Author: St. Elizabeth Healthcare

Kids can get into dangerous things around the house. Even after the baby-proofing stages, there are everyday items parents still need to keep locked up and out of reach of children ““ medications being one of them. While prescription bottles come with child-resistant caps, more than 9,000 children younger than six (three-quarters of these are one- and two-year-olds) are hospitalized annually due to accidental ingestion of prescription drugs according to The New York Times. A new study shows that “the most often implicated medicines contained buprenorphine, used for treating narcotic addiction and sometimes as a pain reliever; and clonidine, a…

Most people associate diabetes with blood sugar levels that are too high. Over the long haul, high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) can lead to blindness, kidney failure, nerve damage, heart disease and other serious health problems. But the damage can take decades to accumulate. But blood sugar levels that dip too low – a condition called  “hypoglycemia”  – can quickly turn dangerous and, in rare cases, even deadly. When blood sugar falls to 70 mgs/dl or lower, it’s important to act quickly to raise it to healthier levels. According to the American Diabetes Association, warning signs of hypoglycemia include: Shakiness Nervousness…

In addition to being the unofficial mascot of fall, pumpkin is also a good source of Vitamin A, specifically beta-carotene, which is key for good vision, a healthy immune system (very important this time of year), and cell growth. If you don’t already like the orange squash, here are five recipes that will have you falling in love, all of which are under 320 calories: Pumpkin ravioli with gorgonzola sauce: Warm and comforting for a dinner party. 250 calories per serving. Pumpkin pie cake: Two layers of cream cheese frosting ““ need we say more. Be sure to stick to…

It started showing up at the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008: The athletic tape stuck to the arms, legs and torsos of the world’s greatest athletes that didn’t look like any tape jobs that came before. The tape, sometimes brightly colored, didn’t wrap around joints or muscles. It was cut into odd shapes. It didn’t seem to serve any purpose. Kinesiology tape, designed by Japanese chiropractor and acupuncturist Kenzo Kase, is a latex-free hypoallergenic cotton fiber tape with a heat activator on one side. After bursting onto the scene, it became a sensation with professional athletes and weekend sportsmen looking…

My first year of college, I recall going on an egg diet to avoid the “freshman fifteen” ““ the dreaded weight gain experienced by many college students. My roommate, one year older and years wiser than me, invited me to join her in this seven-day, “high energy, guaranteed weight loss” regime. Living in a dorm 30 plus years ago, I had to go to an upper classman’s apartment and boil dozens of eggs for use and safe storage during the next seven days. I won’t elaborate on the outcome other than to say, I lost weight because I couldn’t gag…

While it’s important to eat your daily allotment of vegetables, fruits and grains, every now and then it’s okay to indulge. On this Wednesday “hump day,” we’re sharing an interesting article from NPR about the science behind baking your ideal chocolate chip cookie. If you’re going to cheat on your diet ““ you should cheat with a tasty cookie! Complete with tempting photos, the article outlines how to make your cookies crispy with a soft center, thick, cakey or even butterscotch flavored. We can’t wait to try the tip of adding two more cups of flour for the “ooey-gooey” cookie.…

Do you drink soda regularly? Or do you indulge when you have a craving? I know I’ve let my root beer cravings take over quite a few times without thinking about the effects on my body. Nearly all soft drinks contain a sweetener called fructose. Fructose metabolizes primarily in the liver leaving fatty acids that can contribute to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Even moderate amounts of fructose can lead to “dangerous gyrations in blood sugar levels, escalating insulin resistance, Type 2 diabetes, added fat around the middle, obesity, poor cholesterol profiles and other metabolic disruptions,” according to a  New York…

An international team of researchers recently found that people with very low levels of vitamin D ““ sometimes called the “sunshine vitamin” ““ were more than twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. The study, released in August, did not show a cause and effect relationship between vitamin D and Alzheimer’s, but is the latest in a growing body of research showing vitamin D plays an important role in brain health and memory. The researchers and experts from the Alzheimer’s Association stressed that more research is needed to determine if vitamin D might be useful…

Medications do a world of good when you need them. But unused medications left gathering dust in the medicine cabinet or just flushed down a toilet can be unintentionally dangerous. Safe disposal of prescription drugs, especially painkillers, is a hot topic these days. Unused medications pose a threat to small children who might take them thinking they’re candy or something harmless. They also might be too tempting to teens looking to experiment, cautions the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. And they’re a target for thieves looking for quick cash or a quick fix. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration sponsors National…

If you think it’s impossible to lose weight and have fun, this woman’s story about how one dance class changed her life will have you thinking differently. We read this inspiring story on CNN Health and had to share it. In March 2013, Angela weighed 350 pounds. She always loved music and dance so when her friend invited her to a dance class she wanted to go, but was reluctant because of the way she felt about herself. She went to the class and enjoyed it. After one class, there was no turning back. Seven months of attending dance twice…