BY SANDRA GUY

The ghouls and goblins may have to social-distance this Halloween, but a gag-inducing type of parasitic fungus looks to be just the right anecdote in your trick-or-treat bag.

It’s called Cordyceps, and it’s an ancient Chinese remedy that grows on insect larvae.

Yuck, right?

It gets worse. When Cordyceps attacks its host, it turns into a body snatcher, replacing the host’s tissue and sprouting long stems that grow outside the host’s body, according to HealthLine.

This Halloween-esque scenario has entranced traditional medical practitioners for centuries. In fact, the insect’s remains and the fungi have been picked and dried for use in medicines to treat fatigue, kidney disease and even a low sex drive.

Cordyceps extracts are now sold in supplements. Though research is limited, the fungus has shown that it might improve the way healthy people’s bodies use oxygen, especially during exercise.

Other research has shown Cordyceps boosts antioxidants in elderly mice, aiding their memory and sexual function, according to National Library of Science articles.

Finally, Cordyceps may help control blood-sugar levels by imitating the role of insulin, research has shown. Insulin carries glucose into one’s cells to produce energy.

In diabetic mice, Cordyceps decreased blood sugar levels and “bad” LDL cholesterol levels — and, in supplements, improved kidney function in people.

Though the results are inconclusive, if you decide to test Cordyceps as your Halloween treat, look for brands that have the NSF International or the U.S. Pharmacopeia seal.

The body-snatcher’s effects might just be a transformative treat in the best way ever.

 

 

BY SANDRA GUY

Predictions for a Fall double whammy of a combined flu and coronavirus upsurge underscore October’s importance as Health Literacy Month.

What better time to cozy up with a good book? Here are 10 must-reads to keep health top-of-mind, incorporating recommendations from psychologists, brain researchers and Yale, Harvard and Columbia university professors.

• The Stoic Challenge, by William B. Irvine. Published by W.W. Norton & Company. The author and philosopher leverages centuries-old wisdom to show how to flip disappointments into opportunities, and gets a thumbs-up from Yale psychology professor Laurie Santos in Yale News.

After all, uncertainty fuels anxiety. The coronavirus pandemic’s uncertainties — when to go to the gym, shop for groceries, spend distanced time with friends — can cause us to stay in an anxiety loop.

That’s a bad habit for two reasons, psychologists say: People who cope badly with uncertainty latch onto avoidance coping strategies, so they may avoid seeking medical care even if they develop a cough. And the more we build up our neural pathways in an anxious state, the more fortified they become.

So what better time to learn to adopt The Stoics’ approach? Thinking of challenges as tests of character can change our emotional response and prime us to overcome, rather than endure.

• Untamed, by Glennon Doyle. Published by The Dial Press. The Amazon review says it all, especially when women find themselves working as full-time employee, homemaker, schoolteacher, housekeeper and household scheduler:

“Soulful and uproarious, forceful and tender, Untamed is both an intimate memoir and a galvanizing wake-up call. It is the story of how one woman learned that a responsible mother is not one who slowly dies for her children, but one who shows them how to fully live. It is the story of navigating divorce, forming a new blended family, and discovering that the brokenness or wholeness of a family depends not on its structure but on each member’s ability to bring her full self to the table.”

• A self-published book, Let’s Be Calm: The Moral Health Handbook for Surviving and Thriving During a Pandemic, by Alex Bruce. The 60-page handbook offers wise quotes, meditation skills and ideas for staying hopeful.

 

• Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson. Published by Random House. Wilkerson won the National Book Critics Circle award in 2011 for her previous book, “The Warmth of Other Suns.”

In Caste, she looks at American history and the treatment of Blacks and finds what she calls an enduring, unseen and unmentioned caste system — not unlike those in India or Nazi Germany — that has yet to be fully confronted. It’s a necessary aspect of our nation’s health, she shows, to see how our lives today are still defined by a hierarchy of human divisions.

• The Great Conversation: Nature and the Care of the Soul, by Belden C. Lane. Published by Oxford University Press.

Lane uses his own nature travels to illuminate the teachings of ancient philosophers and spiritual teachers, and to help us enter into a conversation about the world. “His night in a Missourian cave brings to mind the spiritual exercises of Ignatius of Loyola [and] the canyons of southern Utah elicit a response from the Chinese philosopher Laozi,” according to a Good Reads review.

The goal is to improve our own health, and the Earth’s, through a spiritually centered environmentalism.

• Wave by Sonali Deraniyagala. Published by Vintage Books.

The author, a London economist, writes in searing honesty about losing her family — her parents, husband and two young sons — when they were all swept away by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami in Sri Lanka. They were vacationing there. Her intimate description of how she dealt with such unimaginable loss and grief embodies the ability and courage to move ahead.

• The Order of Time by Carlo Rovelli. Published by Penguin Books.

How better to cope with a pandemic than learning how the experience of moving through time actually happens? The author uses Smurfs to explain physics diagrams, but he also quotes Homer’s epigraphs (i.e., “The journey is the thing” or “Life is Largely A Matter of Expectation”).

• Ballerina Body: Dancing and Eating Your Way to a Leaner, Stronger, and More Graceful You by Misty Copeland. Published by Grand Central Publishing.

Copeland, the first African-American female principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre, shows there’s no power in being scrawny, rail-thin and exhausted.

Instead, she’s the epitome of strength and grace as a strong, muscle-bound bundle of energy. She describes her change in eating habits, with an emphasis on healthy fats, alongside motivational insights, sensible recipes and tips on making good choices.

• Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics. Published by Hodder & Stoughton.

Look no farther for inspiration. Parton goes behind the scenes, highlighted by a wealth of never-before-published photos, of her 60 years of songwriting. She includes candid and personal insights and memories.

• Mud Creek Medicine: The Life of Eula Hall and the Fight for Appalachia by Kiran Bhatraju. Published by Butler Book Publishing.

The author, a native of Eastern Kentucky, explores the life of Eula Hall, who persevered through corruption, domestic abuse and lack of a formal education to start a health clinic that served the poor. A bonus: Proceeds from book sales go to the Eula Hall Patient Assistance fund and the Eula Hall Scholarship Fund.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BY SANDRA GUY

Lung health has soared to a No. 1 health concern amid the coronavirus pandemic, as vapers, former and current cigarette and e-cigarette smokers, and those exposed to second-hand smoke are at higher risk for COVID-19.

That’s because smoking and nicotine exposure weaken the immune system and increase the expression of an enzyme called ACE2 in one’s respiratory system, says a review by the University of California-Merced’s Nicotine and Cannabis Policy Center.

COVID-19 binds to the ACE2 receptors, leading to an increased risk of contracting the coronavirus, the report said.

The situation’s urgency is underscored during National Healthy Lung Month, recognized during October, and Lung Health Day on Oct. 28.

Yet the pandemic’s economic fallout poses a challenge to governments trying to stop the sale of vaping and other smoking products marketed to children with flavors like fruit loops, cotton candy and apple berry bubblegum.

Even Chicago, which has gained distinction for its anti-smoking efforts, passed a watered-down ordinance recently to ban flavored vaping product sales rather than banning all flavored tobacco products, after owners of gas stations and tobacco and convenience stores argued it would hurt their sales when they’re already suffering.

Chicago already has raised the smoking age to 21; imposed the nation’s highest cigarette tax; banned e-cigarettes where smoking is barred; barred flavored-tobacco sales within 500 feet of schools; and prohibited coupons and discounts aimed at luring teens to buy smoking products.

But the best way to stop smoking, experts agree, is for smokers to get motivated to quit. That’s where technology is stepping up to help.

Resources include:

• 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) — A free national service that routes the caller to the state phone line connected to the caller’s area code.
• 1-800-LUNG-USA (1-800-586-4872), press 2 — The American Lung Association’s free HelpLine and Tobacco QuitLine.
• 877-44U-QUIT (877-448-7848) — Trained counselors at the National Cancer Institute offer support in English and Spanish. Operates Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Central Time.

APPS, as rated by HealthLine

• QuitNow!
• Smoke Free
• QuitGenius
• My QuitBuddy
• EasyQuit

The website https://teen.smokefree.gov/quit-vaping/how-to-quit-vaping also provides tips and a live online chat feature to help teens quit smoking and vaping.

The topics include pinpointing triggers that prompt you to reach for a vape or a smoke, preparing for cravings and withdrawal, and steeling oneself against temptations.

 

BY SANDRA GUY

As each day brings more sobering news of COVID-19 hot spots, staying fit remains a top priority.

That’s especially true for women, who are holding down the fort like never before as essential workers, mothers, teachers and caregivers.

Fitness superwomen like those who compete on TV shows such as “American Ninja Warrior,” “The Titan Games” and other extreme competitions show how fierce women can be in uncertain times.

If fitness extremists seem out of reach, it’s still worth a pandemic-worthy effort to maintain good health, eat a super-clean diet and start a disciplined exercise regime.

Natural remedies can play a role in staying fit and healthy. One example is bitter melon, also known as bitter gourd, a tropical vine whose edible fruit is a staple in many types of Asian foods.

Bitter melon — low in calories but high in fiber — may help people keep their weight under control and could reduce body fat. But the studies that produced those results used high-dose supplements (2,000 mg daily) rather than the actual food.

Nevertheless, bitter melon is rich in vitamins C and A as well as antioxidant compounds such as catechin, gallic acid and epicatechin, according to a report in the Journal of Lipids.

Animal studies have also shown bitter melon may decrease cholesterol levels in a way that could boost heart health, according to a report in the Pakistan Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. The research involved giving rats a bitter melon extract that reduced their “bad” LDL cholesterol levels.

The studies have yet to be replicated in humans, but the research paves the way for more hopeful news. That’s something to celebrate on National Women’s Health and Fitness Day on Sept. 30.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BY SANDRA GUY

While handwashing vigilance stays top-of-mind, watch for itchy plaques, scaly rashes and red or dry patches of skin. You could have psoriasis — and it’s not just a skin disease.

The National Psoriasis Foundation recognizes August as “Psoriasis Action Month” — and Psoriasis’ roots as an autoimmune condition are especially pertinent as the coronavirus rages on worldwide.

Importantly, psoriasis isn’t contagious and cannot be passed through skin-to-skin contact. But an outbreak can last for weeks or months, and it’s a condition that can clear up and then reappear.

In fact, an overactive immune system causes Psoriasis, though its origins can range from heredity to environmental sources such as alcoholism, emotional or physical stress and excessive sunburns and sun exposure.

It affects more than 8 million Americans and 125 million worldwide, and between 10 and 30 percent of people with psoriasis develop psoriatic arthritis. Plaque psoriasis is associated with psoriatic arthritis. Symptoms include painful inflammation of the joints that can lead to stiffness in the mornings and progressive joint damage.

Dermatologists emphasize that psoriasis requires continuous therapy and attention, since there’s no cure.

Treatments come in a variety of options:

• Topical treatments can be applied directly on the affected skin to help with inflammation and irritation.
• Phototherapy, or regular doses of moderate sunlight, may help reduce psoriasis lesions.
• Biologics, or medicines made from substances found in living things. Doctors inject them into one’s skin or bloodstream. The drug blocks part of your altered immune system that adds to psoriasis.
• Phototherapy, or regular doses of moderate sunlight, may help reduce psoriasis lesions.
• Prescription retinoids work by slowing skin growth at the cellular level. They also can reduce dryness and flaking, promote dead-skin cell shedding and slow mitosis, or skin cell division.
• Lifestyle changes such as moisturizing, quitting smoking, managing stress and reducing alcohol consumption may reduce psoriasis. Paying attention to what is in products and switching to chemical-free soaps and cosmetic products can also help with flares and outbreaks.
• Natural remedies such as cayenne, aloe vera, fish oil, peppermint oil, coconut oil, geranium oil, Tea Tree oil, Epsom salts and Dead Sea salt baths may also help ease psoriasis symptoms.

Experts advise testing natural products on a small area of skin first, and talk with your doctor before you add such ingredients to your skincare regimen.

 

 

 

 

BY SANDRA GUY

Vaccines to fight COVID-19 are top-of-mind for college students as never before — and August’s designation as National Immunization Awareness Month has never been more timely.

As college and university administrators figure out how to reopen their campuses amid the pandemic, a new study suggests immunity to COVID-19 is fleeting.

The implication could mean that people will need regular vaccine booster shots to keep their immune systems strong enough to fight the coronavirus. The research from Kings College London is awaiting peer review.

Meanwhile, new college students face a daunting list of required vaccines. But in times like these, the guidelines should perhaps make us thankful for these protections that we’d otherwise take for granted.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend these:

• Seasonal flu vaccine: Everyone older than six months is recommended to get a flu shot each fall.
• Whooping cough vaccine booster:Young adults who failed to get a whooping cough vaccine booster shot, called Tdap, when they were 11-12 years old should get one dose before heading off to college and dorm life. The shot protects against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (whooping cough).
• Meningococcal conjugate vaccine: Meningococcal disease is a bacterial infection that can cause meningitis, a potentially life-threatening swelling of the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord.
• HPV vaccine:The human papillomavirus vaccine is recommended for pre-teens ages 11-12, but teens and young adults who failed to start or finish the three-shot series should get them before beginning college, the CDC said. The vaccine is recommended for women younger than 27 and men younger than 22.

HPV, a virus spread through sexual activity, can cause cervical cancer in women, and penile and anal cancer in men, or throat or oral cancer in people of either sex.

For college students who travel outside of the United States, the CDC website offers other recommendations at https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/list

 

 

 

 

 

 

BY SANDRA GUY

The puzzle of how to balance hormones has no simple answers, experts agree.

First, why is it so important to have a balance? It’s because hormones are a key signaling system. They regulate vital functions such as sleep, mood, fertility and metabolism.

Yet how to regulate them remains uncertain.

One possible help comes from the leaves and dried fruit of a shrub with the ironic name of the Chaste tree. The berries of the plant, native of western Asia and the Mediterranean, may help stimulate progesterone, though no scientific evidence proves this.

Progesterone is a female hormone that increases two weeks before menstruation.

Chaste tree can be found in capsules, tinctures and liquid extracts. Experts advise taking care to follow directions to ensure proper dosage.

Other studies show hormone imbalances can be helped by intermittent fasting, followed by vigorous aerobic and weight-lifting exercises. Studies have shown that exercise lowers estrogen levels.

Research has shown that Irisin, known as the “exercise hormone,” activates genes that turn “bad” white fat into “good” brown fat and by regulating certain cells to morph from storing fat to building bone.

Studies have shown that both strength training and intense endurance exercise, as well as intermittent fasting for 18 hours, increase irisin.

Exercise also stimulates testosterone and human growth hormone, which also serve to reduce belly fat and boost fat metabolism.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BY SANDRA GUY

Though coronavirus testing remains top-of-mind, World Hepatitis Day July 28 reminds us there’s another important test.

Hepatitis poses a complicated dilemma, but the result can damage your liver if you fail to address it.

The three types of hepatitis, according to WebMD, are:

• Hepatitis A — This type can be prevented with a vaccine and, if treated, won’t cause long-term liver damage.
• Hepatitis B — A vaccine can prevent this type, but if you don’t know you’re infected, you can spread it.
• Hepatitis C — About 80 percent of people with Type C may have no symptoms but get a long-term infection that can lead to a scarring of the liver. No vaccine exists to prevent it.

 

But symptoms can act as warnings for all three types. They include stomach pain, dark urine, low-grade fever, loss of appetite and yellowing of the skin or eyes.

Hepatitis can be spread by sharing dirty needles, having sex with someone who’s infected or having direct contact with blood or body fluids of someone who’s infected.

It’s worth checking with a physical exam and blood tests. Some doctors also check with a sonogram, a liver biopsy or a CAT scan.

Those at risk of Hepatitis also include people who’ve traveled to countries where it’s endemic, or with a lack of safe water and poor hygiene, or where there’s been an outbreak among intravenous drug users or among those who have a clotting factor disorder. Anyone who has unprotected sex with multiple partners or with someone who’s already infected is at risk, too.

People who live with Hepatitis should get their liver checked regularly. Their partners should get vaccinated, and everyone should take precautions. Anyone with Hepatitis should refrain from drinking alcohol and from sharing toothbrushes, clippers, needles, nail files or anything that may have come in contact with his or her blood or bodily fluids.

 

 

 

BY SANDRA GUY

Whether you’re an experienced kitten parent or adjusting to a new kitten friend, it’s important to pay close attention to your pet’s diet.

Since July 10 is “National Kitten Day” — an awareness campaign started by pet and family lifestyle expert Colleen Paige — it’s the perfect time to think about caring for an animal that — surprise! — will grow into a cat.

The campaign includes encouraging adopting kittens from shelters, since many are born there, and ensuring that they are spayed and neutered to prevent more from becoming strays.

Top considerations include the size of your home, whether anyone in your household could be allergic, the time you have to spend with a “baby” pet, visiting a kitten at the shelter to learn its temperament, and finding out whether it plays well with children and any other kinds of pets you have at home.

If you’re ready to be a pet parent, make sure you can afford the necessary vaccinations, vet visits and a good diet.

A key ingredient of a healthy diet is omega-3 fatty acid. It helps cats, kittens and dogs maintain healthy skin and coats. It’s also shown to help kittens with brain and eye development.

Take special care to buy kitten food with fish meal — a good source of natural fish oil — and never use human supplements, which can be harmful to pets.

Also beware cod liver oil.

Though it contains Vitamins A and D and is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, it can harm cats. A better choice is to buy high-quality kitten food.

Consult your veterinarian to evaluate the amount of omega-3 fatty acids your kitten should receive daily.

It can vary based on a kitten’s species, activity level and overall health.

While the details of a proper pet diet may seem daunting, the experience of being a responsible pet parent will see you through the sacrifices.

 

BY SANDRA GUY

The coronavirus pandemic has changed our worldview on so many ordinary things — and now, that includes ice cream.

The joyously cold, creamy and brain-freezing summer treat poses a dilemma: As a dairy product filled with sugar, ice cream boosts inflammation — and inflammation can lead to a lowered immune system.

But that realization doesn’t have to ruin a wonderful summer treat. Instead, you can reinvent it in the safety of your home.

Options include vegan, sugar-free and low-fat versions.

And, to make it even more enjoyable, the homemade ice cream can provide lessons for children in whipping up budget-friendly treats, measuring ingredients and learning about the chemistry of mixing elements.

1. Fill a one gallon zip bag with ice and salt.
2. Fill a one quart zip bag with milk, sugar and vanilla extract. Seal the bag and tape it shut.
3. Put the quart zip bag inside the gallon zip bag.
4. Make sure both bags are tightly zipped and shake continuously for 10 minutes.
5. Take out the small bag and rinse any residue on the outside.
6. Put in the freezer until the concoction reaches the desired consistency.

If you prefer getting ambitious and creating flavors, a quick Google search turns up lots of options.

One source is “Chocolate Covered Katie” at https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/healthy-ice-cream-recipes/

The website offers directions so you can put your own stamp on pineapple Dole Whip treats and enrich ice cream with coconut, pistachio and mint chocolate chip flavors.

Hungry now?