Author: St. Elizabeth Healthcare

We’re a few short days from Halloween, which means your house will soon be (if it’s not already) filled with sweets. Did you know, on average, a child consumes 3.4 pounds of candy on Halloween? That’s roughly 7,000 calories and 3 cups of sugar! And for those who make the argument that they are also walking to trick-or-treat, so it’s not a big deal – children would have to walk 180 miles to burn off all of those calories. What seemed like a harmless bag of candy is now an arch enemy of moms and dads everywhere, so we asked…

Think you know it all about flu shots? Time to test your immunization smarts. When you get your flu shot (that’s right, when, not if!), consider calling your local St. Elizabeth Physicians Urgent Care location. They have immunizations available for children and adults. No appointment is necessary. [mlw_quizmaster quiz=14]

Bill Page is typically Mr. Fix-it. You’ve got a problem to solve, he’s your man. It’s what he does. It’s who he is. But not the day last April when he learned his wife Denise had breast cancer. “When I looked at her, there was a sense of helplessness because I knew I couldn’t fix this no matter how hard I tried,” Bill says. “After the initial punch in the gut, I wanted to heal her. But there was nothing I could do. The only thing I could do is hold her. And I said a quick prayer. I asked…

Craving a salad but worried because your favorite veggies are no longer in season? Don’t worry – there are plenty of delicious fruits and veggies you can find fresh in the fall. Buzzfeed created a list of 18 fall salads using only freshly-harvested fruits and veggies. Here are six we can’t wait to try: Apple Cranberry Walnut Salad ““ With a serving of fruit, vegetables and nuts, this salad is the a healthy mix that is both filling and delicious. Crispy Kale Autumn Salad with Grilled Cheese Croutons ““ If the kale gave you pause, just skip to the grilled…

Have you stepped outside in the last week? Then you’ve probably noticed the cooler temperatures rolling in. If this, coupled with the Farmers’ Almanac prediction for a frigid Halloween, has you concerned that trick-or-treating will be  intolerable this year,  why not go trick-or-treating a little earlier? It’s also a great opportunity to let young kids get comfortable wearing their costumes before the big night. We read about 15 places with “pre-trick-or-treating” in Cincinnati Parent Magazine. Many of them are open daily now until November 1. Note: Three of the 15 were one weekend only and have passed. Here are the…

If you and your children will be heading out for trick-or-treating in your neighborhood, here are some important tips to keep in mind. For those of you who will be staying home to past out candy, make sure you check out our guide to healthier options. Any other Halloween questions? Send them to us at stories@stelizabeth.com/healthyheadlines!

We’ve all been there. That afternoon slump topped with heavy eyelids and slow reaction time. Time for a run down to the nearest Starbucks or Dunkin’ Donuts, right? Hold your horses. The Huffington Post has a few tips to get your energy levels back up without reaching for that expensive, calorie-packed hot  beverage. 1. Take a viral video break and put your work on hold. Or hop on Facebook, just for a minute. Find something completely unrelated to work. 2. Drink a glass of cold water. If you work out regularly, you could be dehydrated. The cold water may also…

As you know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month so be sure to check back each week throughout the month as we share important breast health tips. Cathy Halloran was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2001 and has raised close to a combined $450,000 for the American Cancer Society and her very own Chicks and Chucks Foundation, a non-profit she started in 2006 to provide a resource for breast cancer patients in need of financial and emotional support. She devotes much of her time and boundless energy to talking to cancer patients and family members. Halloran is a breast cancer…

Between learning a new way of eating, juggling medications and starting or tweaking your exercise routine, finding out you have diabetes can be overwhelming. Diabetes is a chronic disease that, if not properly managed, can have devastating consequences, including heart attack, stroke, amputations, blindness and even death. Successful management requires people with diabetes to master seven skills, according to the American Association of Diabetes Educators: Healthy eating: Make sure the foods you eat contain the right amounts of carbohydrates, protein and fat. Eat on schedule. Watch your salt intake. Learn to read a nutrition label and work with your health…

Sleep ““ and lack of it ““ can make a big difference in your work life, says Dwana Ehlman, a registered polysomnographic technologist with St. Elizabeth Healthcare’s Sleep Disorders Center. “Sleep loss and poor quality sleep have been shown to lead to accidents and injuries on the job,” said Ehlman. She notes that workers who complained about excessive daytime sleepiness had significantly more work accidents, especially ones that happened repeatedly. “Sleep loss dumbs you down,” Ehlman said.  “Lack of sleep impairs attention, alertness, concentration, reasoning and problem solving.” So imagine the mistakes that sleep-deprived employees may be making. Not only…