Health tips

Doctor gives tips on falling asleep "Coping with Insomnia" will be the next topic in the Waveny Care Center and Norwalk Hospital lecture series at 4 p.m. Tuesday, March 1. The featured speaker is Ian Weir, associate director of the Sleep Disorders Center and director of the Insomnia Center at Norwalk Hospital. The talk is at Waveny Care Center, 3 Farm Road, New Canaan. Weir will talk about symptoms of the disorder and offer tips on how people can become more successful at falling asleep. Weir has written about pulmonary medicine topics and sleep disorders, with his work appearing in medical journals. Call 203-594-5334. MS walks planned to raise awareness On April 10, there will be nine sites across the state at which people will gather to raise awareness about multiple sclerosis and raise funds for research. Westport will host a walk on Sunday, April 3. The insurance company Travelers is back for the fifth year as the title sponsor for the walks, which are run by the Connecti...

February is National Children�s Dental Health Month - a time for parents to focus on healthful habits and practices to ensure that their children enjoy a lifetime of beautiful smiles and healthy well-being. �Tooth decay is one of the most common childhood diseases, and can cause problems that continue into later life,� says veteran San Antonio cosmetic dentist Dr. Edward Camacho, DDS. �The dental health of a child should be a top priority for parents, starting even before a baby is born.� Dr. Camacho offers these ten tips for parents: 1) Get the true picture � Everyone understands that you should take care of your teeth to avoid toothaches, maintain your looks and keep dental bills at bay. Many people, however, don�t understand how crucial oral health is to our total health picture. Tooth problems can lead to diabetes, heart disease, systemic infections, an inability to eat or speak properly and other maladies � some life-threatening. Crooked or crowded teeth can contribute to gum d...

Susan Ofria, clinical nutrition manager at Gottlieb Memorial Hospital suggests showing real Valentine�s Day love with red wine and chocolate that both contribute to a heart health. She also has some other heart healthy eating tips to share, in a February 10 news release from Loyola University. The beauty of indulging in dark chocolate and red wine explains Ofria, is you don�t even have to make a choice between the lesser of two evils, given the known health benefits of higher levels of cocoa found in dark chocolate and resveratrol in red wine that is shown to lower blood sugar levels and boost good cholesterol numbers. Ofria suggests looking for chocolate with cocoa content that is 70 percent or higher this Valentine�s Day. �Truffles, souffl�s and even hot chocolate can be a good source of resveratrol and cocoa phenols (flavonoids) as long as dark chocolate with a high content of coca is used.� You may want to sprinkle chocolate on berries, also good sources of heart healthy nutrients ...

If I were a betting woman, I'd bet you didn't know the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) releases dietary guidelines every five years. These evidence-based guidelines are the cornerstone of our federal nutrition policy, and are also intended to help Americans make informed food choices, promote health, reduce the risk of chronic diseases and the prevalence of overweight. The 2010 guidelines have just been released, and the focus is clearly on confronting America's obesity epidemic. The timing is certainly right. Frighteningly, more than one-third of all American kids are overweight or obese. As if that weren't bad enough, more than two-thirds of American adults join them. The new guidelines place a stronger emphasis than ever before on reducing calorie consumption and increasing activity. Good-bye "Supersize me," hello waistline. It is the government's hope (and mine, too) that by adopting the recommendations, Americans will live healthier liv...

Dr. Dizon recommends for residents to know their limits when shoveling snow. "It is physically demanding work," he said. "We don�t normally get this much snow at once." For those who are young and healthy, they need to be mindful of muscle or joint injuries when shoveling. They should also be careful to not fall while shoveling. Senior citizens, or those who are sedentary, are at risk of a heart attack because "they don't realize how strenuous shoveling snow can be." Even if residents have a snow-blower, it still can be a strenuous activity that could be hazardous to residents who are not physically active. "If you are not physically active, I would try to avoid shoveling snow and get someone else," Dizon said. Use Proper Techniques When shoveling, residents should dress warmly and wear proper gloves, footwear and headwear to avoid frostbite. "At times you are working hard, you don't realize you are having problems," he said. ...