Author: St. Elizabeth Healthcare

The big warehouse superstores are convenient and can save you money, but only on certain items. We read a recent John Matarese “Don’t Waste Your Money” article on when to buy in bulk. For example, apparently you shouldn’t buy cereal in bulk. We had never heard “the sale price at supermarkets on name brand cereal is almost always less per ounce.” Matarese shares how buying items like paper towels, toilet paper, tissues, detergent and diapers can save you hundreds of dollars a year, and won’t expire before using them. However, some items  will go bad before you can even use…

About one in five people with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia are affected by “sundowning” ““ they become confused and agitated as the sun goes down, and may stay that way throughout the night. The behavior can make it difficult for people with dementia (and their caregivers) to sleep at night. It may make people with Alzheimer’s more likely to wander, and having to keep up with people prone to sundowning is a major contributor to caregiver burnout, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. What is “sundowning?” It’s unclear what causes sundowning. Some researchers theorize as the brain…

It’s difficult to workout when you have young kids. Time never seems to be on your side. So, when we saw this brief video  of a mom and her two daughters hitting the gym together, it brought a smile to our face. For this mom, working out with her daughters is a great way to introduce them to taking care of their own bodies and that fitness, as well as eating right, should be priorities. Check out more of her videos on Buzzfeed. The next time you think you don’t have time to workout, remember this mom and daughter trio…

It’s Friday the 13th – take a deep breath. There’s no need to call in sick and stay home today! We wondered why this date is considered so unlucky, and we ran across a video that explains it all in about 90 seconds. Do you have questions about Friday the 13th, or any other myths or superstitions? Let us know, and we’ll do our best to answer them for you.

How much sugar do you eat? I’m not talking about soda or sugar-filled coffees or the candy that always seems to be hanging out in the office – do you have a clear picture of how much sugar you’re eating every day? I decided to take a closer look. For the whole month of February, my husband and I made a pact – to abstain from sugar. We avoided processed sugar and reduced our natural sugar intake – and the results were stunning. It was easier to get up in the morning, I felt more energy throughout the day, my…

You’ve probably heard friends or family members talking about how “addicted” they are to sweets, chips or pizza. New research suggests  they may not be exaggerating. A study from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai identified the most and least addictive foods  we eat. To rank them, researchers asked participants how often they’ve eaten a food item to the point that it made them feel physically ill. Those foods people ate in excess earned a higher score than others. Pizza had the highest ranking, with chocolate and chips falling closely behind. On the other end of the scale,…

St. Patrick’s Day is the perfect excuse to add a fun ““ and healthy ““ green dish to your diet. We found this yummy frittata that reminded us of one of our favorite kids’ books. The frittata is stuffed with spinach, leeks, dill, ham and Havarti cheese. It’s packed with protein to help you feel fuller longer. It only takes 30 minutes from start to finish. Serve with roasted potatoes or hash browns and you won’t have to eat again until you get back from Cincinnati’s St. Patrick’s Day parade.

Running is hard on your body. From the impact on your joints to shin splints, you need to know when it’s time to take it easy and ice versus when you need to make an appointment with your doctor about something more serious. Physical Therapist Stacey McConnell talks with Dr. Michael J. Miller of St. Elizabeth Sports Medicine on how to spot an injury early. Sometimes spotting and treating an injury early can make all the difference in getting healed sooner. When you leave your injury alone and continue to run on it, no matter how serious it was when…

Meetings, emails, chores and passwords are just a few lists that run through our heads in a single day. We’re inundated with so much information that retaining it can become challenging, affecting our long-term memory. We’re told at a young age that quiet time is beneficial to allow our imaginations to wander, have time to just think and even wind down from an over-stimulating activity. This exercise of setting aside a few minutes a day to let our brains rest stems from our ancestors, according to Dr. Rajeev Kurapati with St. Elizabeth Healthcare. In his most recent NKY Tribune column,…

About half of people with diabetes will eventually develop neuropathy, or nerve damage, because of the disease. Most people who develop neuropathy have been living with diabetes for a long time. Long-term exposure to high blood sugar damages delicate nerve tissue as well as the blood vessels that supply oxygen to those nerves, though doctors aren’t sure why the damage happens, according to the Mayo Clinic. Most people develop what’s called peripheral neuropathy, or nerve damage in the feet and hands. Diabetic neuropathy can also lead to bladder problems, digestive issues and erectile dysfunction, as well as joint damage. The…