Daily Health News Blog

If you have a regular prescription to fill you might be surprised to learn that you can now buy medicines online. Shipped right to your mailbox, getting your prescription drugs online is convenient and inexpensive. However, there are some common pitfalls that you should avoid. These include scammers, disreputable companies, and simple misunderstandings about how your products will arrive. Read on to learn the common pitfalls and successfully avoid them the next time you're shopping: Licensed Pharmacies Only! There are many pharmacies online that claim to be legitimate, reputable companies and many of them are. To be sure you're only dealing with good companies look for their license. Usually this will be at the bottom of the page somewhere, close to where the address of the company is located. Keep in mind that this doesn't mean your drugs will come that location, simply that the company is based there. It is a common practice for companies to use third-p

Anyone who has ever tried to lose weight knows how difficult it can be. Unfortunately, many times those who should support us the most, our family, make it even harder to succeed. No matter what the reason, family members can sabotage our weight loss goals without us even realizing it. They may sound like loving comments, but if you hear these lines, be aware and walk away. I Love You Just the Way You Are This line is killer. It implies that we don't love ourselves the way we are and that we are losing weight just to make them love us more. With health and self-esteem issues on the line, other people's opinions may be far down the list of reasons why you want to lose weight. The unspoken question behind this statement is, "Will you love me just as much if I change and get healthier?" You should have a frank discussion about this topic with your loved ones as soon as you begin your weight loss journey. You Deserve This One Treat This usually happens on holidays,

You may have caught recent news reports that fried fish can cause heart problems. But that's no reason to hang up the fishing reel. A large study in the journal  Circulation: Heart Failure  found that eating fried fish at least once a week was associated with a 48 percent higher risk of heart failure.  This wasn't the first study to raise red flags about fried fish. A 2005 Harvard study, for instance, linked frequent consumption of fried fish to a 44 percent increased risk of stroke. And findings from a study in  Neurology  suggested that one reason why people in the "stroke belt" states of the South have higher rates of stroke is that Southerners eat more fried fish than other Americans. Still, you shouldn't stop eating fish. After all, the latest study, which included only women, also reaffirmed that fish is good for your heart--if you broil or bake it. Those who ate five or more servings a week of baked/broiled fish over a 10-year period had a 30 perc

Garlic is a key part of the Mediterranean diet and many cuisines around the world. But do supplements really lower cholesterol, fight cancer, reduce arthritis, and have other health benefits, as touted? There have been thousands of studies on garlic, but its health effects remain something of a mystery. Garlic contains interesting compounds that have been linked to many proposed health benefits. One is allicin, a sulfur compound formed in raw garlic after a clove is cut or crushed. Allicin is a major source of garlic’s taste and smell. But not all scientists agree that allicin is the key ingredient, since it breaks down quickly into other compounds. And the enzyme that forms allicin can be destroyed if the whole clove is cooked before being cut (that’s why cooked cloves taste less garlicky). In fact, no one knows which, if any, component is most important. Lab and animal studies suggest that garlic (or compounds from it) has a range of benefits. For example, it keeps blood plat

"Is there anything I can do to relieve the chronic dry mouth that my medications cause?" Chronic dry mouth, or xerostomia, can be a major problem: Dry mouth can affect your ability to eat and enjoy food and can cause cracked lips, bad breath and sores in your mouth. Dry mouth can also lead to cavities, periodontal disease and tooth loss. Be sure your doctor knows about your dry mouth; sometimes medications can be changed or dosages reduced. Or, if a drug is causing dry mouth at night, you may be able to combat it by spacing doses throughout the day when it's also possible to brush your teeth often and drink plenty of fluids. Otherwise, see your dentist for frequent checkups and perhaps topical fluoride treatments and prescription oral rinses to prevent tooth decay and gingivitis. You can also try these self-help measures for dry mouth: Follow a low-sugar diet. Hard candies can help ease dry mouth, but use the sugarless kind. Include plenty of fruits, soup

Eating to Lose! Your body need nutrition each and every day so you can perform at your best. You need to consume calories or your body can’t function at its best. We gain weight because we take in too many calories that don’t have the nutrition that our body needs so we store this as fat. Eating the Right Foods Our diet needs to be high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, fish, nuts, and seeds so we get the nutrition that we need. The main problem is that we have gone away from wholesome eating and instead rely on a diet of heavily processed and unnatural foods. These foods cause us to gain weight as we don’t get too many calories that lack nutrition. When we consume foods that are nutrient dense they give us the energy we need to get through the day and they also tend to be lower in calories. You actually east more food but still lose weight because you’re eating good nutritious food and not garbage processed food that is high in calories but very low in nutrition.

It happens every holiday season. You have to buy a present for someone who’s fussy or has everything. It’s never easy, but it can be manageable, if you follow some simple steps. For example: 1. Psyche out your friend. Is the friend practical or flighty? Is eclectic your friend’s middle name? Buy for the personality. 2. Figure out in advance what you are prepared to spend. This focuses you and helps prevent last-minute panic buying, which can be expensive. 3. What’s changed? Has your friend moved or signed up for an exciting trip? A travel diary or a housecleaning service gift certificate might be appreciated. 4. Give the gift of you. Offer to sew curtains or cook a special dinner. A photo album with pictures of the two of you or a special event or trip is thoughtful. 5. Don’t overlook donations. Many people with everything would appreciate a donation in their name to a favorite charity.