Health

Can taking NSAID medications like Ibuprofen (aka Motrin or Advil) really make COVID-19 infection worse?

By Elisa Song, MD

Elisa SongA possible correlation was noted by Olivier Veran, French Minister for Solidarity & Health, after doctors in France observed that young people presenting with more severe illness may have had NSAID use as a common risk factor. Mr. Veran then went on to recommend paracetamol (which is acetaminophen aka Tylenol) if you have a fever instead. Within 18 hours of posting this on his FB page on March 16, 2020, it has literally gone “viral” (no pun intended), and since then, I’ve been flooded with questions from concerned parents whether or not it’s safe to give their child ibuprofen if they suspect they may be infected with SARS-CoV-2.

On March 17, World Health Organization spokesman Christian Lindmeier stated at a Geneva press conference that UN Health Agency experts are “looking into this to give further guidance… In the meantime, we recommend using rather paracetamol, and do not use ibuprofen as self-medication.” Mr. Lindmeier notes, however, that if ibuprofen has been “prescribed by the healthcare professionals, then, of course, that’s up to them.” (more…)

Fitness, Health

Veggie noodles al pesto

Time: 10 mn
Serves: 5

This is really nice hot and cold as well. I am using store bought noodles but you can make you own at hope with a spiralizer! This can be served as a side of any protein or on its own with chickpeas for example.

Ingredients

  • 1 pack of spiralized carrots
  • 1 pack of spiralized zucchini
  • 2 tsp of olive oil
  • 1 cup of pesto (store bought works great or see below for recipe)
  • 1/3 cup of toasted pine nuts
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 pinch of chili flakes
  • Pesto: 4 cups of spinach, 1 bunch of basil, 1/2 cup of walnuts, 1 lemon ( juiced and zested), 1/3 cup of olive oil
  • Parmesan or feta to serve

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Fitness, Health, Health & Beauty

Diet Myths

By Dr. Adrienne Youdim

By now, either your New Year’s Resolutions are in full swing or if you are like most of us you have lost some wind behind your sails. That’s how it goes right? You resolve, you waiver and then you throw in the towel. You are not alone! And the reasons why are universal.

1. Militant approach- when we decide on a resolution, we often take a militant, all or nothing approach, leaving no room for negotiation and no room for inevitable slips ups. This approach sabotages our success. Why? Because slip ups are human, particularly if you have set the bar so high that any indulgence is considered a failure. And here is the thing…in my decades experience of doing this work, it is not the cake you chose to eat last night that gets you off track, it is the inability to move past it. The all or nothing approach results in the throw in the towel effect and sabotage, period. (more…)

Education

Grandparenting: Renew, Relive, Rejoice

By Pam Siegel and Leslie Zinberg

pam and leslieIn today’s rapid-paced society, many grandparents have become more and more involved in the day-to-day care of their grandchildren. So…when we became grandparents we had no idea what to expect. We had a vision of what we thought grandparenting would look like — have fun, say yes to everything, and then of course, at the end of the day, hand the kids back to their parents. However, we now know grandparenting is so much more.

As a result of dual-career and single-parent families, many of our adult children depend on us to help them navigate their complicated lives. We carpool to school and other activities, help with homework, and, if necessary, step in to handle discipline issues. At the same time, we must keep our comments to ourselves, especially when our grown children’s wishes and rules differ from our own. This can be tricky. (more…)

Education

Overnight Camps Prepare Kids for Life

How to find the right camp for your kid.

Jill LevinBy Jill Levin

A recent Forbes article (“The Best Bootcamp for Soft Skills May be the Best Camp,” by Ryan Craig, July 26, 2019 issue) discussed how overnight camps do a great job teaching kids the soft skills they need to flourish as adults. Sleep-away camp, as well as away-from-home programs for teens, are multi-layered experiences that prepares children and teens for college and beyond.

Teamwork, conflict resolution, problem-solving, leadership and communication skills, resilience, decision-making, empathy, and friendship-building are just some of the ways students can grow when they attend camp or a summer teen program. Each day provides so many opportunities for growth – setting a goal, learning a new skill, trying a new activity, navigating friendships, being a team captain, earning a reward for a job well done, comforting a bunkmate, completing a chore, and more. (more…)

Fitness, Health, Health & Beauty

Heart Healthy Eating in 2020

Jonny BowdenBy Dr. Jonny Bowden

Experts aren’t sure why people are more likely to have a heart attack during the winter than any other time of year. If following a heart-healthy diet is one of your 2020 resolutions, here’s big news. A new 12-month human clinical study involving 577 participants conducted in Malaysia reveals we aren’t doing our hearts any favors by eating a high-carb diet. And while that high-carb diet was associated with increased heart disease risk factors, fat intake didn’t move the needle one way or the other. 

I’ve been saying for years that fat has been wrongly demonized. If anything, it’s sugar – not fat – that’s causing us to go off the metabolic rails. In this study, low-carb diets performed considerably better than high-carb diets.

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Fitness, Health

Must Have Supplements for Women in Their 40s

Elissa GoodmanBy Elissa Goodman
There are a handful of supplements that I recommend to almost all of my female clients over 40 – and I take all of them myself too! They are key for overall health and memory preservation. My list includes:

Pure Synergy Multi Vita Min Herb for Women
I think it is super important for most people to take a multivitamin and this is my favorite one for women. It is wonderful for brain health but contains nutrients that help with many other aspects of health such as hormone balance, increased energy, clear and focused mind, healthy hair, skin and nails, and more.

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Education

The Second Wind

By Carolyn Mahboubi

mahboubiI come from a family of high achievers. My work as a Life and Leadership Coach has me in constant conversation with leaders who would proudly carry this label. But in pushing the borders of exploring what it means to live a happy life, it has become clear to me that being a high achiever is no longer a badge of honor or a marker of life satisfaction.

Achievement by its nature is about doing. As a Coach, I am committed to helping my clients create sustainable action plans to reach their desired goals. I also help them stay on the path that has them knowing they are moving in the right direction, no matter how long it takes. Naturally “doing” is a big part of this work. (more…)

Fitness, Health, Health & Beauty

Preventing Child Trafficking

By Shamim Sarif

shamim-sarifAround the world – and close to home – as many as four million people each year are trafficked for forced labor and sexual exploitation. Sadly, about 50% of those are children. Now, Headwaters Relief Organization, an international non-profit disaster relief organization, is teaming with me to raise funds to educate communities about these risks, and support those who have experienced trafficking.

Headwaters Relief Organization Founder Rebecca Thomley, PsyD told me, “We have encountered trafficking nationally and internationally in our disaster work.” Her organization supports the needs of families and communities after tornadoes, floods, earthquakes, fires and man-made disasters. She added, “Traffickers may take advantage of children and families made vulnerable by these conditions.” (more…)