Author: St. Elizabeth Healthcare

Have you gotten used to the time change? You may have, but your kids may still be adjusting. And, with all that Halloween candy around your house, sugar may also be interfering with a good night’s sleep. If you’re struggling to get your kids back to a regular sleep schedule, here are a few helpful tips from Huffington Post: Monitor what your child eats before bed. Dark chocolate and soda are loaded with caffeine, which can keep your little one awake. If you know how your child will react to an increase in sugar, you can decide when to cut…

Are your kids begging to eat their Halloween candy nonstop? Enjoying a piece of candy here and there allows kids to be kids, but, gorging on candy for weeks is not healthy. According to NPR, you can get rid of excess candy while teaching your kids a valuable lesson. The Halloween Candy Buyback program was founded by a dentist in Wisconsin to buy back candy from kids in his practice and ship it to U.S. armed forces overseas as part of Operation Gratitude care packages. Word has spread and currently more than 2,500 dentists and orthodontists participate nationwide. If you…

Tea is one of the most popular drinks in the world, second only to water. However, only one in five American adults drink tea. Are we missing something? The most current research on tea and coffee indicates they are equally beneficial for us. In the U.S., caffeinated coffee is the way most of us start our day and how we give ourselves an afternoon boost. We may switch to decaffeinated coffee in the evening, but it is uncommon for us to switch completely to tea. But, is one better for you? Both contain antioxidants that protect healthy tissue from free…

Whether you realized or not, you have experienced inflammation in some form ““ perhaps as sunburn, a head cold or an infected cut. Inflammation is one of our body’s many amazing methods of self-preservation, and acute inflammation protects and heals the body after an injury or infection. It is a normal response that sends increased blood flow filled with germ-fighting cells to an area and triggers other healing responses to occur simultaneously. Unfortunately, many of us have also experienced chronic inflammation that can manifest as autoimmune disorders like psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease. New research is leading scientists to…

We all know the holidays can be hectic. So, before serving a turkey dinner to 15 of your favorite relatives (and the other 5 who keep showing up every year), before waiting in line for four hours on Black Friday and definitely before breaking out the Christmas cookies, take next weekend for you and your family. Greater Cincinnati has plenty of unique activities the entire family can enjoy together. November is the perfect month to get out of the house and take advantage of family time before the holiday season arrives. Here are some ideas for the November 13 through…

Do you sleep on your back, on your side or sprawled out across the entire bed? Your sleep position may be telling you more than you think. In addition to affecting your health (stress on organs and spine) and the quality of rest you get (difficulty breathing than can interrupt sleep), your sleep position could be linked to personality type. Whether you’re an extroverted and brash “Freefaller,” a quiet and reserved “Soldier” or a great listening “Starfish,” this article from Men’s Health offers insights about how your sleep position is linked to your personality type, and it provides tips to…

Summer isn’t the only time to eat healthy. Keeping fruits and vegetables top of mind this time of year will help to avoid fall and winter weight gains. We found a perfect nutrient-rich salad from Women’s Health Magazine to try out this week. It’s filled with fall vegetables and will keep you feeling satisfied on cool days. It consists of marinated boneless turkey breast, roasted Brussel sprouts and sweet potatoes ““ all topped with a cranberry maple vinaigrette. This may be a new way to rid of Thanksgiving leftovers. Enjoy!

High-intensity workouts are all the rage these days. From cycling to cross-fit training, these short, intense bursts burn fat, build muscle and can reduce risk for chronic diseases. While the results are great, getting there is easier said than done. According to the New York Times, your workout music can substantially increase your output during a high-intensity workout. Researchers gathered 20 young, healthy adults to test whether or not music would alter their feelings about the difficulty of a high-intensity workout, such as cycling. When participants listened to a playlist of their favorite songs they still reported the workout being…

Time for a quick quiz ““ what comes to mind when I say “magnesium?” 60 plus years of age : “Milk of Magnesia” Healthcare folks : “IV push for a medical emergency” Women who had complications in pregnancy: “Hmmm, that sounds familiar.” Average supplement user: “I think it’s mixed with my calcium”” Chemistry majors: “Number 12 on the periodic table.” What is magnesium? Magnesium is an important mineral in more than 300 chemical reactions needed to keep your body working properly. Although it doesn’t get a lot of attention like some other minerals, calcium for example, it is essential for:…

Everyone forgets where they left the keys once in a while, or temporarily misplaces a co-worker’s name. Little slips like that are often a sign of stress or overwork, not dementia. Alzheimer’s disease, which results from changes in the brain that occur over a long period of years, causes a slow decline in thinking and reasoning skills, as well as memory loss. The Alzheimer’s Association  lists 10 warning signs and symptoms for the disease. Intensity varies from person to person. See a doctor if you notice any of them in yourself or a loved one: Memory loss that disrupts daily…