Weekly Health Update

Mental Attitude: Learning And Video Games. Boys 6-9, took intelligence tests and reading and writing assessments. The boys' parents and teachers filled out questionnaires relating to their behavior at home and at school. Half the families received a video-game system immediately and the other half were promised a video-game system four months later, at the end of the study. Boys who received the system immediately spent more time playing video games and less time engaged in after-school academic activities. They also had significantly lower reading and writing scores four months later and had greater teacher-reported learning problems. When children have problems with language at a young age, they tend to have a tougher time acquiring advanced reading and writing skills later on.  Psychological Science, April 2010

Health Alert: Adolescent Drinking Adds To Risk Of Breast Disease, Breast Cancer! Girls 9-15, who drink alcohol increase their risk of benign breast disease (benign breast disease increases the risk for developing breast cancer). Girls who drink 6-7 days a week are 5.5 times more likely to have benign breast disease. Girls who drink 3-5 days per week have 3 times the risk. On average, girls diagnosed with benign breast disease drink more often, drink more on each occasion and have an average daily consumption 2 times that of those who did not have benign breast disease. They also had more episodes of binge drinking.
Pediatrics, May 2010


Diet: Go Nuts for Cardiovascular Health. Nuts help lower cholesterol. Nuts are high in monounsaturated fat, which lowers LDL ("bad") cholesterol while leaving HDL ("good") cholesterol intact. Studies show people who eat about an ounce of nuts a day have lower risk of heart disease. Nuts are high in fat and calories, so only eat a handful, and make sure they're not covered in sugar or chocolate.
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, February 2006

Exercise: Jog Lightly? If a person weighing 150 lbs jogs 3 miles, the cumulative impact on each foot is greater than 150 tons. This impact can be detrimental to your entire body and not just your feet. Remember to run on soft surfaces and avoid concrete sidewalks.


Chiropractic/Physical Therapy: Low Back Pain And Your Muscles. Patients with low back pain recruit muscles in different patterns and cause altered loads on the lumbar spine. The joints are out of sync to protect the spinal tissues from motion that may cause pain. These patterns will persist as long as the tissue attempts to avoid pain. Spine Journal, 2007

Wellness/Prevention: Childhood Body Size Affects Future Breast Cancer Risk. Girls who are leaner at age seven are at higher risk of cancer later in life. A larger body type at age seven is associated with a decreased risk of postmenopausal breast cancer.  BioMed Central Limited, April, 2010

Quote: "A wise man should consider that health is the greatest of human blessings, and learn how by his thought to derive benefit from his illnesses." ~ Hippocrates