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A Cold or the Flu?

Fitness 101: Ready, Set, Think!: Energy Express

By Marilynn Preston

Welcome to the Energy Express 2007 Pop Quiz. Don't panic. OK, you haven't studied. And your grade will become part of your permanent record. But living a healthy lifestyle means you are a perpetual student, always learning and up for a challenge. So answer these four questions (no peeking, answers below), and learn from your mistakes:

THE QUESTIONS
1. The sun's rays are destructive. You should never go out in the sun without wearing sunscreen. TRUE or FALSE?

By Marilynn Preston

Welcome to the Energy Express 2007 Pop Quiz. Don't panic. OK, you haven't studied. And your grade will become part of your permanent record. But living a healthy lifestyle means you are a perpetual student, always learning and up for a challenge. So answer these four questions (no peeking, answers below), and learn from your mistakes:

THE QUESTIONS
1. The sun's rays are destructive. You should never go out in the sun without wearing sunscreen. TRUE or FALSE?

2. Portion control is vital to successful weight loss. The ideal 3 oz. portion of meat is as big as:
a. your thumb
b. yo ... Continue reading Fitness 101: Ready, Set, Think!: Energy Express.

Flu Vaccine: Unsure for Elderly, Right for Kids

By Eric Sabo

Recommendations to vaccinate the elderly against the flu may be based on an overly optimistic view of how well the vaccine works, a study suggests. Out of a large group of seniors who were given flu shots, the biggest reductions in hospitalizations and deaths were before the start of the influenza season, implying that current vaccines offer less protection than believed.

Yet researchers do not call on older people to skip annual flu shots. Instead, they urge increased vigilance to keep the potentially deadly virus in check, such as by vaccinating children first.

By Eric Sabo

Recommendations to vaccinate the elderly against the flu may be based on an overly optimistic view of how well the vaccine works, a study suggests. Out of a large group of seniors who were given flu shots, the biggest reductions in hospitalizations and deaths were before the start of the influenza season, implying that current vaccines offer less protection than believed.

Yet researchers do not call on older people to skip annual flu shots. Instead, they urge increased vigilance to keep the potentially deadly virus in check, such as by vaccinating children first.

"The elderly should continue to get vacc ... Continue reading Flu Vaccine: Unsure for Elderly, Right for Kids.

Breaking the Code of Dyslexia

Imagine trying to read a book in a foreign language. You know that the symbols and marks on the page must mean something, but no matter how hard you try to sound them out, you can't put the pieces together into understandable words. That's what it feels like to have dyslexia.



Dyslexia is a learning disorder characterized by difficulties in reading, writing and spelling. It is genetic in nature, affecting how one's brain processes written language and even how it stores information for short-term work.

By Karen Barrow

Imagine trying to read a book in a foreign language. You know that the symbols and marks on the page must mean something, but no matter how hard you try to sound them out, you can't put the pieces together into understandable words.

That's what it feels like to have dyslexia.

Dyslexia is a learning disorder characterized by difficulties in reading, writing and spelling. It is genetic in nature, affecting how one's brain processes written language and even how it stores information for short-term work. Quite often, the people it affects are intelligent, but they have trouble learning in a world that t ... Continue reading Breaking the Code of Dyslexia.

Healthy Eating Made Easy

Healthy eating means enjoying a variety of foods in the
right portions. There is room for all types of food; each
one adding its own goodness. Having a varied diet ensures
you get all nutrients you require to stay healthy and
bursting with energy.

We said enjoying; meaning you will have the benefit of an
increased feeling of well being; and meaning you won't need
to give up any favorite foods, keep just for treats anything
not bringing in essential nutrients or health benefits.

by Anne Ehmer

Healthy eating means enjoying a variety of foods in the
right portions. There is room for all types of food; each
one adding its own goodness. Having a varied diet ensures
you get all nutrients you require to stay healthy and
bursting with energy.

We said enjoying; meaning you will have the benefit of an
increased feeling of well being; and meaning you won't need
to give up any favorite foods, keep just for treats anything
not bringing in essential nutrients or health benefits.

The first step you should take for healthy eating is
balancing your food need ... Continue reading Healthy Eating Made Easy.

Understanding Picky Eaters

By Doctors Aviva Schein and Ravi Raheja, General Pediatricians, Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY


If your baby is already choosy about feeding times or sometimes is disinterested in feeding, you may already wonder about what feeding troubles lie ahead. Relax. There are natural and good reasons why a growing child may become a picky eater. Toddlerhood tends to be the most common age for picky eaters, although some children remain particular about their food even as they get older.

By Doctors Aviva Schein and Ravi Raheja, General Pediatricians, Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY

If your baby is already choosy about feeding times or sometimes is disinterested in feeding, you may already wonder about what feeding troubles lie ahead. Relax. There are natural and good reasons why a growing child may become a picky eater.

Toddlerhood tends to be the most common age for picky eaters, although some children remain particular about their food even as they get ol ... Continue reading Understanding Picky Eaters.

Quieting a Chronic Cough

Having a cough tends to be a nuisance-interrupting dinner, disturbing a quiet movie theatre or waking up your spouse in the middle of the night. But a prolonged, chronic cough-one that lasts for three weeks or more-may be a sign of something more serious.

Even for a short-term cough, it can be tough to figure out when to see a doctor. Since a simple cold can cause a cough, you don't need to schedule an appointment with your family physician immediately. First, ask yourself if your cough may be tied to an underlying infection. Are you coughing up blood or discolored phlegm? Do you have a fever? These may be signs of a respiratory infection, and your doctor can prescribe an antibiotic to help.

By Karen Barrow

Having a cough tends to be a nuisance-interrupting dinner, disturbing a quiet movie theatre or waking up your spouse in the middle of the night. But a prolonged, chronic cough-one that lasts for three weeks or more-may be a sign of something more serious.

Even for a short-term cough, it can be tough to figure out when to see a doctor. Since a simple cold can cause a cough, you don't need to schedule an appointment with your family physician immediately. First, ask yourself if your cough may be tied to an underlying infection. Are you coughing up blood or discolored phlegm? Do you have a fever? These may be s ... Continue reading Quieting a Chronic Cough.

Childhood Stress

As providers and caretakers, adults tend to view the world of children as happy and carefree. After all, kids don't have jobs to keep or bills to pay, so what could they possibly have to worry about?

Plenty! Even very young children have worries and feel stress to some degree. Stress is a function of the demands placed on us and our ability (or sometimes our perceived ability) to meet them.

As providers and caretakers, adults tend to view the world of children as happy and carefree. After all, kids don't have jobs to keep or bills to pay, so what could they possibly have to worry about?

Plenty! Even very young children have worries and feel stress to some degree. Stress is a function of the demands placed on us and our ability (or sometimes our perceived ability) to meet them.

Sources of Childhood Stress
Pressures often come from outside sources (such as ... Continue reading Childhood Stress.