Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Health Newsletters at the Patient Health Library, November 2011

Not all information is free and not all of it is online!  The UCSF Patient Health Library subscribes to a number of health and wellness newsletters that are not otherwise free to the public.  Here are some highlights from recent newsletters.
To see the entire articles, visit the Patient Health Library!

Consumer Reports on Health, October 2011
-Building stronger bones: Advice for women and men, pp.1-5
-Food for thought: How food affects emotions and cognition, pp.8-9

DukeMedicine HealthNews, November 2011
-Combat osteoarthritis with daily physical activity, pp.1-2
-Practice positive activities to help overcome depression, pp.5-6
-Aerobic exercise trumps resistance training for losing belly fat, p.7

Harvard Health Letter, October 2011
-Controlling what—and how much—we eat: Learning about cravings, pp.1-3
-Seeking a second opinion, p.6

Mayo Clinic Health Letter, October 2011
-Regenerative medicine, pp.4-5
-Maximizing your benefit from chemotherapy, supplement pp.1-6

Nutrition Action Newsletter, October 2011
-How the food industry influences what we eat, pp.10-11

Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter, October 2011
-When snacks attack: What you can do to break the snacking cycle, pp.4-6
“About half the average 3.35 pounds a healthy, non-obese American gains over four years can be traced to potato chips.”

UC Berkeley Wellness Letter, October 2011
-Dental erosion: 7 tips for your teeth, p.2
-What you need to know about tuna, p.4
-Peripheral artery disease, p.5
-Does massage help? p.6

Monday, November 21, 2011

Nutrition for everyone

MyPlate 
From the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, based on the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Additional nutrition resources from MedlinePlus

Want an alternative to the USDA's guidelines?  Take a look at Harvard University School of Public Health's Healthy Eating Plate, from their Nutrition Source website.

Need to make it really easy?  Check out the Ten Tips section of MyPlate.gov.
You'll find easy ways to incorporate vegetables, fruit, and fiber; how to cut back on sweets and sodium; tips for food shopping; and much more!



Healthy Eating After 50

Additional nutrition resources for seniors from MedlinePlus



Nutrition and Fitness for Families

Healthy Eating for the Whole Family

Additional child nutrition resources from MedlinePlus
 


Resources on Nutrition and Cancer
From the UCSF Patient Health Library blog

Monday, November 14, 2011

Seasonal Influenza (Flu)

Nearly everyone 6 months of age and older should get a yearly flu vaccine. Ample supplies of influenza vaccine are now available. It takes about two weeks after vaccination for your body to develop an immune response. Get vaccinated now so that you will be protected when flu season begins. In the United States, influenza season usually begins in October and can last until May. [From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)]

People at High Risk of Developing Flu-Related Complications
[From the CDC]


Who Should Not Be Vaccinated
There are some people who should not get a flu vaccine without first consulting a physician. These include:
  • People who have a severe allergy to chicken eggs.
  • People who have had a severe reaction to an influenza vaccination.
  • People who developed Guillain-BarrĂ© syndrome (GBS) within 6 weeks of getting an influenza vaccine.
  • Children less than 6 months of age (influenza vaccine is not approved for this age group), and
  • People who have a moderate-to-severe illness with a fever (they should wait until they recover to get vaccinated.)
[From the CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/keyfacts.htm ]
 


Where can you get a flu shot?

Contact your primary care doctor's office or your local pharmacist to see if they offer flu shots.

Adult Immunization & Travel Clinic: AITC is a non-profit, fee-for-service clinic that is part of the San Francisco Department of Public Health. AITC is committed to providing convenient, knowledgeable, personalized, and cost-effective immunization services for travelers, students, new employees, immigrants, and other members of the community. Information is available at http://www.sfcdcp.org/aitc.html



Cold or Flu?
[From UCSF Medical Center Patient Education]

Treatment for the Flu
[From UCSF Medical Center Patient Education]

When to Call Your Doctor About the Flu
[From UCSF Medical Center Patient Education]