The Medical Minute: Halloween edition ― three healthy tricks, three healthy treats

Trick or treat? October 25, 2023Penn State Health News How about both? No, Penn State Health is not offering you miniature candy bars or planning to toilet-paper your trees. Instead, to mark this season of chills and tooth decay, this week’s Medical Minute offers something far less scary and a lot healthier. First, the trick. It’s a life hack. A little baby step you can take to improve your overall health. And the treat is a healthy way to reward yourself. Maybe that sounds like we’re that lame house on your block giving away toothbrushes during trick-or-treating this Halloween –…
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5 insights from Jon Kabat-Zinn on mindfulness and social change : Shots

Jon Kabat-Zinn is a leading researcher into the health effects of meditation. He developed the Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction protocol in 1979. D Dipasupil/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption D Dipasupil/Getty Images Jon Kabat-Zinn is a leading researcher into the health effects of meditation. He developed the Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction protocol in 1979. D Dipasupil/Getty Images In 1979, a report from the Surgeon General inspired Jon Kabat-Zinn to action. The US “Healthy People” report chronicled Americans’ struggles with chronic diseases, connecting poor health with harmful social conditions like poverty, as well as unhealthy habits. “It was an extremely powerful articulation that…
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Princess Kate sightings fail to quell speculation about her health after photo editing scandal

London — British tabloids reported Sunday that Catherine, the Princess of Wales, was spotted in public for the first time since she disappeared more than two months ago for what Kensington Palace said was an unspecified abdominal surgery and recovery. The sightings, one of which was later depicted by a grainy video clip, came amid ongoing controversy over Kate’s well-being and whereabouts. The Sun tabloid newspaper said Kate was seen at a farm shop near her family’s home in Windsor, west of London, on Saturday, quoting onlookers as saying she appeared “happy, relaxed and healthy.” On Monday, the celebrity site…
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Even on a low carb diet, pasta can be good for you

Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with any advertisers on this site. Pasta is quick to cook, handy to keep in the pantry and an easy solution for the times when you’re not sure what to make for dinner. But because pasta is high in carbohydrates — and therefore, some people think, bad for your weight and your health — it often doesn’t make it onto the menu. “Pasta isn’t serving its reputation as a fattening food,” says Erin Morse, the chief clinical dietitian at UCLA Health Center. Nor are carbohydrates in general. In a 2018 study in the Lancet,…
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Medicaid expansion chances dim again this year as key health care proposal passes without it • Georgia Recorder

A late proposal to fully expand Medicaid received a surprise hearing in a Senate committee Thursday but was narrowly defeated, with the chairman who allowed the hearing casting the decisive vote to shelve it. And negotiations also wrapped up Thursday evening over a high-profile health care bill that was seen as a potential host for a full Medicaid expansion add-on. Instead, that bill ended where it started last month: with a commission that will look at ways to expand health care coverage. The whirlwind of developments Thursday seemed to shut the door on any lingering Medicaid expansion talks for this…
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Gov. Ron DeSantis signs bills to train, retain healthcare workers

TALLAHASSEE – Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday signed a package of bills that supporters say will help improve access to health care, increase the number of doctors in Florida and address issues such as mental health treatment. “What they (state leaders) are tackling right now are some of the biggest challenges that we face in the Sunshine State, and that’s access to health care in a reliable, reproducible, sustainable kind of way,” said Tampa General Hospital President and CEO John Couris, who took part in a bill-signing event in Bonita Springs. “We’re facing a myriad of challenges in the healthcare…
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Cultivating Health Empowerment: Healthy Holiday Celebrations

Penn State Health Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion presents “Cultivating Health Empowerment: Transforming Diverse Lives for Optimal Health.” Session 5: Healthy Holiday Celebrations Penn State Health’s Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion introduces our 2023-2024 Community Health Equity Series, Cultivating Health Empowerment: Transforming Diverse Lives for Optimal Health. The series will consist of 11 sessions focused on providing diverse community members with information on advancing their healthcare and improving their health status. Sessions will be held at 7 pm and are available virtually through the Microsoft Teams format. The sessions scheduled for October 19 in Reading, December 21 in…
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Kate, Princess of Wales, announces cancer diagnosis, says she is undergoing preventative chemotherapy

London — Catherine, the Princess of Wales, announced in a video message released Friday that cancer was discovered following her January abdominal surgery and she is undergoing preventative chemotherapy on the advice of her medical team. The announcement came after months of widespread speculation about the 42-year-old princess’ health and controversy over doctored images released by Kensington Palace. Kate said that the cancer was discovered during tests conducted after her surgery, which had gone well. She did not say what kind of cancer it was or share additional details about her diagnosis. “This of course came as a huge shock,…
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