Better Read Those Books

Well, all those people encouraging us to read more book may actually have some real benefits. Studies have shown that people who read live longer and have a better memory.

An article on bustle.com explains that reading can improve memory because people who read have more complex minds. Also, reading the book is better than watching the movie version because reading works different parts of the brain that can help with language and vision. That same article also suggests reading can reduce stress levels. Researchers found that just six minutes of reading can help reduce stress levels by 68%. That’s a big number!

Another benefit is that reading can give you more energy while working out. Reader's Digest gives the example that a person is more likely to stay on an exercise machine when they are reading an interesting book. This because they do not want to stop reading the captivating chapter in the book.

The local news station in Hattiesburg recently covered a story about reading improving health. The video said one study found that “older adults who read regularly or played mentally challenging games were two and a half times less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease.” Click here to watch the entire video.

Oral Health

Dental, or oral, health is often looked over when trying to maintain a healthy body. Also, many people do not go to the dentist until they are in pain, when they should go about twice a year.

Everyone knows that not maintaining a healthy mouth can lead to cavities, especially in children. However, there are other problems that can occur as well. World Health Organization says that the most common oral diseases are dental cavities, periodontal (gum) disease, oral cancer, and more. Click here to learn more about each disease.

One serious disease caused is oral cancer. WebMD explains that oral cancer comes from a growth or sore in the mouth that does not go away and can include the lip, tongue, floor of the mouth and other places. The article explains that eating a well-balanced diet, not smoking, and limiting time in the sun can prevent oral cancer.

MedlinePlus summarizes the best way to keep a healthy mouth. A person should brush their teeth and floss daily, limit the amount of sugary snacks, don’t smoke or chew tobacco, and see a dentist regularly. Click here to read about dental health.

Summer is Around the Corner

With summer break being around the corner for many students, I decided to write about tips to stay healthy over the summer.

WebMD provides eight tips on how to stay healthy. One tip suggests adding mixed berries to a person’s diet every day to improve the diet. They also suggest to go outside for hikes or go swimming. These are great activities that can be done with children or extended families every day or on vacations. Click here to read the rest of the tips.

Another article recommends adding healthier meals such as grilled veggies or fruit salad to the summer menu. The author even provides different types of food that will be much healthier at barbeques and picnics. Click here to learn more.

Healthy.net said to stay cool and hydrated and to protect yourself from the sun. An interesting tip was to drink at least two to four cups of water after waking up. Also, it is always great to travel with a bottle of water, especially in extremely hot cities. Wearing a hat and using sunscreen without excessive chemicals can protect you from overexposure. They also said aloe plants in the home can soothe sunburns.

Tasty Strawberries

Over the weekend, I bought some strawberries for my son to see if he would like them. He is very picky when it comes to fruit. He has not tried them yet. Strawberries are often not the first type of fruit someone thinks of when they think of fruit, but they are actually pretty healthy.

I learned that strawberries can help with allergies and asthma on medicalnewstoday.com. The site said that the anti-inflammatory effects of quertcetin may alleviate runny nose and watery eyes. My son has bad allergies, so maybe the strawberries can help this if he likes them.

Along with this, strawberries can also improve eye care and bring relief from high blood pressure and arthritis. The antioxidants are able to relieve the pain. Click here to read all about the benefits.

The nutritional facts found on authoritynutrition.com prove that strawberries are very healthy. The fruit is made up of 91% water and 7.7% of carbohydrates. Click here for the full list of nutritional facts.  

I Need to Cleanse My Body

With finals around the corner and so many assignments due at once, I have not been eating healthy like I usually do. I have been thinking about doing a detox after my finals to cleanse my body from all of the bad food I have put into it. I decided to share some of the research I found about detoxing on my blog.

First, detoxing is basically just cleansing the body of any toxins. Juicing, drinking specially prepared smoothies, tea, or juice is a popular method of going through a detox. Some people go on healthy food diets as a way to study.

Two of the benefits of detoxing can be increased energy during the day and it can help to manage stress. Click here to read five other benefits.

bodyandsoul.com breaks down the types of drinks and food that should be avoided as well as what should be included in a healthy detox. Foods to avoid are alcohol, cigarettes, coffee, and milk products. Foods to enjoy should be fruit, vegetables, fish, and nuts.

Dailyburn.com provides three tips to follow when trying to detox: pack in the proteins, don’t banish carbs, and keep calories under control. Click here to read some of the “detoxifying breakfast recipes” on the website.

Grapefruit

Something that I have not had in a while is grapefruit. It was never my favorite type of fruit, but my mom used to eat them all the time and I would have some every now and then. It turns out, though, that grapefruit can actually be really healthy and is great for a balanced diet.

Research has been done that shows grapefruit being able to help combat cancer. MedicalNewsToday said, “As an excellent source of the strong antioxidant vitamin C as well as other antioxidants, grapefruit can help combat the formation of free radicals known to cause cancer.” This is a simple way to try to help prevent that awful disease. Click here to read more.

Grapefruit can also help with indigestion and diabetes. Organicfact.net explains that when helping with indigestion, the fiber and vegetative pulp in grapefruit adds bulk to the bowels and regulates your excretory schedule. For diabetes, the fruit can help regulate the flow of sugar in the body. To read more about what grapefruit can do, click here.

On the scientific side, grapefruit can improve heart health and reduce the risk of kidney stones. “The most common type of kidney stones is calcium oxalate stones. Citric acid, an organic acid found in grapefruit, may be effective at preventing them by binding with calcium in the kidneys and flushing it out of the body,” authoritynutrition.com said. Read the rest of the article here.

Hearing Health

My family has a long history of hearing loss which brings me to my topic today on hearing health.

When researching, I found that there are different types of hearing loss. In an online article found on Evergreen Speech and Hearing Clinic’s website, they list four different types.

·         Conductive hearing loss affect the outer or middle ear. A person’s ability to conduct sound to the inner ear is affected with this type of loss.

·         Sensorineural hearing loss, also known as nerve hearing loss, is the most common and results from damage to the inner ear.

·         Mixed hearing loss is a combination of conductive and sensorineural hearing losses.

·         Tinnitus is the perception of sound when an external source of sound is absent. It can creates a ringing noise for the individual to hear.

To read more about the different hearing losses click here.

My grandmother and aunt, who wear hearing aids, travel to the Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic at USM to have their hearing aids evaluated. Troubleshooting of their devices is also done at the clinic. Click on their website to learn more about what the clinic does.

So how does a person prevent hearing loss in this noisy world? WebMd provides eight ways to do this. One that stood out to me was to not smoke. It says, “Tobacco can raise your risk for hearing loss, too, research shows.” The site also warns people to check medications for hearing risks and that about 200 medications can damage hearing. Click here to read the rest of the article.