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In a previous post I shared that I have been on a weight loss journey and have been asked for advice.  I decided to write down some of the things that made a difference for me.  Hopefully you might find something helpful too.

Quick Weight Loss Advice

Quick Weight Loss Advice originally appeared on About.com Diabetes on Monday, April 30th, 2012 at 23:52:57.

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The Annals of Neurology reported a study this week that demonstrated that eating strawberries and blueberries delayed women's cognitive decline by 2.5 years.

Researchers  included data from 16,010 women with an average age of 74. Through a questionnaire, they asked about the dietary habits and intake beginning in 1980 and every four years thereafter. The participants were then given six different cognitive tests that examined memory, word recall, and other cognitive skills. These scores were averaged out to one score which was then used to compare cognitive functioning over time.

The result? Women whose diet consisted of more than one serving of blueberries a week or more than two servings of strawberries showed a slower rate of cognitive decline as they aged compared to those who ate less than one serving/week.

Scientists continue to look for ways to delay and treat and prevent  Alzheimer's disease. One factor that seems to frequently be identified through research is how we treat our bodies (with our food choices and exercise) and our minds (with staying mentally active.)

So, on that note, guess what's for dinner? Strawberries!

Berries: A Tasty Way to Slow Cognitive Decline? originally appeared on About.com Alzheimers Disease on Sunday, April 29th, 2012 at 23:30:00.

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ADHD can make studying for college classes quite a challenge. You may find that you are putting a lot of time and preparation into studying with little to show for all your effort. Finding individualized strategies that work for you is helpful.

If you are currently in college or are an adult with ADHD who has already graduated, please share what particular strategies you found to be most helpful. What are some of the study tips you recommend?

CLICK HERE TO SHARE STRATEGIES OR READ RESPONSES FROM OTHERS

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What Study Tips are Helpful for College Students With ADHD? originally appeared on About.com ADD / ADHD on Wednesday, April 11th, 2012 at 12:57:58.

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We're proud to announce that SharecareNow, the healthcare industry's first and only digital platform offering real-time analytics on patient healthcare trends, conversations and influential authors, has named this website, arthritis.about.com, as one of the Top 10 Online Influencers in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

SharecareNow wrote: "Carol Eustice is About.com's Guide to Arthritis and Osteoarthritis. She is also a patient advocate and author of The Everything Health Guide to Arthritis. Carol was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at age 19, and in 1995 started and moderated the first weekly RA chat room/support group on America Online. She has been the original About.com Guide to Arthritis since 1997, and the About.com Guide to Osteoarthritis since 2007." It should be noted that Carol's husband, Rick, made significant contributions to the website, as well, before he passed away in 2010. Thank you SharecareNow for the recognition and congrats to the other influencers on the list! See the press release.

SharecareNow Recognizes About.com as Top 10 Influencer in Rheumatoid Arthritis originally appeared on About.com Arthritis on Saturday, May 19th, 2012 at 15:52:01.

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"What exactly are executive functions and how do they affect a student's learning?" -- About.com reader

Deficits in executive function can make it more difficult for a student to plan, prioritize, organize, pay attention, remember details, and control emotional reactions.

Read More About Executive Function

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What Are Executive Functions? originally appeared on About.com ADD / ADHD on Tuesday, April 24th, 2012 at 12:30:49.

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We've read about lots of groundbreaking new work on genetics and headache over the past couple of years. This week there's a chance to hear directly from those leaders in this field. The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) is sponsoring it's 10th  research symposium on February 7-9, 2012 in Miami Beach Florida. The event is titled:"The Genetics of Pain: Science, Medicine and Drug Development.

It promises to be an interactive program that will be highly focused on genetics, clinical interventions and persistent pain conditions. Invited speakers include an international panel of experts from the pharmaceutical industry, academic research  and clinicians in the field.

What would you want to ask a geneticist about headache and migraine? Do headaches and migraines run in your family?

10th IASP Conference: The Genetics of Pain - Science, Medicine, and Drug Development

Genetics of Pain Research Symposium May Offer Answers originally appeared on About.com Headaches / Migraine on Sunday, February 5th, 2012 at 22:52:09.

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The Long QT syndrome is an inherited disorder of the heart's electrical system that can cause sudden death, even in young, healthy individuals. Read about long QT syndrome, its causes and treatment, here.

The Long QT Syndrome originally appeared on About.com Heart Disease on Monday, May 7th, 2012 at 07:05:14.

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It feels like only yesterday that I was cradling my newborn in my arms. I remember each of those amazing few months with exquisite detail - the first smile, the first coo and who could forget that first tooth. And right along with those delightful memories are also the memories of those  8 PM - midnight squeals of displeasure -- also known as colic. Dad and I used to do the the tag-team-trade-off; pacing like zombies down a dark hallway with baby in our arms until those little lungs gave way to sleep. If you've ever parented a baby with colic then  you know exactly what I mean...

So when the American Academy of Neurology issued a report yesterday  that suggests moms with migraines are more likely to have babies with colic -- I had a eureka moment (which was actually second to my first instinct mode of  mom defense  - which goes something like "...hey, don't going blaming moms for everything..."). But when you think about the idea that genes may be responsible for our migraines -- then it makes perfect sense.

Child neurologist Amy Gelfand led a study that looked at 154 mothers and their babies. Babies with colic were defined as those children who were healthy -- but who showed periodic signs of distress for no apparent reason. Mothers with a history of migraine were 2.5 times more likely to have a baby with colic than those who didn't report suffering from migraines. The researchers suggest that that colic in newborns may be an early sign of a syndrome that could eventually look like migraine in later years.

Now back to my eureka moment -- let's think about some of those behaviors associated with treating migraines. They're not too far off from the things we did to soothe our colicky baby boy -- going into a dark room, soothing massage, limiting auditory and visual stimulation...sound familiar?

I can't help but wonder if I was a colicky baby...

Were you?

Moms With Migraines May Have Colicky Babies originally appeared on About.com Headaches / Migraine on Tuesday, February 21st, 2012 at 13:49:27.

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When you think of a cholesterol-lowering diet, what comes to mind? Many of us might think of consuming less fats - especially saturated fats. However, there is a lot of evidence that suggests that you might need to also watch your carbohydrate intake, too. Just like there are good fats and bad fats, there are also good carbs and bad carbs. Good carbs include foods that contain whole grains whereas bad carbs are contained in foods like cookies, cakes, and candies. So, watching your carbohydrate, in addition to your carbohydrate intake could help you to better manage your cholesterol levels.

Is a Diet High in Carbohydrates Bad for You? originally appeared on About.com Cholesterol on Saturday, March 31st, 2012 at 11:28:02.

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According to a draft recommendation by the U.S. Preventative Task Force, women at who are at at average risk of ovarian cancer should not undergo routine ovarian cancer screenings. The expert panel contends the risks outweigh the benefits of routine screening, which include false and invasive screening methods such as surgeries. The recommendation excludes women who are at an increased risk of ovarian because of mutated BRCA 1 and 2 genes and other risk factors.

The draft states, "Although the mortality rate associated with ovarian cancer is high, the disease occurs infrequently in the general U.S. population, with an age-adjusted incidence of 13 cases per 100,000 women. As a result, the positive predictive value of screening for ovarian cancer--which directly depends upon the prevalence of the disease--is low, and the majority of women with a positive screening test will have a false-positive result."

Ovarian cancer is often detected in the advanced stages. Often called the "silent killer", ovarian cancer was believed to have little or no symptoms in the early stages. Recent research shows that the disease may produce vague, subtle symptoms. (See early ovarian cancer symptoms) Currently, there is no recommended screening method for women at average risk, unless they experience symptoms that may indicate ovarian cancer.

Sound off! Do you think that all women should be routinely screened for ovarian cancer despite it being an uncommon type of cancer? Would routine screening be justified if it saved one life? Leave your thoughts in the 'Comments' section below.

Experts Recommend Against Routine Ovarian Cancer Screening originally appeared on About.com Cancer on Friday, April 13th, 2012 at 16:12:36.

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The medical name for fainting spells, or a temporary loss of consciousness, is syncope (sin-co-pee). Syncope is a pretty common symptom, and it it thought that most people will experience syncope  at least once in their lives.  Still, because it may be a sign of a serious underlying medical problem, if you have syncope, you should contact your doctor to discuss the need for an evaluation.

This article discusses the symptom of syncope, and the many things that can cause it.

Syncope and Its Causes originally appeared on About.com Heart Disease on Monday, April 16th, 2012 at 08:26:21.

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I used to weigh 285 pounds.  That is the weight I was when I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in the early 1990's.  I have lost over 100 pounds and I am still hacking away at that number.  This weight loss came from trying many different diets and plans until I found the right one for me.  As my lifestyle or preferences changed, so did my diet.

I do not feel I wasted my time trying all those different diets, I did lose a little weight with most.  In my journey, I went from more lenient diets and baby stepped my way to the next diet that afforded more control, more weight loss, and overall a better quality of life.  This has happened slowly.  Because of this  I learned a lot along the way and weight regain was minimal.

With popular general diets, I found I had to do some carb counting on my own and I could not have as many carbs as some suggested.  If my blood sugar levels were hard to control, it was not a good diet for me.

Are you looking for an eating plan that will work for you?  Here is a listing of standard diabetes diets along with some popular diabetes-friendly diets.  I have to laugh and admit I have tried just about all of them on the list.  I will share that the first three diets were invaluable to me, and they have served as a knowledge base for when I try diets that are not standard diabetes diets.

Diets for Diabetics

Diets for People with Diabetes originally appeared on About.com Diabetes on Friday, March 30th, 2012 at 07:09:08.

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The DASH diet is considered by many to be the healthiest diet plan around.  It has been endorsed by many respected health organizations. This was a diet designed to lower blood pressure and was found to also lower cholesterol and improve insulin resistance (significantly).

Considering this, don't you think it would be worth your time to take a look at what this diet is and what it might be able to do for you?

What is the DASH Diet?

Is This the Best Diabetes Diet? originally appeared on About.com Diabetes on Saturday, March 31st, 2012 at 09:56:10.

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In deep venous thrombosis (DVT) blood clots form in the deep veins of the legs. Not only can the DVT itself produce unpleasant symptoms, but also DVT can lead to the much more serious problem of pulmonary embolus.

Read about DVT, the problems it can cause, and its treatment.

Deep Venous Thrombosis (DVT) originally appeared on About.com Heart Disease on Thursday, May 10th, 2012 at 23:13:32.

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