
Practical tips and simple exercises to prevent neck pain

Dyslexia: Tools and supports for this learning disability

Chickpeas: Easy ways to eat more of this nutritious legume

Do products that claim to stop snoring actually work?

Flowers, chocolates, organ donation — are you in?

Chair yoga: Benefits of a mind-body practice without the risk of falling

Need a prescription for an ED medication? What to know about BlueChew, hims, Roman, and other online ED medication retailers

Low-carb foods: Nutritious choices for creating a sustainable diet that's lower in carbohydrates

Pilates: A good option for older adults?

A muscle-building obsession in boys: What to know and do
Staying Healthy Archive
Articles
Add weight training to control belly fat, say Harvard researchers
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Aerobic exercise is not enough to fight belly fat, according to researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health. They say that weight training is also key to fighting the battle of the bulge. Researchers analyzed physical activity, weight, and waist circumference data for more than 10,000 men ages 40 and older, and found that healthy men who did 20 minutes of daily weight training had less of an increase in age-related abdominal fat compared with men who spent the same amount of time doing aerobic activities. Aerobic exercise alone was associated with less weight gain compared with weight training. The best results came from combining weight training and aerobic activity. The findings were published online Dec. 22, 2014, in Obesity. "Engaging in weight training or, ideally, combining it with aerobic exercise could help older adults lessen abdominal fat while increasing or preserving muscle mass," says Dr. Rania Mekary, the study's lead author and a researcher in Harvard's Department of Nutrition.
Abdominal fat is linked to heart disease, diabetes, bone loss, and decreased bone strength. You can fight back by aiming for the recommended 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week and starting a weight-training program if your doctor approves.
Balance and strength exercises may help reduce falls
It appears that exercise may significantly reduce falls among people with less severe PD, and may improve balance and quality of life for anyone with PD.
A wake-up call on coffee
This popular beverage may have benefits beyond a morning buzz. But be careful with your add-ins.
Coffee drinkers around the world savor the bitter brew on a daily basis. But are there any grounds for concern regarding coffee's effects on the heart? On the contrary: the case for drinking coffee seems to be growing. Straight coffee—minus the cream and sugar—is a nearly calorie-free beverage brimming with antioxidants. It might ease artery-damaging inflammation and may deliver a substance that helps the body regulate blood sugar.
"The evidence for the benefits of coffee consumption is even more convincing than it was five years ago, especially when it comes to preventing type 2 diabetes and reducing risk of heart disease and stroke," says Dr. Frank Hu, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health.
Having a big belly puts your heart in danger
Cutting back on carbohydrates can help shrink a bulging midriff.
Pants getting a little snug? It's not just you: Americans' waistlines have ballooned over the past decade or so, to an average of just under 40 inches for men and almost 38 inches for women, according to a large federal study.
Chemical in food can liners may boost blood pressure
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Some plastic bottles, food containers, and linings of cans contain bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical that's been under close scrutiny because of its potential effects on human health. Most Americans have traces of BPA in their urine, and some research hints of a possible link between BPA exposure and cardiovascular disease. Now, a study in the September 2014 Hypertension finds that BPA exposure from cans may raise blood pressure.
Sixty older adults drank two servings of soymilk provided one of three ways: in two glass bottles (providing the least BPA), two cans (most BPA), or one glass bottle and one can. Two hours after participants drank from the cans, their urinary BPA levels were much higher than after they drank from two glass bottles. And their systolic blood pressure (the first number in a blood pressure reading) was roughly 4.5 mm Hg higher after two cans versus two glass bottles.
Fed up about dietary fat advice?
The proper role of fat in diet is not that complicated.
Atkins, South Beach, paleo, high-protein, low-carb, gluten-free—the march of the media darlings of dieting never ceases, along with the scientific controversy over which one works best. But for many health-conscious men, maintaining a lean physique isn't the only consideration when making dining decisions. What diet protects you best from heart disease and stroke?
Gentler exercise for mind and body is best for sleep
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Just as regular exercise has a host of health benefits for the body, staying mentally active appears to preserve memory and general sharpness. But for getting a good night's sleep, light workouts for both body and brain may be best, according to a study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
The study focused on 72 people, ages 67 to 79, who reported poor sleep as well as declining mental sharpness. They were assigned at random to do either strenuous aerobic exercise or a gentler stretching routine, paired with either watching educational DVDs (followed by short quizzes) or engaging in more demanding computer-based brain training.
Mindfulness and your dog
Mindfulness has garnered tremendous interest over the past decade. Research suggests that mindfulness — the ability to live each moment as it unfolds and accept it without judgment — can help reduce stress and enhance health.
Perhaps one of the greatest psychological benefits of interacting with a dog is the opportunity it provides to be more mindful — to purposely focus your attention on the present moment.
The 4 best ways to maintain your brain
Images: Thinkstock Aerobic exercise is the best documented brain builder. |
The most conclusive evidence shows that combining activities that benefit body and soul also reduces the risk of dementia.
Ask the doctor: I'm shorter than I once was but I weigh the same. Am I now too heavy for my height?
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Q. I am more than an inch shorter than I was a few years ago, but my weight has remained constant. I noticed that my body mass index (BMI) is just above 25. Does that mean than I am now overweight even though I haven't put on any pounds?
A. Technically, it does. Generally, people with a BMI between 25 and 30 are considered overweight, and those with a BMI of 30 and over are considered obese.

Practical tips and simple exercises to prevent neck pain

Dyslexia: Tools and supports for this learning disability

Chickpeas: Easy ways to eat more of this nutritious legume

Do products that claim to stop snoring actually work?

Flowers, chocolates, organ donation — are you in?

Chair yoga: Benefits of a mind-body practice without the risk of falling

Need a prescription for an ED medication? What to know about BlueChew, hims, Roman, and other online ED medication retailers

Low-carb foods: Nutritious choices for creating a sustainable diet that's lower in carbohydrates

Pilates: A good option for older adults?

A muscle-building obsession in boys: What to know and do
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