Fat-free: Most dieters keep an eye out of for those magic food label words. That’s because each gram of fat in the foods you eat will cost you 9 calories. And cutting calories coupled with exercise is one of the healthiest ways to lose weight.
The word “free” means that you’re totally in the clear, fat-wise, right?
For those following the vaccine-autism story (see, for instance, Another blow against anti-vaccine hysteria and Vaccination/autism update), the single study that was used as a basis for claims of a link has now been retracted by the journal that published it, The Lancet. The study, which has long been disputed and the findings of which have never been replicated, has been found to have had ethical issues and incorrect information.
Therefore, unless and until a new study is published in a peer-reviewed journal showing a link, the formerly supposed link between autism and vaccinations may now officially be considered to have no scientific basis. And the Wakefield study may no longer be cited; it is not simply controversial but in fact retracted, which makes its status the same as if it had never been published.
This won’t, of course, stop people from offering opinions, views, and anecdotes, but none of them can be presented as scientifically founded. And for those who look at individual cases of autism and say “Hey, that happened around the time of vaccination,” it may be suggested that they look up post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy and consider all the other things besides vaccination that were happening at the same time too and that they would not dream of blaming for the onset of autism.
How well do you know those bottles and pills piling up in your medicine cabinet? This weekend, take a moment to educate yourself on medication safety.
> How to prevent medication mishaps
> 12 questions you should ask your pharmacist about your prescription
> Decoding cold and flu medication labels + the items to add to your pharmacy shopping list
> Expired aspirin? Crusty cough syrup bottles? Is it time to clear out your medicine cabinet?
> Be sure you properly dispose of your old or expired medications and personal care products.
> Why would a medication label say to take with food or take on an empty stomach?
> 7 tips for keeping meds out of the hands and mouths of babes
> Children’s cough and cold medications FAQs
> “My young child has a cold - how can I soothe her symptoms?“
> Guide: The right way to give kids their medicine
> If you’re having trouble keeping up with your medication schedule, consult the Medication Problem Solver for guidance.
> The groundhog spotted his shadow. So bundle up, stop hibernating, and deal with the prognosticated 6 more weeks of winter!
> I’ve been following Sarah Jio as she strives to become a real runner, and I’m inspired by this post where she explains how she finally GETS IT.
> A rapid weight-loss reality check
> Make your own delicious kale chips
> Before you enjoy a bowl of these healthful veggies - be sure to wash them *really, really* well.
> Why you should stop obsessing about living a perfect life
> Fruit is fine in all its forms, but here are some of the best and healthiest fruits for your diet.
> Aphrodisiacs, erogenous zones, sex myths, perils of passion, & more about the intimate link between intimacy & health
> Why bee pollen is such a super food
I watched a movie the other night about a young man who was told that, without treatment, he would die in a few weeks. The actor left the doctor’s office, bought a motorcycle, and drove across Canada in search of himself.
It seemed to me that this is just the sort of thing that people expect that they would do if they had only a short time to live. Find yourself! Knock off some of the to-do’s on your bucket list! Face the rest of your days with reckless abandon! And some people do.
But chances are you don’t have to be in a rush. The reality is that most people diagnosed with cancer today have a very high chance of surviving it. And more often than not, treatment ends, and they go on to live a somewhat “normal” life.
Moving on to a normal (i.e. non-medical) life is exactly what my brother-in-law Doug Gosling thought when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2002. We even interviewed him here and wrote an article about his diagnosis. It has been very popular reading for our website visitors.
When Doug went back to a normal life, he was surprised by the extent to which his cancer had affected him emotionally. He struggled with the meaning of life, the “why me?”, and recurrent fears. He believes that this emotional aspect of survivorship is not fully addressed or understood by many people, including the very medical professionals who try to keep us otherwise healthy and strong.
In the intervening years since diagnosis, Doug has spoken and written about this, encouraging other survivors to talk about it as well. He blogs about the emotional impact here.
Sadly, Doug has had a recurrence of his cancer and he is now fighting for his life. Actually, he is fighting for his QUALITY of life, because the treatments and the management of his pain have stripped away much of his ability to find comfort.
In the face of all this, though, Doug continues to raise awareness of the patient information needs and emotional impact of cancer to health care professionals and has worked hard with the Princess Margaret Hospital to inform the doctors and nurses of the needs of cancer patients.
He is going to be interviewed on a popular radio show in Toronto called Metro Morning on February 11th. I urge you to listen in as he is a great speaker.
Doug is also a very good writer and he has published his book about his journey called The Wolf at my Door. I strongly recommend that you read it. It is available online at Amazon.ca and Amazon.com, as well at through Trafford Publishing.
When I was a kid, my younger stepsister wet her bed for a few years and I can vividly recall being awakened in the night - first by steppy-sis herself in distress or by the necessary sheet-changing, and then by the bedwetting alarms our parents experimented with.
What I don’t remember is whether I was supportive or not. I don’t think I ever poked fun at her about the bedwetting, but I know I had it in mind as possible “ammunition” should we get in an argument.
Truth is, bedwetting can be a big worry to a kid. According to this article, only divorce and parental fights cause a kid more stress. Stress in general is bad, but imagine the anxiety a kid must feel before a sleepover, a camping trip, or an overnight stay at grandma’s.
And bedwetting doesn’t only affect the child waking up in a bed puddle. It affects the whole family, and siblings’ response can complicate the issue.
Now multiply all of that stress times half a million. Because that’s how many Canadian children 5 years of age or older wet their bed. A handful of families have been generous and open enough to share with us their bedwetting trials and tribulations as well as the emotional impact:
- From MM in Ontario: “It makes him self-conscious and he wonders why he’s different from other kids.”
- From LB in New Brunswick: “I took my son to the doctor at beginning to make sure there was no problem with his bladder. I find it emotional and I feel powerless.”
Read other parents’ stories or submit your own tinkle-tale here.
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