Can too much gambling make you ill?
This might come as a surprise, but it’s true. You can become addicted to gambling just like you can become addicted to alcohol or other drugs. For most gamblers, betting on the outcome of a sporting event, lottery drawing, casino table game, or any event with an outcome determined by chance represents an entertaining recreational activity. However, for some, gambling can become an... READ MORE
Fitness programs for everyone
Stuart Engle raises his fists, encased in bright red boxing gloves, and slugs a punching bag. Once, twice, a third time, then rocks back on his heels. His sweat-soaked T-shirt reads “Never underestimate an old man with boxing gloves.” But here in this gym in Gaithersburg, Md., he and the 15 others present aren’t fighting each other. Rather, they say, they are fighting Parkinson’s ... READ MORE
A touching new profession
Annie Hopson of Ellicott City worked as a certified massage therapist for over 20 years. But she noticed that some clients seemed to yearn for something more. “In my massage practice, I encountered people who were touch hungry,” she said. “They would have been better served by being held rather than kneaded” — but in a platonic way. And then Hopson discovered the growing... READ MORE
Daily multivitamins not usually necessary
Q: Should I take a daily multivitamin? A: This may come as a surprise, but for healthy adults, the use of a daily multivitamin is generally not recommended. Research has not been able to show that taking multivitamins in supplement form can prevent illness. Vitamins are important, but the best sources of them are the foods we eat. The federal 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans ... READ MORE
Turn ‘my’ retirement into ‘our’ retirement
Dear Solutions: Since I retired, my wife keeps making appointments for us to go places and do things constantly. I told her that I worked very hard, and now I just want to stay home and listen to my music, read, relax and do nothing. So now, she doesn’t say anything during the day but just goes out all day. The problem is that as soon as we get into bed at night she starts... READ MORE
A variety of teas — good for what ails you
We’re doing something wrong because, as a nation, we spend twice what other comparable countries spend on healthcare, but we have the lowest life expectancy. Worse, we have the highest infant mortality rates. Our medical system is expensive, slow, inefficient, and at times miserably incompetent. It’s not me saying this, I’m just passing along news from a recent study published in... READ MORE
A tasty crusted salmon done in minutes
I like to have a small repertoire of dishes that require hardly any prep, and that use ingredients I have on hand. The trick, of course, is to keep those ingredients on hand! Stock your pantry with frozen wild salmon filets and Dijon mustard and you will never be more than a few sheet-pan minutes away from a tasty crusted salmon. While the ingredients might change up a bit depending... READ MORE
Healthy men 55+ sought for paid research
Some studies show that when you get cold, you burn more calories to keep your body warm. A kind of body fat called brown fat may be especially good at burning calories. Brown fat is a special kind of fat, typically having a greater number of blood vessels, that can quickly generate warmth. For many years, hibernating animals and infants have been known to have brown fat. Recently, it has ... READ MORE
Why is ‘more study’ so often needed?
Q: Why is it that I so often hear about medical news with a wishy-washy conclusion and the last words being “more study needed”? A: It’s true. When medical research is described in the news — no matter how promising — the last line is usually a disclaimer about how more research is needed. That may seem surprising given the positive results and often dramatic implications of ... READ MORE
Ways to maximize your Medicare benefits
Medicare is vital to the health of nearly 60 million Americans. Yet many of its benefits are overlooked, underused or misunderstood. Consider the annual “wellness” visit, during which a doctor will assess your health risks, take your blood pressure and other routine measurements, check for cognitive impairment, and offer personalized health advice. It’s free. Yet less than 11... READ MORE
