Author: St. Elizabeth Healthcare

Leaky blood vessels in a key protective structure of the brain could play a role in the development of dementia, new research from the University of Southern California finds. Researchers at USC studied high-resolution images of the brains of 64 living subjects and found a link between leaking blood vessels in the brain’s blood barrier ““ a layer of specialized cells that protect the brain from toxins, bacteria, viruses and other threats ““ and deterioration of the hippocampus, an area of the brain that controls learning and memory that is damaged by Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. Alzheimer’s disease…

You know not to chew with your mouth open and to keep your elbows off the table, but we have one more rule for food consumption: Sit down while you eat. A new study  found people who eat while walking tend to consume  more overall than those who eat while chatting with a friend or even while sitting in front of the TV. It seems your brain may process eating while standing or walking as exercise, instead of calorie intake. Bottom line: If you’re grabbing some to-go food, make sure to eat it while you’re sitting down – you’ll be…

We know vegetables are good for us, but you don’t need to by fresh vegetables to reap all the health benefits.  Karah Stanley, registered dietitian with St. Elizabeth Physicians Weight Management Center, has a few tips to get the most out of your frozen veggies – even if  you want to add a little cheese.

The struggle to get your kids to eat broccoli is real. If you usually disguise the green vegetable under mounds of cheese, we found a newer – and healthier – way to get your little ones to eat their broccoli. Enter broccotots. Mix diced broccoli with a little breadcrumbs, cheese and egg, and pop the tots in the oven. Your kids will love to dip them in ketchup or ranch dressing – and won’t even notice you added this healthy vegetable to their plates.

We’re all on Facebook. We use it to load pictures of our weekend trip, keep in touch with college friends or family members who are far away and to check in at our favorite spots around town. A new study reveals young women may also be using the site to compare themselves to other women, which may in turn be leading them to dangerous diets and other risky behavior. The study, which we read on U.S. News and World  Report, asked college-aged women if they felt an emotional connection to Facebook, and then whether they were concerned about body image.…

Can a vaccine designed to prevent tuberculosis also prevent the worst complications of Type 1 diabetes? Researchers in Boston are moving forward with clinical trials to try to learn the answer to that question. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved moving forward with the second phase of clinical trials at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston to determine if repeated doses of a generic tuberculosis vaccine can spur clinical improvements in adults with advanced Type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease, which occurs when the body’s own immune system attacks insulin-producing cells in the body, requiring…

For many of us, cleaning out our ears is just part of the  daily routine. But, that routine could destroy one of our body’s devices for keeping out foreign substances. Earwax  helps catch things we don’t want in our ears that could cause infections or other damage. So, if you’re a chronic ear swabber, you could land yourself in the doctor’s office – either from allowing an infection to grow or from poking and damaging your eardrum. If you can’t live without the clean feeling you get from swabbing your ears with a Q-Tip (or if you think you can…

Falls are a common hazard for people with Parkinson’s disease, but new research says an exercise regimen could reduce the risk for some people. Exercises that focus on improving balance and leg strength could help reduce falls by up to 70 percent for some people with Parkinson’s disease, researchers say. Australian researchers found the six-month exercise program, done mostly at home, was beneficial to people with milder Parkinson’s disease symptoms. But people with more advanced Parkinson’s disease might still benefit from an exercise regimen, researchers said. They just might need a program with more supervision, said lead researcher Colleen Canning,…

With a week full of cool weather and the kids heading back to school, it’s starting to become clear that summer is almost finished. For many parks, pools and other outdoor facilities, Labor Day is the unofficial closing day, which means you have about two more weeks to squeeze in everything on our list! Kings Island While Kings Island doesn’t close for the winter until November 1, the park is closed September 11-12 and 19-20 for private events, which means your opportunities to drive up to the amusement park are dwindling fast. Coney Island Getting to Coney Island before the…

We found a new  tasty rendition of the classic chicken salad from the Mayo Clinic, and could not wait to share it with you! Ingredients 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, each about 5 ounces 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 can (8 ounces) unsweetened pineapple chunks, drained except for 2 tablespoons juice 2 cups broccoli florets 4 cups fresh baby spinach leaves 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onions For the vinaigrette: 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 2 teaspoons sugar 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 cup olive oil Cut the chicken breast into cubes, then cook in a non-stick pan until it’s golden…