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The Risks of Not Knowing You’re Pregnant (Part 2)

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Yesterday I talked about the risks of not knowing you are pregnant, as is in the case of the women on the show I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant. I talked about the risks associated with continuing birth control or not taking prenatal vitamins during pregnancy. Turns out the risks associated with not taking prenatal vitamins are low if you are eating a well balanced diet. Taking birth control during pregnancy does pose a risk, but not in terms of birth defects. Today I’m going to talk about the risks associated with drinking alcohol, smoking, and risky activity, such as … Continue reading →

The Risks of Not Knowing You’re Pregnant (Part 1)

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The TV show I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant details the stories of women who go through entire pregnancies without ever knowing they are expecting a child. It’s scary enough to suddenly realize you’re about to have a baby without ever knowing you were pregnant, but imagine if you also knew that not only did you not have any prenatal care, but you had been living an unhealthy lifestyle. There are many things that pregnant women change while they are pregnant, such as not smoking, not drinking, eating healthy foods, taking prenatal vitamins, and avoiding vigorous exercise. What kind of … Continue reading →

Improving the Reputation of “Bad” Veggies

You’ve heard the whispers. Carrots are all sugar. Iceberg lettuce is nothing more than crunchy water, nutritionally speaking. But are these bad vegetables all bad? Even veggies that don’t make the A-list of superfoods aren’t worthless. Iceberg lettuce does have lots of water… but it also has important nutrients like vitamin A (which helps protect your eyes) and vitamin K (which can help protect your bones). Nutritional experts also point out that it’s better to eat iceberg lettuce than no lettuce at all. Celery is another veggie that gets a bad rap because of all the water involved. This vegetable … Continue reading →

Rose

The rose has a long, romantic history. But while this flower is mostly known in the arena of love, it also has some notable entries in the book of medicine. History suggests that Greek colonists first introduced the rose to southern Italy. The Romans crowned newlyweds with crowns of the fragrant flowers. Rose water — bruised petals boiled in water — was used as early as the tenth century. Rose attar (also known as otto) appeared in the sixteenth century. Native Americans used rose petals (mixed with grease or dried and powdered) to treat sores and blisters. Petals soaked in … Continue reading →

What’s Making My Hair Gorgeous: Fekkai or Bom Dia?

Something remarkable has happened atop my head the last couple of months: my hair looks shinier, healthier, more colorful than it has in years. (Like in over 20 years, since I was a teenager and my hair always looked healthy.) I haven’t colored it since last summer so I know it’s not that. In fact, when I first noticed this hair transformation it was around the time I should have been noticing the few grays I have and thinking about coloring again. Instead, I noticed my hair had changed color on its own. Not entirely changed, but the brown was … Continue reading →

Pet First Aid: Warfarin Poisoning

Warfarin is one of several compounds that may be used in rodent poisoning. Many dogs and cats (especially farm pets) are poisoned by warfarin each year — either from eating the rodent bait or by eating a rodent that has eaten the bait. This is the most common cause of poisoning in pets. Warfarin causes internal bleeding because it blocks the body’s production of clotting agents — proteins that allow the blood to clot. The body has a supply of clotting proteins already, so it may take a day or two after the poison has been ingested for symptoms to … Continue reading →

Travolta Sounds Off on Psychiatry

Do you remember two years ago when Tom Cruise had his psychiatry rant with Matt Lauer? Tom said, “Psychiatry is a pseudo science” and argued with Matt, saying, “You don’t know the history of psychiatry. I do.” Cruise, a Scientologist, felt that post-partum depression should not be treated with medication – he used Brooke Shields as an example – but with “vitamins and through exercise and various things.” If you missed the interview, you can still read the entire transcript at the MSNBC web page. Now, almost two years to the day after that interview, John Travolta is coming out … Continue reading →