New Diabetes Prevention Program that is Working for Seniors

New Diabetes Prevention Program that is Working for Seniors http://ift.tt/1Jhl6Q8

New Diabetes Prevention Program that is Working for Seniors

The Diabetes Prevention Program is a new system that is aimed at helping the elderly who are at risk to suffer from Type 2 diabetes help keep track of their weight and manage any pre-symptoms of the disease. Known as a "lifestyle modification program," this simple system is showing amazing results for its participants and has the potential to help millions of seniors across the country.







Diabetes Prevention Program







The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) began to roll out a national Diabetes Prevention Program in 2012. Now, 527 organizations around the country that includes healthcare providers, community groups, colleges, churches, and employers offer this program in every state, often in multiple sites. The newest development in the program is an experimental online version, and it may be the largest national health effort that no one has ever heard of.







The results for the participants in the Diabetes Prevention Program have been impressive. A large clinical trial in 2002 showed that this type of program and the resulting weight loss reduced the incidences of diabetes by 58% in 1,000 participants in the trial compared to those who did not. For people over the age of sixty, that number rose to 71%.







The CDC estimates that in its first two years nearly 50,000 Americans have enrolled in one of its diabetes prevention programs. They are aimed at people who have blood glucose levels, weight, or other factors that suggest that they may have an increased risk of developing diabetes. Not intended as a diet or as a fad, this prevention program is aimed at helping people lose weight, adopt new habits, and look at eating healthy and exercising as a new way of life.







How the Program Works







Participants in the program meet once per week in a room at a local YMCA, church, or other common site. They step on a scale and show the program leader their logs where they record what they have eaten for the past week in addition to the amount of exercise that they have gotten. Then, the participants sit around a table and discuss what worked for them and what did not over the previous week. It gives the participants a chance to get suggestions in addition to offering advice to others.







Most participants of the program are in their fifties and sixties; however, it is not uncommon to see someone in their eighties taking part. The curriculum involves sixteen weekly sessions and monthly follow-ups for a year. The goal of these programs, in addition to an hour and a half of exercise per week, is significant weight loss. At a four percent reduction in body weight, there is a reduced chance of diabetes. This program aims to get participants down between five and seven percent.







Why This Program Works







Experts believe that this prevention program is working for a variety of reasons. For one, seniors tend to be more engaged in these types of programs. They realize the direct effects that a prevention program like this one can have. Another reason is that many seniors see the effects of diabetes in their friends and loved ones. Almost ten percent of the U.S. population has Type 2 diabetes, and for people over the age of 65, over one-quarter of the population has the disease. With 86 million Americans that are pre-diabetic, the need for diabetes prevention programs will continue to grow.

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DIY Owl Cards

DIY Owl Cards

It’s been awhile since I’ve shared a handmade card tutorial on the blog, so here’s one to make up for it! These DIY Owl Cards are actually perfect for the upcoming Valentine’s Day holiday BUT also perfect to give out all year long. With just a few minutes of your time and a little creativity […]

The post DIY Owl Cards appeared first on Glued To My Crafts.

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Rosemary and oregano contain diabetes-fighting compounds

Rosemary and oregano contain diabetes-fighting compounds http://ift.tt/1y19w4p

Rosemary and oregano contain diabetes-fighting compounds



The popular culinary herbs oregano and rosemary are packed with healthful compounds, and now lab tests show they could work in much the same way as prescription anti-diabetic medication, scientists report. In their new study published in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, they found that how the herbs are grown makes a difference, and they also identified which compounds contribute the most to this promising trait.

Elvira Gonzalez de Mejia and colleagues point out that in 2012, type-2 diabetes affected more than 8 percent of Americans and cost the country $175 billion. Some people can manage the disease with exercise and changes to their diet, and others take medication. But not everyone can stick to a new lifestyle or afford the prescription drugs necessary to keep their blood-sugar level in check. Recent research has shown that herbs could provide a natural way to help lower glucose in blood. So Gonzalez de Mejia's team decided to take a closer look.



They tested four different herbs, either greenhouse-grown or dried commercial versions, for their ability to interfere with a diabetes-related enzyme, which is also a target of a prescription drug for the disease.



They found that greenhouse herbs contained more polyphenols and flavonoids compared to the equivalent commercial herbs. But this didn't affect the concentration required to inhibit the enzyme. Commercial extracts of Greek oregano, Mexican oregano and rosemary were better inhibitors of the enzyme, required to reduce risk of type-2 diabetes, than greenhouse-grown herbs. The researchers say more studies are needed to understand the role of these compounds in reducing the risk of type-2 diabetes in humans.

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Feel-good hormones could cause UV addiction

Feel-good hormones could cause UV addiction http://ift.tt/15MWYqv

Feel-good hormones could cause UV addiction



Sun lovers eagerly flock to the beach every summer, despite widespread awareness of the risk of skin cancer. A study published June 19th by Cell Press in the journal Cell reveals that chronic exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation causes the release of feel-good hormones called endorphins, which act through the same pathway as heroin and related drugs, leading to physical dependence, tolerance, and addiction-like behavior in rodents. The findings could explain why people have an instinctive desire to be in the sun, despite its known health risks.

"This information might serve as a valuable means of educating people to curb excessive sun exposure in order to limit skin cancer risk as well as accelerated skin aging that occurs with repeated sun exposure," says senior study author David Fisher of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. "Our findings suggest that the decision to protect our skin or the skin of our children may require more of a conscious effort rather than a passive preference."



Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, and UV-seeking behavior is a major risk factor. Many UV seekers meet clinical criteria for a substance-related disorder, but the mechanisms underlying such an addiction have been unclear. One potential clue is that UV exposure stimulates the production of endorphins, which relieve pain by activating opioid receptors through the same pathway activated by prescription painkillers, morphine, and heroin.



In the new study, Fisher and his team examined whether this pathway could underlie UV addiction. They exposed shaved mice to UV light for 6 weeks and found that endorphin levels in the bloodstream increased within 1 week. After the 6 week period ended, treatment with an opioid-blocking drug caused withdrawal symptoms, including shaking, tremors, and teeth chattering, in mice that had been exposed to UV light. As a result, these mice avoided locations where they had been given the drug, suggesting that chronic UV exposure produces physical dependence and addiction-like behavior.



"It's surprising that we're genetically programmed to become addicted to something as dangerous as UV radiation, which is probably the most common carcinogen in the world," Fisher says. "We suspect that the explanation involves UV's contribution to vitamin D synthesis in the skin. However, in the current time, there are much safer and more reliable sources of vitamin D that do not come with carcinogenic risk, so there is real health value in avoiding sunlight as a source of vitamin D."

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A Little Slice of Pine Ridge at Sundance Film Festival

A Little Slice of Pine Ridge at Sundance Film Festival A lot of buzz is being generated about the film Songs My Brothers Taught Me, which will be shown at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival this week. Maybe it’s because ...Read More>>>>>

13 New Recipes to Try from #NativeEats Cookbook

13 New Recipes to Try from #NativeEats Cookbook Back in November, First Peoples Worldwide put out a call to their readers for recipes with an Indigenous flavor. They collaborated with the American Indian College Fund and came up ...Read More>>>>>

“Whether Or Not You’re Recognized By Your Government,You’re Recognized By Us!” Blue Mountain Tribe Makes Music For All!

“Whether Or Not You’re Recognized By Your Government,You’re Recognized By Us!” Blue Mountain Tribe Makes Music For All! Interview By Dawn Karima, Native American Culture Editor What happens when you mix music with military service? BLUE MOUNTAIN TRIBE, a tremendously talented band that is reaching international audiences. Motivated ...Read More>>>>>

Lifetime of Learning Might Thwart Dementia; Beginning Late Helps Too

Lifetime of Learning Might Thwart Dementia; Beginning Late Helps Too http://ift.tt/1JwrYt0

Lifetime of Learning Might Thwart Dementia; Beginning Late Helps Too

A lifetime engaging in intellectually stimulating pursuits may significantly lower your risk for dementia in your golden years, new research suggests.

Even people with relatively low educational and professional achievements can gain protection against late-life dementia if they adopt a mentally stimulating lifestyle -- reading and playing music and games, for example -- by the time they enter middle-age, the new study contends.

"In terms of preventing cognitive [mental] impairment, education and occupation are important," said study lead author Prashanthi Vemuri, an assistant professor of radiology at the Mayo Clinic and Foundation in Rochester, Minn. "But so is intellectually stimulating activity during mid- to late life," she added.

"This is very encouraging news, because even if you don't have a lot of education, or get exposure to a lot of intellectual stimulation during non-leisure activity, intellectual leisure activity later in life can really help," she said.

Artistic endeavors -- including crafts -- participation in group activities and computer work also benefit the aging brain, according to the study, published in the June 23 online issue of JAMA Neurology.

Seniors in the United States accounted for roughly 35 million people in 2000, and that figure is projected to more than double by 2030, the study authors said. Keeping seniors' brains healthy is considered a public health imperative.

To explore how routine intellectual "exercise" might translate into a lower risk for age-related dementia, the team tracked nearly 2,000 men and women between the ages of 70 and 89, who enrolled in a Mayo Clinic aging investigation between 2004 and 2009.

Initial testing revealed that more than 1,700 of the participants were "cognitively normal" at enrollment, while nearly 300 had "mild cognitive impairment." Cognition refers to thinking and memory abilities.

All participants were subsequently "scored" on their level of past educational achievements, while occupational histories were ranked by degree of intellectual complexity.

Participants also completed questionnaires designed to pinpoint how much they engaged in intellectually demanding activities during the prior 12 months and during middle age (from age 50 to 65).

Lastly, all were examined to see if they carried a specific variant of the APOE gene, considered the most significant genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's.

At the time of the study's launch, mental functioning was lower among carriers of the APOE4 genotype, and among those who scored lowest on education, job, and/or activity measures, the researchers determined. Lower mental functioning scores were also seen among older participants and men.

However, APOE4 carriers who ranked near the top in terms of all measures of lifetime intellectual engagement -- including education, occupation and activity routines -- saw their risk for dementia delayed by nearly nine years, compared with those whose intellectual stimulation ranking hovered near the bottom.

Digging deeper, Vemuri and her associates also found that regardless of educational and professional background, all participants who routinely engaged in intellectually stimulating activities in middle-age and their later years also ended up seeing their relative risk for dementia drop.

The dementia protection afforded by routine intellectual activity alone was weaker than when intellectual activity was also paired up with stimulating jobs and education.

But in a twist, the authors found that those with the lowest educational and occupational scores actually gained the most protection against dementia by embarking on intellectual activities from middle-age onward.

"This was a little surprising," said Vemuri. "But it turns out that even if you don't have a lifetime of educational and occupational development, intellectual activity in later life can really help -- perhaps delaying cognitive impairment by at least three years."

Cheryl Grady, a professor with the University of Toronto's department of psychology and psychiatry, said the findings are both "interesting" and encouraging.

"The association between lower cognitive function and lower education has been known for some time," she said. "But as far as I know no one has [previously] shown that midlife cognitive activity and education interact."

However, the association seen in this study does not prove a cause-and-effect relationship.

But, Grady added, "It looks like the bottom-line is that it's never too late to exercise your brain, and that is good news." Source

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Positive subliminal messages on aging improve physical functioning in elderly

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Activist,Entertainer,Educator:Renee Roman Nose’s Visionary Voice!

Activist,Entertainer,Educator:Renee Roman Nose’s Visionary Voice! Visionary. Voice. Vibrance. Renee Roman Nose inspires many through her music, speaking, comedy, acting and example. A Southern Cheyenne, she is a passionate advocate for the environment and for others. ...Read More>>>>>

‘Native Haute Couture’ to Celebrate the History of Native American Fashion

‘Native Haute Couture’ to Celebrate the History of Native American Fashion If you’re a fashionista and in the Chicagoland area, don’t miss out on this new exhibit! The Mitchell Museum of the American Indian will be presenting a new exhibit featuring ...Read More>>>>>

Check Out This Little Guy Jammin’ Out!

Check Out This Little Guy Jammin’ Out! I’ll let the video speak for itself. Go Jaylen! // Post by Just 2 Keen Comedy.Read More>>>>>

13-Year-Old Dies in Skiing Accident in Massachusetts

13-Year-Old Dies in Skiing Accident in Massachusetts http://ift.tt/1JqnV1c

13-Year-Old Dies in Skiing Accident in Massachusetts

Skiing is a very popular winter sport, especially in New England. While skiing can be a lot of fun, accidents can occur. Many of the accidents are what one might consider normal skiing accidents such as falling when getting off a chairlift and breaking a bone or staining a muscle.

Everyone who goes skiing should know there are risks associated with the sport. However, some skiing accidents, while they don't occur frequently, are much more serious and can result in death of a skier.

According to recent news article from the Lowell Sun, a 13-year-old boy was killed at ski resort in Massachusetts. Authorities say young victim had died when he hit a tree in what appears to be this particular ski resort's first fatal accident in its operational history.

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Interesting Facts About Penguins

Glucosamine promotes longevity by mimicking a low-carb diet

Glucosamine promotes longevity by mimicking a low-carb diet http://ift.tt/1EikOIP

Glucosamine promotes longevity by mimicking a low-carb diet

Life-prolonging effect of a commonly used food supplement in worms and mice

Glucosamine has been freely available in drugstores for many decades. It is widely used to treat arthritis and to prevent joint degeneration. Moreover, glucosamine is known to delay cancer growth. In addition, glucosamine reduces metabolism of nutritive sugars, as was already shown some 50 years ago.

In 2007, Michael Ristow showed that too much nutritive sugar shortens the lifespan of roundworms, a widely studied model organism in ageing research. Conversely, impairing carbohydrate metabolism in these worms was capable of extending lifespan [reference 1]. Unfortunately, the method used in worms at that time unexpectedly appeared to be ineffective in rodents [reference 2], and hence was not studied further.

Extended lifespan by almost 10%

In the recently published study that was performed at ETH Zurich and four German research institutions, Ristow and his colleagues applied glucosamine to roundworms and found that they live around 5% longer than their untreated counterparts.

Next and most importantly, the researchers fed glucosamine to ageing mice in addition to their normal diet. The mice were 100 weeks of age, reflecting a comparative human age of approximately 65 years. A control group of mice received no glucosamine while otherwise receiving an identical diet. Feeding the supplement to mice extended their lifespan by almost 10%, reflecting around 8 additional years of human lifespan. Moreover, glucosamine improved glucose metabolism in elderly mice indicating protection from diabetes, a life-threatening disease most prevalent amongst the elderly.

Mimicking a low-carb diet

Additional analyses revealed that glucosamine feeding promotes the breakdown of amino acids in both worms and mice. Amino acids are key components of proteins, and they become preferentially metabolized in the absence of carbohydrates. As Ristow points out, "this reflects the metabolic state of a low-carb diet due to glucosamine supplementation alone – while these mice ingested the same amount of carbohydrates as their unsupplemented counterparts." This implies that glucosamine would mimic a low-carb diet in humans as well – without the necessity of reducing the uptake of carbohydrates in our daily diet.

Should we now start taking glucosamine supplements? Ristow replies: "This may be considered a valid option, and yes, I have started taking glucosamine myself." However, he points out that "diabetics should perform tight blood glucose control, especially during the first weeks." Interestingly, two recent epidemiological studies on more than 77,000 individuals suggest that intake of glucosamine supplements is associated with reduced mortality in humans [references 3, 4]. "Unlike with our longer living mice, such an association is no definite proof of the effectiveness of glucosamine in humans", says Ristow. He continues, "But the chances are good, and since unlike with most other potentially lifespan-extending drugs there are no known relevant side effects of glucosamine supplementation, I would tend to recommend this supplement."

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Grandmas stay sharp when they care for grandkids once a week

Grandmas stay sharp when they care for grandkids once a week http://ift.tt/1EikM3H

Grandmas stay sharp when they care for grandkids once a week


Taking care of grandkids one day a week helps keep grandmothers mentally sharp, finds a study from the Women's Healthy Aging Project study in Australia, published online today in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS). That's good news for women after menopause, when women need to lower their risks of developing Alzheimer's disease and other cognitive disorders.

On the other hand, taking care of grandchildren five days a week or more had some negative effects on tests of mental sharpness. "We know that older women who are socially engaged have better cognitive function and a lower risk of developing dementia later, but too much of a good thing just might be bad," said NAMS Executive Director Margery Gass, MD.



The 186 Australian women, ages 57 to 68, took three different tests of mental sharpness and also noted whether they thought their own children had been particularly demanding of them in the last year. Among the 120 grandmothers, those who spent one day a week taking care of grandchildren performed best on two of the three tests. But those taking care of grandchildren for five or more days a week did significantly worse on one of the tests, which assesses working memory and mental processing speed.



That was a finding the researchers didn't expect. However, they also found that the more time grandmothers spent taking care of the grandchildren, the more they felt that their children had been more demanding of them, so maybe mood plays a role in the unexpected result. The investigators are already following up with more research.



Although other research has looked at the relationship between mental sharpness and being socially engaged, this is the first time that this type of research has looked at grandmothering. "Because grandmothering is such an important and common social role for postmenopausal women, we need to know more about its effects on their future health," says Dr. Gass. "This study is a good start."

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Effective Nonsurgical Treatment for Knee Osteoarthritis

Effective Nonsurgical Treatment for Knee Osteoarthritis http://ift.tt/15vlAmt

Effective Nonsurgical Treatment for Knee Osteoarthritis



A new nonsurgical approach to treating chronic pain and stiffness associated with knee osteoarthritis has demonstrated significant, lasting improvement in knee pain, function, and stiffness. This safe, two-solution treatment delivered in a series of injections into and around the knee joint is called prolotherapy, and is described in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine website.

David Rabago, MD, and a team of researchers from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, and Meriter Health Services, Madison, WI, report substantial improvement among participants in the one-year study who received at least three of the two-solution injections. Symptom improvement ranged from 19.5-42.9% compared to baseline status.



As described in the article "Dextrose and Morrhuate Sodium Injections (Prolotherapy) for Knee Osteoarthritis: A Prospective Open-Label Trial," reported improvement in knee pain, function, and stiffness scores exceeded the minimum for a "clinically important difference" in 50-75% of patients.

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Calcium score predicts future heart disease among adults with little or no risk factors

Calcium score predicts future heart disease among adults with little or no risk factors http://ift.tt/15vlBXy

Calcium score predicts future heart disease among adults with little or no risk factors


With growing evidence that a measurement of the buildup of calcium in coronary arteries can predict heart disease risk, Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute (LA BioMed) researchers found that the process of "calcium scoring" was also accurate in predicting the chances of dying of heart disease among adults with little or no known risk of heart disease.

Previous studies had found that calcium scores were effective in predicting heart disease among adults with known heart disease risk factors, such as hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, current smoking or a family history of heart disease. The study conducted by LA BioMed researchers examined 5,593 adults with no known heart disease risk or with minimal risk of heart disease, who had undergone coronary artery calcium screening by non-contrast cardiac computed tomography from 1991-2011.



Normally, the coronary arteries don't contain calcium. A buildup of calcium can narrow the arteries to the heart and lead to a heart attack. The screening process results in a calcium score indicating the amount of calcium in the plaque lining the walls of the coronary arteries.



Among the adults in the study, even those with low coronary artery calcium scores of 1-99 were 50% more likely to die of heart disease than adults with a calcium score of zero. Adults with moderate scores of 100-399 were 80% more likely to die from heart disease than those with a score of zero, and those with scores of 400 or more were three times more likely to die from heart disease, when compared to adults with no calcified plaque buildup, or a score of zero.



"This long-term study builds on previous research conducted at LA BioMed and other institutions that have proven the effectiveness of coronary artery calcium screening in predicting heart disease risks," said Matthew J. Budoff, MD, one of the LA BioMed researchers who conducted the study. "Normally, calcium scoring is only recommended for patients with known heart disease risks. These findings suggest that calcium scoring can be an effective tool for assessing heart disease risks in adults with no known risk factors so that they can make the lifestyle and other changes that can help them avoid heart disease in the future."



Dr. Budoff and Rine Nakanishi, MD, PhD, presented these findings at ACC.14, the annual scientific session of the American College of Cardiology in March, along with other researchers whose studies also found coronary artery calcium screening accurately predicted the risk of future heart disease.

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Physical activity is beneficial for late-life cognition

Physical activity is beneficial for late-life cognition http://ift.tt/1usZLKY

Physical activity is beneficial for late-life cognition



Physical activity in midlife seems to protect from dementia in old age, according to a study carried out at the University of Eastern Finland. Those who engaged in physical activity at least twice a week had a lower risk of dementia than those who were less active. The protective effects were particularly strong among overweight individuals. In addition, the results showed that becoming more physically active after midlife may also contribute to lowering dementia risk.

Several modifiable risk factors for dementia have been suggested, but further refinement of this information is essential for effective preventive interventions targeted at high-risk groups. Leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) is a particularly important due to its broader effects on health in general and cardiovascular health in particular. Previous research has yielded inconsistent evidence on the association between LTPA and dementia, possibly because of short follow-up time, intensity of physical activity or population characteristics such as sex, body mass index, age or genetic risk factors of dementia.



Recent findings from the Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging and Incidence of Dementia (CAIDE) Study demonstrated that those who engaged in leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) at least twice per week had lower risk of dementia in comparison to less active individuals. Although these protective effects were observed in the entire study population, regardless of their sex or genetic risk factors, they were particularly strong among overweight and obese individuals.



Becoming physically active after midlife may still lower the risk of dementia



Further staying physically active, or becoming more active, after midlife may also contribute to lowering dementia risk, especially in people who are overweight or obese at midlife. The findings were not explained by socioeconomic background, age, sex, genetic risk factors, obesity, weight loss, general health status or work-related physical activity.



These results suggest that the window of opportunity for physical activity interventions to prevent dementia may extend from midlife to older ages. Results from currently ongoing trials, such as the Finnish multi-center trial FINGER may give more detailed information about the type, intensity, and duration of physical activity interventions that can be used for preventing late-life cognitive decline.



CAIDE participants were derived from four separate, independent, population-based random samples examined in the North Karelia Project and FINMONICA study in 1972, 1977, 1982, or 1987. The average age at the beginning of the study was 50 years. This study included 1432 participants from Kuopio and Joensuu region, who attended cognitive tests in 1998 and 2005-2008. To account for survivor or selection bias, the analyses were also conducted among those 3242 North Karelia Project/FINMONICA-participants who were from Kuopio and Joensuu but did not attend the cognitive assessments using dementia diagnoses from registers. Source

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Eating rice boosts diet quality, reduces body weight and improves markers for health

Eating rice boosts diet quality, reduces body weight and improves markers for health http://ift.tt/15GZdeT

Eating rice boosts diet quality, reduces body weight and improves markers for health


New research, partially funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the USA Rice Federation, shows that consumers can improve their diets simply by enjoying white or brown rice as part of their daily meals.

In a study published online in the peer-reviewed journal Food and Nutrition Sciences, lead author Theresa Nicklas, DrPH, of Baylor College of Medicine, analyzed the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey datasets from 2005-2010 and evaluated the association of rice consumption with overall diet quality and key nutrient intakes in a nationally representative sample of 14,386 U.S. adults.1



"Our results show that adults who eat rice had diets more consistent with what is recommended in the U.S. Dietary Guidelines, and they showed higher amounts of potassium, magnesium, iron, folate and fiber while eating less saturated fat and added sugars," said Nicklas. "Eating rice is also associated with eating more servings of fruit, vegetables, meat and beans," she added.



Americans enjoy some 27 pounds of enriched white and brown rice per person per year with the majority (70%) of rice consumption coming from enriched white rice. Americans eat a variety of grain-based foods, but rice stands out because it is eaten primarily as an intact grain that is naturally sodium free and has only a trace amount of fat, with no saturated fat. Consumers can control adding fat, salt and flavors at their discretion.



This research builds on two previously published studies that showed the positive contribution of rice to diet quality. A 2009 observational study using NHANES datasets and Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals (CSFII), found that rice eaters consumed significantly less fat and saturated fat and consumed more iron, potassium, fiber, meat, vegetables and grains.2 A follow-up study in 2010, also using NHANES datasets, included children in the study group and further confirmed that rice consumption was associated with greater intake of a range of healthier foods and nutrients.3 The majority of rice consumed is white rice, indicating that rice, when consumed with other foods, such as fruit, vegetables, meat and beans, can provide valuable nutrients and boasts beneficial effects on consumer diets.



"These studies taken together demonstrate that if you focus on eating the right combination of foods, it will help Americans get closer to meeting their nutrient needs. The key recommendation of the Dietary Guidelines is, after all, that our goal should be to aim for a healthy eating pattern. These studies show that rice eaters are doing this," said Anne Banville, vice president of the USA Rice Federation.



In addition to the positive results in cross-sectional studies linking rice consumption with healthier diets, a human clinical trial found that having white or brown rice at a meal increased satiety and feelings of fullness more than a calorically equivalent glucose solution control.4 Considering the cross-sectional and clinical findings, both enriched white rice and whole grain brown rice should be recommended as part of a healthy diet.



Rice is a Nutrient-Rich Carbohydrate



Rice is a quality carbohydrate. Rice is a naturally nutritious grain that provides about 100 calories per half-cup cooked serving and is naturally free of gluten. Brown rice is a 100% whole grain food and white rice is enriched with important nutrients, including folic acid and iron.



Both enriched white rice and whole grain brown rice are considered nutrient-rich quality complex carbohydrates and can be part of a sustainable, plant-based diet that promotes optimal health. Enriched white rice contributes more than 15 vitamins and minerals, including folate and other B vitamins, iron and zinc to the diet. Brown rice is slightly higher in dietary fiber, magnesium and phosphorus, but lower in B vitamins and iron than enriched, fortified white rice. Rice is naturally low in sodium and cholesterol free and contains traces of fat and no saturated or trans fats. Source

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Can citrus ward off your risk of stroke?

Can citrus ward off your risk of stroke? http://ift.tt/1GRm4ER

Can citrus ward off your risk of stroke?



Eating foods that contain vitamin C may reduce your risk of the most common type of hemorrhagic stroke, according to a study released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 66th Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, April 26 to May 3, 2014.

Vitamin C is found in fruits and vegetables such as oranges, papaya, peppers, broccoli and strawberries. Hemorrhagic stroke is less common than ischemic stroke, but is more often deadly.



The study involved 65 people who had experienced an intracerebral hemorrhagic stroke, or a blood vessel rupture inside the brain. They were compared to 65 healthy people. Participants were tested for the levels of vitamin C in their blood. Forty-one percent of cases had normal levels of vitamin C, 45 percent showed depleted levels of vitamin C and 14 percent were considered deficient of the vitamin.



On average, the people who had a stroke had depleted levels of vitamin C, while those who had not had a stroke had normal levels of the vitamin.



"Our results show that vitamin C deficiency should be considered a risk factor for this severe type of stroke, as were high blood pressure, drinking alcohol and being overweight in our study," said study author Stéphane Vannier, MD, with Pontchaillou University Hospital in Rennes, France. "More research is needed to explore specifically how vitamin C may help to reduce stroke risk. For example, the vitamin may regulate blood pressure."



Vannier adds that vitamin C appears to have other benefits like creating collagen, a protein found in bones, skin and tissues.



Vitamin C deficiency has also been linked to heart disease. Source

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Moderate exercise cuts women's stroke risk

Moderate exercise cuts women's stroke risk http://ift.tt/1Ei8msv's-stroke-risk.jpg

Moderate Exercise Cuts Women's Stroke Risk



Women don't need to run marathons or do intense aerobics to reduce their stroke risk. Moderate-intensity exercise — such as brisk walking or playing tennis -- may do the trick, according to research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2014.

"I was surprised that moderate physical activity was most strongly associated with a reduced risk of stroke," said Sophia Wang, Ph.D., the study's lead author and professor in the department of population sciences within the Beckman Research Institute at the City of Hope in Duarte, Calif. "More strenuous activity such as running didn't further reduce women's stroke risk. Moderate activity, such as brisk walking appeared to be ideal in this scenario."



The study found that moderate exercise also helps offset the increased stroke risk seen with postmenopausal women taking menopausal hormones, but not completely.



Researchers analyzed information from the 133,479 women in the California Teachers Study to see how many suffered a stroke between 1996 and 2010. Those who reported doing moderate physical activity in the three years before enrolling in the study were 20 percent less likely than women who reported no activity to suffer a stroke. "The benefits of reducing risk of stroke were further observed among the group of women who had a sustained moderate level of physical activity over time," she said.



Postmenopausal women taking menopausal hormone therapy had more than a 30 percent higher risk of stroke than women who never used menopausal hormone therapy. After the women stopped taking hormones, their risk began to diminish.



"The effects of physical activity and hormone therapy appear immediate and the benefits of physical activity are consistent in premenopausal and postmenopausal women," Wang said. Therefore, Wang recommends that women incorporate some type of physical activity into their daily routine. "You don't have to do an extreme boot camp. The types of activities we're talking about are accessible to most of the population." Power walking and recreational tennis, for example, do not necessarily require special memberships to gyms.



The study also found that women with diabetes had elevated stroke risk, although this group encompassed women who also were overweight.



"Physical activity, obesity and diabetes are all highly correlated with one another," Wang said. "Stroke prevention among diabetics is thus a particularly important scientific question to address."



Although 87 percent of the women were white, Wang said she believes the study's results may also apply to women in other racial/ethnic groups because the amount of stroke risk reduction was so robust. Further studies are needed to determine how much moderate exercise helps those with diabetes avoid strokes.

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Yogurt consumption reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes

Yogurt consumption reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes http://ift.tt/1JESChp

Yogurt consumption reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes


New research published in Diabetologia (the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes) shows that higher consumption of yoghurt, compared with no consumption, can reduce the risk of new-onset type 2 diabetes by 28%. Scientists at the University of Cambridge found that in fact higher consumption of low-fat fermented dairy products, which include all yoghurt varieties and some low-fat cheeses, also reduced the relative risk of diabetes by 24% overall.

Lead scientist Dr Nita Forouhi, from the Medical Research Council (MRC) Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge, commented "this research highlights that specific foods may have an important role in the prevention of type 2 diabetes and are relevant for public health messages".


Dairy products are an important source of high quality protein, vitamins and minerals. However, they are also a source of saturated fat, which dietary guidelines currently advise people not to consume in high quantities, instead recommending they replace these with lower fat options.


Previous studies on links between dairy product consumption (high fat or low fat) and diabetes had inconclusive findings. Thus, the nature of the association between dairy product intake and type 2 diabetes remains unclear, prompting the authors to carry out this new investigation, using much more detailed assessment of dairy product consumption than was done in past research.


The research was based on the large EPIC-Norfolk study which includes more than 25,000 men and women living in Norfolk, UK. It compared a detailed daily record of all the food and drink consumed over a week at the time of study entry among 753 people who developed new-onset type 2 diabetes over 11 years of follow-up with 3,502 randomly selected study participants. This allowed the researchers to examine the risk of diabetes in relation to the consumption of total dairy products and also types of individual dairy products.


The consumption of total dairy, total high-fat dairy or total low-fat dairy was not associated with new-onset diabetes once important factors like healthier lifestyles, education, obesity levels, other eating habits and total calorie intake were taken into account. Total milk and cheese intakes were also not associated with diabetes risk. In contrast, those with the highest consumption of low-fat fermented dairy products (such as yoghurt, fromage frais and low-fat cottage cheese) were 24% less likely to develop type 2 diabetes over the 11 years, compared with non-consumers.


When examined separately from the other low-fat fermented dairy products, yoghurt, which makes up more than 85% of these products, was associated with a 28% reduced risk of developing diabetes. This risk reduction was observed among individuals who consumed an average of four and a half standard 125g pots of yoghurt per week. The same applies to other low-fat fermented dairy products such as low-fat unripened cheeses including fromage frais and low-fat cottage cheese. A further finding was that consuming yoghurt in place of a portion of other snacks such as crisps also reduced the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.


While this type of study cannot prove that eating dairy products causes the reduced diabetes risk, dairy products do contain beneficial constituents such as vitamin D, calcium and magnesium. In addition, fermented dairy products may exert beneficial effects against diabetes through probiotic bacteria and a special form of vitamin K (part of the menaquinone family) associated with fermentation.


The authors acknowledge the limitations of dietary research which relies on asking people what they eat and not accounting for change in diets over time, but their study was large with long follow-up, and had detailed assessment of people's diets that was collected in real-time as people consumed the foods, rather than relying on past memory. The authors conclude that their study therefore helps to provide robust evidence that consumption of low-fat fermented dairy products, largely driven by yoghurt intake, is associated with a decreased risk of developing future type 2 diabetes.


Dr Forouhi stated that "at a time when we have a lot of other evidence that consuming high amounts of certain foods, such as added sugars and sugary drinks, is bad for our health, it is very reassuring to have messages about other foods like yoghurt and low-fat fermented dairy products, that could be good for our health". Source

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Eat spinach or eggs: Tyrosine helps you stop faster, think better and cheer up

Eat spinach or eggs: Tyrosine helps you stop faster, think better and cheer up http://ift.tt/1JESC0Z

Eat spinach or eggs: Tyrosine helps you stop faster, think better and cheer up


A child suddenly runs out into the road. Brake!! A driver who has recently eaten spinach or eggs will stop faster, thanks to the amino acid tyrosine found in these and other food products. Leiden cognitive psychologist Lorenza Colzato publishes her findings in the journal Neuropsychologia.

The German philosopher Ludwig Feuerbach has already said it: Der Mensch ist was er iβt. You are what you eat. Substances that we ingest through our food can determine our behaviour and the way we experience our environment. Researchers at Leiden University and the University of Amsterdam have carried out the first-ever study to test whether the intake of tyrosine enhances our ability to stop an activity at lightning speed. The findings seem to indicate that this is the case.



Stopping task



Colzato and her colleagues created a situation in which test candidates had to interrupt a repetitive activity at a given instant. The researchers tested this using a stopping task: the participants were told to look carefully at a computer screen. Whenever a green arrow appeared, they had to press a button as quickly as possible. At the same time they had to make sure the button they chose matched the direction of the arrow. If a red arrow appeared on the screen, the candidates had to keep their hands off the keyboard altogether.



Tyrosine or a placebo



The participants had two sessions in the test lab. On one occasion they were given orange to drink that contained tyrosine, and on the other occasion the orange juice contained a placebo. The tests showed that the candidates performed better on the stopping task if they had drunk the juice with tyrosine.



Benefits



The positive effect of tyrosine on our reaction speed can have benefits for road safety. For example, if a queue suddenly forms, fast reflexes can prevent an accident. But there are many more examples.



Colzato: 'Tyrosine food supplements and tyrosine-rich food are a healthy and inexpensive way of improving our intellectual capabilities. This makes them preferable to Ritalin and Modafinil, products that students often reach for to improve their academic performance. Tyrosine is safe and doesn't need a doctor's prescription.



Video

What is tyrosine?



Tyrosine is found in such foods as spinach, eggs, cottage cheese and soya. Anyone who doesn't eat enough of these foodstuffs produces too little dopamine, which can lead to depression and apathy.

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The Obesity Paradox: Cardiovascular mortality lowest among overweight patients

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The Obesity Paradox: Cardiovascular mortality lowest among overweight patients

High body mass index (BMI) is associated with multiple cardiovascular diseases. However, emerging data suggest that there is an "obesity paradox," that being overweight may actually protect patients from cardiovascular mortality. Investigators have now confirmed that the risk of total mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and myocardial infarction is highest among underweight patients, while cardiovascular mortality is lowest among overweight patients, according to two reports published July 16, 2014 in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

Currently more than two-thirds of adult Americans are classified as overweight or obese. Because of the high prevalence of coronary heart disease (CAD), overweight and obese patients more frequently undergo revascularization procedures such as percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). Obesity has been considered a risk factor for worst clinical outcomes following cardiovascular procedures like these, however, emerging data suggest that higher BMI protects against adverse outcomes in many acute and chronic disease states. This prompted experts to reexamine assumptions about body fat and explore the counterintuitive phenomenon known as the "obesity paradox."

In a landmark meta-analysis of 36 studies, Abhishek Sharma, MD, Cardiology Fellow at the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York, and colleagues determined that low BMI (less than 20 kg/m2) in tens of thousands of patients with coronary artery disease who underwent coronary revascularization procedures was associated with a 1.8- to 2.7-fold higher risk of myocardial infarction and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality over a mean follow up period of 1.7 years. Conversely overweight and obese patients had more favorable outcomes. Cardiovascular mortality risk was lowest among overweight patients with a high BMI (25-30 kg/m2) compared to people with a normal BMI (20-25 kg/m2). Indeed, in obese and severely obese patients with a BMI in the 30-35 and over 35 kg/m2 range, all-cause mortality was 27% and 22% lower than people with normal BMI.

Dr. Sharma observes, "At this stage we can only speculate on the reasons for this paradox. One explanation may be that overweight patients are more likely to be prescribed cardioprotective medications such as beta blockers and statins and in higher doses than the normal weight population. Further, obese and overweight patients have been found to have large coronary vessel damage, which might contribute to more favorable outcomes. This population may have a higher metabolic reserve, which might act protectively in chronic conditions like CAD. Also, there could be a difference in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease in over- and underweight patients. A non-modifiable genetic predisposition may also play a role in underweight patients."

He concludes, "However, this is still speculation. Further prospective studies are needed to investigate this association and explore potential underlying mechanisms."

In a second study published in the same issue, investigators examined the "obesity paradox" from another perspective by evaluating the effects of body composition as a function of lean mass index (LMI) and body fat (BF) on the correlation between increasing BMI and decreasing mortality. They estimated BF and LMI in nearly 48,000 people with a preserved left ventricular ejection fraction of more than 50% and examined the survival advantages of obesity across strata of these body compositions.

This large observational study showed that higher lean body mass was associated with 29% lower mortality, and while higher fat mass also exhibited survival benefits, this advantage disappeared after adjustment for lean body mass, suggesting that non-fat tissue bears the primary role in conferring greater survival.

"Body composition plays a critical role in the obesity paradox," says senior investigator Carl Lavie, MD, FACC, FACP, FCCP, Medical Director of Cardiac Rehabilitation and Preventative Cardiology at the John Ochsner Heart & Vascular Institute, Ochsner Clinical School, the University of Queensland School of Medicine, New Orleans. "Whenever examining a potential protective effect of body fat, lean mass index – which likely represents larger skeletal muscle mass – should be considered. At higher BMI, body fat is associated with an increase in mortality."

Noted expert Kamyar Kalantar-Zadeh, MD, MPH, PhD, of the Department of Medicine, University of California Irvine Medical Center, Orange, CA, observes that "although the underlying mechanisms of the obesity paradox and reverse epidemiology remain unclear, the consistency of the data is remarkable, leaving little doubt that these observational data are beyond statistical constellations and bear biologic plausibility.

"The findings in these studies should not be considered as an attempt to undermine the legitimacy of the anti-obesity campaign in the best interest of public health. Nonetheless, given the preponderance and consistency of epidemiologic data, there should be little doubt that in certain populations higher BMI, which is associated with higher risk of metabolic syndrome and poor cardiovascular outcomes in the long-term, confers short-term survival and cardiovascular advantages. Metaphorically we can liken cardiovascular risk factors to a friend who is a negative influence, causing you to misbehave and be sentenced to jail, but once imprisoned the friend remains loyal and protects you against poor prison conditions and other inmates." Source

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Eating probiotics regularly may improve your blood pressure

Eating probiotics regularly may improve your blood pressure http://ift.tt/1zHKDQG

American Heart Association Rapid Access Journal Report

Eating probiotics regularly may modestly improve your blood pressure, according to new research in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension.

Probiotics are live microorganisms (naturally occurring bacteria in the gut) thought to have beneficial effects; common sources are yogurt or dietary supplements.


"The small collection of studies we looked at suggest regular consumption of probiotics can be part of a healthy lifestyle to help reduce high blood pressure, as well as maintain healthy blood pressure levels," said Jing Sun, Ph.D., lead author and senior lecturer at the Griffith Health Institute and School of Medicine, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. "This includes probiotics in yogurt, fermented and sour milk and cheese, and probiotic supplements."


Analyzing results of nine high-quality studies examining blood pressure and probiotic consumption in 543 adults with normal and elevated blood pressure, researchers found:

• Probiotic consumption lowered systolic blood pressure (the top number) by an average 3.56 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) and diastolic blood pressure (the lower number) by an average 2.38 mm Hg, compared to adults who didn't consume probiotics.


• The positive effects from probiotics on diastolic blood pressure were greatest in people whose blood pressure was equal to or greater than 130/85, which is considered elevated.


• Consuming probiotics for less than eight weeks didn't lower systolic or diastolic blood pressure.


• Probiotic consumption with a daily bacteria volume of 109-10 12 colony-forming units (CFU) may improve blood pressure. Consumption with less than 109 CFU didn't lower blood pressure. CFU is the amount of bacteria or the dose of probiotics in a product.


• Probiotics with multiple bacteria lowered blood pressure more than those with a single bacteria.

"We believe probiotics might help lower blood pressure by having other positive effects on health, including improving total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, cholesterol; reducing blood glucose and insulin resistance; and by helping to regulate the hormone system that regulates blood pressure and fluid balance," Sun said.


"The studies looking at probiotics and blood pressure tend to be small," Sun said. "Moreover, two studies had a short duration of three to four weeks of probiotic consumption, which might have affected the overall results of the analysis.


Additional studies are needed before doctors can confidently recommend probiotics for high blood pressure control and prevention, she said. Source

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Common drugs adversely impair older adults physical as well as cognitive functioning

New research on walnuts and the fight against Alzheimer's disease

A healthy lifestyle adds years to life

A healthy lifestyle adds years to life http://ift.tt/15tWDIb

A healthy lifestyle adds years to life

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory disorders - the incidence of these non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is constantly rising in industrialised countries. The Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) is, therefore, in the process of developing a national prevention strategy with a view to improving the population's health competence and encouraging healthier behaviour. Attention is focusing, amongst other things, on the main risk factors for these diseases which are linked to personal behaviour – i.e. tobacco smoking, an unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and harmful alcohol consumption.

Against this backdrop Private Docent Brian Martin and his colleagues from the Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine (ISPM) at the University of Zurich have examined the effects of these four factors – both individual and combined – on life expectancy. For the first time the consequences of an unhealthy lifestyle can be depicted in numbers. An individual who smokes, drinks a lot, is physically inactive and has an unhealthy diet has 2.5 fold higher mortality risk in epidemiological terms than an individual who looks after his health. Or to put it positively: "A healthy lifestyle can help you stay ten years' younger", comments the lead author Eva Martin-Diener.

Analysis of data from the Swiss Cohort

For the study the researchers used data from the Swiss National Cohort (SNC). The Zurich public health physicians focussed on CVDs and cancer as they account for the most deaths in Switzerland. The researchers succeeded in correlating data on tobacco consumption, fruit consumption, physical activity and alcohol consumption from 16,721 participants aged between 16 and 90 from 1977 to 1993 with the corresponding deaths up to 2008. The impact of the four forms of behaviour was still visible when biological risk factors like weight and blood pressure were taken into account as well.

"The effect of each individual factor on life expectancy is relatively high", states Eva Martin-Diener. But smoking seems to be the most harmful. Compared with a group of non-smokers, smokers have a 57 percent higher risk of dying prematurely. The impact of an unhealthy diet, not enough sport and alcohol abuse results in an elevated mortality risk of around 15 percent for each factor. "We were very surprised by the 2.5 fold higher risk when all four risk factors are combined", explains Brian Martin. Hence, the probability of a 75-year-old man with all risk factors surviving the next ten years is, for instance, 35 percent, without risk factors 67 percent – for a woman 47 and 74 percent respectively.

Effects only appear in later life

According to Martin an unhealthy lifestyle has above all a long-lasting impact. Whereas high wine consumption, cigarettes, an unhealthy diet and physical inactivity scarcely had any effect on mortality amongst the 45 to 55-year-olds, it does have a visible effect on 65 to 75-year-olds. The probability of a 75-year-old man with none of the four risk factors surviving the next ten years is 67 percent, exactly the same as the risk for a smoker who is ten years younger, doesn't exercise, eats unhealthily and drinks a lot.

The social and public health physicians depict the dependency of life expectancy and the four risk behaviours for the age groups in what are known as survival charts. The impact of individual risk factors and their combined effect on mortality are visible at a glance. "In future, doctors will be able to refer to the easily comprehensible charts when giving health counselling to their patients in primary care", comments Eva Martin-Diener with confidence. "Furthermore, they may also be important for the political discussions of prevention strategies for NCDs."

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New England Man Seriously Injured in Snowmobile Accident

New England Man Seriously Injured in Snowmobile Accident http://ift.tt/1urVKGF

New England Man Seriously Injured in Snowmobile Accident

Every winter in Massachusetts and throughout New England, people head outdoors and look for fun family activities to do in the cold snowy weather. One of the more popular winter activities is riding a snowmobile.

While some are lucky enough to own a snowmobile, many choose instead to rent one for the day. Snowmobiling can be a lot of fun and excitement, but it can also be very dangerous. According to a recent news article from the Union Leader, a New Hampshire man was seriously injured in a snowmobile accident, and is said to be in a life-threatening condition at a local hospital.

Witnesses say the crash occurred early Tuesday morning on a local pond. The 53-year-old victim was a passenger on a snowmobile being operated by someone else around 3 a.m. Driver crashed into a rock, which was partially exposed from icy surface of the pond. The snowmobile flipped over when it hit the rock throwing female operator and victim off the machine. Victim then crashed into more exposed rocks after being thrown from snowmobile. It should be noted neither victim nor driver were wearing a helmet at the time of this serious accident.

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Deciding if Long-Term Care Insurance is Right for You

Deciding if Long-Term Care Insurance is Right for You http://ift.tt/1Jhl6Q8

Deciding if Long-Term Care Insurance is Right for You

According to researchers at Georgetown University and Penn State University, over seventy percent of seniors in America over the age of 65 will need some type of long-term care in their lifetime, either at an assisted living facility or nursing home. However, according to a new study only a fraction of those people should be purchasing long-term care insurance, and the authors boldly claim that "individuals should not buy insurance." So how should an elder decide if long-term health insurance is the right course of action?







Long-Term Care Insurance Study







According to the study published by Boston College's Center for Retirement Research, only nineteen percent of men and 31% of women should purchase long-term care insurance. The reasons for this bold statement come from a variety of factors. In addressing the discrepancy between men and women, females are statistically likely to live longer so they are also more likely to need to purchase the insurance.







In addition, relatively few people incur enough wealth in their lifetimes that the catastrophic financial burden of long-term care would have such an effect as to need protection from it. Moreover, because of the structure of Medicare and Medicaid most seniors can rely on those government-sponsored programs for the majority of their long-term care.







In order to quantify the odds of needing long-term care insurance, the researchers used government data to calculate the monthly probability of people over the age of 65 transitioning among various stages of health. This regression showed that 44% of men and 58% of women will eventually need some type of nursing home care. However, most of those stays were only short spells. Men spend on average only a year in a nursing home and women on average stay for a year and four months.







Because many short-term stays in nursing home facilities are covered by Medicare - those that last 100 days or less following a hospital stay of three days or more - half of all men and forty percent of women fall into the window where Medicare pays their costs. If a stay lasts longer, Medicaid pays for those who run out of money.







Who Should Buy Coverage?







According to the Boston College study, seniors with significant assets should most seriously consider purchasing long-term care insurance. If a couple's assets exceed a couple hundred thousand dollars or more they should look into purchasing a policy. Specifically, the target market for long-term care insurance is people who have a sizeable amount of household financial assets and would be unlikely to qualify for Medicaid, but who have little enough that long-term care would be catastrophic to their finances.







It is important to note that this study only looked at the numbers for single individuals, who make up over 75% of nursing home residents. And while nineteen percent of men and 31% of women can benefit from the purchase of this type of coverage, only thirteen percent of seniors in America over the age of 65 have bought a policy.

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Paper Plate Splat The Cat {Kid Craft}

Paper Plate Splat The Cat {Kid Craft}

We have been on a roll lately with sharing kid crafts that go along with our favorite children’s books. My son and I have been really enjoying creating {and sharing} these ideas with you all. I sure hope they have been inspiring some craftiness in you, as well as some creative play and reading tme! […]

The post Paper Plate Splat The Cat {Kid Craft} appeared first on Glued To My Crafts.

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Hyundai Motor Co. v. Duncan: Expert Testimony in Personal Injury Cases

Hyundai Motor Co. v. Duncan: Expert Testimony in Personal Injury Cases http://ift.tt/1JfuOCs

Hyundai Motor Co. v. Duncan: Expert Testimony in Personal Injury Cases

In Hyundai Motor Co. v. Duncan , plaintiff suffered a serious closed-head injury when he lost control of his car. After losing control of the car, he left the road, hit two snow banks, crashed into a large hay bale and ultimately hit a tree on the driver's side of the car. His vehicle was equipped with a side airbag, but it did not deploy during this accident.

Following his injury, conservators of victim filed civil lawsuit in victim's name. Defendant was car manufacturer who produced the car. Claims were initially made for negligence, failure of the implied warranty of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, breach of express warranty, and failure to warn. Boston personal injury attorneys may also have the ability to seek triple damages in a defective products claim pursuant to Chapter 93A of the Massachusetts Consumer Protection Act.

The case proceeded to trial, and plaintiff pursued only the claims for breach of the implied warranty of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and unreasonable dangerous design. Plaintiff argued if the airbag sensor had been put in a different place, it would have deployed and prevented claimant from being seriously injured in the crash.

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