02/29/16

Monday, February 29, 2016

Zika Tied to Disorder That Can Cause Paralysis

But researchers found that nearly two-thirds of study cases walked again within 3 months

From: http://www.webmd.com/news/20160229/zika-virus-tied-to-rare-disorder-that-can-cause-paralysis?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Hawaii faces challenges fighting dengue outbreak

As Zika threatens to spread, Hawaii is having trouble battling another mosquito-borne virus

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/hawaii-faces-challenges-fighting-dengue-outbreak/

FDA: Listeria found at cheese plant with mislabeled products

Records obtained by CBS News show cheese at Castle Cheese was stored in an un-refrigerated room; and Listeria was found ten times

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/fda-records-show-listeria-found-at-cheese-plant-with-mislabeled-products/

FDA Orders 'Black Box' Warning Label on Essure Long-Acting Contraceptive

Agency says device remains 'appropriate' for many women but also cites reports of serious complications

From: http://www.webmd.com/sex/birth-control/news/20160229/fda-orders-black-box-warning-label-on-essure-long-acting-contraceptive?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Daylight Saving Time Tied to Spike in Stroke Risk

But overall increase was only 8 percent higher in the first two days after a clock change, researchers said

From: http://www.webmd.com/stroke/news/20160229/daylight-saving-time-tied-to-brief-spike-in-stroke-risk?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Mayo Clinic Minute: How Pets Can Improve Your Health

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRzshbXZyrY

Baby in "his last days" receives life-saving heart transplant

A new heart arrived for 7-month-old Lincoln Seay just in time, doctors and family say

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/baby-in-his-last-days-receives-life-saving-heart-transplant/

Could daylight saving time increase your risk of stroke?

New research explores relationship between the time change and a serious health problem

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/could-daylight-saving-time-increase-your-risk-of-stroke/

Another Reason for Teens to Eat Their Vegetables

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhxxCEYBlGY

'Female Libido' Pill May Not Be Worth It: Report

Addyi carries host of serious side effects without delivering much more sexual satisfaction, review suggests

From: http://www.webmd.com/sexual-conditions/news/20160229/female-libido-pill-may-not-be-worth-it-researchers?src=RSS_PUBLIC

ADA asks lawmakers to help combat prescription opioid abuse

As part of its efforts to reduce prescription opioid abuse, the Association is urging lawmakers to pass the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2016-archive/february/ada-asks-lawmakers-to-help-combat-prescription-opioid-abuse

Mayo Clinic Minute: Guidelines - Do They Apply to You?

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTLj7WuOp28

Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces $18 Million Available to Support Research and Teaching at Historically Black Land-Grant Universities

WASHINGTON, Feb. 29, 2016 - Agriculture Secretary Vilsack today announced $18 million in grants will be available to strengthen research and teaching at historically black land-grant universities during a meeting with the 1890’s Council in Washington. The grants are available through the 1890 Institution Research, Extension, and Teaching Capacity Building Grants program administered by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).

From: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentid=2016/02/0054.xml&contentidonly=true

USDA Improves the WIC Shopping Experience to Better Serve our Nation’s Low-Income, New and Expecting Mothers and Their Young Children

WASHINGTON, Feb. 29, 2016 – Today, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced a major step to make it easier for participants in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) to access nutritious foods. The WIC Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) Final Rule will improve the shopping experience for WIC participants by requiring states to transition from paper benefits to EBT systems by Oct. 1, 2020, as required by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010.

From: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentid=2016/02/0053.xml&contentidonly=true

Mislabeled painkillers "a fatal overdose waiting to happen"

Officials warn of opioid painkillers spiked with potentially lethal doses of fentanyl

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/mislabeled-painkillers-a-fatal-overdose-waiting-to-happen/

The hottest trend in plastic surgery

A new report looks at the fastest-growing cosmetic procedures in the U.S.

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-hot-new-trend-in-plastic-surgery/

Can You Exercise With Atrial Fibrillation?

Your heart needs exercise, even when you're living with AFib. A few simple tips from WebMD can help you do it safely.

From: http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/atrial-fibrillation/features/exercises-heart-health?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Diabetes-Friendly Breakfast Ideas

Start your day off on the right foot with these healthy breakfast recipes.

From: http://www.webmd.com/diabetes/features/diabetes-eating-well?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Neuroscience can help you live a healthier life

Follow me at @srinipillay

Healthy behaviors clearly make sense from a rational standpoint, but they can be a drag — and difficult to maintain. For example, there are few people who doubt the beneficial effects of exercise, yet one study found that close to 75% of people either do not exercise at all or exercise only seldomly. Eating healthily is also important, yet more than a third of all adults are obese. It’s not because we’re ignorant or because we aren’t motivated to adopt healthy behaviors. It’s just very difficult to stay the course.

Here are some strategies to help you develop and maintain healthy behaviors.

Combat stress

In an ideal world, it would be great to be able to reflect on each choice prior to making it. Yet, under stress, our brains tend to be reflexive rather than reflective. When we are reflexive, we tend to go back to old habits that are the established “default” pathways in our brains. For example, excessive sugar consumption is a risk factor for obesity, yet sugar also decreases the stress hormone cortisol, which is why people may get hooked on it. In general, stress prompts habit behavior in humans, so dealing first and foremost with stress is probably advisable when you’re looking to make lasting changes. Luckily, your brain can change throughout life. This means that decreasing stress could ultimately help your brain become less vulnerable to habit.

People tend to focus on themselves when stressed, but a recent study showed that helping others may significantly decrease the negative effect of stress on your body. This may be due to the protective anti-stress effects of the hormone oxytocin. Another study affirmed these findings by showing that helping others may help you live longer.

Also, people who find meaning in their adversity and focus on the benefits of their hard times deal much more effectively with stress. To that end, what could you learn from the stressors in your life now? How could they make things better? For example, people who lose a dear friend may learn to appreciate others more. Those who’ve had financial difficulties may learn to save more effectively. Looking for the silver lining in a cloud can be more than just a “fake” refocusing of your mind. If you do it authentically, it can reduce the negative impact of stress.

Set meaningful goals

Setting goals can help you think more clearly and stay motivated, yet for many people, this approach does not work. A recent study provided an explanation for why this may be. Beyond your conscious goals, there are many unconscious goals also competing for attention. For example, while weight loss may be your conscious goal, stress relief may be your unconscious goal. While healthy eating may be your conscious goal, this may take a back seat to resolving relationship difficulties. All around, goals are selfish. It’s every goal for itself in the human brain. If your health-related goal doesn’t have special preference, it may fail you. It helps to attach a “priority tag” to the goals that are most important to you.

To do this, you need to delve a little more deeply — that is, ask yourself why your goal matters to you. Things like looking good, living longer, enjoying life, avoiding dementia, and understanding that being unhealthy-but-wealthy is suboptimal for you may all help your goal gain priority. To make changes for the better, your health-related goals should be the goals above all other goals. When you elevate their importance by thinking of them in ways like these, they will beat out other goals in your brain.

Design intentions that your brain will respond to

Finally, your brain responds to two types of intentions — goal and implementation intentions. Goal intentions are broad and non-specific. Implementation intentions are quite specific. Studies show that breaking all goal intentions into more specific intentions can go a long way. For instance, rather than just planning to work out, specify the time and place, or even the change you are seeking in pounds. When you spell things out for your brain, it can access that goal more readily than when you are vague and non-specific.

Habits are a powerful force that make change difficult. Yet, decreasing stress, attaching a priority tag to your goal, and being more specific will prepare your brain more adequately for the changes that will support your life.

The post Neuroscience can help you live a healthier life appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: Srini Pillay, MD http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/neuroscience-can-help-you-live-a-healthier-life-201602299210

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