Tag: disease

Are we too clean?

Consider this hypothesis: Asthma, autism, cancer, arthritis, obesity and MS could be on the rise not only because of improved diagnosis, but also these illnesses seem to correlate with the rise of anti-parasitic and anti-bacterial living.

Apparently, dirt is part of the delicate balance of healthy living. While this shift in disease occurs on the physical plane, what about "dis-ease" on the emotional plane? Are depression, anxiety and stress more prevalent nowadays because we drive ourselves crazy with too pure idealizations and perfectionism?

You’ve done the deed and cheated on your spouse. Now in the aftermath you aren’t sure what to do. Some people feel telling a spouse about an affair is an absolute must. Others feel that under certain circumstances it is best to put the episode behind you and try to heal the marriage. Who is right? Or is there a right answer?

This question all started when my husband I and were listening an interviewee talking about why he felt cheating was healthy for a relationship. Both of us have had ex-partners who’ve cheated on us and my husband first said, "It’s just better not to tell." I was like, "WTF? Of course you have to tell. You’ve done the deed and you need to come clean."

Today, 5.7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s and related dementias. By 2050 the number is projected to grow to nearly 14 million. Bracing against the disease while standing alongside those diagnosed are family and friends wrapped in an intricate web of perplexing emotion.

Dementia plays out in stages. I think about the arc of my mother’s life as college sorority sister, to wife, mother and career, through my father’s passing, followed by her 18-year dementia journey and, ultimately, her death.

A virtual firestorm erupted in 2011 with the publication of the US Preventive Services Task Force’s draft recommendation that healthy men should no longer receive a PSA (prostate-specific antigen) blood test to screen for prostate cancer because "the test does not save lives overall and often leads to more tests and treatments that needlessly cause pain, impotence, and incontinence," as reported in the New York Times. The final version of the USPSTF recommendation was released in May 2012. The American Urologic Association recommends that men ages 55 to 69 talk with their doctors about having a PSA test. Men who are African American or have a familial history of prostate cancer should consider being tested starting at age 40.

As Father’s Day approaches, many of us take time to contemplate just how powerful the paternal influence can be. For good or for ill, the lessons fathers teach impact their children for the rest of their lives. My own father was not only a great dad, but his unmatchable fortitude taught me how to overcome incredible odds and survive my own devastating illness.

Six years ago, I was diagnosed with the gene for Huntington’s disease, a hereditary illness that presents like a combination of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and schizophrenia combined. John Mattinson, my father, who also has HD, has been diagnosed for 25 years, but also had symptoms for many years prior.

Great news for married couples who journey together through thick and thin! When the dust settles on a new groundbreaking study, in which the attention is primarily focused on improving the health and life quality of Alzheimer’s patients, the health benefits of marriage will get a share of the spotlight.

New research highlights a non-pharmacological intervention in Alzheimer’s treatment, which slows down the inevitable decline the disease brings—this is a big wow and might have implications for reducing the damaging effects of other diseases. The study, "Caregiver–Recipient Closeness and Symptom Progression in Alzheimer Disease," which began in 2002

Did you know that color has a quick and powerful impact on the choices you make every day? According to six different studies in the Journal of Science the color red makes you more detail-oriented while the color blue inspires you to be more creative.

Color impacts every living organism directly affecting tissues and biological functions. The way the retina responds to color affects the nervous system and healthy tissue absorbs color differently than diseased tissue.