Welcome to the Stars Hollow Gazette‘s Health and Fitness News weekly diary. It will publish on Saturday afternoon and be open for discussion about health related issues including diet, exercise, health and health care issues, as well as, tips on what you can do when there is a medical emergency. Also an opportunity to share and exchange your favorite healthy recipes.
Questions are encouraged and I will answer to the best of my ability. If I can’t, I will try to steer you in the right direction. Naturally, I cannot give individual medical advice for personal health issues. I can give you information about medical conditions and the current treatments available.
You can now find past Health and Fitness News diaries here.
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Credit Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Lukas Volger is a vegetarian cookbook author I have long admired, ever since he reversed my veggie burger cynicism with his 2010 cookbook, “Veggie Burgers Every Which Way.” He is a master at creating attractive vegetarian and vegan meals that are put together with a light hand but that fill you up.
This is certainly the case with his latest book, “Bowl.” The book’s subtitle, “Vegetarian Recipes for Ramen, Pho, Bibimbap, Dumplings, and Other One-Dish Meals,” pretty well defines the breakdown of the chapters, with many pleasing, bright variations on each theme.
~ Martha Rose Shulman ~
In this recipe for bibimbap, the egg-topped Korean rice bowl, he roasts squash, shiitakes and broccoli rabe in a sweet and spicy mix of soy, chile paste, sugar and oil.
Spring Ramen Bowl With Snap Peas and Asparagus
The flavors are perked up with pounded or grated ginger and lemon zest. You can skip the frizzled scallion garnish, but it does add nice texture to the finished bowl.
More Support for Early Exposure to Peanuts to Prevent Allergies
Evidence is accumulating that food allergies in children might be prevented by feeding infants peanuts and other allergenic food in their first year of life, researchers reported here Friday.
That finding would challenge the recommendation of the World Health Organization that babies be fed exclusively breast milk for the first six months of life.
Two Studies Strengthen Links Between the Zika Virus and Serious Birth Defects
The Zika virus damages many fetuses carried by infected and symptomatic mothers, regardless of when in pregnancy the infection occurs, according to a small but frightening study released on Friday by Brazilian and American researchers.
In a separate report published on Friday, other scientists suggested a mechanism for the damage, showing in laboratory experiments that the virus targets and destroys fetal cells that eventually form the brain’s cortex.
Health officials see deadly upswing in flu cases
What had been a mild flu season has suddenly become a dangerous and even deadly one, highlighting the need for flu shots, state and local public health officials said Friday.
Across Indiana, 19 people have died from the flu since October, said Jennifer O’Malley, spokeswoman with the Indiana State Department of Health.
Here’s why sleeping too little makes you crave junk food
Getting too little sleep has been linked to bad food choices and overeating. Now, scientists say they think they have a better idea of why.
A lack of sleep boosts chemical signals in the body that give us the munchies and make us take greater pleasure in eating — especially things like sweets and salty, high-fat snacks.
That’s according to a University of Chicago study published last week in the journal SLEEP that says it’s a similar effect to what happens when people use marijuana.
Regular dose of aspirin reduces overall cancer risk, but doesn’t replace cancer screening benefits
Regular use of aspirin reduces the overall risk of cancer, most significantly in colorectal cancer and tumors of the gastrointestinal tract. Researchers have based their findings on the analysis of data from two major, long-term epidemiologic studies.
Researchers have mentioned that the regular use of aspirin may complement, but cannot ever take the place of colonoscopy and other methods of cancer screening.
Study’s senior researcher Andrew Chan from the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Division of Gastroenterology said they can now recommend people to consider about taking aspirin to lessen the risk of colorectal cancer, especially those with other reasons for regular use like heart disease prevention. But he also mentioned that they have not reached at a point where they can make a recommendation for overall cancer prevention.
Truvada Study Suggests Women Need Much Higher Doses Than Men
The only HIV prevention drug approved for use by the US Federal Drug Administration does not provide the same level of protection for women as men, if both sexes are provided with the same dose. The results of a new study into Truvada suggest that women may require up to three-times the weekly dosage of the drug as a male recipient, in order to benefit from the same level of protection.
Whereas men can gain maximum protection by taking just two doses per week, researchers at North Carolina University found that women need a dose of Truvada every day to match the same level of protection.
Over Six Cups of Coffee a day could protect against Multiple Sclerosis
Consumption of more than six cups of coffee each day could reduce risk of multiple sclerosis (MS), an autoimmune condition affecting the nerve cells. In order to make nervous system function well among high risk group, higher intake of coffee can help.
Multiple sclerosis is a serious illness that affects the nerve cells of the brain and spine that gradually makes it difficult for someone to move, speak and perform other important functions. The level of coffee intake should be more than 900 ml (6 cups) daily, which can be linked to lower risk of MS. The potential coffee was realized from animal studies that it could be effective against Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, the neurodegenerative diseases.
Caffeine being a central nervous system stimulant has neuroprotective properties that can stop production of chemicals involved in the inflammatory response. This could be related to effective protection against MS that coffee could provide.