One of the easiest ways to improve your overall wellbeing is to spend more time in the great outdoors. So put down your smartphone and get ff the grid for a few hours or, heck, an entire weekend. Here are four ways to enjoy the benefits that nature provides for both your mind and body....Continue reading
Month: November 2017
Exercise That Doesn’t Discriminate: What CrossFit Gets Right
For decades, lifting weights was the exclusive domain of men. Ten or fifteen years ago, you’d have been lucky to have seen a few female athletes pumping iron. Recently, though, with the popularization of CrossFit and other similar exercise programs, women feel much more welcome in weight rooms around the country. In fact, one recent...Continue reading
Peripheral Artery Disease: Rerouting Blood Vessels to Save a Patient’s Legs
Treatment of PAD has undergone a revolution since the first time Steve Valvanis had the condition. Steve Valavanis thought he put his circulation problems behind him 20 years ago, when he had major surgeries on both of his legs to replace his blocked arteries. But, in 2015, when the 64-year-old Mystic resident was playing golf...
Miscarriage Grief: Not for Women Only
Dear Mr. Dad: Just after our first trimester, my wife and I lost our baby. I’ve been focusing on being there for her and supporting her every way I can. But this miscarriage has hit me pretty hard too and I’m having a tough time coping. Part of the problem is that I feel guilty...Continue reading
With Clinical Trials, People Can Get New Treatments Not Available to Others
Besides testing treatments, research studies help doctors understand conditions so they can help future patients For over four years Jessica Donlon, 17, suffered from depression that was so severe, she had difficulty getting out of bed. She gave up cheerleading and softball, spending much of her time sleeping. She tried many kinds of medications and...Continue reading
Retirement Doesn’t Have to be Scary
When we’re young and agile, most of us look forward to starting a family, buying a nice car, buying a house and making it into a home. Then as we age, we invest money, time, and energy in our kids, our careers, and our social lives. That’s all pretty normal, but when’s the right time...Continue reading
Five Amazing Benefits of Meditation and Mindfulness
While ultimately rooted in the religious practices of East Asia, meditation and mindfulness are essentially the cultivation of a positive and tranquil mental state via focused periods of practice. Just as your body needs nutrition and exercise to function properly, so too does your emotional center and state of mind require special tools for their...Continue reading
8 Ways to Stay Healthy While Travelling
Holidays are one of those times of the year when your health or fitness plans can take a real dent. It’s natural that you’ll want to relax, take part in activities that you enjoy the most—which might include sitting and eating a lot—and generally not doing a great deal. So while you might not make...Continue reading
It’s Never too Soon to Start Childproofing
Dear Mr. Dad: I always seem to be hearing about children who are seriously injured (or worse) in their own houses. We just brought our new baby home from the hospital, but I want to start getting our house childproofed right now. How should we start and what should we do? A: When it comes to...Continue reading
Deep Brain Stimulation Helps Parkinson’s Patients Regain Independence
Every year, approximately 60,000 people are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. In addition, about 10 million people in the United States have essential tremor—a neurological condition that causes a person’s hands, head, or voice to shake. These conditions can seriously affect a person’s quality of life, preventing them from being able to dress or feed themselves or drive. At...Continue reading