Focus On: Health and Wellness _____________________________________


Kid Goes into McDonald's and Orders ... Yogurt?
The eating habits of American children appear to be shifting. And for a change, the news is good.

Chicken nuggets, burgers, fries and colas remain popular with the under-13 set, of course. But new market research shows that consumption of these foods at restaurants is declining. Soup, yogurt, fruit, grilled chicken and chocolate milk are on the rise.


At the Bridge Table, Clues to a Lucid Old Age
The ladies in the card room are playing bridge, and at their age the game is no hobby. It's a way of life, a daily comfort and a challenge. “We play for blood,” says Ruth Cummins, 92, before taking a sip of Red Bull at a recent game.

Ruth is among the fewer than one in 200 of us who have lived past 90 without a trace of dementia. Why?


Longevity — The Quest Continues
The island of Ikaría is the next destination for a Blue Zones™ Longevity Quest — the international search sponsored by AARP to find places on the planet, dubbed "Blue Zones," which have the largest populations of people at least 100 years old.



The New Face of Caregiving
Male caretakers face many of the same challenges as their female counterparts — including depression, stress, exhaustion and reduced personal time.

But they approach their caretaking role differently.



Medical Homes Model Offers Promise
The fragmentation of our medical system is apparent to anyone with a recent experience of serious injury or illness. On the other hand, the Medical Home model coordinates medical services to make health care more accessible, more affordable, and more effective.
Tracking that Elusive Sense of Tranquility
Work commitments. Quality family time. The press of social relationships. Then mix in all the ordinary daily frustrations. Here's a list of 50 quick and simple ways to bring tranquility to your life — even if you think it’s impossible.

Hey, Deskbound Creature: these exercises are for you.


Change and the Happiness Quotient
In Roughing It, Mark Twain wrote: "Change is the handmaiden Nature requires to do her miracles with." Change is inevitable, of course. And the evidence suggests that happiness is remarkably dependent on the willingness and ability to embrace change.

Successful midlife crisis coping strategies, two professionals suggest, can be found in the critical domains of career, education and spirituality. If you simply want to vent, there's even a Midlife Crisis Coping blog, too.

Abundant resources, and worth a visit: the Happiness After Midlife website.

(the last word, from George Carlin: "There is no such thing as self help. If you needed someone’s help it wouldn’t be self help. If you accomplished it by yourself, you wouldn’t need help to begin with.")


Superfoods that Everyone Needs
Imagine a superfood — not a drug — powerful enough to help you lower your cholesterol, reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer.  And, for an added bonus, put you in a better mood.

Oh, and what if there were no side effects? You'd surely stock up on a lifetime supply.  Guess what?  These life-altering superfoods are available right now in your local supermarket.

 ⇒  WebMD has the story.


A Different Take on Statin Drugs
James M. Wright is no ordinary family physician. A professor at the University of British Columbia, he's also director of the government-funded Therapeutics Initiative, which analyzes data on particular drugs and figures out how well they work.

His conclusions: Statins can save the lives of patients who've already suffered heart attacks, somewhat reducing the chances of a recurrence that could lead to an early death.  But when he looked at those who don't have heart disease, a different story emerged.

⇒ Read the story in Business Week magazine ...


Decoding Your Health
Whether you’ve been diagnosed with a serious illness or are simply trying to make sense of the latest health headlines, you’ll find much of use in a special report from the New York Times called “Decoding Your Health.” 

The report includes such subjects as "Five Rules for Researching Your Health" (how to navigate a sea of online information), "How to Make Sesnse of Medical Studies", and "An Alternate Route" (exploring the world of alternative medicine).

Click Here to Get Started ...


A Guided Tour of Your Body
Changes in our health are inevitable as we get older. But while doctors tell us to focus on the basics — eat right, exercise and keep cholesterol and blood pressure in check —is there more that we need to know about staying well as we age?

In this special section, you'll be able to learn the best that science and medicine can offer for taking care of yourself. You can also test your knowledge and read more health news at the Well blog.

Click Here to Get Started ...


Trauma, Recovery, and the Power of the Spirit
One morning, a blood vessel in Jill Bolte Taylor's brain exploded. As a brain scientist, she quickly realized she had a ringside seat to her own stroke. Determined to remain present, Taylor observed her basic life functions shutting down one by one: motion, speech, memory, self-awareness. She was 37 years old.

Amazed to find herself alive, Taylor spent eight years recovering her ability to think, walk and talk. Although the stroke had damaged the left side of her brain, her recovery unleashed a torrent of creative energy from the right side. She is now a national spokesperson for brain injury recovery, traveling the nation on behalf of the Harvard Brain Bank.

This is a moving and powerful story.  Watch the Interview.