Author: St. Elizabeth Healthcare

We all know bananas are a great smoothie addition and a great source of potassium. But, did you know they also help combat depression, cure hangovers, relieve morning sickness and even help protect your shoes? Below are several reasons from Food Matters  to pick up a bunch of bananas next time you’re  at the grocery store. Bananas reduce swelling, protect against Type 2 diabetes, aid weight loss, strengthen the  nervous system and help with the production of white blood cells, all due to high levels of vitamin B-6. Bananas help overcome depression due to high levels of tryptophan, which is…

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! Last year, more than 15 million Americans provided unpaid daily care valued at $220 billion for loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. Caregiving is a big ““ sometimes overwhelming ““ job. As the disease progresses, and the patient’s symptoms grow more severe, caregivers,…

On Oct. 1, St. Elizabeth Physicians (SEP) began offering customers a new tool to better manage their healthcare decisions. The practice, which is made up of more than 400 providers in 32 specialties, will launch a new webpage that lets patients view how well the group performs on a variety of measures compared to national benchmarks. Visitors to www.stedocs.com/ratings can also see how providers scored on patient satisfaction surveys. More and more practices and hospitals are publicly reporting such measures as part of increasing trend toward transparency in healthcare. “St. Elizabeth Physicians believes it is important to be transparent with…

Most students need an annual physical before they can start school or play sports, but do you know what  the difference between a sports and an annual physical is? Before you schedule your child’s next appointment, check out the infographic below to learn more: Click here to schedule an appointment today.

The leaves are finally changing, which means fall is in full bloom. With just a few more months to take advantage of the outdoors, we’ve compiled four great fall festivals to enjoy with your family. Cincinnati: Shaw Farms Where: 1737 Ohio 131, Milford, OH 45150 What: Fun fall festival is open Saturdays and Sundays 9 a.m. ““ 7 p.m. through October. They have plenty to do for all ages including an interactive playground, corn maze, hayrides and fresh pumpkins to choose from. Activities range $2 – $5/per person. Check out their Facebook page for more information, or call (513) 575-2022.…

Do you have a favorite song? One that you know all of the words to? Music, especially specific songs, play an important role in our lives. They can affect our moods, rev us up for a workout, soothe a broken heart and even give our mind a workout. Listening to music is good for the brain according to CNN Health and can be used in different forms of therapy. “When someone is asked to sing a song, many areas of the brain are triggered when trying to remember the lyrics.” That simple request forces the brain to carry messages from…

Kids can get into dangerous things around the house. Even after the baby-proofing stages, there are everyday items parents still need to keep locked up and out of reach of children ““ medications being one of them. While prescription bottles come with child-resistant caps, more than 9,000 children younger than six (three-quarters of these are one- and two-year-olds) are hospitalized annually due to accidental ingestion of prescription drugs according to The New York Times. A new study shows that “the most often implicated medicines contained buprenorphine, used for treating narcotic addiction and sometimes as a pain reliever; and clonidine, a…

Most people associate diabetes with blood sugar levels that are too high. Over the long haul, high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) can lead to blindness, kidney failure, nerve damage, heart disease and other serious health problems. But the damage can take decades to accumulate. But blood sugar levels that dip too low – a condition called  “hypoglycemia”  – can quickly turn dangerous and, in rare cases, even deadly. When blood sugar falls to 70 mgs/dl or lower, it’s important to act quickly to raise it to healthier levels. According to the American Diabetes Association, warning signs of hypoglycemia include: Shakiness Nervousness…

In addition to being the unofficial mascot of fall, pumpkin is also a good source of Vitamin A, specifically beta-carotene, which is key for good vision, a healthy immune system (very important this time of year), and cell growth. If you don’t already like the orange squash, here are five recipes that will have you falling in love, all of which are under 320 calories: Pumpkin ravioli with gorgonzola sauce: Warm and comforting for a dinner party. 250 calories per serving. Pumpkin pie cake: Two layers of cream cheese frosting ““ need we say more. Be sure to stick to…

It started showing up at the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008: The athletic tape stuck to the arms, legs and torsos of the world’s greatest athletes that didn’t look like any tape jobs that came before. The tape, sometimes brightly colored, didn’t wrap around joints or muscles. It was cut into odd shapes. It didn’t seem to serve any purpose. Kinesiology tape, designed by Japanese chiropractor and acupuncturist Kenzo Kase, is a latex-free hypoallergenic cotton fiber tape with a heat activator on one side. After bursting onto the scene, it became a sensation with professional athletes and weekend sportsmen looking…