July 24, 2019
When it's nice outside, it's easy to want to ditch the dining room table and get outside. A picnic is a perfect way to go about it - with the grass between your toes and a nice spread of food in front of you, there's no better way to spend a day off. For many, however, picnic foods are an invitation to eating some of the least healthy food options available. Bags of potato chips with French onion dip? Pasta salads with heaps of mayonnaise? Fried chicken and cookies? These are not exactly the epitome of heart-healthy living. Never fear, we have scoured the web for some picnic ideas that are... Continue Reading
July 22, 2019
If you're a jogger, then the winter can be a tough time for you. Between plummeting temperatures, icy (and dangerous) roads, and fewer daylight hours - it can tough to take your exercise regimen outside. That means, when the spring gets here, you can open up wide, right? Well… not exactly. Because as spring folds into summer, the season can bring its own challenges to those of us who prefer to do our exercising outside. Thunderstorms, excessive heat, crowded parks and lack of childcare could all be reasons that you find yourself having to keep your exercise regime indoors this summer. And... Continue Reading
July 18, 2019
Heatstroke is no small medical issue. It requires immediate medical attention and can be life-threatening. But with the proper precautions, here are five ways you can avoid heat illness this summer. Recognize the Symptoms Heatstroke is the most severe in a series of increasingly severe heat-related conditions that can cause damage to your body. In order to prevent heatstroke, one should first identify the symptoms of heat cramps and heat exhaustion, both of which occur before heat stroke. Heat cramps are the mildest of heat-related conditions. They feel similar to nighttime leg cramps, but... Continue Reading
June 18, 2019
Ah, the warmth of the sun on your face. The glow of a tan from summers spent at the beach or on the water. The simple pleasure of soaking up some rays. Many of us love spending time outdoors in the sunshine. While some exposure to sunlight is important for our health and feelings of wellbeing, too much sun causes skin damage, premature aging, and can lead to a variety of skin cancers. Skin cancer is by far the most common cancer. Skin cancers range from easily treated or removed small red, dry patches, to more serious melanoma, which can travel throughout the body and be fatal. Repeated... Continue Reading
May 16, 2019
Receiving health advice can be tricky. It can be difficult to track what is good for you and what is bad for you as the scientific community constantly finds new ways that everything from red wine to chocolate to cholesterol affects your body. And there are few things out there that have more conflicting evidence than the sun. We know for certain that the sun is the leading cause of skin cancer. But evidence is building that by avoiding the sun as much as possible, we may be losing out on vital health benefits. Today, we’re going to explore some of the ways that you can incorporate those... Continue Reading
May 14, 2019
About 1 out of 3 US adults – around 75 million people – have high blood pressure. Only about another half of those people have the condition under control. More and more young people are receiving a diagnosis of high blood pressure. In 2013, high blood pressure was a primary or contributing cause of death for over 360,000 Americans . These are some sobering facts and part of the reason that the medical journal The Lancet described the condition as “the largest epidemic ever known to mankind.” In recognition of National High Blood Pressure Awareness Month, we are going to examine some of the... Continue Reading
May 9, 2019
May is National Arthritis Awareness Month. Arthritis is a condition that impacts more than 50 million Americans every year. But even still, misconceptions and myths remain. Today, we wanted to highlight 23 facts about arthritis that may surprise you. Arthritis is a blanket term. There are more than 100 types of arthritis. There is no cure for arthritis . About 1 in 4 adults in the US have some form of the condition. That’s about 54 million people. Sixty percent of US adults with arthritis are of working age (18 to 64). The most common form of arthritis is osteoarthritis , which causes pain... Continue Reading
May 7, 2019
May is the month when we can finally begin to count on the great outdoors for some comfortable temperatures. It's also the month when most students begin their summer breaks and many families take their vacations. As our schedules begin to take advantage of the longer days, it can be overwhelming to think of May as National Fitness Month. "How can I take on ONE more thing this summer?" Well don't worry, you don't have to do it alone. Here are tips to help the entire family get healthier this summer. Engage in Group Activities One of the benefits of exercising with your family is that it can... Continue Reading
April 30, 2019
Everyone is always so excited for the arrival of Spring, that is, until the pollen comes along with it. That’s because nearly 50 million people suffer from allergies in the United States, it’s the sixth leading cause of chronic illness in the country, and costs $18 million annually . That’s an incredible amount of money to spend for what is essentially an overreaction on the part of the body’s immune system. Let’s explore how your hay fever and the immune system are intertwined, and whether or not you can do anything about it. What is the Body’s Immune System? The immune system is responsible... Continue Reading
April 11, 2019
When Wayne Smith of Stuarts Draft retired, he knew he would spend much of his new-found free time getting 'out and about'. He enjoys golfing and biking and being outdoors. But when he discovered that he still had a quite a bit of spare time, he decided to add volunteering to his schedule. As it turned out, volunteering at Augusta Health also provided Smith the opportunity to get 'out and about'. Every Monday morning, from 8 am until noon, Smith is the volunteer Shuttle Driver at Augusta Health. He spends the hours circling the campus in the Shuttle, moving from entrance to entrance, from... Continue Reading
