Kerry. One of a Kind
What you’re about to read isn’t typical of this blog. I’m angry and I’m sad. You’ve been warned. …
health
Unhealthy (Social Media) Habits
It breaks my heart to see so many people sharing bogus health information on social media. Add to that, the conspiracy theories surrounding the government suppressing the cures for cancer and other diseases. Scientists have families too. …
Tori Tori Tori
On a recent visit to my doctor, I heard the words that could either mean an emergency or nothing to worry about: “I have no idea what that is.” Lucky for me it was the latter. …
Under Pressure
I’ve been treated for high blood pressure for a while now. It’s a family trait, like brown eyes and no visible waist. And now that Derek’s in the BP testing game too, we’ve kicked it up a notch. …
You’re Sweet Enough
The next time you pour Sucralose, Aspartame or Stevia into a beverage in hopes of being healthier and perhaps even losing weight, consider this: there’s little data about the long-term effects of these non-sugar sweeteners on your health. And a new study from the University of Manitoba finds they may actually be linked to weight gain and an increased risk of diabetes.
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Bristling for Change
Wire BBQ brushes are back in the news and in front of Health Canada. It’s conducting an investigation after nine injuries were reported to have been caused by the brushes, in the past few years. Sometimes wires come off the brushes and land in the food. They end up in people’s tongues or throats and potentially migrate into the gut. It’s dangerous and sometimes difficult for surgeons to remove. So we set out to find an alternative. …
Adversely Affected by Advil
You may remember Cousin Kim from Erin Davis’ retirement show. She was my “date”. She’s a great lady and one of Derek’s favourite first cousins. Now, Kim is coming through a terrible ordeal as the result of seemingly “safe” over-the-counter medication. …
Studying the Studies
Not all scientific studies are created equal. Having been a radio broadcaster for a long time, I also know how they can get distilled down to a couple of sentences of highlights, potentially making a worldwide study of thousands of people sound as credible as a small study of twenty. It rests on the public to look deeper into the data, but only three out of ten will bother in a stat I just made up.
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The Land of Oz
A little late to the party, again, I’ve just started listening to the audiobook of You: The Owner’s Manual, by Dr. Mehmet Oz and Dr. Michael Roizen.This updated edition came out in 2008. Somehow these esteemed medical professionals had forgotten all about the liver in the original release. …
September
It’s difficult to get attention for a cause. When something like the Ice Bucket Challenge catches on, it’s so gratifying for the charity – in this case, defeating ALS. It’s hard to get momentum, to capture peoples’ attention, and every cause is worthy. September is Sepsis Awareness month and there’s actually some good news on the sepsis front. …
Scary Spice
Spice is sick. How sick, we weren’t sure, so we took him to the vet on Wednesday morning. Taking a senior cat to a vet is like logging onto webMD. The symptoms could be the common cold, or deadly cancer! …
Lumbering Along
It’s been nearly three months, so it appears it’s finally safe to say that I’ve been cured! …
Bacon-mania
I was living in Burlington when a story came out about the toxicity of a chemical used in hair dye. A study showed that whatever it was, was leaching into the scalp and possibly causing harm. Grey-haired women of a certain age let out a silent scream and ran to health food stores, looking for natural alternatives. …
Flatties
Since I last spoke of my Military Neck issue, my Osteopath Melissa has made great progress in giving me flexibility and taking away pain. It’s two-steps-forward and one-step-back, sometimes, as I’ve had a couple of weeks when my head has constantly felt like 50 lbs. of wet cement in a 5 lb. sack, but recently it feels like we’ve turned a corner. …
Work With Me, Baby
I’ve needed to get my picture taken recently. Once was for an upcoming Globe and Mail article about how and why doctors sometimes misdiagnose patients, the consequences. and some theories about how the medical profession can reduce the number of times it happens. The other for my new job at CJBK. And they were very different experiences! …
Back off My Beans
I don’t drink alcohol, I quit smoking in 1988 and I don’t do drugs. Not illegal ones, anyway, and none for pure pleasure. I have only one vice left and that’s coffee. So scientists, please keep your beakers away from my Keurig. …
Drugs of Choice
Do you also have this discussion in your home: A medication will expire and one of you will want to get rid of it while the other thinks it’s a waste. …
Diet Obsessions
By the time a Canadian girl is 14, she has been on 1100 diets. Okay, I obviously made that up. But it seems that teen females are experimenting with hazardous eating regimens just like my friends and I did back in the day. …