Daily Health Tips: Trusted Medical Information, Health Tips and Advices

Sometimes the noise from inside our own heads is the biggest stressor of all. But here's the phrase that can turn things around for you: "My mind is calm." Positive affirmations like this one may be key to stress-free health, according to Dr. Maoshing Ni, author of Second Spring . These affirmations can help offset the soaring levels of stress hormones produced by tens of thousands of other negative thoughts we have on a daily basis. Stress Spiral In his book, Ni writes that the average woman has 60,000 thoughts a day and that 80 percent of those thoughts are negative. Ouch. And negative thoughts are bad news for the body, since stress causes wear and tear on many physical health systems. But Ni recommends offsetting that stress by repeating calming, soothing positive affirmations to ourselves because the thoughts that bubble up from our consciousness affect our health, just as our diets and exercise habits do. Positive thoughts feed the body nourishing

Most men have their first tryst with backache between the ages of 30 and 45, about the same time they start getting grey hair. According to medical studies, at least 70 percent of men will have back aches at some point in their lives. Of those, 14 percent will have severe pain that lasts for at least two weeks, and up to 7 per cent will have chronic pain that can last for more than six months. Muscle strain has been identified as the most common cause of back pain in several medical studies. As men get older, they get less and less exercise. The amount of physical activity reduces to a good extent. Consequently, the muscles in the abdomen and back that support the spine deteriorate and get out of shape. What happens after this is that you discover that you are unable to perform tasks with ease (as you used to do previously) and experience pain in the abdomen area. Improper posture is also one of the major reasons for back ache. Oft

You could drop your risk of colon cancer by as much as 65 percent with this simple and delicious diet switch. Trade that meat-and-potato kabob for a fish-and-vegetable one. That's right. As you wait breathlessly for spring to turn to summer, start planning your barbecues now. And plan on making fish and vegetables -- and, what the heck, a little fruit, too -- the mainstays of your hot-coal-fired meals. Cancer-Countering Diet A diet that's bursting with fruit, vegetables, whole-grains, and healthy protein choices like fish rather than meat is smart for a variety of health reasons. But it appears that the good things in this diet -- like fiber, antioxidants , vitamins , and minerals -- may work synergistically to keep the colon healthy and free of cancer. For good measure, add beans and low-fat dairy -- two more diet choices that appear to be an important part of a healthy-colon diet. (You can make meats safer for your body by using this slow-grill method.) Dep

When was the last time you clipped that pedometer onto your waistband? Here's a great reason to get it back there. Boosting your daily steps to 10,000 a day could save you from a future with diabetes -- especially if you're not hoofing it that much right now. The Magic Number of Steps In a recent study, researchers in Australia used pedometers to calculate participants' average number of daily steps over the course of 5 years. And people whose pedometers showed an increase in steps over time had better insulin sensitivity at the end of the study -- a good sign for anyone who hopes to avoid diabetes, because insulin helps your body use blood sugar. Just how much do you need to ramp up to improve insulin sensitivity? Researchers estimated that based on the study results, a mostly sedentary person could improve his or her insulin sensitivity nearly threefold by working up from 3,000 steps every 5 days, to 10,000 steps every day.    Stepping Away from Diab

Finding a diet that helps steady your blood sugar may sound complicated, but it needn't be. There's actually an easy-to-follow nutritional formula that can help do the trick -- and keep your blood pressure, cholesterol, and body weight in check at the same time. And if you have diabetes, this same eating plan can help you manage your condition. So, what is that formula? There are three parts: Divide Add Subtract By dividing up the portions on your plate in a better way, adding certain healthy foods, and subtracting blood-sugar-unfriendly choices, you'll be well on your way to enjoying better blood sugar. Divide Up Your Plate Many people give over half of their dinner plate to a meat-based main course. But you'll want to readjust that thinking. Half of your plate should be produce; the other half can be divided between protein (like lean chicken) and high-fiber starches (like whole-wheat pasta or potatoes with the skins on). Add This Good Stuff

You could lower your blood pressure significantly in 30 seconds if you just do this: breathe deeply. In a study, that simple act helped lower the study participants' systolic blood pressure. In fact, the study participants only had to do it six times to see their systolic pressure dip as much as 10 mm Hg! Not too shabby for a few slow in-and-out breaths. Blowing Off Steam The study involved nearly 20,000 Japanese adults with either normal blood pressure or high blood pressure. Some of the study participants sat alone quietly doing a breathing exercise that involved taking six deep breaths over the course of 30 seconds. The rest just sat quietly doing nothing for the same amount of time. Both activities were good for the study participants' vitals. But afterward, the systolic blood pressure readings in the deep breathers had dropped much more dramatically than the people who merely sat quietly.  Deep-Breathing Benefits The overall blood pressure and pulse rates

Positive Expectations About Recovery May Increase Survival in People With Coronary Artery Disease "Your attitude affects your latitude" may be more than a cliché, a new study suggests. Hospitalized patients diagnosed with coronary artery disease who had a positive outlook about their recovery were less likely to die over the next 15 years and had better physical functioning after one year, according to a new study. Previous studies have found that heart patients' optimism and expectations have positively influenced their functional status and return to work. But researchers say this study takes it a step further by showing how patient beliefs affect their health over the long term and ultimate survival. The findings are published in the Archives of Internal Medicine . Positive Outlook, Longer Survival Researchers at Duke University Medical Center followed 2,818 heart patients after they had coronary angiography to evaluate blood flow in the coronary ar

We often think of cheese as that artery-clogging no-no on top of pizza. But a new study suggests cheese might actually be good for your heart -- if you choose low-fat. Yep. In a study of middle-aged adults, frequent servings of low-fat dairy products appeared to significantly reduce levels of heart-hampering inflammatory compounds. Say Cheese The researchers measured blood levels of three inflammatory markers: C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha. And all three compounds were significantly lower in people who got 11 to 14 servings of low-fat dairy products each week compared with people who got fewer than 8 servings. It's good news for your taste buds and your heart, because reducing the number of inflammatory compounds in your body may help protect you from heart disease. Do More Dairy Full-fat versions of dairy products are rich in saturated fat, and that means trouble for both your heart and your waistline. But low-fa

Rates of diabetes are skyrocketing. But you could lower your risk significantly just by eating more of these three foods: spinach, almonds, and black beans. Each one is a rich, healthful source of magnesium. And in a study of middle-aged people, those whose diets had the most magnesium were 36 percent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes compared with the people who got the least amount of this mineral  . Get More Magnesium The people at the high-intake end of the study got about 300 milligrams (mg) of magnesium each day. But for optimal RealAge benefits, you should probably aim even higher. RealAge experts Michael Roizen, MD, and Mehmet Oz, MD, recommend that people get 400 mg to 500 mg a day. And you've got lots of easy and delicious food choices to get you there. Enjoy half a cup of spinach, three-quarters of a cup of black beans, or an ounce of almonds for an extra 75–80 mg of magnesium. Other great food sources include halibut, bran cereal, baked potatoe

Hot or cold, cereal always tastes better with a little something on top. And for better blood pressure, the topper you should choose is blueberries. In a recent study of people with health conditions, those who had freeze-dried blueberries added to their diets every day experienced significant improvements in both their systolic and diastolic blood pressure after just 8 weeks. Blue-Blooded Benefits Researchers think that nutrients in blueberries may help soften blood pressure by increasing body levels of enzymes that relax blood vessels. These enzymes also support healthy endothelium -- those fragile cells that line blood vessel walls. And the blueberry lovin' may be particularly helpful for people with sub-par health. In the study, all of the men and women were obese (body mass index of 30 or more) and had metabolic syndrome -- a cluster of health risk factors that can lead to diabetes or heart disease. Get more antioxidants from your blueberries. Taking th

Weight Lifting Not Associated With Increased Risk of Arm Swelling Contrary to what's been thought, a program of weight lifting may not increase the risk for arm swelling caused by lymphedema in breast cancer survivors.  Weight lifting may help breast cancer patients who already have lymphedema in their arms to gain strength. Lymphedema is buildup of fluid that causes swelling. It can be a lasting side effect of removing lymph nodes during breast cancer surgery. To avoid developing the condition or making it worse, the vast majority of the 2.4 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S. are typically advised against lifting children, heavy bags, or anything else weighing more than 5 pounds. The findings "do not mean women can just go out, buy a set of weights and start their own rehabilitation program." What "breast cancer survivors should do is go to their physician and insist on getting a prescription for physical therapy. The physical therapist

Researchers Say Weight Loss and Physical Activity Are Keys to Prevention of Prediabetes and Diabetes More than half of all Americans may develop diabetes or prediabetes by 2020, unless prevention strategies aimed at weight loss and increased physical activity are widely implemented, according to a new analysis. These efforts could in theory also save about $250 billion in health care costs in the next 10 years, suggests the analysis published by UnitedHealth Center for Health Reform & Modernization, a specialized center within UnitedHealth that focuses on health care reform issues. "We need a sense of urgency. There is a lot of money and human suffering at stake," says Deneen Vojta, MD, senior vice president of the UnitedHealth Center for Health Reform and Modernization, which is based in Minneapolis. "The good news is that we know what works, and if we work together in a concerted national way, we can win." Weight Loss and Exercise For exam

In Study, Heavy Drinkers Had Nearly Twice the Risk of Heart Attack or Death From Heart Disease Heavy drinking or binge drinking a couple of days a week may be worse for the heart than drinking a moderate amount of alcohol throughout the week, new research indicates. Researchers in France and in Belfast, Northern Ireland, say that middle-aged men in both places drink about the same amount of alcohol per week. But in Belfast, people tend to go on binges, drinking in one or two days about the same amount of alcohol that French men drink in a week. Alcohol Use in Belfast and France Jean-Bernard Ruidavets, MD, of Toulouse University, and colleagues studied alcohol drinking patterns of 9,758 men in France and Belfast over a 10-year period. For the study, scientists divided participants between the ages of 50 and 59 without ischemic heart disease into four distinct groups -- never drinkers, former drinkers, regular drinkers, and binge drinkers. Drinkers were interviewed

The risk of a particularly aggressive form of breast cancer could be cut by over a third with this side dish: a tossed salad. In a study, eating lots of raw salad veggies dropped HER-2-positive breast cancer risk by nearly 35 percent. HER-2 is a rare but aggressive form of the disease. Time to hit the salad bar! Produce-Aisle Protection The study compared a Western diet -- high in meat and potatoes -- to other diets, and the women who ate not only the most salad veggies but also the most olive oil had the best protection against HER-2 breast cancer. So ask for an olive-oil-based vinaigrette if you don't see one on the salad bar.    Something About Folate Researchers think the antioxidant- and folate-rich salad veggies help with HER-2 cancer because those nutrients are best at thwarting cancer-causing oxidative damage to DNA. And oleic acid, found in olive oil, may hinder the production of HER-2 cancer cells. For some reason, there was only a benefit to HER-2 br

Diabetic  Retinopathy Defect in either the secretion and or the action of insulin causes diabetes  mellitus  that is primarily characterized as hyperglycemia.  Insulin, a hormone produced by the beta cells in the pancreas, is required to regulate the blood glucose levels that are produced due to carbohydrate, lipid and protein metabolisms. Based on the onset and the insulin action, diabetes  mellitus  presents as type 1 and type 2 diabetes  mellitus . Though diabetes can be controlled, long term complications of the disease -  nephropathy ,  retinopathy ,  neuropathy  and atherosclerosis are common. Health Problems Related to Diabetic  Retinopathy Eye disorders are common in diabetics and can range from mild to severe in nature. Diabetic  retinopathy , cataract and glaucoma manifest as diabetic eye diseases in chronic diabetics of which diabetic  retinopathy  is the most common. Diabetic  retinopathy  is the damage to the retina caused by changes in the blood vessel

It's the quickest way to lower your blood pressure without lifting a finger. Just watch something funny. Research shows that laughter and humor could help lower systolic blood pressure -- the top number -- by about 10 points in just 20 minutes. And if you tickle your funny bone often, you could make your RealAge as much as 8 years younger. Tickled Pink In a small study, participants chose a 20-minute humorous video clip to watch. They also watched 20 minutes of a serious war movie. Then, researchers measured the participants' blood pressure. And watching funny videos not only lowered people's blood pressure but lowered their cholesterol levels, too. The serious war movie? No effect.    Humor and Health How does laughter reach all the way into your insides and lower your blood pressure? It's all about stress hormones. When your funny bone is tickled, it reduces levels of stress hormones related to climbing blood pressure. And as an extra added bonus,

What kind of bean do you pile high on your tacos and burritos? For better cholesterol, try the mighty pinto bean. In a study, people who consumed half a cup of pinto beans every day lowered their total cholesterol by a whopping 8 percent in just 12 weeks. Power to the Pinto With 8 grams of protein, 8 grams of fiber, almost no fat, and only 120 calories per half cup, what's not to love about pinto beans? Especially when the bean's fiber is known to help control cholesterol. How? By causing the body's small intestine to produce more of a compound that helps keep cholesterol in check.    Beans and Blood Fats Changes in the gastrointestinal environment were only part of the reason pinto beans lowered cholesterol in the study. Researchers also think the nutrients in beans help -- antioxidant nutrients like flavonoids, which are natural plant compounds that help defend against disease. Ready to serve up some tasty pintos? Try one of these serving ideas from Eat

Study Shows Greater Risk of Heart Attacks and Earlier Death for Short People Short people have a higher risk of heart health problems than tall people, according to a new study. "The shorter you are, the higher risk you have of developing cardiovascular disease," says Tuula Paajanen, MD, a researcher at the University of Tampere, Finland. Short people, she found, also had an increased risk of heart attacks and earlier death than taller people. Overall, she says, the risk of getting heart disease and dying from it early is 1.5 times higher for short people than for tall people. The report, in which Paajanen analyzes 52 previously published studies, is published in the European Heart Journal. For nearly 60 years, researchers have debated a potential link between height and heart disease, with the first report finding short people at a health disadvantage published in 1951. So Paajanen and her team did medical literature searches, selecting the most scient

New Guidelines Call for Physical Activity Before, During, and After Treatment Though cancer patients have long been told to take it easy, they can -- and should -- be as physically active as possible before and during treatment, according to new guidelines from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). "We have to get past the idea that exercise is harmful for cancer patients," says Kathryn Schmitz, PhD, MPH, lead author of the guidelines and associate professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Physical activity brings many benefits, including improved aerobic fitness and strength, decreased fatigue, better quality of life, and improved body image, Schmitz tells WebMD. No one is saying you should go out and run a marathon during chemotherapy. "You know your own body, do what's comfortable," she says. Many cancer patients who stop being physically ac

Non-Genital HPV Wart Viruses May Raise Risk of Common Skin Cancers The HPV viruses that cause non-genital warts may increase the risk of getting common skin cancers, especially in people on long-term steroid medications. The finding comes from a study comparing 1,561 people with the most common kinds of skin cancer -- squamous cell and basal cell carcinoma -- to people without cancer. There are more than 100 types of human papillomavirus (HPV). The most well-known types are sexually transmitted and cause genital warts , cervical cancer, and anal/genital tumors. But other HPV types spread easily without sexual contact and are a leading cause of non-genital warts, especially on the arms and fingers. Earlier studies have linked some of these HPVs to skin cancer, especially in transplant patients on immune-suppressing therapy and in people with a genetic disease (epidermodysplasia verruciformis) that suppresses immune responses. Now Margaret R. Karagas, PhD, of Dart