Author: St. Elizabeth Healthcare

If you run with a friend  or family member of the opposite gender, it may seem like the two of you tend to have different kinds of injuries. Until recently, female runners blamed their increased hip pain and tendency toward fractures to wide-set hips and a low bone density. Meanwhile, men thought they  experienced more tendon and knee injuries because of the way they’re built. This may not be the case. A grad student at UBC Environmental Physiology Lab decided to put this theory to the test and found no real difference between men’s and women’s injury types. More research…

In case you missed it, Angelina Jolie is back in the news talking about steps she’s taking to reduce her cancer risk. In May 2013, the actress shared that she had a double mastectomy after learning she carried the BRCA1 gene mutation, a potential early indicator for cancer. Jolie’s mother died of ovarian cancer in 2007. In March 2015, Jolie announced recent tests led her – and her team of physicians – to decide to remove her fallopian tubes and ovaries. In an op-ed for the  New York Times, Jolie explains the reasons she and her doctors chose this  course…

Is it just me or have vegetables gotten better with age? I don’t mean how wine gets better with age – no one wants to eat month-old broccoli. I mean as we get older our taste buds mature, and we find new,  delicious  ways to eat  our recommended daily vegetable servings. A  BuzzFeed  article  had our team  laughing this week because it compares eating vegetables as a kid to  an adult. It’ll bring you back to the days when you saw vegetables as weird creatures you wanted nothing to do with, a feeling some of you may still have today.…

Following a healthy overall diet can reduce a woman’s risk of Type 2 diabetes ““ especially in minorities, new research finds. Researchers from Stanford University’s School of Medicine studied thousands of women across racial and ethnic lines for up to 28 years as the women provided information about their daily eating habits. Results showed that women who followed “healthy” diets ““ low in saturated and trans fats, sugar-sweetened drinks, and red and processed meats and high in cereal fiber, polyunsaturated fats, coffee and nuts were less likely to develop Type 2 diabetes. Minority women ““ especially African-Americans, Hispanics and Native…

Did you know there are nearly  90 million family caregivers in the United States, and  that number is growing? We’re recognizing these folks throughout November for National Family Caregivers Month. We kicked it off with a quiz to test your knowledge on family caregivers. Keep visiting stelizabeth.com/healthyheadlines  all month long for more tips! Caregivers can be so busy helping their family members with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia that it’s easy to neglect their own needs. But if you get sick, who’s going to take care of your loved one? In 2013, the Alzheimer’s Association shared some pretty…

Running is a mental sport, and any seasoned runner can tell you hills provide their own special mental challenge. If you’re a Greater  Cincinnati runner, you’re pretty familiar with our less-than-flat city. In the latest On the Run video, St. Elizabeth physical therapist Stacey McConnell explains the best way to tackle the hills in your next race or training run. One more tip – develop a mantra when you’re running up hills. I repeat, “I love hills,” to myself until I reach the top. Sounds corny, but it actually works. I can’t say I truly love hills, but a mantra…

Deep down, we know we should avoid processed foods, but every now and then we need to grab something quick off the grocery store shelf. Before you toss that veggie burger or salad dressing into your cart, take a closer look at the label. An ingredient that extends your foods’ shelf life could be causing serious problems, from obesity and Type 2 diabetes to inflammatory  bowel syndrome. When you are scanning  nutrition labels, look for any of the “gums,” such as xanthan. These ingredients, known as  emulsifiers,  are found in everything from ice cream and milk to hamburgers. Even foods…

Will your dentist be the healthcare provider who diagnoses your diabetes? Researchers at New York University recently found that oral blood samples collected during routine dentist visits were as effective as blood samples collected during finger sticks for testing hemoglobin A1c levels. A1c is a blood protein marker that indicates whether blood sugar levels have been elevated over a period of time. It’s one of the markers used to diagnose diabetes, as well as to determine if the disease is under control. About 29.1 million Americans have diabetes, but an estimated 8 million don’t know it.   The NYU findings…

Going to the potty. Singing the ABC song. Riding a bike. Earning an A on a test. Graduating from high school or college. These are some of the big milestones that we as parents look forward to and cherish when they happen. But, what about the “little” moments that make you smile or deepen your bond with other parents? This hilarious and incredibly accurate BuzzFeed article, 19 small moments all parents look forward to will have you laughing and sharing with your partner in crime. Having a two-year-old and expecting my second child in four weeks, there were a few…

Long distance running can be the culprit behind many enduring  injuries, but changing your stride will  go a long way to keep you on the road. Your stride, or cadence, is the length between your footfalls. Traditionally, runners try to lengthen their stride – or take fewer, longer steps. In theory, that translates into fewer steps per mile, but it increases your chances to injure your hip or hamstring. I experienced this firsthand when I first started running. As a 5′ 7″ runner, I thought I should take as big a stride as possible…and was soon sidelined by injury. Instead…