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

New health tips are a dime a dozen, right ? Well, maybe in some places that is true. Here we are going to talk about fifteen health tips to implement today to your life and prove that they work. The first is to brush your teeth daily . Gum disease not only can cause you to lose your teeth, it can make you have heart problems. Consider this: scientists have confirmed that gum disease likely causes destructive bacteria to flood the blood system. Limit this problem by brushing your teeth often. Another tip to use today is to cut back on processed sugar . That means most all soft drinks. They are loaded with it. Why cut back on this ingredient ? Large levels of sugar causes quick and damaging levels of insulin to be released into the blood. Your pancreas makes the insulin. If it has to work overtime and you already have a terrible diet your pancrease can become exhausted. When your pancreas becomes exhausted and can not make enough insulin to counteract the level of sugar i

From exotic juices to cans of cocktail peanuts, more and more edibles in the supermarket are being dubbed "antiaging" by some marketer or media pundit. The real deal about munchies that keep you youthful? They come from the earth, not a vacuum pack. We're not the only ones who are saying that. Take a look at what the longest-lived people in the world are eating (if you know us, this list will look familiar, but with a few twists). Then, put their favorites on your own table. Costa Rica: Beans for Breakfast Residents of Costa Rica's Nicoya Peninsula are four times more likely than most North Americans to live past age 90. One reason may be dishes like  gallo pinto , a tasty mix of black beans and rice flavored with onion, red peppers, garlic, olive oil, cilantro, and a salsa lizano -- a condiment a little like Worcestershire sauce. The Oz part of this team learned on a trip to Nicoya that big breakfasts that begin with beans rule there. But don't limit yourself;

Whatever you put in your pan for dinner tonight, make sure you add a few squeezes of this: lemon juice. A new study shows that marinating meats in lemon juice -- or vinegar -- can help greatly reduce the production of harmful compounds linked to aging and chronic disease. Cooking Compounds All foods -- but especially ones derived from animals -- contain varying levels of compounds called advanced glycation end products (AGEs). These compounds are known to cause inflammation and may open the door to faster aging. Cooking -- especially high-heat methods -- increases formation of AGEs. But now new research suggests that marinating foods in an acidic, low-pH liquid -- like lemon juice or vinegar -- may help slow that formation down significantly. AGEs in beef were cut in half after marinating for an hour -- but shorter amounts of time may help, too. How AGEs Age Meats and full-fat cheeses contain the most AGEs, followed by pork, fish, and eggs -- although even fruit, vegetable

Self-Help for Headaches Next time you get a nagging headache, try a little fingertip therapy. You might feel better more quickly. Your temporalis muscle:  With your index and middle fingers, apply pressure to your temporalis muscle. It's that tender spot where you feel a muscle move when you clench your teeth. Behind your ears:  Using your thumbs, massage in a circular motion the spots just underneath the large bones behind your ears. Between your eyes:  With your middle finger and thumb, gently pinch the skin just above your nose and press upward so you feel the pressure around your eyebrows. The web of your hand:  Use your thumb and index finger to squeeze the fleshy pad of skin between the thumb and index finger on your opposite hand. Here are three more quick ways to destress your head. Stress isn't  all  bad. Short-term, it can help you meet a deadline, turn a double play, or keep your bumper from getting crumpled. But when stress lingers like week-old leftovers, it&#

Blood Test Looks for Type of Cell That Breaks Away From Artery Walls A new blood test could one day give doctors a critical head start on heart attacks, a small new study suggests. The test looks for cells that normally line the insides of blood vessels. When those cells, called endothelial cells, start to build up in the blood, researchers say they may be an early indicator of trouble. "When they start to leak and slough off into the blood, that's a really bad sign. They do that over the course of a few days to a couple of weeks before a heart attack occurs," says researcher Eric J. Topol, MD, a professor of genomics and director of the Scripps Translational Science Institute in La Jolla, Calif. "As they continue to slough off, they basically create a crack [in an artery wall]. A blood clot forms to seal the crack. That's what causes a heart attack," Topol says. Identifying Vulnerable Plaques In recent years, doctors have developed a new understanding o

Feel like your life has done a number on your fun factor? You're not alone. Deadlines, bills, and crazy-busy schedules keep most of us from cutting loose and getting silly. All work and no play isn't just dull. It negates something that's hardwired into the human psyche, say "play experts." So we're giving you an assignment: Carve out some time for playtime. Find something that makes you feel like you're floating free, happy, and totally absorbed in your own play land. Here are some ways that a busy grown-up can cut loose, play, and even learn something new along the way. Find your inner artist.  Haul out your water-color set, old sewing machine, or woodworking tools. Feeling musical? Dust off your old clarinet, take a guitar class, or join a band. As long as you're having a good time with no high-pressure expectations, it's play.  Flex your green thumb.  Gardening doesn't just produce beautiful flowers and produce, it can also be a relaxing

Combine 1 month of holiday feasting with 1 football season of noshing on high-calorie snacks, and what have you got? Double the size in belly, hips, and thighs. But cheer up! We've got diet snack solutions to help. That's right. Game day food makeovers that look and taste like the originals. Your guests won't even know they're low in fat (and you'll stay in your skinny jeans till baseball season). Lite Wings: Cut the saturated fat and sodium with these cornmeal-crusted boneless buffalo wings. Serve them with a light blue-cheese dip. Pizza-to-go: For maximum calorie control, make it yourself. If convenience is a priority, order a thin-crust veggie pizza from Domino's, Pizza Hut, or Papa John's. All three can deliver a pizza that weighs in at less than 250 calories a slice. Chips and dip: Serve baked chips with a Greek-yogurt-based fat-free dip. At about 15 calories a tablespoon, you can have more than a handful.   Chocolate fix: Make y

Did you decide to skip your flu shot this year? If so, you might want to rethink that. Here's why: Getting the shot is the single best way for nearly everyone to prevent the flu, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). So, what's stopping you? Here are 6 common excuses, and why you should reconsider: It's too late. It's true, getting a flu shot early in the season offers the best protection, but the shot is effective anytime, even if you wait until December. Flu activity typically peaks in January or February and can last as late as May. I'm healthy. The flu vaccine is especially important for high-risk people (pregnant women, young kids, older folks, and anyone with a compromised immune system), but the rest of us need it, too. Having the shot will prevent you from wasting precious vacation days or (worse!) going to work sick and sharing the virus with your coworkers. I had a flu shot last year. Smart move! Get ano

If you have diabetes, prediabetes, or blood sugar on the high side of normal, we have some sound reasons why you should get your blood sugar in check. No doubt you already know about diabetes' scary complications, from heart disease to blindness and nerve damage, but did you know that diabetes can take a huge toll on your personal life, too? According to data we analyzed from 1 million RealAgers, it can impact your life in 3 key ways: 1. Relationships. People with diabetes are far less likely than nondiabetics to spend time with friends or relatives. They're also more than twice as likely as those without diabetes to say they're unhappily married. That's not surprising. Diabetes can make you prone to depression and anxiety, both of which are hard on relationships. It can also put the brakes on your sex life by causing vaginal dryness in women, and low testosterone and erectile dysfunction in men. 2. Depression. People with diabetes were twice as

Do you work with people who are cranky, antsy, or fed up to the point of negatively acting out toward you and others? If so, you're not alone. A recent survey says 43% of Americans have been targets of workplace rudeness no thanks to a shaky economy. Here are three great reasons you shouldn't put up with it: It infects your home life. Rudeness has a ripple effect. Bringing home bad vibes can make things tense there. Rinse off tension with a stress-relieving walk at the end of the day. It's a health threat. Negativity and chronic stress boost your blood pressure and the threat of heart disease and lung problems. Being positive and polite does just the opposite. Give stress the pink slip and avoid these chronic diseases. It's bad for business. Half of all workers who've been targets of a nasty work situation waste work time dodging or worrying about the next attack. One in five doesn't work as hard, and one in 10 finds ways to spend less ti

Got a few minutes, but not a few bucks? In less time than it takes to eat a sandwich, you can give stress the pink slip -- and reduce your risk for everything from heart disease, diabetes, and snapping at your spouse to high blood pressure, sleep problems, and less-than-stellar immunity. And it won't cost you a dime. That's good news, because escaping to a fabulous tropical resort sounds like a good idea, but it becomes a source of high anxiety when you get the bill. Not so when you try these three fast, free tension tamers: Close your eyes and follow your breath. Regularly meditating (at your desk, before you start your commute, even before you get out of bed in the morning) counteracts the toxic effects of stress. Pay attention to your breath as you slowly inhale and exhale. Try putting your fingers over your belly button to help stay focused. Yes, your mind will wander. Just invite it to listen to your breath again.  Read the comics, or call your funniest

Here's one walk that can help you unwind and unload some of the stress that may be weighing you -- and your looks -- down: Step outside and leave your stresses -- and your iPod -- behind. Take in the details of your surroundings -- the buzz of traffic, the chirp of a bird, the curvature of plants and trees, the precise color of the sky, the shape of moving clouds. You will find yourself becoming hyperaware and in the moment. At this point, think about what you are thankful for in your life. It can be general or specific: your health, your family, your experiences at work, your life partner, your children, your last birthday party, and so on. Let your mind and memory run free. Becoming very present like this gets you thinking in a whole new light and connecting in ways you never imagined. You also get inspired by thinking more broadly rather than focusing on your own inner world and trivial frustrations. It's a great way to beat down stress while at the same time

We all need a good night's sleep -- regularly -- to keep us on our physical, mental, and emotional game, but is it possible to get  too much  sleep? It seems so. Too many ZZZs might actually shorten your life, according to some research. What counts as enough, but not too much, sleep? That's tricky, because sleep -- like underwear -- isn't a one-size-fits-all proposition. Your ideal sleep prescription depends somewhat on how much you're sleeping now, according to a study of more than 10,000 people. Here's the breakdown: When people who usually slept 5 or 6 hours a night bumped up their nightly ZZZs to 7 or 8 hours, they added years to their lives.  Use this bedtime checklist of do's and don'ts to boost your time between the sheets. When people who normally slept 7 to 8 hours got more sleep, their risk of dying early rose 75%. When people who were comfortable sleeping 6 to 8 hours a night cut their sleep short, they didn't do well, and raised their m

Paper or plastic? That is the question. But either one you choose has a negative impact on the environment. Here are some facts about paper and plastic shopping bags: In the U.S. 40 billion grocery bags are used each year; 30 billion are plastic, 10 billion are paper. Worldwide, between 500 billion and one trillion plastic bags are consumed annually. A family of four uses five to ten plastic or paper grocery bags per week. That equals between 600 and 1,200 bags per shopper each year. Because plastic bags are lighter than paper bags, it takes four or five bags to hold the same amount of groceries as one standard size paper bag. Plastic bags are expected to take between 20 and 1000 years to break down in the environment and in the process release toxins into the water and soil, whereas in the open environment paper bags take about a month to decompose. Plastic bags have been seen as far north as the Arctic Ocean, as far south as the southern end of South America, and one ex

Can't decide whether to order wine with dinner? Here's a little tidbit to help you make up your mind: Deciding "yes" might protect you from dementia down the road. A review of the findingsas suggests older adults who indulge in a daily glass (one if you're a woman, two if you're a man) of their favorite alcoholic beverage (wine, beer, or cocktails) are significantly less likely to develop age-related cognitive decline or dementia compared to folks who don't drink at all. Booze for the Brain How does imbibing do this? Researchers think the daily habit may protect against inflammation-inducing proteins in the brain, including B-amyloid -- a toxic protein linked to Alzheimer's disease. Other findings suggest that moderate drinking can boost cerebral blood flow by dilating vessels in the brain. One part of alcohol's brain-protective equation: It's thought that moderate social drinking may have a cumulative effect over many years

When was your last eye exam? It's possible your answer could affect your risk of Alzheimer's. In a new study, people with vision problems who failed to visit the eye doctor -- or who left their vision problems untreated -- were nine times more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease. Time for a checkup? The Vision/Cognition Connection To be clear, researchers don't think vision problems are a direct cause of Alzheimer's disease. But untreated eye problems could keep people from engaging in the types of activities that are good for your brain -- like reading, playing games, and even walking and socializing.    Prioritize Your Eyes Regardless of the connection between untreated eye problems and cognitive decline, there are lots of other good reasons to see your eye-care specialist regularly. The most important? Sight-robbing eye conditions like glaucoma, macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy typically don't have any early warning signs. R

Whether you've scheduled a routine eye exam or have a special appointment with an eye doctor because of new symptoms, you'll get more out of your visit if you come prepared. Step one: Think about the information you want to share, and write it down beforehand. Step two: Know what questions to ask. A good dialogue with your doctor is key to understanding your own risk factors for eye disease as well as to determining the best course of action to take. Not sure what to ask? We've prepared a printable list of questions to help you get the conversation going in the right direction. 15 Questions to Ask On Risk Factors Do I have any risk factors for eye disease (age, ethnicity, family history, etc.)? If I'm at risk for certain eye conditions, what can I do to lower or manage that risk? On Symptoms What's causing my vision changes or symptoms? Are my vision changes a normal part of aging, or could they be a sign of something more serious? Wil

Want a guilt-free way to feast on holiday fare without loading up on all the button-popping, belly-bulging calories? No problem. Just use this 5-step holiday action plan. Replace temptations. Piling up holiday "goodies" (think pumpkin pie, cookies, and fudge) in plain sight can prompt you to eat twice as much, twice as fast. Instead, keep alternate goodies, such as walnuts, pistachios, cinnamon-spice tea, juicy oranges, and ruby-red pomegranates, within easy reach. For your holiday table, try tossing together this recipe from EatingWell: Winter Salad with Roasted Squash & Pomegranate Vinaigrette . Don't skip exercise. Just make it short and sweet. Sticking with your routine during the busy holidays can be tougher than finding a radio station not playing Jingle Bells. Go for three 10-minute walks each day for a total of 30 minutes, and you're good. Too cold out for a walk? Choose libations wisely. Beer and red wine both raise your appetite-

Could your morning cup of Joe beat back skin cancer? It might. And it seems you may get equal protection from your java whether you sip it or slather it. It's the caffeine in coffee that seems to do the trick. Numerous animal studies have already found that ingesting caffeine protects against certain types of skin cancer. Now, a new study suggests that caffeine-based lotions may prevent the sun's UV radiation from sparking skin cancer in humans, too. Cancer-Curbing Coffee? In the study, human skin cells were first bathed in caffeine in a lab dish and then exposed to UVB radiation. The caffeine not only blocked two key mechanisms that trigger the birth of skin tumors, it also caused the death of UVB-damaged skin cells that could otherwise turn cancerous. More research is needed to confirm whether caffeine in sunscreen will protect as well as it did in a petri dish, but it can't hurt to ask your dermatologist or pharmacist about available caffeine-containing

If tough economic times have turned zipping up your jeans into Mission Impossible , you're not alone. New data is more revealing than most celebs' Oscar-night outfits: Financial worries prompt 1 in 10 to snack more and have made 48% of women and 39% of men gain weight. Worse, that weight is in the wrong place: the waist. We're not talking 1 or 2 ounces: One-quarter of us packed on more than 10 pounds, and 1 in 16 gained more than 20 pounds. It gives the pain of tightening your belt a whole new meaning.    Sound familiar? If your waistline is enlarging faster than the latest unemployment statistics, do this before you grab the celery sticks: Head for a hot bubble bath . . . or a brisk walk . . . or a cup of coffee with a friend. Truth is, you need a crash course in cortisol reduction more urgently than you need a "diet" right now. The reason? Stressful events cause you to release cortisol, the "high anxiety hormone," and that triggers indus

  Teenage is the time one requires more nutrition as the body is subjected to a lot of changes. But are teens aware of this? Size zero, fad diets and food supplements are some of the terms frequented by most teens today. Teenage is the time one requires more nutrition as the body is subjected to a lot of changes. But are teens aware of this? Snacking on junk, skipping meals and ignoring exercise will not only let you lose your shape, but your health as well. Nutritionist Ashwini Sukumar, engages in a conversation with Vaishnavi Venkataraman, educating teens on tips to cut down those extra pounds with no crash diets. Why is a diet important? Teenage is a period when most of them would want to experiment. Be it clothes or food, teens prefer innovative stuff rather than the traditional ones. Adding to this, a nutritious diet is most essential during teenage. Can diet have an impact on students’ performance? Of course yes! Diet plays a vital role in any students’ academics

Remember how you resolved to make healthy habits a permanent part of your life on December 31 last year? It all went really well for the first week or so. You were a regular in the gym, desserts had simply vanished from your everyday meals, and you used to go to sleep and get up at appropriate times. But then, one fine day, your friend asked you to come over. And as soon as he popped open a beer can, you resolution went down the drain. Let us not kid ourselves. New Year resolutions are always easy to make but hard to stick to, mostly, because either they are way too unrealistic and people lack the required will. If you want to live a healthy life, there’s no need to wait for one long year to make a resolution. It’s never too late to start, provided you do make a start. Just as you didn’t develop you bad habits overnight, you won’t be able to kick them out on the New Year’s Day. Here are top 5 very manageable health resolutions all men must take: Less Stressing Out M

You know how you're always told to fill your plate with colorful fruits and vegetables? Count white as a color. It could cut your risk of stroke in half . When you think "white," think under the skin (e.g., apples and pears). Bananas, too. Also: cauliflower, onions, garlic, and cucumbers. In an impressive new stroke study, apples and pears were all-stars because they accounted for more than half of the white produce people ate, and the white stuff is what slashed stroke risk.    While eating lots of fruit and vegetables has long been linked to fewer strokes, this is the first effort to pinpoint which produce gets the credit. (Cut out this stroke-prevention list and stick it on your fridge.) An Apple a Day Keeps the Doc Away Keep that old rhyme in your head! The people in this big, long study (10 years, 20,000 men and women) cut their stroke risk 9% for every 25 grams of white produce they ate. Here's how apples size up (approximately) to some other

Grab a banana and say bye-bye to Parkinson's disease? Researchers say it could be so. Bananas are rich in vitamin B6 -- and very early research suggests that high levels of B6 may protect against Parkinson's. Still, the news is not something to go bananas over just yet. The benefit applied only to smokers in the most recent study. But bananas and B6 do your body good in many other ways. Vitamin B6 -- along with folate and B12 -- helps reduce levels of homocysteine, an amino acid. That's good for your ticker, because too much homocysteine in the blood appears to up heart disease risk. Homocysteine also appears to be toxic to nerve cells, and elevated levels have been linked to Parkinson's disease, a progressive neurological disorder that causes muscles to become rigid and shake uncontrollably. Could B vitamins be the answer? Among nearly 5,000 people studied recently, smokers whose B6 intake was highest were 50 percent less likely to develop the brain

Riddle: What could your credit card airline miles and your hard-earned vacation days possibly have in common with stopping a stroke? Answer: A strict "use it or lose it" policy applies to all three. Getting your brain cells into gear now can prevent a brain attack later. Strokes are so scary, most of us don't even want to think about them -- one big survey found you're three times more likely to worry about burglaries than this threat to your most important organ. (No, not that one. We mean your brain.) But a boatload of do-it-now recent research proves that knowledge = brain-saving power. Here's the stroke news YOU need to know: Little choices help you sidestep big brain trouble. Turns out that plenty of "no big deal" decisions are a big deal -- like moving your hand 2 inches to the left when picking out canned beans in the supermarket, so you grab the type not soaked in salt. Or ordering the broiled trout instead of the fried. Or hoppi