be well, stay well

Don’t Drink the Pool Water! It Contains a Surprising Amount of…Human Waste

Fri, 17 May 2013 20:19:07 -0400

Don’t Drink the Pool Water! It Contains a Surprising Amount of…Human Waste :

The study, published in the latest Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, specifically looked at pools in Atlanta, but the researchers say such contamination is likely a widespread problem in U.S. pools, thanks to swimmers not washing themselves off before taking a dip. According to the scientists, each of us carries about 0.14 grams of fecal material into the pool — and that doesn’t include accidents or cases of diarrhea.

Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2013/05/16/dont-drink-the-pool-water-it-contains-a-surprising-amount-of-human-waste/#ixzz2TabFtPmh

Well, This Is Just Awful: 'Renting' Disabled People to Skip Lines at Disney World

Tue, 14 May 2013 22:40:35 -0400

Well, This Is Just Awful: 'Renting' Disabled People to Skip Lines at Disney World

theatlantic: How Motherhood Is Changing Dramatically—in 11...

Mon, 13 May 2013 15:35:37 -0400

theatlantic:

How Motherhood Is Changing Dramatically—in 11 Graphs

[Data: BLS, Pew]

propublica: Federal data released for the first time shows the...

Wed, 08 May 2013 14:57:01 -0400

propublica:

Federal data released for the first time shows the wildly different amounts hospitals are charging Medicare to perform the same procedure.

See how hospitals near you are charging with this New York Times interactive.

This chart from the Washington Post lets you compare the highest and lowest averages in your state.

poptech: Plants dumped 11 billion gallons of raw sewage because...

Wed, 08 May 2013 10:40:11 -0400

poptech:

Plants dumped 11 billion gallons of raw sewage because of Hurricane Sandy. That’s billions with a “B.”

Meat and Antibiotics - 2013 Meat Eaters Guide | Health | Environmental Working Group

Tue, 07 May 2013 12:19:53 -0400

Meat and Antibiotics - 2013 Meat Eaters Guide | Health | Environmental Working Group:

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are now common in the meat aisles of American supermarkets. These so-called superbugs can trigger foodborne illness and infections that are hard to treat. …

[T]he researchers found that some 53 percent of raw chicken samples collected in 2011 were tainted with an antibiotic-resistant form of Escherichia coli, or E. coli, a microbe that normally inhabits feces. Certain strains of E. coli can cause diarrhea, urinary tract infections and pneumonia. The extent of antibiotic-resistant E. coli on chicken is alarming because bacteria readily share antibiotic-resistance genes.

Not surprisingly, superbugs spawned by antibiotic misuse — and now pervasive in the meat Americans buy — have become a direct source of foodborne illness. Even more ominously, antibiotic misuse threatens to make important antibiotics ineffective in treating human disease. In the past, people who became ill because of contact with harmful microbes on raw meat usually recovered quickly when treated with antibiotics. But today, the chances are increasing that a person can suffer serious illness, complications or death because of a bacterial infection that doctors must struggle to control.

longreads: “Escape.” Natasha Gardner, 5280 Magazine

Thu, 02 May 2013 10:54:38 -0400

longreads:

“Escape.” Natasha Gardner, 5280 Magazine

MAP: Which States Have Cut Treatment For the Mentally Ill the Most?

Wed, 01 May 2013 11:19:47 -0400

MAP: Which States Have Cut Treatment For the Mentally Ill the Most?

melissadileonardo: Homemade LARABARS! I have wanted to make my...

Wed, 01 May 2013 11:07:33 -0400

melissadileonardo:

Homemade LARABARS!

I have wanted to make my own Larabars for awhile. I found this great recipe on Kitchen Vignettes. DELICIOUS…and easy!
(They are gluten-free, vegan, and paleo friendly.)

Ingredients:

2 cups raw cashews

1 cup golden raisins

1 cup chopped dried apricots

Grated rind from 2 lemons

1 to 2 tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/4-1/3 cup poppy seed (depending on your taste for poppy seeds)

Directions:

Place the nuts and dried fruit in a large bowl, toss them together

Place this mixture in a food processor or Ninja bender

Add one T of lemon juice and pulse

Add more lemon juice if the mixture is a bit dry

Blend until the fruit and nuts are well mixed (the nuts will still be a bit chunky)

Return the mixture to the large bowl and add half of the poppy seeds, mix by hand

Line an 8x8 baking pan with wax paper and press the mixture into the pan

Sprinkle remaining poppy seeds and lemon rind a top the mixture

Refrigerate for 2 hours, slice, and enjoy

I plan to try variations on this recipe. Try different fruits (dates, cherries, etc.) and maybe add some fresh cinnamon or unsweetened coconut.

visualdatadaily: Infographic by Jordan Rogoff

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 23:10:30 -0400

visualdatadaily:

Infographic by Jordan Rogoff

criticalmapping: Public spending changes for mental health from...

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 16:34:22 -0400

criticalmapping:

Public spending changes for mental health from 2009 to 2012. Map by Mother Jones.

How Therapy Can Help in the Golden Years

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 09:54:50 -0400

How Therapy Can Help in the Golden Years:

As Americans live longer and the stigma of psychological help diminishes, more elderly people are trying therapy to alleviate problems they face late in life.

Photo

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 09:32:06 -0400

motherjones: This Is Your Body on Microbes. On your skin, in...

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 16:31:21 -0400

motherjones:

This Is Your Body on Microbes. On your skin, in your gut, up your nostril—read all about the bacteria that live on you (and keep you healthy!)

In other microbial news news, we just dropped this awesome longread on why gut bacteria may be the key to losing weight. Read it here.

Is Organic Better? Ask a Fruit Fly

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 10:48:35 -0400

Is Organic Better? Ask a Fruit Fly:

A middle-school experiment using fruit flies and organic foods has won publication in a national scientific journal and spurred a debate about the relative benefits of organic eating.

theatlantic: Relationships Are More Important Than Ambition In...

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 16:42:23 -0400

theatlantic:

Relationships Are More Important Than Ambition

In Canada and the United States, having frequent contact with neighbors was associated with higher levels of well-being, as was the feeling of truly belonging in a group. “If everyone in a community becomes more connected, the average level of subjective well-being would increase,” they wrote.

This may explain why Latin Americans, who live in a part of the world fraught with political and economic problems, but strong on social ties, are the happiest people in the world, according to Gallup. It may also explain why Dreher’s Louisiana came in as the happiest state in the country in a major study of 1.3 million Americans published in Science in 2009. This surprised many at the time, but makes sense given the social bonds in communities like Starhill. Meanwhile, wealthy states like New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and California were among the least happiest, even though their inhabitants have ambition in spades; year after year, they send the most number of students to Ivy League.

Read more. [Image: Flickr]

In Just Three Months, States Proposed An Astonishing 694 Provisions Reducing Families' Ability to Control Excess Births

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 20:29:02 -0400

In Just Three Months, States Proposed An Astonishing 694 Provisions Reducing Families' Ability to Control Excess Births:

more-commonsense:

That’s American’s rights being flushed down the toilet in Republican dominated state governments.

It unconstitutional, and wrong.

People need to wake up about how their state government legislatures have been Gerrymandered along with the US House of Representatives and tell their officials to redistrict now in a equitable manner.

Stop the theft of your rights.

melissadileonardo: How do you like them apples? Okay. Fun...

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 09:11:35 -0400

melissadileonardo:

How do you like them apples?

Okay. Fun fact: Eating an apple a day decreases LDLs (bad cholesterol) by an average of 6.7%. Drinking apple juice increases LDLs by 6.9%.

So…ditch the juice, get the fiber, and eat the real deal.

Go apples!

theatlantic: Morning-After Pills for All U.S. women currently...

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 12:12:51 -0400

theatlantic:

Morning-After Pills for All

U.S. women currently have to be at least 17 years old to obtain emergency contracteption (“morning-after pills”) without a prescription. This morning, New York District Judge Edward Korman ruled that within 30 days, the FDA must make it available without a prescription to all women of reproductive age.

Read more. [Image: AP]

melissadileonardo: Simple ways to balance your hormones. HEY...

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 09:23:31 -0400

melissadileonardo:

Simple ways to balance your hormones.

HEY LADIES: I was reading an article about “estrogen dominance” in women. Turns out, having this imbalance of hormones can cause PMS, fibroids, and endometriosis.

Basically, if the balance between estrogen (main sex hormone in women that regulates the menstrual cycle and prepares the uterus for pregnancy by enriching and thickening the endometrium) and progesterone (the hormone produced just before ovulation that enhances fertility) is out of whack the body reacts.

PMS symptoms increase and can include: headaches, irritability, breast tenderness, bloating, menstrual cramps, high blood pressure, water retention, fibroids, blood clots, stroke, endometriosis, increased fat deposition, breast tumor formation, and PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome). SCARY!

Fortunately, you can make dietary choices that help combat estrogen dominance and help further hormonal balance. Here are a few:

1) EAT MORE VEGETABLES! (Always a good thing.): Dark, leafy greens and other superfoods help regulate the body’s production of estrogen.

2) VITAMIN C: In addition to helping bolster the immune system, vitamin C helps support progesterone production. Eat more leafy greens (again), citrus fruits, peppers, and/or take a dietary supplement.

3) REDUCE DAIRY: For reals. Put down the cheese. Milk typically contains estrogen (even organic milk)…try going dairy free for a week and see how you feel.

4) LIMIT YOUR SOY: I recently posted about soy. Beware. It is not always a health food. Eat fermented soy.

5) EAT PROBIOTICS AND FERMENTED FOODS: Probiotics are not only found in dairy products. You can find dairy free supplements and enjoy foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, and kombucha. (I posted about that, too.) These foods aid in digestion and elimination, helping balance the body.

6) EAT GRASS-FED BEEF: When eating red meat in moderation, ditch the hormones. ‘Nuff said.

7) AVOID BPAs: BPA = bisphenol A, and acts similar to estrogen in your body. Read labels and get rid of plastic containers that are not BPA free. I also just learned that canned food containers are lined with BPA, so limit your intake. (You should not be eating a lot of canned food any way.) ALSO, receipts apparently contain BPA, so wash your hands after handling them. (Or go green and skip the receipt if you can.)

8) AVOID PARABENS: Parabens are found in many toiletries (shampoo, lotion, etc.). They are an estrogenic chemical. Check labels for “methylparaben” or “propylparaben.”

Feel good, stay balanced.