a warm, dry place like your countertop. DON'T: Place them near ripening fruits; alliums contain strong sulfur compounds, which taint other produce when kept in close vicinity. Also, don’t store them in the fridge—exposing them to cold and moisture will initiate rotting and rooting. Watermelon DO: Ripen on your countertop for about a week, which nearly doubles the melon’s lycopene and beta-carotene levels, according to a USDA study. Pop it in the fridge a day before eating. DON'T: Store it near other fruits. Watermelon is easily damaged by ethylene, a gas released by fruits that speeds up deterioration. (Ever wonder which is the healthiest summer fruit, strawberries or watermelon? Click here to find out.) Mushrooms DO: Place unwashed mushrooms in a paper bag in your refrigerator. Keeping them cold and dry disfavors bacterial growth and the paper bag protects against dehydration. DON'T: Wash prior to storage. Stone Fruits (nectarines, cherries, plums, peaches) DO: Ripen on the counter and transfer to the refrigerator. To prolong the life of stone fruits, remove their pits and boil the fruits in simple syrup for a few minutes, cool, and store in an airtight container in the freezer. DON'T: Refrigerate these fruits while they’re still firm or they’ll never ripen. Grapes DO: Store in their original ventilated plastic bag, remove bruised or damaged fruit, and wrap with paper towel to absorb excess moisture that promotes mold growth. DON'T: Wash until right before eating; doing so in advance encourages mold development. Leafy greens DO: Pat them dry before storing, as excess moisture contributes to decay. Wrap in paper towels, place in a plastic bag, and store in the crisper. DON'T: Keep them in close proximity to ethylene-producing fruits like tomatoes. Berries DO: Store in their original clamshell containers, which increase ventilation. Remove bruised or moldy berries from the batch; they’ll speed up decay among the rest. DON'T: Wash berries prior to storage for the same reason as grapes. Apples DO: Store in plastic bags in the refrigerator crisper to lock in moisture. Puréed apples mixed with sugar keep well in the freezer, as do slices of apple that have been sprinkled with lemon juice to prevent browning. DON'T: Store near vegetables, which can be damaged easily by the ethylene the apples produce. Potatoes DO: Keep baking potatoes like Yukon Golds or Russets in a cool, dark place and store smaller varieties like red potatoes in the fridge. DON'T: Store baking potatoes near direct sunlight, which stimulates the growth of a toxin that can be dangerous in large amounts. Also keep smaller-size potatoes away from apples and pears, which will take on the tuber’s earthy flavor. Asparagus DO: Refrigerate them upright with the bottoms wrapped in a damp paper towel and a plastic bag loosely covering them. DON'T: Submerge these green sprigs in water; this method actually increases bacteria growth, hastening decay. Click here for 8 Awesome Asparagus Recipes. Carrots DO: Remove leafy tops to prolong storage. Peeled baby carrots can go anywhere in the fridge, but larger carrots with skins are much more sensitive to ethylene. DON'T: Store large carrots next to fruit—after a week or two they’ll become bitter and nearly inedible due to the ethylene from the fruits. Which packaged goods aren’t packed with preservatives? Find out the 100 Cleanest Packaged Foods.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/20/money-saving-tips-to-help-stretch-shelf-life-your-food/

Olive Oil 101: How to choose oils with the most health benefits

It is well known that extra virgin olive oil is good for the body – boosting heart health and even lowering the risk of certain kinds of cancer.  But not all olive oils are created equal. According to Nicholas Colman, the chief olive oil specialist at Eataly in New York City, olive oil has to be fresh in order to maintain its health advantages. “Even the best producer in the world – if their oil is old, you’re not going to reap the health benefits from it,” Coleman told FoxNews.com. Coleman said it’s important to pick your oil like you would pick your wine – taking into account when it was bottled, the kinds of olives that are in it, and the region from which it came. “When you taste a really, really great olive oil, you might notice a peppery finish build in the back of the throat – this tingle,” Coleman said. “And what causes that is oleocanthal, which is an antioxidant.  The more of that peppery burn you feel, the higher the presence of antioxidants in the oil and the healthier it is for the body.” Oils from Tuscany, Puglia and Sicily have the most antioxidants of the Italian extra virgin olive oils, Coleman said.  And price is an important factor too: Cheap olive oil from the grocery store may not cut it. “Usually they take olives from all over the world, and they buy oil that is left over at the end of the year,” Coleman said. “And they blend it all together and ship it to America.” While the oil’s color doesn’t affect its health benefits, Coleman said the bottle’s color does.  He advised picking a dark, glass bottle or tin, so the oil doesn’t photo-oxidize and degrade. And when you finally cook with your newly purchased olive oil in the kitchen, make sure to warm it slowly to preserve the antioxidants. For more information on how to choose the perfect olive oil, visit http://www.eataly.com/.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/19/olive-oil-101-how-to-choose-oils-with-most-health-benefits/

Keri Russell gets in fighting shape

In order to play a tough KGB agent on the FX series The Americans, Keri Russell worked out with Avital Zeisler, a Krav Maga instructor who moonlights as a hand-to-hand combat consultant.  “Working out [this way] makes you feel fierce,” says Keri. “I tend to be very internal—getting on the subway and keeping my eyes down. But I would leave those workouts looking people in the eye, like, ''Sup,” she says with bravado.  For each of Zeisler's moves, do three sets of 12 reps. MORE: The 25 Fittest Female Celebrities 1. Striking Squats Get into a squat with your elbows bent, hands open at cheekbone level, and palms facing in. As you stand up from the squat, strike with your left hand and then immediately strike with your right. Return to start. That's one rep. MORE: 5 Ways to Ease Sore Muscles 2. Elbow Striking Abs Do one crunch, with your elbows bent and hands on either side of your face, palms facing in. At the top of the move, bring your left forearm out and across your body until your left elbow is slightly past the center line of your chin. Return to start. That's one rep. Repeat with your right arm. 3. Lunging Defensive Knees With your hands raised to cheekbone level, lunge back with your right leg until your left thigh is parallel to the floor. Shift your weight forward as you bring your right leg forward, leading with your knee. Return to start. That's one rep. Repeat with your left leg. MORE: The 7 Best Butt Exercises 4. Self-Defense Pushup Do a pushup, then lower your body so you're lying on your stomach. Roll over, and in one movement, bend your knees, lift your hips, and kick your left leg in front of you, leading with your heel. Return to start. That's one rep. Switch sides and repeat. MORE: 7 Workouts for Hot Arms 5. 360 Kick Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, hands at cheekbone level, palms facing in. Leading with the heel, kick your right leg to the front, then side, then back (touch your foot to the floor between kicks). Return to start and do a jumping jack. That's one rep. Repeat with your left leg.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/17/keri-russell-gets-in-fighting-shape/

Lifestyle change may ease heart risk from job stress

Being under stress at work is tied to a higher risk of heart problems, new research confirms - but putting down the beer bottle and going for a walk may help. Researchers found that job strain - defined as having a lot of demands at work, but little control - was tied at a 25 percent higher chance of having a heart attack or dying of heart problems. But heart risks were cut in half among people - stressed or not - who maintained a healthy lifestyle compared to those who drank, smoked or were obese. “For many people avoidance of work stress is unrealistic,” lead researcher Mika Kivimaki, from University College London, said in an email. “Thus, we wanted to ask the question whether adopting an otherwise healthy lifestyle would reduce heart disease risk among those with job strain,” he said. Kivimaki and his colleagues combined the results of seven European studies that surveyed 102,000 people about their general lifestyle habits and health, including how much strain they were under at work. None of those participants had heart disease at the start of the study. Over the next seven years, on average, there were about 1,100 heart attacks or deaths from heart disease across the trials. About one in six people in the studies initially reported being under job strain. Rates of heart problems over a decade ranged from 12 cases per 1,000 generally healthy people without job strain to 31 per 1,000 people with job strain and multiple lifestyle risks, such as rarely exercising or having more than three or four alcoholic drinks a day. Kivimaki's team calculated that close to 4 percent of all heart attacks and heart disease deaths could be attributed to job strain and about 26 percent to drinking, smoking, obesity and lack of physical activity. The researchers wrote in the Canadian Medical Association Journal that for people with stressful jobs, adopting a healthier lifestyle may be a strategy to lower heart risks. “We hope this message reaches those who want to reduce their heart disease risk but feel they cannot avoid work stress,” Kivimaki said. One researcher who has studied work stress and heart disease separately said the new review may underestimate the link between job strain and heart disease. OTHER FACTORS? Paul Landsbergis of SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York, said other types of job stress that may influence heart risks - such as having low social support and job insecurity - weren't taken into account. The new study doesn't prove pressure at work caused heart problems. But cardiologist Dr. Vincent Figueredo from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia said the results are in line with past studies suggesting that chronic stress, including from job strain, can have negative health effects. “With chronic stress, there's activation of these systems that can have long-term effects on things like insulin resistance, central obesity (and) high blood pressure,” Figueredo, who wasn't involved in the new research, said. What this review adds, he said, is that workers may be able to do something about those extra risks. “It does offer some hope for those people who do have that job strain they can't do anything about at work,” Figueredo said. “If you're stuck being stressed at work, at least go out and exercise, don't smoke and eat healthy.”source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/17/lifestyle-change-may-ease-heart-risk-from-job-stress/

Single yellow fever shot is enough, WHO says

The World Health Organization says a yellow fever booster vaccination given 10 years after the initial shot isn't necessary. The U.N.'s global health agency said Friday that its expert group on immunization believes a single dose of vaccination is sufficient to confer lifelong immunity against the disease. The Geneva-based body says only 12 known cases of yellow fever after vaccination have ever been identified. Some 600 million doses have been dispensed since yellow fever vaccination began in the 1930s. Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease transmitted by infected mosquitoes that is endemic to 44 countries in tropical areas of Africa and the Americas. There are an estimated 200,000 cases of yellow fever and up to 15,000 deaths worldwide each year.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/17/single-yellow-fever-shot-is-enough-who-says/

Majority of pools are contaminated by poop, CDC says

There's poop in public pools, according to a new report. Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found genetic material from E. coli bacteria in 58 percent of public pools they tested during the summer of 2012. This shows that “swimmers frequently introduced fecal material into pools,” which could spread germs to other people, the researchers wrote in their report. E. coli bacteria are normally found in the human gut and feces. They also found genetic material from bacteria called Pseudomonas aeruginosa, whichcan cause skin rashes and ear infections, in 59 percent of pools. The fecal material in pools comes from swimmers not showering before getting into the water, and from incidents of defecation in pools, according to the report. The average person has 0.14 grams of fecal material on their “perianal surface” that can rinse into a pool if a person doesn't shower first, according to the report. The Pseudomonas aeruginosabacteria in the pools may have come from the natural environment, or from swimmers, the researchers said. There were no samples that showed E. coli O157:H7, a toxin-producing E. coli strain that causes illness. Two parasites, Cryptosporidium and Giardia, which also spread through feces and cause diarrhea, were found in less than 2 percent of samples. The study included 161 pools in the Atlanta area, and the researchers noted their findings may not apply to all pools, but said there is no reason to think that contamination or swimmer hygiene practices differ between pools in the study and those in the rest of the country. The researchers collected samples of water from the pools' filters, and looked for the genetic material of specific bacteria. “Chlorine and other disinfectants dont kill germs instantly,” said Michele Hlavsa, chief of CDCs Healthy Swimming Program. Its important that swimmers shower before getting in a pool, not swallow the water they swim in, and avoid swimming when they have diarrhea, she said. The CDC also recommends that parents of young children take children on a bathroom break every hour, or check diapers every 30 to 60 minutes. Diapers should be changed in a diaper-changing area, not near the poolside, the CDC says. 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/2013/05/16/poop-prevalent-in-public-pools-cdc-says/

Vocal cord paralysis: Explaining Google CEO Larry Page’s rare condition

Earlier this week, Google CEO Larry Page finally revealed the reason behind his soft, hoarse-sounding voice: he suffers from a rare condition called vocal cord paralysis Though Page was able to speak on Wednesday at Google I/O, the company’s annual developer conference, he recently wrote on his Google Plus profile that he has struggled with vocal cord paralysis for the past 14 years. Page said he was first diagnosed with paralysis in his left vocal cord after a bad cold. However, his condition worsened last summer when his right vocal cord also became paralyzed. Experiencing paralysis in both vocal cords is extremely uncommon, according to Dr. Nicole Maronian, director of the Voice Center at University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio, who did not treat Page for his condition. “Since I’ve been in practice, since 1998, it’s been one patient. Having it affect both vocal cords, it’s pretty rare,” Maronian told FoxNews.com. Normal vocal cords open and then close completely every time they are stimulated by the nerves. “They have to close in a tight line to get the kind of strong voice out that you and I have today,” Maronian said. But when vocal cords become paralyzed, they are not able to close completely, leaving a gap.  “If there’s a gap, air starts leaking through, and you start sounding breathy, softer,” Maronian explained.   In addition to hoarseness, patients with this paralysis can also experience shortness of breath due to air leaking through the gap between the vocal cords. “They often get a little bit high-pitched, trying to project or pitch the voice. They get short of breath because of all that air leaking out, or have trouble getting full sentences out because of the air leaking out,” Maronian said. Some patients even experience aspiration, when recently swallowed fluids leak through the space in between the vocal cords. Aspiration can lead to coughing symptoms or even “aspiration pneumonia, which has significant morbidity and mortality,” Maronian said. While the paralysis is typically thought to be caused by a viral infection, such as a cold, pneumonia or bronchitis, other factors may be to blame as well.   “Lots of things can affect the nerve: A virus, compression from a thyroid issue, other things like cancer, (or) surgeries where the nerve is ether stretched or pulled,” Maronian said. Page disclosed that he was also diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis in 2008, an inflammation of the thyroid gland, which may or may not affect his vocal cord paralysis. “Sometimes the thyroid gets big which can compress the nerve and push on it. Usually though, the gland burns out and gets small and the nerve compression issue isn’t a piece of it anymore,” Maronian said. Recovery time for vocal cord paralysis can vary. Some patients rebound within months, while others take much longer to heal, Maronian noted. Depending on the needs of the patient, doctors can offer several treatment options for vocal cord paralysis. Patients can wait and see if the condition improves on its own, but many opt for vocal cord injections or surgical procedures to achieve faster relief and recovery. “In the office or operation room, we can (inject) a material next to the vocal cord that pushes it into a more natural position, so it can get closure. (We then) watch and hope it recovers on its own,” Maronian said. Page said in his statement that he plans to “fund a significant research program” through the Vocal Health Institute, led by Dr. Steven Zeitels from the Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts General Hospital Voice Center.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/16/vocal-cord-paralysis-explaining-google-ceo-larry-pages-rare-condition/

New SARS-like virus: WHO reports patient-to-nurse spread of deadly infection

Two health workers in Saudi Arabia have become infected with a potentially fatal new SARS-like virus after catching it from patients in their care - the first evidence of such transmission within a hospital, the World Health Organization said. The new virus, known as novel coronavirus, or nCoV, is from the same family of viruses as those that cause common colds and the one that caused the deadly outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) that emerged in Asia in 2003. “This is the first time health care workers have been diagnosed with (novel coronavirus) infection after exposure to patients,” the Geneva-based U.N. health agency said in a disease outbreak update late on Wednesday. The health workers are a 45-year-old man, who became ill on May 2 and is currently in a critical condition, and a 43-year-old woman with a coexisting health condition, who fell ill on May 8 and is in a stable condition, the WHO said. France has also reported a likely case of transmission within a hospital, but this was from one patient to another patient who shared the same room for two days. NCoV, like SARS and other similar viruses, can cause coughing, fever and pneumonia. Scientists are on the alert for any sign that nCoV is mutating to become easily transmissible to multiple recipients, like SARS - a scenario that could trigger a pandemic. WHO experts visiting Saudi Arabia to consult with the authorities on the outbreak said on Sunday it seemed likely the new virus could be passed between humans, but only after prolonged, close contact. Initial analysis by scientists at Britain's Health Protection Agency last year found that nCoV's closest relatives were most probably bat viruses. Yet further work by a research team in Germany suggests nCoV may have come through an intermediary - possibly goats. The WHO's Wednesday update said that, while some health care workers in Jordan had previously contracted nCoV, these Saudi cases were the first clear evidence of the virus passing from infected patients. “Health care facilities that provide care for patients with suspected nCoV infection should take appropriate measures to decrease the risk of transmission of the virus to other patients and health care workers,” it said. It also advised health care providers to be “vigilant among recent travelers returning from areas affected by the virus” who develop severe acute respiratory infections. Since nCoV first emerged and was identified in September 2012, the WHO says it has been informed of a total of 40 laboratory-confirmed cases worldwide, including 20 deaths. Saudi Arabia has had most of the cases - with 30 patients infected, 15 of them fatally - but nCoV cases have also been reported in Jordan, Qatar, Britain, Germany and France.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/16/new-sars-like-virus-who-reports-first-patient-to-nurse-infection/

FDA approves new drug to treat ulcerative colitis

The Food and Drug Administration has approved Johnson & Johnson's drug Simponi for patients with moderate to severe ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory disease affecting the colon. Simponi is already approved to treat rheumatoid arthritis. Like RA, ulcerative colitis is an auto-immune disease in which the body's immune system attacks its own organs. In the case of ulcerative colitis, inflammation can lead to open sores or ulcers in the lining of the colon, causing stomach pain, gastrointestinal bleeding and diarrhea. The most common side effects of Simponi in clinical trials of patients with ulcerative colitis were upper respiratory infection and redness at the site in which the drug is injected. Patients treated with Simponi, known also as golimumab, are at increased risk of developing serious infections, reactivation of Hepatitis B infection, heart failure and certain nervous system disorders. The drug is marketed by J&J's Janssen Ortho Biotech unit.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/16/fda-approves-new-drug-to-treat-ulcerative-colitis/

FDA approves new drug to fight prostate cancer

German drugmaker Bayer and its development partner Algeta won approval from U.S. regulators for a prostate cancer drug that could eventually generate more than 1 billion euros ($1.31 billion) in annual sales. The Food and Drug Administration, which has reviewed Xofigo under its priority program, said on Wednesday the injection is cleared for treatment of bone metastases in men whose cancer has spread after receiving medical or surgical therapy to lower testosterone. Bayer licensed Xofigo, also called radium-223 dichloride, from Norway's Algeta in 2009 and the two companies will co-promote the injection in the U.S. Bayer has also requested approval for the drug in Europe, where it would market the drug alone. The drug, which according to Bayer could become a “blockbuster” product with annual sales of least 1 billion euros, has some properties of calcium. That makes it cling to cancerous bone cells and then destroy them via alpha rays, which is more targeted than the shotgun approach of conventional radiotherapy.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/15/bayer-algeta-win-fda-approval-for-prostate-cancer-drug/