Article Library
Informed decision-making: Be empowered!
Ethics are a moral code that guides the conduct of healthcare professionals. There is a duty to the patient to avoid or minimize harm, as well as respect patient preferences [1]. The four fundamental principles of ethics include beneficence, nonmaleficence, justice, and autonomy. In addition to these are veracity (truth-telling) and confidentiality. These pillars keep the patient at the forefront of care.
Prescription use among senior adults
Taking medications seems like a very natural responsibility as part of aging. In fact, most seniors take a prescription drug. Adults over 65 are the largest age group to take medications, due to the amount of health concerns that people acquire [1].
The Road of the Childhood Obesity Epidemic: What Are Some Culprits?
With rising childhood obesity, many concerns are raised on the nutritional intake of the younger population. Looking back to 2010, the White House created a task force to solve this very issue. The plan included a strategy, benchmarks, and a goal to end childhood obesity within a generation.
Living life well: Healthspan vs. lifespan
On the Joy in Whole Health Facebook page, I shared an article titled “Healthspan may be more integral to your well-being than lifespan” [1]. The authors explained that while lifespan refers to the total number of years lived, healthspan encompasses the number of years lived without a debilitating disease.
Feet: The foundation of health
Feet are so incredibly important to whole health and quality of life. Approximately one-third of seniors report foot problems [1], which is a big reason for seeking healthcare among the elderly. Such reported issues are related to falls, balance, mobility, skin and nail hygiene, foot deformities, wounds, pain, and ramifications from poorly fitting shoes.
Medication Risk: Becoming an Informed Healthcare Consumer
Medication safety is paramount when considering one’s overall health. Many professional and federal organizations outline details on their websites (such as the FDA and CDC). The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) explains that with improvements in available therapeutics, there are corresponding risks
Here Comes the Sun!
Soaking up the warm rays of sunlight is a reminder of how integrally connected the human body is to the natural world. The skin, the largest organ of the body, interacts with the sun, leading to profound health effects.
Benefit of Canada’s Dietary Guidelines
In 2019, Canada unveiled a brand-new food guide after a three-year process involving multiple discussion forums with stakeholders, including the Canadian public and healthcare professionals. The goal was to understand the needs and expectations of a food guide.
Children and Constipation
Constipation is a huge problem among children and adults alike. Among the pediatric population, there is a global prevalence of 9.5 to 16% [1], affecting more children in the United States and Europe than in Africa.
Impact of Fiber on Overall Health
Gut health has been widely publicized in recent years. As the largest microbiome within the human body, the intestine houses an abundance of microbes that have important functions. These microbes direct biological processes [1], including immune function, glucose and lipid metabolism, and brain and nervous system communication.
Eggs and the Connection to Cardiovascular Disease
Eggs are not only a favorite breakfast food for many people, but also an important ingredient in baking tasty treats like cakes and pies. While some research rings the alarm on the health benefits that eggs fail to achieve, others make claims that eggs provide important nutrients. For the purpose of this discussion, let’s take both sides into consideration.
Atrial Fibrillation: Pathophysiology, Standard Treatment, and Modifiable Risk Factors
Atrial fibrillation (A fib or AF) is considered to be the most common type of heart arrhythmia [1]. The sinus node, located in the right atrium, is a group of specialized cells that serve as an internal pacemaker for the human body. This is important because the node spontaneously generates the heartbeat. It releases an electrical impulse that causes the cardiac cells within the two upper chambers, or atria, to become excitable and conduct the impulse to the surrounding cells.
The Value of the Dinner Table
Recently I wrote a newsletter article about the current healthcare concerns among children. I came across many articles that shared the importance of family dining. Throughout my adult years, I have always remembered the importance my mother gave to serving meal at the table. There were only rare occasions when schedules could not be sorted out to make this happen. Family dinner was a way for the family to gather, discuss current events, and the ongoings of the day. More importantly, the time was central to connection, sharing, and valuing one another. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits that the literature reports.
Protecting the Future Generation
Children are full of life, vigor, and vitality. As a popular song lyric goes, “Children are our future.” They are appropriately viewed as the next generation to make an impact upon the world. Fittingly, the health of the pediatric population is vital to their flourish into adulthood. The general health status of children has been a growing concern and cannot go unnoticed.
A Look at the Keto Diet
A ketogenic diet is a way of eating that causes the body to enter into a chronic state of ketosis [3]. The body primarily uses glucose as a source of energy. However, in certain circumstances, such as starvation, a different metabolic state can be used.
Loving Your Heart
When a problem exists with respect to the heart or the blood flow, the rest of the body likewise suffers. The heart is responsible for connecting the blood with each and every part of the body. It depends upon a functioning plumbing system.
Old Habits Die Hard
According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of resolution is “something that is resolved,” in which resolved means “to deal with successfully,” almost as though changes are instantaneous. Yet, most resolutions that come in the form of dieting and exercise have been developed from habits that are learned over years and decades.
Connection Matters
When people feel lonely, experience isolation, and perceive that they have limited number of social contacts, basic social needs are not fulfilled. These needs are imperative for emotional and social connectedness. Furthermore, loneliness and isolation can have a direct impact on physical and emotional health.
Food Gives Life
Diet is said to be the largest predictor of health and premature death. Yet every day, Americans are bombarded with fast food restaurants, brilliantly colored processed food packaging, and an ever-growing food industry that knows the tricks of marketing.
Aging Well in Blue Zones
Within the first few pages of The Blue Zones [1], Dan Buettner writes a profound idea: that the world’s eldest can teach people the wisdom of living longer and richer lives. He teamed up with National Geographic and the National Institute on Aging in search of areas with the highest number of centenarians…