RSS Feedhttp:// RSS Feeden{6B554AA4-D358-40EB-8D1B-1DB5F4E50084} Memory-Improving Tips You Won&#39;t Want to ForgetWhether you&rsquo;re a student studying for exams, a professional who wants to be mentally sharp, or a mother who needs to juggle a busy schedule, all of us want to have a good memory. Here are three tips that can help you improve your memory and mental performance. <p><strong>Memory Improving Tip 1:</strong> Don&rsquo;t skimp on self-care</p> <ul> <li>Self-care includes getting good sleep, exercising the body, eating healthy foods, and managing your stress. Let&rsquo;s face it, nothing works right when you aren&rsquo;t taking good care of yourself, including your mind&rsquo;s ability to function at full capacity. &nbsp;</li> <li>Sleep is what helps knit together your memories that you gathered throughout the day. It also helps make long-term memories last. Important memory-enhancing activity occurs in the brain during the deepest stages of sleep.</li> <li>Heart-healthy foods are also good for the brain. Fish high in omega-3 fatty acids, walnuts, and berries are especially good choices. Jim Joseph, Ph.D., the director of the neuroscience lab at the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, reports that blueberries may have the power to create new pathways for connections in the brain. These connectors tend to die off with age, but in animal studies, blueberry consumption has been shown to help restore them.</li> <li>Stress increases your cortisol hormone. This interferes with your brain&rsquo;s ability to encode information or retrieve it. Managing daily stress, along with good sleep and brain food, gives you a great starting point to increase your memory muscle.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Memory Improving Tip 2:</strong>&nbsp; Give your memory a workout</p> <p>Remember playing the Memory Game with your kids where you put out a deck of cards face down and then compete to match them by remembering their location? This is a perfect game to give your memory a fun workout. Here are a few other ways you can practice during the day:</p> <ul> <li>Play mind games. These can range from playing Scrabble or doing crossword puzzles to reading a book that requires concentration and thought or learning a new language. When you challenge your brain, you actually generate new cells in the hippocampus according to Peter Snyder, Ph.D., a professor of clinical neurosciences at the Warren Alpert School of Medicine at Brown University. These new cells build cognitive reserves that are important for creating new memories and may protect against memory loss later in life.&nbsp; </li> <li>Memorize a favorite poem or words to a song.</li> <li>Pretend you have to describe a person you&rsquo;ve just met in detail. By forcing yourself to observe and recall the small details, you sharpen your memory.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Memory Improving Tip 3: </strong>Use memory prompts</p> <ul> <li>As you start a routine task, say it out loud as you do it (&ldquo;I&rsquo;m going to lock the door&rdquo;). This fends off other distractions as you&rsquo;re heading out the door with a million things on your mind.</li> <li>Connect names with something familiar or fun. For example, when you meet Suzy, make up a rhyme like &ldquo;Suzy, she&rsquo;s a doozy&rdquo; or connect her name to your best friend from high school who was also named Suzy.</li> <li>Move your watch or ring from one hand to the other to remind you to do something. The strangeness of the switch can prompt the recall.</li> <li>Use your smart phone to give you reminders or prompts. You can set alarms or use the note section to write things down immediately. Photos on your phone can remind you of the parking stall number at the airport.</li> <li>Relax and let the memory come. When you can&rsquo;t remember something, relax and switch to something else. You&rsquo;ll often find that the memory will emerge when you stop stressing over it and let it come naturally.</li> <li>Use numbers. If you have three items to pick up at the grocery store, remember the number three. When you only have two items in your grocery cart you&rsquo;ll know you&rsquo;re missing an item. If you forget the third item, you can always call your spouse or roommate to remind you what it was before you leave the grocery store. </li> <li>Use reminder lists. They can be electronic or paper, but they really do work!&nbsp; </li> </ul> <p>Think of memory as a muscle: If you don&rsquo;t use it, you may lose it. Self-care, memory workouts, and using prompts will help you have a healthy, active mind throughout your life.&nbsp; </p> <p>If you feel that your forgetfulness is more severe than usual or is beginning to interfere with your daily activities, be sure to consult with your physician or mental health provider.</p>Tue, 31 Mar 2015 00:00:00 -0600{A7E4F412-6D55-492D-A16C-FC7A8BFBABF4} you know the warning signs of early-onset Alzheimer&#39;s disease? Plus, three simple ways to improve your cognitive abilityThat rapid decline of early-onset Alzheimer&rsquo;s disease is the focus of the movie <em><a href="" title="Watch the movie trailer">Still Alice</a></em>, which was released earlier this year and based on the book by Lisa Genova. The film emotionally documents the steady decline of Dr. Alice Howland, a university professor and mother of three (who&rsquo;s played by Julianne Moore), and the effect early Alzheimer&rsquo;s has on her family. Moore recently earned an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the film.<br /> <br /> &ldquo;The personal costs of early-onset Alzheimer&rsquo;s disease are much higher than typical Alzheimer&rsquo;s because the disease comes when the patient is still in the prime of life,&rdquo; said Kelly Garrett, PhD, a neuropsychologist for the Intermountain Neurosciences Institute, based at the Salt Lake Clinic. &ldquo;The patients are usually still working and may have children at home. Very quickly after diagnosis, patients will need someone to care for them.&rdquo;<br /> <br /> &ldquo;Thankfully, early-onset Alzheimer&rsquo;s is actually quite rare,&rdquo; Garrett said. &ldquo;It only accounts for about 5-10 percent of all Alzheimer&rsquo;s cases. Most people don&rsquo;t need to worry about it.&rdquo;<br /> <br /> <h3>Early warning signs of Alzheimer&rsquo;s disease include:</h3> <ul> <li>Difficulty recalling newly learned information (short-term memory loss)</li> <li>Forgetting appointments</li> <li>Easily distracted</li> <li>Trouble with word recall or language comprehension</li> </ul> <p> &ldquo;For most of us, forgetting things is just a normal part of aging,&rdquo; Garrett said. &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t need to worry about Alzheimer&rsquo;s disease just because you forgot where you parked your car unless it happens all the time. But if you&rsquo;re consistently forgetting things, I&rsquo;d recommend that you contact your doctor.&rdquo;</p> <p> There are many potential causes of Alzheimer&rsquo;s-like symptoms, including brain injuries, stroke, heart disease, severe infections, sleep apnea, vitamin B12 deficiencies, and diabetes. So while Alzheimer&rsquo;s disease has no known cure, many of the other dementia-causing conditions can be treated. Plus there are some medications and treatments that have had some success in slowing the progression of Alzheimer&rsquo;s if they&rsquo;re administered early. That&rsquo;s why it&rsquo;s important to see a doctor soon if you&rsquo;ve noticed signs of memory disorders. </p> <h3>What can you do to lower your risk of dementia and improve your cognitive abilities? </h3> <p>Alzheimer&rsquo;s disease is sometimes a result of genetics and other non-preventable causes, but there are three important things you can do to reduce your risk or delay cognitive loss:</p> <ol> <li> <strong>Physical activity.</strong> &ldquo;If you could only do one thing to improve your cognitive performance, it would be exercise. Older adults who exercise reduce their risk of dementia by half,&rdquo; Garrett said. &ldquo;And it doesn&rsquo;t have to be a lot of exercise &mdash; 20 minutes a day, three days per week, is effective.&rdquo;</li> <li><strong>Mental engagement.</strong> &ldquo;Although doctors aren&rsquo;t completely sure of its effectiveness, frequently doing things that challenge the brain seems to help improve cognitive abilities,&rdquo; Garrett said. &ldquo;The activity must be intense, challenging, and enjoyable. For example, some people enjoy doing crossword puzzles. But if you don&rsquo;t like crossword puzzles, try something else. A neuropsychologist can help you find the right brain activities for you.&rdquo;</li> <li><strong>Social engagement.</strong> &ldquo;Often people will retire from their job and then just sit at home instead of going out and interacting with other people. Those who frequently interact socially with others usually have less cognitive decline,&rdquo; Garrett says.</li> </ol> <p> People interested in learning more about Alzheimer&rsquo;s disease or who want to make an appointment with a memory disorder specialist can contact the Intermountain Neurosciences Institute at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray by calling <strong>(801) 507-9800</strong>. </p>Mon, 30 Mar 2015 00:00:00 -0600{2A1D6D59-E2C7-4FCD-AA8D-678521662EBA} What the Breast Cancer Gene Means to You<p>One in 400 women have a mutation&nbsp;in the BRCA gene, which is linked to both ovarian and breast cancer.&nbsp;The BRCA-1 gene, which Ms. Jolie carries, increases the risk of breast cancer to an estimated 87 percent. The risk of ovarian cancer increases to 50 percent.</p> <p>The more answers a woman has about her risk of breast cancer, the better able she will be to make an informed decision about her care. Here are a few questions you may have about BRCA mutations and cancer.</p> <p><strong>What is a BRCA1 Mutation?</strong></p> <p>According to the National Cancer Institute, the BRCA gene produces suppressor proteins, which help repair DNA. When the gene becomes mutated, it&rsquo;s not able to repair damaged DNA, resulting in genetic alterations that can lead to cancer.</p> <p><strong>Who should get genetic testing to detect a BRCA mutation?</strong></p> <p>&ldquo;Any woman who has a family history of breast or ovarian cancer is at higher risk for carrying the BRCA mutation,&rdquo; said Brett Parkinson, MD, imaging director of Intermountain Medical Center&rsquo;s Janice Beesley Hartvigsen Breast Care Center.</p> <p>This is especially true of women who have a first-degree relative&mdash;mother sister or daughter&mdash;who has had either disease. Especially concerning is a family history of one or more first-degree relatives with premenopausal breast cancer, a close male relative with breast cancer, or multiple relatives with either breast or ovarian cancer.&nbsp;&ldquo;Women in that category should consider genetics counseling,&rdquo; suggests Parkinson.</p> <p><strong>What happens if you are diagnosed with the gene mutation?</strong></p> <p>A positive test means you are at greater risk for developing breast or ovarian cancer in your lifetime. But there are ways to manage your risk.</p> <p>&ldquo;One of the first proactive steps a woman can take is to schedule breast cancer screenings more appropriately,&rdquo; said Dr. Parkinson. &ldquo;This may include starting yearly screening mammograms at an earlier age, because the earlier breast cancer is detected, the more successfully it can be treated.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p> <p>Women who test positive for the BRCA gene should also undergo yearly MRI exams, as well as screening mammography.&nbsp;Of course, all women&mdash;even those of average risk&mdash;should begin annual screening mammography at age 40.</p> <p>Another option may be similar to what Angelina Jolie chose to do &ndash; have the breast tissue removed from both breasts (known as a bilateral prophylactic mastectomy) and/or have the ovaries and fallopian tubes (known as a bilateral prophylactic salpingo-oophorectomy) removed as well. &nbsp;</p> <p>&ldquo;Although we can effectively screen for breast cancer, and can find it in its earliest, most treatable stage, we have no effective screening test for ovarian cancer,&rdquo; said Dr. Parkinson. &ldquo;After a woman with the BRCA mutation is done childbearing, and before the age of forty, she should strongly consider bilateral oophorectomy.&rdquo;</p> <p>&ldquo;There is no right or wrong decision,&rdquo; said Dr Parkinson. &ldquo;The decision is up to the woman, and the more information she has about risks and treatment options, the more equipped she will be to make the right decision for her and her family.&rdquo;</p>Sat, 28 Mar 2015 00:00:00 -0600{DDBC3419-B7DA-434C-8744-28E29E6F2024} ways you&#39;re sabotaging your salad and how to fix it<p class="p1"><strong>Problem: The wrong salad dressing.</strong> Creamy salad dressings like blue cheese, ranch, Caesar, and thousand island&nbsp; are high in fat, especially saturated fat, and calories. Too much is not only bad for your heart, but&nbsp; for your waistline.</p> <p class="p1"><strong>Solution: Choose an oil based dressing, like a light vinaigrette</strong>. You can make your own with oil and vinegar and your favorite herbs and spices. Some of my favorite light dressing brands to recommend are Newman&rsquo;s Own and Bolthouse Farms because they're low in fat and calories, but still have great taste.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p class="p1">&nbsp;</p> <p class="p1"><strong>Problem: Too much salad dressing</strong>. Most people like their veggies COATED with dressing. Even when we choose a healthier salad dressing, too much dressing will always mean too much fat and calories.&nbsp;</p> <p class="p1"><strong>Solution: Always get your dressing on the side.</strong> Even if you plan to drizzle your dressing on top, when you start with it on the side, you control how much dressing you use. You can try the dab and stick method, where you take your dressing on the side, dab in your fork, and then stick it in your lettuce. Another thing you can do to add lower levels of calories and fat to your salad is add moisture before adding your dressing &mdash; use salsa or pico de gallo, vinegar, or the juice from a lemon or lime.&nbsp; You get a ton of flavor without a lot of calories and sodium and you're able to use less dressing.</p> <p class="p1">&nbsp;</p> <p class="p1"><strong>Problem: Too many high-calorie toppings</strong>. They include fried wontons, tortilla strips, croutons, bacon bits, sunflower seeds, candied nuts, cheese and avocados. Not all of these foods are unhealthy per se (some are great for your health!), but we need to take all of them in small doses.</p> <p class="p1"><strong>Solution: </strong><strong>Use smaller portions</strong>. Always ask for toppings on the side, or take some off the top right when you get your salad. If you like crunch, use gold fish or a whole wheat cracker instead of croutons. Use sun-dried tomatoes instead of bacon bits and try to use only one or two tablespoons of other toppings (or the size of about two poker chips). Don&rsquo;t get me wrong, avocados are awesome &mdash; but an entire avocado has about 40 grams of fat, which is more than half of the recommended fat the average person needs in a day!</p> <p class="p1">&nbsp;</p> <p class="p1"><strong>Problem: Too much meat, especially high-fat meats</strong>. Think crispy chicken salad or a loaded chef salad. While protein, especially lean meat, is healthy, too much is too much. Extra protein, especially if it's deep-fried adds extra fat and calories and can add a lot of sodium.&nbsp;</p> <p class="p1"><strong>Solution: Choose less meat</strong>. Remember: You're having a salad, not a sandwich! Try to limit your portions to about 3 oz, or the size of a deck of cards, and consider choosing a hard-boiled egg or egg whites. Incorporate more plant-based proteins like beans, tofu or edamame and always choose a grilled protein, like grilled chicken or fish.&nbsp;</p>Fri, 27 Mar 2015 00:00:00 -0600{1CE6BFF4-6059-4425-96C0-A79906F18D17} Can You Beat Colorectal Cancer? Regular Screening is Key to Saving Your Life<p class="p1">Larry Weber knew he should get a colonoscopy.</p> <p class="p1">After all, he turned 60 last May, and the American Cancer Society recommends getting a colonoscopy when you turn 50.&nbsp;</p> <p class="p1">His wife Terry got her first colonoscopy at 51, and again in February of this year when she turned 56.&nbsp;</p> <p class="p1">&ldquo;I knew I had to get him in and he kept saying, &lsquo;After I retire.&rsquo; Well, he retired in August and it was time,&rdquo; she says.</p> <p class="p1">It turned out Terry&rsquo;s good example (and gentle nagging) led to an early diagnosis for Larry.&nbsp;After Terry got her regularly scheduled colonoscopy with Christian Capener, MD, at Riverton Hospital, Larry went in for his first colonoscopy. Dr. Capener found the early stages of colon cancer and recommended that Larry get surgery.&nbsp;Terry put her own scheduled hip surgery on hold so Larry could get his cancer removed immediately.</p> <p class="p1">&ldquo;The hardest part was waiting a couple days for the lab to come back and let us know if it spread or if they got it all,&rdquo; says Larry.&nbsp;</p> <p class="p1">The surgery was a success and Larry is cancer-free. He doesn&rsquo;t have to undergo chemotherapy or radiation.&nbsp;Larry plans on enjoying a long retirement with Terry, their children, and their nine grandchildren. He now plans to get regular colonoscopies so he can make sure the cancer doesn&rsquo;t return. &ldquo;I plan to tell all my friends and family to get their colonoscopies,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;It saved my life.&rdquo;</p> <p class="p1">&ldquo;Larry is a success story because colon cancer is preventable and treatable when it&rsquo;s detected early,&rdquo; says Dr. Capener.</p> <p class="p1"><strong>March is National colorectal cancer awareness month</strong></p> <p class="p1">Here are some important facts on colorectal cancer:</p> <ul> <li>Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. It affects men and women equally; everyone needs to be screened.</li> <li>Colorectal cancer arises from pre-cancerous growths or polyps that grow in the colon. When they&rsquo;re detected early, polyps can be removed, which prevents them from progressing to colorectal cancer. While early detection of any cancer is important, PREVENTION is powerful.</li> <li>Many people don&rsquo;t realize that colorectal cancer is highly preventable. And unlike other cancer screenings, which can only detect a problem, a colonoscopy can prevent colorectal cancer by removing precancerous polyps during the exam.</li> <li>One in three adults &mdash; almost 23 million Americans between ages 50 and 75 &mdash; is not getting tested for colorectal cancer as recommended.</li> <li>According to the American Cancer Society, the colon cancer death rate in this country could be cut in half if Americans simply followed recommended screening guidelines. Last year alone, more than 50,000 people died of colorectal cancer in the United States.</li> <li>You should get your screening colonoscopy beginning at age 50, sooner if you have a family history of colon cancer.</li> <li>Schedule your screening colonoscopy today.&nbsp;It could save your life!&nbsp;</li> </ul>Wed, 25 Mar 2015 00:00:00 -0600{385F0023-5D0E-4C5B-B0A1-CC9C10B931FA} Meditation Can Help You Better Manage Daily Stress<p class="p1">Life is stressful, and it&rsquo;s not getting any easier.&nbsp;</p> <p class="p1">That&rsquo;s one of the reasons that so many Americans are incorporating 20 minutes of meditation into their daily schedules.</p> <p class="p1">&ldquo;Meditation doesn&rsquo;t get rid of stress or the grief, but it helps individuals change their relationship to it,&rdquo; said Marc Potter, a licensed clinical social worker for Intermountain Healthcare. &ldquo;It gives you the ability and the strength to cope with the stress you deal with everyday, whether it&rsquo;s in the workplace or at home.&rdquo;</p> <p class="p1">A lot of people get into meditation involuntarily, said Potter. Something drastic happens to them; they feel like they&rsquo;re hit with the final straw that breaks the camel&rsquo;s back.</p> <p class="p1">&ldquo;That&rsquo;s what happened to me,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I was at the height of my career, and I broke down. I went from helping mentally ill homeless addicts to becoming one. For those who come to me for help, they&rsquo;re stressed out of their minds. Meditation brings a deep sense of calm and self compassion.&rdquo;</p> <p class="p1"><strong>What is meditation?</strong></p> <p class="p1">According to Jon Kabat-Zinn, a molecular biologist and meditation pioneer, mediation &mdash;which is also referred to as mindfulness &mdash; is the process of quieting the mind&rsquo;s constant chattering, including its thoughts, anxieties, and regrets.</p> <p class="p1"><strong>How do I meditate?</strong></p> <p class="p1">The best way is to learn from a teacher; however, you can sit in a comfortable chair while focusing on your breathing. Pay careful attention to when your mind wonders. When you divert to another thought, don&rsquo;t judge yourself. Simply escort your attention back to your breath over and over again.</p> <p class="p1"><strong>Do I have to be Buddhist to meditate?</strong></p> <p class="p1">The answer is no. Though meditation is tied to Buddhism, the origins of meditation date back to 5,000 B.C. and can be found in most cultures throughout the world. You can be a wonderful Catholic, Mormon, Buddhist or atheist and still meditate. Everyone can benefit.&nbsp;</p> <p class="p1"><strong>Speaking of benefits of meditation, what are they?</strong></p> <ol> <li>It alleviates stress -&nbsp;In addition to giving you time to relax, meditation affects the whole nervous system by reducing the amount of cortisol (stress hormone) the body produces.</li> <li>It improves concentration - Once we learn to focus on our breath, recognize when our mind wanders, and return our focus to our breathing, we can use that skill in everything we do such as work, family time, and play.</li> <li>It leads to better health - Researchers have linked meditation to decreasing your blood pressure, sleeping more peacefully, managing chronic pain, and even to extending your life.</li> <li>It changes your brain - Research has proven that meditating impacts the brain as well. MRI scans show the amygdala shrinks after participating in a meditation course. As the amygdala shrinks, the pre-frontal cortex thickens.</li> <li>It improves creativity - Blocks in creativity can have multiple causes, but whatever the cause, the result is usually because we get caught in a routine. Taking time to meditate allows us to unwind and reset allowing us to push through the blocks.</li> </ol> <p class="p1"><strong>So what&rsquo;s the moral of this story? What should you do now?</strong></p> <p class="p1">Stop cruising the internet, step away from your computer, and take 20 minutes to meditate.&nbsp;</p> <p class="p1">&ldquo;One of the highlights throughout my career,&rdquo; said Marc, &rdquo;is when a few people have approached me and said &lsquo;meditation changed my life.&rsquo;&rdquo;</p> <p class="p1"><strong>Need additional guidance?</strong></p> <p class="p1">If you need some guidance, visit <a href="" target="_blank"></a> and listen to CD #3<em> (scroll to the bottom of the page)</em>, which was created to help people in the workplace.</p>Fri, 20 Mar 2015 00:00:00 -0600{388D274D-2755-4529-87E7-CE1C4E67D695} Smart Watches Can Help Improve Your HealthThe Apple Watch has garnered a considerable amount of attention in recent weeks, and has brought the spotlight back on the young wearables industry, but you may be wondering, &ldquo;What does a smart watch actually do?&rdquo; It&rsquo;s a worthwhile question, especially considering the hefty price tag of many smart watches.<br /> <br /> At the most basic level, smart watches are an extension of a smartphone &mdash; they receive notifications, answer phone calls from your wrist, allow you to use apps, and tell time. But the major advantage of a smart watch is you&rsquo;re almost always wearing it. This allows smart watch wearers to be connected in ways never before possible.<br /> <br /> This always-on feature has great implications for changing the lifestyles of watch owners, even their health. Here are nine ways smart watches could help improve your health:<br /> <br /> <strong>Steps Tracker. </strong>One of the easiest ways to improve your health and boost your activity level is to take 10,000 steps a day. Smart watches have built-in pedometers, which makes it easy to see the number of steps taken. While the degree of accuracy of these pedometers is questionable, the fact that you&rsquo;re moving to meet your steps goal is the more important thing.<br /> <br /> <strong>Sleep monitoring. </strong>The <a href="" target="_blank">Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports</a>&nbsp;more than a third of adults in the United States get fewer than 7 hours of sleep a night. A sustained lack of sleep can have long-term negative consequences for the body. Smart watches, when worn at night, can track sleep patterns. They can let you know how many hours of sleep you&rsquo;re getting and how many uninterrupted hours. While not a substitute for a professional sleep study, these sleep statistics can help you identify patterns and set goals to improve the quality and quantity of sleep.<br /> <br /> <strong>Goal Setting. </strong>Many smart watches have built-in apps with goal-setting abilities. For example, you can set a goal to take a certain number of steps, or sleep a certain number of hours, and the goal tracker will let you know how you&rsquo;re doing on your goal today and over time. This provides an incentive and reward for meeting your health goals.<br /> <br /> <strong>Workout reminders. </strong>We all know we should workout, but so often the hardest part of working out is making it a habit. Setting workout reminders is a great way to turn a good goal into a great habit. The advantage to a reminder on a smart watch rather than on a smartphone is it&rsquo;s harder to dismiss. It&rsquo;s easy to miss a reminder notification if you don&rsquo;t have your phone on you, but a smart watch will vibrate on your wrist, letting you know it&rsquo;s time to hit the gym.<br /> <br /> <strong>Timers and stopwatches. </strong>While this isn&rsquo;t necessarily a new feature to smart watches, having been available on digital watches for years, timers and stopwatches are incredibly useful for runners, swimmers and cyclists.<br /> <br /> <strong>Fitness apps.</strong> Just like smartphones, smart watches can have apps. While limited in features, there are health and fitness apps available that can meet your individual health goals and needs.<br /> <br /> <strong>Easier listening to jams while working out.</strong> You may have your favorite tunes on your smartphone, but it&rsquo;s often awkward to workout with a large phone. Many smart watches allow you to load a limited number of your favorite songs directly onto the watch, independent of the smartphone. Combined with Bluetooth headphones, this allows for greater convenience and comfort while working out. While music itself won&rsquo;t improve your health, it can provide motivation to workout.<br /> <br /> <strong>Custom watch faces.</strong> One of the most popular features of smart watches is the ability to customize watch faces, allowing you to express your individuality. In addition to fun, colorful watch faces, many smart watches allow you to add health tracking features to the main watch face. Adding steps taken or goals to the watch face puts health front and center. The more you see it, the more you&rsquo;re reminded to take an active role in your health.<br /> <br /> <strong>Data syncing for analysis.</strong> While smart watches have limited processing ability on their own, they are always connected to smartphones, which allows your collected health stats (sleep, steps, etc.) to be synced with your phone. On your phone you can use native apps like Apple Health or other third-party apps to analyze the data. This helps you understand your habits and progress and set future goals.<br /> <br /> Smart watches are in their infancy, but already show great promise for the future. Health tracking has been included from the beginning, showing the focus of these companies and suggests future growth in this area.<br /> <br /> For many people, a dedicated tracker like a Jawbone or a FitBit is the way to go, but by shelling out a little more money you can get many more health features with a smart watch.<br /> <br /> Of course, even with the greatest features in the world, a smart watch still relies on one very important thing: you to make the most of it.<br /> <div><br /> </div>Fri, 20 Mar 2015 00:00:00 -0600{7038942D-D2A6-4319-9194-2536DF40CCCD} Hacks<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Nutrition Hacks</span></strong><br /> <br /> <ol> <li>Swap out sour cream, oil, butter, mayonnaise, or cream cheese for non-fat, plain Greek yogurt to reduce fat and calories in your favorite recipes.&nbsp; Using 1 cup of Greek yogurt in place of 1 cup of butter or oil could decrease the calorie content of your recipe by 1400 calories!</li> <li>Do you love peanut butter but cringe when you read the nutrition label and realize there are 100 calories per tablespoon?&nbsp; Try low-fat powdered peanut butter.&nbsp; It provides the peanut butter flavor and protein with only a fraction of the fat and calories.</li> <li>If you are trying to reduce your intake of added sugars try using half the sugar that your favorite recipe calls for and add a little vanilla, nutmeg or cinnamon.</li> <li>Fat-free evaporated milk is a great substitute for heavy cream in creamy soups and sauces.</li> <li>Moderate your carbohydrate intake by using spaghetti squash in place of pasta with your favorite pasta sauce.</li> <li>For you bacon lovers who are trying to reduce your intake of saturated fat, try Canadian bacon, turkey bacon, or prosciutto as a delicious alternative and save the bacon for special occasions.</li> <li>Try roasting your vegetables!&nbsp; This cooking method is so flavorful that you will want to go back for seconds of only veggies!&nbsp; I love roasting cauliflower, asparagus, sweet potatoes, carrots, and more.</li> <li>Don&rsquo;t eat in front of the TV or computer.&nbsp; Eating should be a pleasurable experience &ndash; even if you are trying to lose weight.&nbsp; To get the maximum amount of satisfaction from your food, allow yourself to focus on eating without other distractions.</li> <li>Plan a menu.&nbsp; If you find yourself always overwhelmed at figuring out what to prepare for dinner (and instead opt to just grab take-out on your way home from work) try planning a menu.&nbsp; It may take a little time at the beginning of your week but you will save time in the long run as well as eat healthier.&nbsp; An added bonus &ndash; you&rsquo;ll spend less on groceries than you do on eating out.</li> <li>Go for variety.&nbsp; Steamed broccoli at dinner and an apple at lunch every single day can get old.&nbsp; Try a variety of fruits and vegetables &ndash; even some you&rsquo;ve never tried before.&nbsp; It&rsquo;s not only healthier but it&rsquo;s also more fun.&nbsp;</li> </ol>Thu, 19 Mar 2015 00:00:00 -0600{502150E4-7FC7-4101-8655-33CE471DCD02} Surgery BreakthroughsIntermountain Healthcare is fully committed to clinical research and innovation. We believe that as we focus on improving our methods, we achieve positive outcomes that are among the best in the nation. One of the ways Intermountain is leading in innovation is using advanced technology to improve outcomes in surgical procedures.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <p style="text-align: left;">In December 2014, Dr. Nathan Richard&rsquo;s at Intermountain Avenues Specialty Clinic successfully performed the first minimally invasive Whipple procedure in Utah with the assistance of the da Vinci Surgical System.&nbsp; Commonly done as an open surgery, the Whipple procedure is used to remove cancerous or benign tumors from the pancreas.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img style="height: 128px; width: 104px;" alt="nathan richards" src="/~/media/Images/Modules/Blog/Author/nathan richards.JPG?h=128&amp;w=104" /></p> <p>For patients diagnosed with pancreatic tumors the minimally invasive approach can be an improvement to the traditional open procedure.&nbsp; Patients that undergo minimally invasive surgery commonly experience a shorter hospital stay, reduced pain, and a quicker recovery.&nbsp; Utilizing the advanced technology of the da Vinci robotic system, procedures that are typically open surgery, like the Whipple, can be performed minimally invasive.</p> <p>The minimally invasive approach to the Whipple used five small incisions, the largest being about 2 inches rather than a 10 to 12 inch incision commonly used in open surgery. The surgeon controls a camera and small surgical instruments inserted through the incisions to remove portions of the pancreas, gallbladder, bile duct and small intestine and then to reconstruct the tissues so that they can function again. The physician is 100 percent in control of the robotic system which translates his or her hand movements into smaller, more precise movements of tiny surgical instruments inside the body. </p> <p> </p> <p>In addition, Dr. Richards also recently completed partial pancreatectomy with splenectomy procedures using the robotic system, more firsts of these procedures in Utah. Only 7.3 percent of these procedures are performed using a minimally invasive approach, according to a review of the National Inpatient Sample database from 2009.&nbsp; </p> <p>Dr. Richards, who has performed numerous Whipple procedures using the open surgical approach, was impressed with the high definition, magnified, three dimensional views the robotic system provided.&nbsp; &ldquo;The visualization of the surgical field is mind blowing.&nbsp; It allows me to clearly identify and manipulate tissue to control bleeding and remove the cancerous area.&rdquo; </p> <p>Dr. Richards performed the surgery at Intermountain LDS Hospital, one of four Intermountain hospitals to utilize robotic surgery.&nbsp; Intermountain LDS Hospital is one of the few hospitals in the nation to offer a minimally invasive Whipple procedure. While not every surgery will need to use the robotic system to produce the best results, this advanced technology is another tool that Intermountain surgeons have to improve outcomes and provide our patients with the best care possible. </p>Wed, 18 Mar 2015 00:00:00 -0600{93020BD9-E594-4E2A-A40B-C360F56390DC} from Sinus Problems? Here&#39;s Everything You Need to Know<p class="p1">The sinuses are one among a dozen or so body parts that are, as Darwin puts it, &ldquo;useless or nearly useless.&rdquo; Though there isn&rsquo;t much to go off of, science has come up with a few best guesses as to why we have sinuses. Some of these guesses include resonance in our voices, reduced weight in the skull, protection of the brain against blows to face, and according to Charles Katz, MD, an allergy specialist at Alta View Hospital, keeping ear, nose and throat doctors in business.&nbsp;</p> <p class="p1">&ldquo;The question of why we have sinuses may still be a mystery,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;but luckily for us, medicines and procedures to help people with sinus problems are improving every day. There&rsquo;s relief for those who are suffering.&rdquo;</p> <p class="p1"><strong>What are common sinus problems?</strong></p> <ul> <li><strong><em>Sinus blockages.</em></strong> Each sinus has a narrow spot that&rsquo;s responsible for drainage. If a blockage occurs in the transition of any of the sinuses, mucus backs up.</li> <li><strong><em>Deviated nasal septum.</em> </strong>People get a deviated nasal septum when the thin wall between your nostrils is displaced to one side. Such a problem may lead to other problems such as obstructed breathing and snoring.</li> <li><strong><em>Narrow sinuses.</em> </strong>Many people have variations in their anatomy that creates a longer, narrower path for the transition spaces to drain.</li> <li><strong><em>Sinus allergies.</em> </strong>This sensitivity triggers a dilation of blood vessels in the nose, and sometimes releases chemicals from cells in the nose that cause swelling.</li> <li><strong><em>Sinusitis or sinus infections</em></strong><em>.</em> Sinusitis is caused by virus, bacteria, or fungus, which grows within a sinus and causes blockage of the sinus. It also causes inflammation in the air cavities of the nose.</li> </ul> <p class="p1"><strong>How do sinus problems begin?</strong></p> <p class="p1">Many sinus problems, especially sinusitis, begin due to a cold and usually appear after seven to 10 days. Physicians usually diagnose a person with chronic sinusitis if the symptoms have lingered for more than three months. Some of the symptoms include fever, constant nasal discharge that is often yellow or green, puffy eyes, and bad breath.&nbsp;</p> <p class="p1"><strong>What are the cures?&nbsp;</strong></p> <p class="p1">As with most problems and diseases, many things can be done to give you the relief you&rsquo;re looking for, many of which can be done at home.</p> <p class="p1">&ldquo;Even when people come see us at the hospital, we recommend several home remedies they may have overlooked that will help them avoid the unnecessary risks associated with decongestants, antihistamines, antibiotics, and steroids,&rdquo; said Dr. Katz. &ldquo;We take things in steps, and if nothing else works, surgery is a great option.&rdquo;</p> <ol> <li>Try putting a warm cloth on your face</li> <li>Drink a lot of water</li> <li>Sit in the bathroom while a hot shower is going</li> <li>Use a nasal saline spray</li> <li>Wash the nose with a combination of salt and distilled water</li> <li>Try a humidifier</li> </ol> <p class="p1">If you feel your problems are connected to allergies, consider the following:</p> <ol> <li>Avoid things in your house and outside that trigger your allergies</li> <li>Try over-the-counter medications such as antihistamines and decongestants</li> <li>Another option is allergy shots. Some clinics like the one at Alta View Hospital have allergists on their campus you can talk to</li> <li>The last option is surgery.</li> </ol> <p class="p1">&ldquo;If and when your sinus problems aren&rsquo;t getting better and we start talking about surgery, we&rsquo;ll investigate more by getting a CT scan done,&rdquo; said Dr. Katz. &ldquo;The images we retrieve from the scan give us a better picture of what&rsquo;s going on and how to proceed.&rdquo;</p>Wed, 18 Mar 2015 00:00:00 -0600