Shop at JCPenney for a Great Cause

With the launch of Joe Fresh apparel at JCPenney this past weekend, who would think there'd be another awesome reason to hit one of our fave department stores? But while you're buying new summer wardrobe staples, you can also be making a big difference -- that is, through the rest of March. For the next two weeks, JCPenney is inviting customers to round up their purchases to the nearest dollar and donate to Crisis Text Line, a subsection of DoSomething.org.

Crisis Text Line, launching this August, will help bullied teens and those in crisis with a text message hotline available 24/7. Being made fun of at the lunch table? No need to make an awkward call. After all, no one can actually hear a text message, right? So get yourself to your nearest jcp: Not only will you look fabulous in your new clothes, but you'll also be funding an important cause without even flinching.

--Christina Pandolfi

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Image Credit: Courtesy of DoSomething.org

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has anyone heard of the bee pollen diet

Or has anyone e tried it? I here a lot of great things about it. All natural herbal supplements? Wonder if its worth a try

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Triathalon for teen!!!

Hi! I am 16 and training for a triathalon (starting today) it is in 2 months but i am in pretty good shape (full year athlete at school) 

What advice do any other triathletes have for me?

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Jenna-Louise Coleman at the Game of Thrones season premiere

Jenna-Louise Coleman at the Game of Thrones season 3 premiere in LA- vote on celebrity fashion, style and red carpet looks in GLAMOUR.COM’s Dos and Don’ts

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What could be causing my chronic headaches?

Posted May 22, 2013, 2:00 am

I’ve had a headache every day for six months, despite taking painkillers every day. What could be causing the headaches? And what can I do to stop them?

At the risk of sounding like I’m fear-mongering, I’m concerned about your symptoms. That’s because most people who suffer from frequent headaches don’t have them every day. If your headaches have literally been with you “every day for six months,” and this is something new for you, consult your doctor. While your headaches still could be one of the two most common causes of headaches — migraine headaches or tension headaches — they also could point to something more serious.

If you are over 50 and had not been bothered by regular headaches earlier in life, I’d advise you even more strongly to talk to your doctor. Chronic headaches that develop for the first time after age 50 are more likely to be something serious.

Unfortunately, many people are regularly bothered by headaches. For some, that’s been true since they were young adults, or even children. We have talked in other columns about migraine headaches and tension headaches, but I want to focus here on something else: headache from medication overuse.

Taking lots of painkillers — the very things you’re taking every day to tame your headaches — could be making your headaches worse. Caffeine-containing drugs are most often to blame. (I’ve put a table listing the caffeine content of some common headache drugs below.)

Caffeine is a double-edged sword when it comes to headache drugs. While this popular stimulant helps painkillers work more quickly and efficiently, it is often a suspect in medication overuse headaches. (Note: For reference, the caffeine content in a cup of coffee ranges from 95 to 200 milligrams.)

Anacin Advanced Headache FormulaGoody’s Extra Strength Headache PowdersVanquish Extra-Strength Pain Reliever CapletsPrescription drugs (Brand name)Ergotamine/caffeine tablets (Cafergot)Ergotamine/caffeine suppositories (Migergot)Aspirin, butalbital, caffeine (Fiorinal)Acetaminophen, butalbital, caffeine (Fioricet)Aspirin, caffeine, orphenadrine (Norgesic, Norgesic Forte)Aspirin, caffeine, dihydrocodeine (Synalgos-DC)

Caffeine helps painkillers work more quickly and efficiently. But over time, caffeine builds up in your body, causing blood vessels to narrow. This makes you feel better — temporarily — because widened blood vessels contribute to headache pain. But when the caffeine wears off, your blood vessels expand and your headache returns.

Regular use of painkillers likely also interferes with your body’s natural painkilling system. Because painkillers mask symptoms, whatever is causing the pain may worsen. As the pain becomes more intense, painkillers are less able to control it.

f there’s a chance you’re overusing headache medications, the first step is to stop taking the drugs. Going “cold turkey” works best, but you can gradually wean yourself off the painkillers by cutting back a little each day.

If you’re not overusing painkillers, try a headache-prevention regimen. Start with simple pain relief treatments such as applying a heating pad daily to your neck and shoulders. Consider physical therapy, including such techniques as massage, ultrasound or gentle stretching to relieve muscle tightness that may contribute to your headaches.

Talk to your doctor about preventive medications, such as a muscle relaxant. Another effective strategy is to combine a tricyclic drug with a beta blocker. Beta blockers decrease the intensity of headaches, while tricyclics reduce their frequency.

If your headaches begin to recur, you’ll need medications to treat them. But don’t use them unless your headache becomes severe. Otherwise, you risk developing — or lapsing back to — medication overuse.

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Trying To Break Plateau, Went on Ultra-Low Carb Diet, What Next?

I would appreciate suggestions as to how I should proceed.

In brief - I went from 214 lb and 36" pants a few years ago, to 180 lb and 32" pants last summer.  My goal is 170-175 lb. I'm 50 y/o, 5' 11".  At 30 y/o I was 162 lb.  I don't think it is realistic to be that light again, but something about 10 lbs heavier than my 30 y/o weight seems a nice goal.  

When I got down to 180 lb, last summer, I was riding my bike about 100 miles a week, went on a few century (100 mile/day) rides, was swimming, generally pretty active.  But I got "stuck" at 180 lb, well I had one day in the 179s, but basically I couldn't get below 180 lb.  Rather than get frustrated, I decided to just chill for a while and maintain there. Err, maintenance didn't work so well, as winter came I apparently went into hibernation fattening mode and my weight went up to 190 lb by last Christmas.  

This January, I decided to get back down to 180 lb, but it just didn't work.  Since January, I'd been eating average 1,600-1,700 cal/day (I log my food via the Calorie Count iPhone app).  My main exercise is commuting by bike and doing most of my errands by bike too, cycling average 25 min/day at a good pace, which supposedly burns about 300 cal.  I occasionally go to the gym for a hour's spin class, and occasionally run 3 miles (take the bus to work and run home).  At my weight, it seems like I should have a pretty hefty caloric deficit going.  As far as my diet goes, I eat a lot of fruit (apples, bananas, pears), vegetables (root vegetables like beets, rutabagas, radishes, also greens, squash, salads), meat (beef, pork), poultry, and fish.  I scratch cook almost everything and almost never eat restaurant food or prepared/packaged food.  I eat very little potato or rice, almost no bread (we've gone mostly gluten-free), never eat sweets, pastries, soda, etc.  But despite what should be a caloric deficit and seems like a healthy diet, my weight stayed stubbornly in the high 180s.  

Now I was getting frustrated.  And increasingly feeling that weight loss is more complicated than simply "calories in vs calories out".     

Enter my friend, a guy about my age who is pretty into exercise and weight control (he is 6'0", 180 lb) who suggested I try two weeks on an ultra-low carb diet: 1,600 cal/day but at most 20 grams carbs/day.  Okay, I've been on that diet for six days now.  Since this past Monday, I've been eating pretty much nothing but meat, poultry, fish, and eggs, with really minimal amounts of anything else.  Plus a daily fistful of vitamin and mineral supplements.  Still doing the daily bike commuting. 

I have another 8 days left on this ultra-low carb diet.  At this point I have "lost" 6 lb - was 187 lb Monday morning, was 181 lb now.  I realize the great majority of this loss is water weight, which will come back.  But I hope that by the end of the two weeks, which is Monday after next, I'll have legitimately lost at least a few pounds.   

My question is: what should I do after this ultra-low carb period?  

Should I:

a) go back to what I was doing before (avg 1,600-1,700 cal/day, basically meat/poultry/veg/fruit with very little grains/sugar) and hope that my body will respond now that its been spanked with two weeks of nearly-no-carb?

b) go on a low-carb diet, not <20 grams carb/day but something more like 50 or 100?

c) alternate a) and b), to keep my body confused?

d) something else?

I know I can't stay on the current ultra-low carb diet for too long.  It doesn't seem very healthy, and I'm noticeably weaker on the bike, which is no good as I'm preparing for a 200 mile ride in July.

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Niall Horan stuck in traffic in London

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Weight loss tips

Hi

source: intervalstraining

1. Set a realistic weight-loss goals. One-half a pound to 2 pounds a week is about right.

2. Keep track of what you consume. Dieters who keep track of everything they eat lose twice as much weight as those who don't, research shows.

3. Motivate yourself. Get a pair of jeans or pants that are too tight and hang them in the kitchen instead of the closet to keep yourself inspired.

4. Enlist the help of family and friends. Dieters who have support from a partner at home lose more weight than those who don't, studies show.

5. Move it to lose it. Research shows that people who do physical activities such as walking or biking for two to four hours a week during weight-loss efforts lose extra pounds.

6. Pay attention to portions. A 3-ounce portion of meat, poultry or fish is about the size of the palm of your hand or a deck of cards; 1 teaspoon of butter or margarine, a standard postage stamp; a cup of cold cereal, berries or popcorn, a baseball; 4-inch pancake or waffle, the diameter of a CD.

7. Clean out your pantry and refrigerator. Get rid of the foods that sabotage your weight loss.

8. Create "a dinner deck." This would include 10 favorite quick and healthful dinners written on index cards. Each card should list the ingredients for the recipe on one side and directions for making it on the other.

9. Avoid hunger. Eat regular meals and snacks. Make sure you have some protein foods such as yogurt, tuna, beans or chicken for most meals. Research suggests that protein helps you feel full longer.

10. Keep produce on hand. Place a bowl of vegetables such as broccoli, snap peas, cucumbers or carrot sticks in the refrigerator. You can eat them as a snack or when preparing meals to take the edge off your hunger.

11. Stock up on "impulse fruits." Keep things like grapes, clementines, small apples, small bananas and pears around the house. These foods are easy to eat without having to do much cutting and slicing.

12. Make some stealth changes. This will get everyone in the family eating healthier. Buy low-fat 1% or skim milk, low-fat cream cheese and reduced-fat cheese instead of the full-fat versions. Use them in recipes to cut the fat and calories.

13. Cut out liquid calories. Eliminate soda and sugary drinks such as sweetened iced tea, sports drinks and alcoholic beverages. Liven up the taste of water by adding lemon, lime, cucumber or mint. Choose fat-free and 1% low-fat milk.

14. Practice the "Rule of One." When it comes to high-calorie foods, you won't go wrong if you allow one small treat a day. That might be one cookie or a fun-size candy bar.

15. Pace, don't race. Force yourself to eat more slowly, and savor each bite.

16. Hydrate before meals. Drinking 16 ounces, or two glasses, of water before meals may help you eat less.

17. Downsize plates, bowls, glasses, silverware. Using smaller versions of your serving ware will help you eat less food.

18. "After 8 is too late." Adopt the motto for snacks after dinner.

19. Buy a pedometer and get moving. Health experts recommend taking at least 10,000 steps a day, which is roughly 4 to 5 miles, depending on your stride length.

20. Treat yourself occasionally. If your chocolate craving is getting to you, try diet hot-chocolate packets. If you need a treat, go out for it, or buy small prepackaged portions of ice cream bars. If you love chocolate, consider keeping bite-size pieces in the freezer.

21. Dine at a table. Eat from a plate while seated at a table. Don't eat while driving, lounging on the couch or standing at the fridge. At restaurants, ask for a doggy bag at the beginning of the meal, and pack up half to take home. Take one roll and ask your server to remove the bread basket from the table.

22. Eat out without pigging out. Figure out what you are going to eat in advance of going to the restaurant. Order the salad dressing on the side. Restaurants usually put about one-quarter cup (4 tablespoons) of dressing on a salad, which is often too many calories. Best to stick with 1 to 2 tablespoons. Dip your fork into the dressing and then into the salad.

23. Get plenty of sleep. Scientists have found that sleep deprivation increases levels of a hunger hormone and decreases levels of a hormone that makes you feel full. Lack of sleep also plays havoc with your fat cells, recent research showed. This can lead to overeating and weight gain.

24. Weigh yourself regularly. That's what successful dieters and those who manage to maintain weight loss do. Some step on the scales once a week. Others do so daily. Some find once a month is enough.

25. Reward yourself. When you meet your incremental weight loss goals, say losing 5 pounds, treat yourself to something — but not food. Buy a CD or DVD you've been wanting or go out to a movie with a friend.

26. There is a lot of products to exercise at home one of the best tool is from lepsoft, this one helped me lose weight like crazy

27.On average, sedentary people take only 2,000 to 3,000 steps a day. Adding 2,000 steps will help you maintain your current weight and stop gaining weight; adding more than that will help you lose weight
.

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The Top 10 Lessons I Learned From Season 2 of "Girls"

Ugh, you guys:, how am I going to last until the next season of Girls comes out? Like even after last night's finale, I need more of its signature mix of hilarity and rawness, stat. Thankfully HBOGo exists for me to get my fix from past episodes while I wait for new promos that I can watch on repeat in order to dissect them for hints dropped about Season 3. While we wait with bated breath, check out what I learned from Hannah, Shosh and the sage team of Girls this season.

1. Hide Your Crazy: I want to follow each Girls character around and whisper this exact sentiment in each of their ears whenever I can tell things are about to go South. Hannah's epic monologue to Joshua, the sexy older guy she meets at Grumpy's, is the perfect example. He's definitely into her, but she wrecks the budding relationship by word-vomiting her feelings all over him (i.e. "I'm deeply lonely!"). The more she talked, the more it was stomach-sinkingly clear that their budding relationship was dunzo.

2. Never Hit Below the Belt: People say you don't truly love someone unless you want to kill them sometimes. [Ed. Note: I can vouch for this. - RJ] By that logic, Jessa and Thomas-John love each other like crazy...or maybe they actually just want to kill each other. The demise of their lightning-speed relationship was horrific. Choice quotes: "I'm embarrassed when we walk down the street because you're so f*****g average," Jessa says, and "This is the worst mistake I've ever made. You're my worst nightmare," courtesy of Thomas-John. Ouch, you guys! There's no coming back from that. Ever.

3. Know Your Type and Stick to It: I'm all for romantic exploration, but Natalia, Adam's new girlfriend, is just not the kind of girl who's into the degrading style of sex Adam likes. Neither one is at fault for it -- different strokes for different folks (pun totally intended). But they really shouldn't be having sex without acknowledging their differences for what they like in bed. The scene that shows this mismatch is awful, and left viewers feeling like Natalia was violated.

4. If He Swears He's Amazing in Bed, He Isn't:In Season 1, Booth Jonathan told Marnie "The first time I f**k you, I might scare you a little, because I'm a man, and I know how to do things." After all, following her lackluster sex life with Charlie, it was time for Marnie to finally get with someone who knew what he was doing. Unfortunately, though, Booth Jonathan wasn't it. Marnie, it's general knowledge that the ones who brag about how good they are are compensating for something...and it's usually the fact that they're awful.

5. Don't Be the Bitchy New GF or the Bitter Ex: Marnie and Audrey, Charlie's new girlfriend, both crossed this line during Season 2. Marnie shows up at Charlie's door to spend the night; then Audrey verbally attacks her at a dinner party. Let's be clear: Marnie, Charlie isn't yours anymore, so showing up to spend the night is way out of bounds. Audrey, every time you get a dig in at Marnie, you're broadcasting your own insecurity.

6. If You're High, You Can't Keep Secrets: Hannah and her roommate Elijah's drug escapade made for one of the most fun episodes of the season, but it also led to the end of their friendship. Elijah, in a cocaine haze, told Hannah that he had sex with Marnie. Hannah. Flipped. Out. And promptly kicked Elijah out, which is sad, because these two had crazy good (platonic, friendly) chemistry that worked so well on screen, at least. Tear.

7. Face Your Personal Fears: This is tough for everyone to do, otherwise we'd all have about 75 percent less flaws than we do now. It's just so hard to watch Hannah's denial about her OCD when it's blindingly obvious to everyone around her that she's falling apart. Rupturing your eardrum with a Q-Tip then trying to do the same to the other so they'll be "even"? Time to ask for help, Hans.

8. Check Your Voicemail: Hannah is unraveling and Jessa, the only friend she wants to talk to, is nowhere to be found. Jessa's obviously got her own issues and has always been the wandering type, but in real life, that type of pal gets exhausting to constantly track down. Be a hippie globetrotter all you want, but don't forget about the people who love you at home.

9. You Really, Really Need to Maintain Your Own Life While in a Relationship: One of Season 2's main plot lines has been Shoshanna's increasing dismay about Ray's general disinterest in making anything of himself. This culminates with her making out with a doorman (How very un-Shosh like of her, right?). Shosh wants someone who has a life of his own with dreams to go along with it, and deep down, Ray's just not that guy.

10. Love (Maybe) Conquers All: Even after Marnie's disastrous, cringe-inducing slow jam rendition of Kanye West's "Stronger," Charlie still wants to be with her. If that's not true love, IDK what is. We also see this play out with Hannah and Adam. Even though their relationship is pretty effed up, my heart swelled right along with the music as Adam sprinted to Hannah's apartment to take care of her in a way she wouldn't let anyone else. Will they actually make it as a couple? It's hard to tell, but I have to say I'm rooting for them.

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Image Credit: Courtesy of HBO

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Latest Edition of Psychiatry's 'Bible' Launched Amid Controversy

Authors say it defines disorders more concisely; critics say it will lead to over-diagnosis and unnecessary treatments

By Dennis Thompson

HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, May 20 (HealthDay News) -- As the American Psychiatric Association unveiled last week the latest edition of what is considered the "bible" of modern psychiatry, the uproar over its many changes continues.

"This is unprecedented, the amount of commentary and debate and criticism," said Dr. Jeffrey Lieberman, president-elect of the American Psychiatric Association (APA). "It's been an interesting phenomenon, but the evidence is what it is. You have to evaluate it and then make your own determination of how compelling it is, and what would be best clinical practice."

The APA believes that changes made in this fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) will allow for more precise diagnoses of mental illnesses in patients, because this edition better characterizes and categorizes disorders.

But it has drawn fire from critics who are concerned that the revised version will lead to the diagnosis of mental illness in people who are simply being challenged by life.

More than 1,500 experts from 39 countries representing a wide variety of medical fields contributed to the new DSM-5, which was more than a decade in the making. Drafts of the manual were made available online as part of three open-comment periods that drew more than 13,000 responses.

One of the most notable naysayers has been Dr. Allen Frances, chairman of the task force that created the DSM-4, the previous version of the guide that has been in use since 1994.

In a commentary released the day of the DSM-5's release, Frances wrote that this latest revision introduces "several high-prevalence diagnoses at the fuzzy boundary with normality," and predicted that the changes "will probably lead to substantial false-positive rates and unnecessary treatment."

"In DSM-5, normal grief becomes a major depressive disorder, temper tantrums become disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, worrying about medical illness becomes somatic symptom disorder, gluttony becomes binge eating disorder and almost everyone will soon qualify for attention-deficit disorder," Frances said in an interview.

The main points of contention regarding the DSM-5 include:

The combination of a number of autism-related disorders into a single category called autism spectrum disorder. Although some clinicians believe that placing autism on a continuum from mild to severe will allow for more accurate diagnoses, others are concerned that high-functioning people with autism will find themselves unable to receive services or treatment. This is particularly true of people with Asperger's Syndrome, a diagnosis that has been eliminated from the DSM-5, critics of the new version contend.

"We're concerned that people who have Asperger's -- who have high-functioning autism -- are going to be dismissed as just being different when the majority of adults with Asperger's will need people to assist them in parts of their lives," said Karen Rodman, president and founder of Families of Adults Affected With Asperger's Syndrome.

"We are very concerned that medicine is going to drop the ball again, and the children who need services won't get them," Rodman said. "Fortunately, clinicians and physicians and the public around the world are still going to refer to Asperger's as Asperger's. It's like saying people don't have a right arm anymore.

"Many people with Asperger's are [also] concerned there will be a stigma -- that everyone will be considered autistic -- and when people think of that they think of a child sitting in a corner and spinning," Rodman added.

Changes made to the diagnostic criteria for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Critics are concerned that changes made to better diagnose ADHD will instead lead to over-diagnosis. In the previous version of the DSM, a person needed to show the onset of symptoms before age 7 to be diagnosed with ADHD. The new version now says 12 is the latest age at which ADHD symptoms can manifest themselves. The DSM-5 also reduces the number of criteria needed to arrive at a diagnoses of adult ADHD from six to five.A new diagnostic category for children who are hostile or acting out. The DSM-5 includes a new category called disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, which would apply to children who have extreme irritability but fall short of the standards for bipolar disorder or depression. The category was created to deal with the upswing in bipolar diagnoses among children, but there is concern that some clinicians will label a simple childhood temper tantrum as a treatable mental illness.Breaking out obsessive-compulsive disorders into their own category. Obsessions such as hoarding, hair-pulling and skin-picking had been considered anxiety disorders, but in the DSM-5 they will have their own category. Critics are concerned that this change has more to do with reality television's recent focus on hoarders than with the need for a new category of mental illness.

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The Wanted at iHeartRadio’s 20/20 Experience Album Release Party

Britain’s most unlikely success stories The Wanted were invited by Justin Timberlake to attend his album release party at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles yesterday

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have anyone tried losing weight by eating lean meat ONLY right after PERIODS/MENSES?

Recently I haven't been here for a whole because I'm trying other weight losing solutions. I tried eating only lean meat without fats and carbs, eggs and 0 fat milk for 5 days after MENSES/PERIOD and I LOST 6 POUNDS WITHIN THESE 5 DAYS.

I just did a few physical exercises.

according to the suggested 10 days weight-losing Programme, the next five days should eat half lean meat half vegetables, and better following with 2 vegan days. Have anyone tried it? It works wonder for me and I'm going to do it again a few days later.

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Hysterectomy May Not Raise Heart Risks After All: Study

Finding might reassure women considering the procedure, researcher says

By Steven Reinberg

HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, May 14 (HealthDay News) -- Women who have a hysterectomy are not in danger of increasing their risk of cardiovascular disease later in life, a new study says.

Although earlier research had found higher chances of cardiovascular disease in the years following a hysterectomy, different criteria were used in this latest study, the researchers noted.

"If women are contemplating hysterectomy, they don't need to be worried about increased cardiovascular risk," said study author Karen Matthews, a professor of epidemiology and psychology at the University of Pittsburgh.

A hysterectomy is a surgical procedure that removes the uterus; sometimes the ovaries are also removed, to lower the risk of cancer.

Previous studies found an increased risk for conditions such as coronary heart disease, stroke and heart failure in women who underwent a hysterectomy.

Unlike other studies, however, the new research included only women who had a hysterectomy in midlife and who didn't have their ovaries removed due to cancer, Matthews explained.

"It is possible that women who have a hysterectomy when they are young have an increase in cardiovascular risk," she noted.

The report was published May 14 in the online edition of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

To see if a hysterectomy actually increased a women's risk for cardiovascular disease, Matthews' team collected data on more than 3,300 premenopausal women who took part in a national study on women's health.

They compared cardiovascular risk factors before and after the women had elective hysterectomy with or without ovary removal with women who had a natural menopause.

These risk factors included cholesterol, blood pressure, inflammation, blood sugar and insulin resistance, Matthews said.

Matthews' group found there were changes in cardiovascular risk factors after a hysterectomy, compared to risk factor changes after natural menopause.

These changes, however, were not associated with an increase in the risk of cardiovascular disease. Women who had a hysterectomy with removal of ovaries did tend to gain weight, the researchers found.

These effects were similar in all ethnic groups.

It's not known why these findings differ from other studies. The researchers speculated that differences in their study -- such as excluding women who had a hysterectomy because of cancer and the older age of the women -- may have played a role.

The women in this study were middle-aged and it is possible that women who have a hysterectomy earlier may have more cardiovascular risk, they explained.

One expert agreed that the evidence on a possible association between a hysterectomy and an increased chance of heart trouble has been mixed.

"Prior studies have suggested that there may be increases in cardiovascular risk after women undergo hysterectomy, particularly if accompanied by removal of the ovaries," said Dr. Gregg Fonarow, a professor of cardiology at the University of California, Los Angeles.

However, other studies have not found elevated risk for cardiovascular events with hysterectomy with or without the removal of the ovaries, he added.

"These findings suggest that hysterectomy with or without removing the ovaries does not appear to play a major role in worsening cardiovascular risk factors in women compared to natural menopause," said Fonarow.

"Nevertheless, as cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in women, women should closely assess, monitor and improve their cardiovascular health," he said.

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Evolution May Keep Birds From Becoming Roadkill

Title: Evolution May Keep Birds From Becoming Roadkill
Category: Health News
Created: 3/18/2013 12:56:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 3/18/2013 12:00:00 AM

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Is 1,400-1,500 calories enough for a teenager to maintain on?

I lost 20 pounds on 1,200-1,500 calories and now I want to maintain my weight.  I'm 17, 5'9, and 130 pounds.  I'm not what you'd consider active because I'm a home schooled student and during the day I'm sitting down a lot doing my work.  I do move around several times a day to cook a meal, clean up my room, and stuff like that...just the normal daily activities.  Then in the evenings I'll do a half hour of either strength training or cardio...I alternate between the two.  I do this 4-6 times a week usually.  So I guess I'm lightly active maybe?  My mom says that I need to eat more because she says I look like I'm getting thinner but I'm worried if I increase my calories that I'll gain weight.  So, is what I'm eating (1,400-1,500 calories) enough or should I increase it and if I do will my weight go up?

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Gerard Butler at the premiere of Olympus Has Fallen in Los Angeles

He does scrub up well, does that Gerard Butler. And who are we to deny you your daily dose of the Scottish hunk, all three-pieced-up and Spartan-spruced at the Olympus Has Fallen premiere? No one.

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how many calories should I be eating a day?

I weigh 326lbs and exercise either on an elliptic or treadmill or water aerobics about 5 days a week. I pretty active to begin with because I have a 2 year old plus two more school age kids. I have tried to google how many calories would be goofs but I can't figure it out. Any help a would be appreciated.

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Health Highlights: March 18, 2013

Title: Health Highlights: March 18, 2013
Category: Health News
Created: 3/18/2013 12:56:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 3/18/2013 12:00:00 AM

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Sodium is not my friend!

I've been looking over my analysis of meals on here and I am consistently going WAY over on sodium.

Soooo I was wondering if ya'll had any tips about how to change that up?

What to eat, what not to eat, and so forth. 

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Many Can Blame Family for Their Bunions

These and other foot disorders are 'highly inheritable,' study finds

By Mary Elizabeth Dallas

HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, May 20 (HealthDay News) -- If you've got bunions, chances are others in your family suffer from the common foot disorder, with a new study finding the condition is often passed down from parents to children.

Reporting in the May issue of Arthritis Care & Research, researchers found that people of European descent often inherit conditions such as bunions or other toe deformities.

"Our study is the largest investigation of the heritability of common foot disorders in older adults," Dr. Marian Hannan, from Hebrew SeniorLife and Harvard Medical School in Boston, said in a journal news release. She said the data confirms "that bunions and lesser toe deformities are highly inheritable in [white] men and women of European descent."

Up to 60 percent of older adults have a foot disorder, which could limit their ability to get around and hamper quality of life. Prior research revealed that 23 percent of people aged 18 to 65, and 36 percent of those older than 65 have bunions, a sometimes painful deformity of the big toe.

The new study involved almost 1,400 people enrolled in the Framingham Foot Study. The participants averaged 66 years of age. Each person underwent a foot exam between 2002 and 2008 to determine if they had bunions, toe deformities such as "hammer toes" (where a toe appears permanently bent), or a condition called plantar soft tissue atrophy, a breakdown of the fatty "cushion" under the ball of the foot.

The researchers also used software that performs genetic analyses to estimate the inheritability of the participants' foot disorders.

Of the participants examined, 31 percent had bunions, 30 percent had toe deformities and 28 percent had plantar soft tissue atrophy. The study revealed bunions and toe deformities were highly inheritable depending on age and gender, but not plantar soft tissue atrophy.

"These new findings highlight the importance of furthering our understanding of what causes greater susceptibility to these foot conditions, as knowing more about the pathway may ultimately lead to early prevention or early treatment," concluded Hannan, who is also the journal's editor-in-chief.

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Superfood of the Week: Wild Salmon

Touted for its high Omega-3 content, it's no wonder that the American Heart Association recommends we all treat ourselves salmon at least twice per week. These powerful polyunsaturated fats are the healthy kind of the "f word" that are famed for helping to lower both your bad cholesterol and your risk of developing heart disease. But the good news doesn't end there -- did you know wild salmon has slimming superpowers, too, helping your bod burn fat and fight flab. Just make sure to go with the Wild kind of salmon, which is higher in Omega-3s, more sustainable and void of possible contaminants and toxins. Get your dose of deliciousness with these four sensational salmon recipes.

Almond Crusted Salmon with Caramelized Onions and Basil: This simple recipe from Whole Foods Market is loaded with tasty flavors from the fresh basil, sweet caramelized onions and fresh-out-of-the-oven almond topping. Instead of using traditional breadcrumbs, this nutty salmon is "breaded" with almond meal (crushed blanched almonds, which adds an additional boost of healthy fats. Smoked Salmon Salad Nicoise: If you're a lox lover, this refreshing spin on the classic Nicoise is made for you. Loaded with potassium-rich potatoes, crisp green beans and a delicious dressing (made with reduced-fat sour cream), this salad from Eating Well has really got it all.
Creamy Farfalle with Salmon and Peas: This dish may look super indulgent, but have no fear -- low-fat milk and just a touch of Neufchatel cheese deliver all that creamy goodness without a scary-high fat content. And get this: The peas and pasta provide a whopping 40 percent of your daily value of folate. Garnish with lime zest and fresh dill for extra flair. Salmon Burgers with Goat Cheese and Spinach: These burgers (from my intern, Alexis!) are a real party-pleaser. Feel free to sub feta or shredded cheddar if you're not a fan of goat cheese. This recipe really rocks because it uses convenient canned wild salmon, which is a much cheaper and longer-lasting alternative to buying it fresh. Just don't forget to remove the bones. What's your favorite wild salmon recipe? Tweet me @sarahjaneRD or @SELFmagazine or find me on SELF's Facebook Page!

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Image Credit: Gourmet/Romulo Yanes

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Could Statins Raise Diabetes Risk?

Some popular brands associated with high blood sugar levels in study, but odds of problems are low

By Margaret Farley Steele

HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, May 23 (HealthDay News) -- Certain statins -- the widely used cholesterol-lowering drugs -- may increase your chances of developing type 2 diabetes, a new study suggests.

The risk was greatest for patients taking atorvastatin (brand name Lipitor), rosuvastatin (Crestor) and simvastatin (Zocor), the study said.

Focusing on almost 500,000 Ontario residents, researchers in Canada found that the overall odds of developing diabetes were low in patients prescribed statins. Still, people taking Lipitor had a 22 percent higher risk of new-onset diabetes, Crestor users had an 18 percent increased risk and people taking Zocor had a 10 percent increased risk, relative to those taking pravastatin (Pravachol), which appears to have a favorable effect on diabetes.

Physicians should weigh the risks and benefits when prescribing these medications, the researchers said in the study, which was published online May 23 in the journal BMJ.

This does not, however, mean that patients should stop taking their statins, the experts said. The study also showed only an association between statin use and higher risk of diabetes; it did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship.

"While this is an important study evaluating the relationship between statins and the risk of diabetes, the study has several flaws that make it difficult to generalize the results," said Dr. Dara Cohen, a professor of medicine in the department of endocrinology, diabetes and bone disease at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. "There was no data regarding weight, ethnicity and family history -- all important risk factors for the development of diabetes."

Cohen added that there was no information on the patients' cholesterol and blood sugar levels, and that higher-risk patients might automatically be prescribed stronger statins such as Lipitor, Crestor and Zocor.

Finnish doctors wrote in an accompanying editorial that this potential risk should not stop people from taking statins.

"The overall benefit of statins still clearly outweighs the potential risk of incident diabetes," researchers from the University of Turku said. Statins have been proven to reduce heart problems, they said, adding that the medications "play an important role in treatment."

Other statins did perform more favorably than Lipitor, Crestor and Zocor in terms of diabetes, the research found.

"Preferential use of pravastatin and potentially fluvastatin ... may be warranted," the study authors said in a journal news release, adding that Pravachol may even be beneficial to patients at high risk of diabetes. Fluvastatin (Lescol) was associated with a 5 percent decreased risk of diabetes and lovastatin (Mevacor) a 1 percent decreased risk.

In previous research, Crestor was associated with a 27 percent higher risk of diabetes, while Pravachol was linked to a 30 percent lower risk.

For this study, the researchers used patient information from three Canadian databases on 66-year-old men and women who were newly prescribed statins and followed for up to five years. Lipitor accounted for more than half of all new statin prescriptions, followed by Crestor, Zocor, Pravachol, Mevacor and Lescol.

The researchers said between 162 and 407 patients would have to be taking statins of various kinds for one extra patient to develop diabetes.

Results were similar for patients already diagnosed with heart disease and those taking statins to prevent it. Older patients using Lipitor and Zocor were at an increased risk regardless of dose, the researchers found.

People with type 2 diabetes have higher than normal blood sugar levels because their bodies don't make or properly use insulin. The researchers said it is possible that certain statins impair insulin secretion and inhibit insulin release, which could help explain the findings.

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what is going on?

so i just logged in my work hours i have a active job i work four hour **** and in our reasturant we have stairs that i go up and down from the whole time im usually sweating enough to wear i have to go wipe my face i logged it and it says that i burn 1004 calories from work and i also workout on my own and burn 400 which means i burn 1404 calories i only eat 1200 so im in the negative that doesnt make much sense to me because 1004 calories seems a little to high a estimate for what im burning at work but i mean i do sweat a lot at work and those stairs are no joke so now im confused do i need to eat more then 1200? i think going over is a little to high even though ever since i started working and working out i have been a little more hungry and craving bananas and peanut butter like crazy any ideas? 

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A World Map of Flavors – 36 Regions, 36 Herb and Spice Combinations

Inspired by The 4-Hour Chef, the friendly folks over at the startup Maptia (launching soon) have created this fun typographic map of flavors from around the world. You can download a large version by clicking here.

Aside from the map, this post showcases 36 simple recipes and flavor combinations from the 36 regions covered in the map…

Maptia has ambitious plans to re-imagine mapping. They want to make it easy for everyone to create beautiful maps of their lives and the places around them.

Here in Morocco, in the kitchen of Maptia HQ, there lies a somewhat battered copy of The 4-Hour Chef – a little dog-eared and spice-stained from enthusiastic use.

Being naturally rather map-obsessed, we loved Tim’s flavor and place pairings on pages 148-149 of his book. They come from all over the world, and range from the perfumed and fragrant herbs of Provence (thyme, rosemary, and sage) to the sweet and spicy tastes of Indonesia (tamari, brown sugar, peanut, and chili). One of our favorite recipes Tim has since shared, based on another of these pairings, is scrambled eggs mixed with garlic, cumin, and dried mint for a tasty North East African twist.

For the more adventurous food lovers out there, we reached out to a few of our favourite chefs and food bloggers to put together a collection of recipes from all of the places Tim featured on the above flavor map.

Thank you to all of you who took the time to share recipes, ranging from mouthwatering main meals to tempting desserts. To give you a quick taste of the spectrum (pun intended) – we have everything Shaheen Peerbhai‘s grandma’s homemade Chicken Curry recipe from India, while from the more temperate European climate, we have a traditional Normandy Apple Tart by Imen McDonnell.

If you’re getting hungry by now, bookmark this page so you can come back to cook these recipes later… It’s possible travel around the world in your kitchen.

Here are the 36 flavor combinations in action!

1. Yucatán (map) | Traditional Sopa de Maiz shared by Sarah Kieffer who told us, “This soup is one of my absolute favorites – so many good flavors happening at the same time. The drizzle of lime juice is the best part.”

2. Mexico (map) | Homemade Tacodeli-style Salsa via Tribeza – thanks to Noah Kagan for the suggestion!

3. India (General) (map) | Homemade Chicken Curry from Shaheen Peerbhai

4. Northern India (map) | Garlic Chicken by Prerna Singh who says, “You don’t need to rush to the supermarket or an Indian grocery store to buy ingredients for this recipe. It’s pretty straightforward! You just need chicken and tons of garlic along with some basic ingredients like lemon and whatever you have in your spice shelf.”

5. Southern India (map) | Deliciously simple Nan Khatai baked by Tanvi Srivastava

6. Bengal (map) | Bengali style Aloo Dum from Archana Doshi

7. Middle East (map) | Quick but tasty Baba Ganoush from Cara Eisenpress

8. North Africa (map) | Harissa Turkey Meatballs by Lydia Walshin

9. Morocco (map) | Vegetable Tagine from David & Luise

10. East Africa? (map) | Pigeon Peas in a mild Coconut Curry by Sukaina

11. West Africa (map) | West African Ginger Drink via The Kitchn

12. North East Africa (map) | Ful Medames on Serious Eats

13. Greece (map) | Greek Nachos from Ashley Rodriguez

14. Italy (map) | Spaghetti with fresh Soppressata by Lindsay & Taylor

15. Northern Italy (map) | Tomato Flatbreads with Anchovy Oil from Nicole Gulotta

16. Southern Italy (map) | Arancini Di Riso by Michael Natkin

17. France (map) | Spectacular baked Mont d’Or cheese from David Lebovitz

18. Southern France (map) | Old-fashioned Merveilles by Mimi Thorisson

19. Normandy (map) | The traditional Apple Tart baked by Imen McDonnell

20. Provence (map) | Provencal Vegetable Tian by Martha Stewart

21. Spain (map) | Gazpacho from Matt Armendariz

22. Hungary (map) | Hungarian Pork Stew by Cheri

23. Eastern Europe (map) | Wild Mushroom and Onion Kasha via Bon Appétit

24. Northern Europe (map) | Swedish Kalops? from Kimberly Killebrew

25. Central Asia (map) | Risotto Balls with Mango Chili Sauce by Sneh Roy

26. Burma (map) | Burmese Tofu Salad from Katherine

27. Nepal (map) | Sekwa Chara (Nepalese Chicken Roast) via Awesome Cuisine

28. Thailand (map) | Thai Shrimp Cakes from Leela Punyaratabandhu

29. Vietnam (map) | Beef Pho Noodle Soup from Andrea Nguyen via Jodi Ettenberg

30. Laos (map) | Spicy Laotian Beef Salad by Katherine Foshko via Victoria Frolova

31. Japan (map) | Mouthwatering Takoyaki from Stephane Lemagnen, who says, “It’s my favourite street snack in Osaka.”

32. Indonesia (map) | Nasi Goreng from Jun

33. Korea (map) | Warm Tofu with Spicy Garlic Sauce by Alexandra Stafford, who says, “Both healthy and satisfying, this warm tofu costs next to nothing to prepare, comes together in 10 minutes, and is completely delicious.”

34. China (map) | Stir-fried Nai Bai via Noob Cook

35. Szechuan (map) | Peppercorn Roasted Chicken from Jaden Hair

36. Canton (map) | Char Siu (Barbecued Pork) by Diana Kuan who reckons that, “Along with Wonton Noodle Soup, Char Siu is the Cantonese people’s greatest contribution to mankind.”

Whoever shares the most interesting or unusual recipe (with accompanying photo or video) by 5pm PDT this Sunday (24 March) will receive a one-off wall print of our original hand-painted typographic map above.

Your submission could be a family recipe that has been passed down through the generations, or perhaps one of your own experiments in the kitchen. Bonus points for creativity!

Here’s how it works:

1) Post your recipe and accompanying photo or video (perhaps a 6-second Vine snapshot?) somewhere online.
2) Tweet the URL of your submission (and the place it is from) to @Maptia and @tferriss, and make sure to include the hashtag #RTWflavors.
3) Make sure to tweet us your submission before 5pm PDT this Sunday (24 March).

Rules of thumb:

- The recipe must come from (or be inspired by) one of the 36 places listed above in the photographic tributes to the flavors.
- It must be an original recipe, or your own twist on an existing recipe. Do not violate copyrights or other intellectual property.
- The photo or video must be your own and must be of the recipe you are submitting.

As soon as the deadline (5pm PDT, Sun 24 March) has passed we will choose the person who has submitted the most interesting or unusual recipe, and send them the one-off wall print of the typographic flavor map. We will also feature the winning recipe over on our Maptia blog.

We’re really excited to try out some of your recipes and to see where in the world your culinary imaginations have taken you… Good luck!

With such diversity and color among the different flavors Tim wrote about, we decided what better way to get people inspired about using them in their cooking than to create a photographic tribute for each place and each set of flavors on the map. Here they are:

(Photos: Sources listed here)

Posted on March 17th, 2013

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Sunscreens Not Created Equal: Consumer Reports

Sunscreens Not Created Equal: Consumer ReportsSix of 12 sunscreens rated ''very good,'' but pricier not always better.http://img.webmd.com/dtmcms/live/webmd/consumer_assets/site_images/article_thumbnails/news/2013/05_2013/new_sunscreen_label/69x75_new_sunscreen_label.jpgWebMD Health News

May 24, 2013 -- In its new sunscreen ratings evaluation, Consumer Reports found that paying more for sunscreen doesn't always mean better protection.

"Some of our best products were also the least expensive," says Nicole Sarrubbo, associate editor for Consumer Reports.

Up & Up Sport SPF 50, from Target, got top honors in these latest ratings, and is one of the least expensive products tested.

Some of the pricier sunscreens, in fact, did not live up to the SPF (sun protection factor) value on the label, the testers found. Two sunscreens -- All Terrain AquaSport SPF 30 and Badger Unscented SPF 34 -- were rated poor in protecting against UVB rays.

Consumer Reports regularly rates sunscreens, and this time picked 12 popular products from a variety of stores. They took into account protection from UVA and UVB, how much the product stained clothing, and the cost per ounce.

Six got recommended ratings:

Target's Up & Up Sport, at the top spot, costs $1.16 an ounce.Walmart's Equate Ultra Protection SPF 50, is just 47 cents an ounce. It won the CR Best Buy award of the dozen.Coppertone Water Babies SPF 50, at $1.38 an ounce.Walgreens Continuous Spray Sport SPF 50, at $1.33 an ounce. Hawaiian Tropic Sheer Touch SPF 30, at $1.38 an ounce.Coppertone Sport High Performance SPF 30, at $1.67 an ounce.

The six that didn't get recommended ratings include:

California Baby SPF 30+, at $6.90 an ounce (discontinued, but may still be available).No-Ad with Avobenzone, Aloe, and Vitamin E SPF 45, at 63 cents an ounce.Neutrogena Wet Skin SPF 45+, at $3.67 an ounce.Kiss My Face with Hydresia SPF 40, at $5.33 an ounce.Badger Unscented SPF 34, at $5.52 an ounce (discontinued, but may still be available).All Terrain AquaSport SPF 30, at $4.33 an ounce.// init webmdArticle pluginrequirejs(['article/1/article'],function(){$('#dyn-art').webmdArticle({pageData: {title: "Sunscreens Not Created Equal: Consumer Reports", imgPath: "http://img.webmd.com/dtmcms/live/webmd/consumer_assets/site_images/article_thumbnails/news/2013/05_2013/new_sunscreen_label/69x75_new_sunscreen_label.jpg", caption: "", description: "Six of 12 sunscreens rated ''very good,'' but pricier not always better.", type: "article"}});});Are you happy with your skin?

Great! There are always new tips that can make your skin look better.

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Get Started // self executing function for scope (function(){ // grabs pageview id out of global scope and makes sure it exists as we need to pass it to ads in that case var pageviewId = window.s_pageview_id || ''; var iframeURLOutOfPB = '//as.webmd.com/html.ng/transactionID=1237708495&tile=1420854264&tug=&pug=__&site=2&affiliate=20&hcent=13879&scent=1013&pos=121&xpg=3621&sec=&au1=&au2=&uri=%2fbeauty%2fsun%2f20130524%2fconsumer-reports-best-sunsreens&artid=091e9c5e80cbb21a&inst=0&leaf=&segm=0&cc=17&tmg=&bc=__&mcent=13889µ=&pvid=' + pageviewId; var cleanIframeURL = iframeURLOutOfPB.replace(/&/g, '&'); var ad = { adLocation:'right', adURL:cleanIframeURL, trans:'1237708495', tile:'1420854264', pos:'121' }; // check to make sure this seed call functionality exists, if it does, dooo it if(webmd.object.exists('webmd.ads.handleAdSeedCall')) { webmd.ads.handleAdSeedCall(ad); } })();

6 questions to find the one right for you.

Expert picks for an even, bronzed glow.

How much do you know about sunscreen?

Foundation with SPF adds protection, but is it enough?

How sun damages hair and what to do to protect it.

Wrinkles, sunburn. What’s it saving you from?

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Parents' Worries About HPV Vaccine on the Rise: Study

Title: Parents' Worries About HPV Vaccine on the Rise: Study
Category: Health News
Created: 3/18/2013 12:56:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 3/18/2013 12:00:00 AM

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Pain a Common Problem for People With COPD

Narcotic pain relievers frequently used by patients with chronic lung condition, study finds

By Alan Mozes

HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, May 21 (HealthDay News) -- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients experience a significant amount of pain, new research suggests.

Pain levels are nearly on par with the kind of discomfort experienced by many osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis patients, according to the study, which is scheduled for presentation Tuesday at the American Thoracic Society annual meeting in Philadelphia.

"Several studies have found high rates of pain medication use among COPD patients, and pain has also been an important determinant of overall health status and quality of life in COPD," study author Melissa Roberts, a senior research associate at the Lovelace Clinic Foundation in Albuquerque, N.M., said in a society news release.

The researchers analyzed data on nearly 8,000 COPD patients over the age of 40. Nearly 16,000 other men and women not diagnosed with COPD also were included in the study. All were enrolled between 2006 and 2010 in the same managed-care insurance system in the southwestern United States.

Pain levels among the participants were determined by reviewing diagnostic codes and pain medication prescriptions as noted in their medical records. COPD patients were found to have more chronic pain indicators and used more pain meds, including both long- and short-acting opioid (narcotic) drugs.

The pain experienced among COPD patients did not appear to be a direct function of their airflow obstruction.

"We found the prevalence of chronic pain among adults with chronic disease to be almost twice as high as among individuals without chronic disease," Roberts said. "Among those with chronic disease, individuals with COPD were similar to those with rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis in their experience of pain, but with even greater use of opioids."

Because this study is being presented at a medical meeting, the data and conclusions should be viewed as preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

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Berenika Jancelewjcz, Language Supervisor for MTV

Browse through the street style and fashion photoblog online at Glamour.com. Check out the latest fashion, as worn by you!

Continue reading...

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do I have to eat my recommend calorie to lose weight?

It says for men that I should eat 1500 calories but since I have a herniated disc I can't run or anything but walk for so long only. So I thought less calories the better. So I've been eating fish and juicing veges and fruits. 1 cup of juice of vege/fruit and 2 fish. One for breakfast and lunch. Since I started I lost about 7 lbs. but I consider 2-5 lbs water weight. When I started this app I was at 176. Now I'm 173.

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two weeks before period hunger

I get very hungry two weeks before my period and although I'm eating healthy, watching my calorie intake go up is making me anxious. Firstly, I don't have the time to gym, only manage to walk the dog before and after work, and walking around the office as much as I can. Working for a hotel, I have 12hour days--but the beauty is, I have a lot of space to walk around. Secondly, how can I keep up my pace with smart choices? And, I realize bc my diet has been so pure(minus the wine here and there), my stomach cannot handle outside hotel restaurant or homemade food....I know I'll get water weight but how do I control my cravings?

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Secrets of a Hair Chalk Addict

I like, freaking LOVE, hair chalk and am crazy excited that SELF's awesome beauty team featured the radass trend recently. (Yep -- radass. I'm trying to make that happen now) But, as an self-proclaimed hair chalk connoisseur, there are few lessons I learned the hard way. Instead of letting you guys walk around with random streaks on your clothes or a halo of chalk around your hairline -- both of which I've done -- I'm going to pass along some of my tips.

First, always, always put product in your hair before you apply the chalk. Kevin Murphy (who created the awesome Neon Color Bug pictured here) told me about that and man oh man was he right. It doesn't matter if you use gel, dry shampoo, hair spray, all three. As long as your strands are super product-y, you'll be good. My editor is currently

When you apply your hair chalk of choice, never apply less than two inches away from your hairline, or the color will run like crazy if you sweat the tiniest bit. No thanks. Also, drape a towel of your shoulders when you apply -- or you'll risk chalking your outfit, too.

If the color isn't bright enough on your hair, use a white-colored chalk base. It's like nail polish: white base makes colors on top pop. This is also a good move if you're blonde, since it'll make it easier to wash the chalk out later (sometimes blondes need to wash twice to get everything out). Try this cheapie version -- it's only a few bucks.

Finally, always, always, always, seal that stuff in with hairspray. Go wild. Spray the hell out of your hair. We're loving Vidal Sassoon Pro Series Repair Spray; it helps strengthen strands while locking in style. I'm warning you: Skip this and you'll be a mess of neon.

Do you have any tips for chalking? Tweet us @AESam and @SELFMagazine.

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Image Credit: Devon Jarvis (3)

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High Blood Pressure May Add to Alzheimer's Risk, Study Finds

People with a genetic mutation plus hypertension have more brain plaque, researchers find

By Steven Reinberg

HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, March 18 (HealthDay News) -- High blood pressure in people with a genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease may spur development of brain plaque, a hallmark of the age-related brain disorder, a new study suggests.

The findings suggest yet another reason for keeping blood pressure, also known as hypertension, under control, the researchers said.

"Maintaining good vascular health by avoiding or controlling diseases like hypertension has important benefits beyond keeping your heart healthy. It may promote good brain health as we age," said lead researcher Karen Rodrigue, an assistant professor of behavioral and brain sciences at the University of Texas at Dallas.

This is especially so for people who are genetically at risk for Alzheimer's disease, the study suggested. "Keeping good vascular health may limit or delay the brain changes associated with Alzheimer's disease and other aging-related neurological deterioration," Rodrigue said.

No cure exist for Alzheimer's, and experts anticipate that by 2050 the number of Americans with the brain disease will approach 14 million if no progress is made.

The study of nearly 120 adults found that people with this genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease -- called an apolipoprotein E 4 allele -- plus untreated high blood pressure have more beta-amyloid plaques compared to those with just one or neither of these risk factors.

One expert said the findings have important implications.

"This is good news," said Dr. Sam Gandy, associate director of the Mount Sinai Alzheimer's Disease Research Center in New York City.

"This means that yet another simple intervention -- here, blood pressure control, but think also of physical exercise -- can have an important impact on dementia risk and rate of progression," Gandy said. "We must not overlook these simple effective interventions while developing new therapies."

For the study, which was published online March 18 in the journal JAMA Neurology, the researchers looked at 118 people with normal brain function who were between 47 and 89 years old. They divided the patients into those with high blood pressure and those without high blood pressure, and those with and without the genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's. The participants also were given brain scans to look for plaques.

The researchers found people with both high blood pressure and the genetic risk factor had significantly more brain plaque than those with only one or no risk factors.

Moreover, those with the highest blood pressure and the gene mutation tended to have the most plaque, they found. The study did not, however, prove a cause-and-effect relationship between high blood pressure, this genetic mutation and increased brain plaque.

High blood pressure is highly responsive to lifestyle changes and medical treatment, and it may provide a future target for delaying or preventing Alzheimer's disease, the researchers noted.

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It's papaya season, Hoorah!

A papaya a day...

Papaya's are full of wonderful, healthy benefits...including the seeds. You can even eat the seeds, use them as a pepper alternative. You can chop papaya up and add it to salads, salsa, and slice them onto sandwiches. You can grind up the seeds and through them into your tuna fish mix. 

One of their best known properties is their enzyming (made word up, but you know what I mean) capabilities. Both the seeds and the fruit are amazing at helping to sort out the digestive process. 

You can use them for your skin for amazing results, by eating them or just spreading the pulp directly onto your skin.

I've recently discovered this fruit and decided I should share my awe. You folks like sources cited, so here's one:

http://www.medindia.net/patients/lifestyleandwellness/health-benefits-of-papaya.htm

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Scientists Use Cloning Technique to Produce Human Stem Cells

Breakthrough bypasses need to use cells from fertilized embryos

By EJ Mundell

HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, May 15 (HealthDay News) -- Scientists report they've used a cloning technique to reprogram an ordinary human skin cell to become an embryonic stem cell. In turn, the new stem cell has the potential to transform into any type of cell in the body.

Besides marking a breakthrough in stem cell technology, which has the potential to one day cure a myriad of illnesses, the achievement has some concerned that scientists are moving a step closer to human cloning.

That's because the new stem cell is genetically identical to cells from the person from whom it was derived. Stem cells can differentiate into cells for all of the tissue types that the body needs, such as nerves, muscle and bone.

While Dolly the Sheep was cloned in 1996, and other species have been cloned since, researchers have been unable to clone a primate such as a monkey, chimpanzee or human. However, the technological advances described in the new study are such that "it's a matter of time before they produce a cloned monkey," Jose Cibelli, a cloning expert at Michigan State University who wasn't involved in the study, told the Wall Street Journal.

The new research was published online May 15 in the journal Cell, and was led by Shoukhrat Mitalipov, a senior scientist at the Oregon National Primate Research Center, in partnership with researchers at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU).

The research involved a version of what's known as somatic cell nuclear transfer, where the cell's nucleus -- which contains all a person's genetic information -- is transferred into an egg cell that has had all of its DNA removed. Once the new nucleus is in place, the unfertilized egg cell proceeds to develop and produce stem cells, according to an OHSU news release.

"Stem cells derived through this technique demonstrated their ability to convert just like normal embryonic stem cells, into several different cell types, including nerve cells, liver cells and heart cells," Mitalipov said in the news release. "While there is much work to be done in developing safe and effective stem cell treatments, we believe this is a significant step forward in developing the cells that could be used in regenerative medicine."

Regenerative medicine is the term used to describe therapies where stem cells are used to regenerate tissues lost to illness or injury.

One key point in the new research: Creation of the new, functioning embryonic stem cell did not involve the use of fertilized embryos, the focus of heated debate over the past decade.

Mitalipov's team says the road to success was not easy, because human egg cells seem to be more fragile than those from other species. That meant that methods had to be tested in monkeys first, in a trial-and-error fashion, before moving to human eggs.

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Lauren Campbell, Vintage Archive Owner

Browse through the street style and fashion photoblog online at Glamour.com. Check out the latest fashion, as worn by you!

Continue reading...

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What do the new concussion guidelines mean for my high-school football player?

Posted May 24, 2013, 2:00 am

I have a teenage son who plays high school football, so I’m interested in the new concussion guidelines. Can you tell me what they say?

In March of this year, the American Academy of Neurology released new guidelines for recognizing and managing sport-related concussions. These guidelines could help protect the brains of athletes at all levels of play, from professional football to youth soccer. In a phrase, the new concussion guidelines recommend “when in doubt, sit it out.”

Concussions occur when something makes the head and brain move quickly back and forth. This can be a jolt to the head, a fall or a blow to the body. They cause a short-term disturbance in brain function. Contact sports such as football and ice hockey are most likely to increase the risk of concussions, but concussions can happen in any sport.

Many athletes don’t get medical attention for concussion. That’s often because they or their coaches don’t recognize the warning signs or take them seriously. Concussions can cause temporary loss of consciousness. They also typically cause confusion and problems with recent memory. The confusion may occur immediately, or a few minutes after the injury.

Other symptoms of a concussion often include dizziness, nausea (with or without vomiting) and headache. After a concussion, a person may seem to have trouble paying attention to you, or may seem to be lost in his thoughts. His speech may be slow or even slurred. A few days later, the person who has suffered a concussion may seem moody or depressed, may be bothered by amounts of light or noise that never used to bother him, and may have poor quality sleep.

All these symptoms can be pretty subtle, and if they occur during an exciting sporting event, the people who are evaluating the person may be distracted. In other words, it can be hard to determine if a person has really suffered a concussion.

The new guidelines take the guesswork out of the equation. They step away from having coaches or trainers try to diagnose concussions on the field or sidelines. Instead, they recommend that athletes who are suspected of having a concussion should be immediately removed from play and evaluated. What’s more, the guidelines state that athletes who have sustained concussions should not return to play until a licensed health care provider gives the green light.

Not all concussions are serious. Many young people and athletes recover from a head injury in minutes or hours. The danger is that athletes who have had one concussion are at greater risk of having another. The first 10 days after a concussion is a period of special danger. Repeated minor head injuries over a short period greatly increase the risk of serious or permanent brain damage.

The next step is to educate coaches and trainers about the new guidelines. They are the people who have ringside seats when concussions happen, and they’re making the decisions about whether to let the athletes continue to play.

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Victoria Justice at the iHeartRadio 20/20 Experience

Victoria Justice wears a silver drop-waist dress at the iHeartRadio 20/20 Experience - vote on celebrity fashion, style and red carpet looks in GLAMOUR.COM’s Dos and Don’ts

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Discovery could someday help people with diabetes make more insulin

Posted May 24, 2013, 3:11 pm

A lot is known about diabetes. But a discovery that could change how this disease is treated shows just how much more there is to learn.

A team of Harvard Medical School researchers has discovered a hormone made by liver and fat cells that signals the body to make more insulin-producing beta cells. A report of their work appears in this month’s issue of the prestigious scientific journal Cell.

For the team’s leader, Dr. Douglas Melton, research on the subject of diabetes is personal as well as professional. In 1993, his six-month-old son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Since then Melton, who is co-director of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, has turned his considerable research skills to learning how diabetes happens and how it might be cured.

In type 1 diabetes, the body’s immune system attacks the pancreas, a spongy little organ that sits below the stomach. The attack destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, called beta cells. Without enough insulin, muscle cells can’t absorb sugar from the bloodstream. Sugar levels rise in the blood, causing havoc throughout the body. Untreated type 1 diabetes can be deadly. Even with treatment, usually daily injections of insulin, type 1 diabetes often leads to heart disease, vision problems, and nerve problems.

In the more common type 2 diabetes, the muscles resist that action of insulin, causing blood sugar to rise. As the pancreas churns out more and more insulin, the beta cells can eventually become burned out.

Over the years, Melton and his colleagues made a surprising discovery: the pancreas could make new beta cells, even in people with type 1 diabetes. “Old” pancreas cells can divide, forming young ones. Unfortunately, the pancreas isn’t naturally able to make enough new beta cells to make up for those killed by diabetes.

Melton and colleagues reasoned that there might be some chemical signal that prompts beta cells to divide and increase. The Cell paper details their search for and discovery of such a signal in mice. It’s a hormone the team called betatrophin. This hormone, made by liver and fat cells, travels through the blood to the pancreas. There, it prompts existing beta cells to grow and divide, making new beta cells.

In mice with diabetes, turning on the production of betatrophin by liver and fat cells caused an increase in beta cells and a dramatic improvement in blood sugar.

It will, of course, take much more research in mice—and then in humans—to determine if this newly discovered hormone can serve as a treatment for diabetes. So it’s too soon to get excited that the discovery of betatrophin will translate directly into a new treatment for diabetes.

This work is just the latest example of an even larger scientific discovery that has played out over the past two decades. We are learning that the human body has much greater power to naturally repair itself than we once imagined. Scientists all over the world are working to discover ways to stimulate the body’s own natural healing mechanisms, as Dr. Melton and colleagues are doing.

In the United States, this work and other important investigations are threatened by the “sequester,” which is cutting funding for medical research. It would be a shame for an important discovery like Melton’s to languish because of political infighting. Regardless of what you think about federal spending in general, if you share my view that we should not be cutting funding for health research and public health, you could do what I have done. Write your representatives in Congress to restore cuts in medical research.

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