The 4 Forms of Exercise and Why Each is Important
T here are four main forms of exercise: balance, endurance, flexibility, and strength. For optimal health, all four forms of exercise should be consistently included your weekly exercise regimen. However, according to the American Heart Association, you don’t have to do all four forms every day. Doing a variety of exercises throughout the week that […]
5 Yoga Poses that Will Strengthen and Stretch Your Back
T he muscles of the back are essential to our overall ability to move, bend, balance, and stay upright. They are categorized into three main groups: intrinsic, superficial, and intermediate. The intrinsic (or deep) muscles extend from the base of the skull to the sacrum (the triangular bone in the lower back between the two […]
Skin Health: Is Skin Brushing Beneficial?
Skin brushing or dry brushing is the act of routinely brushing the skin all over the body using a special firm-bristled brush.1–3 While this practice is believed to have originated in Ayurvedic medicine thousands of years ago, skin brushing has had a resurgence in the last decade.1 But, before you grab a brush and start […]
How Winter Air Challenges the Skin and What You Can Do to Keep Your Skin Healthy
by Aliza Becker, BA, MPS Physiologically, the effects of winter air on health have been well-established. For example, exposure to dryer air increases water evaporation from the bronchial mucus1 in the lungs and may cause epithelial lesions and local inflammation in the trachea.2 Rates of tracheal and nasal mucociliary clearance are reduced when breathing dry […]
10 Tips for Maintaining Healthy Feet
Did you know most Americans log about 75,000 miles on their feet by the time they reach age 50?1 That’s roughly three times around the world!2 And if you want your feet to continue getting you where you need to go for another 50 years, taking good care of them is paramount. With proper detection, […]
Understanding COPD
by Aliza Becker, BA, MPS Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the third leading cause of death worldwide according to the World Health Organization, having caused 3.23 million deaths in 2019, 80% of which occurred in low- and middle-income countries.7 COPD is a progressive condition characterized by an increased difficulty with breathing.1 In healthy lungs, […]
Veterans Corner (Jan-Feb 2022)
VA amplifies access to home, community-based services for eligible Veterans. The Department of Veterans Affairs’ Office of Geriatrics and Extended Care is expanding its Home-Based Primary Care, Medical Foster Home and Veteran-Directed Care programs to make them available at all VA medical centers by the end of fiscal year 2026. More Info Office of Public […]
Fast Facts (Jan-Feb 2022)
FAST FACT— Working Out in Cold Weather Can Burn More Fat According to a study published last October in Cell Reports Medicine, exercising in cold environments increases activation of brown fat tissue, a type of healthy adipose tissue that can burn fat. Brown fat is also thought to reduce risk of cardiovascular disease. Working out […]
Atopic Dermatitis (AD)—A Form of Eczema—May Increase Your risk for Some Eye Diseases
According to a 15-year study in Denmark, the more severe the AD, the higher the risk of developing certain eye diseases. The researchers examined medical records of adults in Denmark and found that those with AD had a higher risk of developing conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye, and keratitis or inflamed cornea. The American […]
Know Your Medicinal Plants: Burdock
Chinese name: Niu bang zi Latin name: Arctium lappa (Asteraceae) Appearance: A bienniel that produces a rosette of large leaves in its first year, then stems that grow up to 5 feet with reddish-purple flower heads and hooked bracts. Habitat: Native to Europe and Asia, but now grows in temperate regions throughout the world. Properties: […]
Are Cold Showers Beneficial?
by Aliza Becker, BA, MPS Modern cold showers may have been first employed as a tool to cure mentally ill individuals; in the mid-17th century, Flemish physician Jan Baptist van Helmont would plunge patients into ponds or the ocean suddenly and unawares after hearing the story of a man who had recovered his senses after […]
Choosing Sustainable Seafood
According to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), sustainable seafood is “fish and shellfish caught for human consumption by fishermen operating under sustainable fishery management systems that conserve fish stocks and the ecosystems that support them.”1 The Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA), first passed in 1976 in the United States, is […]
