Has Labor Become a “Cascade of Intervention”?

April 2, 2013

Before my women’s studies course on childbirth and culture, I had never really considered how, or where, I would give birth.  Delivering a child with a doctor in a hospital seemed to be a given.  So did having some kind of medical intervention during labor.  To the best of my knowledge, it was the “safest” [...]

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Can gardening save stressed-out students?

April 1, 2013

The sun has finally returned to Michigan (for now). The early flowers are blooming, the birds are singing, and my fellow students and I are again facing the proverbial dilemma: work or play? In the spring, our school-induced stress levels seem to grow at the same rate as the flowers when the end of the [...]

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Learning to Love Yourself: The Health Effects of Masturbation

April 1, 2013

After the excitement and intrigue that wreathed last week’s post, this week, I’ve chosen to discuss a less medically-controversial topic: masturbation. Before anyone asks: No, this isn’t an April Fool’s Day post – there are plenty of other mirthful articles linking certain sexual behaviors to health outcomes – and no, I’m not currently planning to [...]

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Buried Alive: Hoarding As a Mental Disorder

March 30, 2013

Here’s a question for you: When was the last time you gave your inbox a deep clean?Or, unsubscribed from the several mailing lists that you’ve stopped checking. Although I try to make the ‘tough’ decisions to keep mine organized, after a while, it can be easy to come up with an excuse to not hit [...]

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What’s the Connection? Breast Cancer and Heart Disease

March 29, 2013

I started my journey in public health as an intern for Susan G. Komen for the Cure in Washington D.C.  During a 5k walk event on the National Mall; we lobbied for signatures ensuring that women would receive mammograms by age 40.  Many signed without even reading our sheet. I remember one woman, she practically [...]

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Your Eating Habits: The Surprising Details that Make a Difference

March 29, 2013

A long day at work?  Too exhausted to even step foot in the kitchen?  Treat yourself to a night of self-indulgence with a meal that surprises, satisfies, and comforts your taste buds.  The enticing aromas of roasted garlic and fresh herbs tickle your senses the moment you enter Eatopia. Drooling yet? Foodelphia’s newest farm-fresh eatery [...]

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Do these “designer eggs” make me look fat ?

March 28, 2013

Developed specifically to boost our fatty acids, designer eggs are sometimes referred to as a “functional food.”  This is a loosely defined term for a food that has been modified to provide health benefits beyond that of the traditional nutrients it contains.  For instance, we can buy orange juice that has been modified to provide calcium.  Sounds [...]

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Stress, Anxiety and Fear – Oh my!

March 28, 2013

As I sit here and sift through my twenty-four years of life experiences, I can place my finger on various situations where I have attributed stress as the motivator for helping me to perform at my highest level. These experiences range from honing in my focus to nail my fifth grade clarinet solo, to channeling [...]

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Some Like it Hot (Part 2): Is Spicy Food Good for Your Health?

March 27, 2013

Are you someone who for whatever reason likes your food spicy? Well, some researchers have been looking into if hotter really is better—better for you that is. And as it turns, out adding some spice to your life may actually affect your health. Researchers posit that spices made their way into the culinary repertoire of [...]

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Multitasking: Boon or Bust for Productivity?

March 27, 2013

While you are reading this post how many other programs do you have open? How about tabs. Lots of those too? Maybe you’re reading on your phone on the subway or during class or in a meeting. If, like me, you live in a hyper–stimulated world where every second holds the opportunity, expectation rather, to [...]

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Circumcised: Is Nontherapeutic Circumcision of Neonates Ethical?

March 26, 2013

I had not planned to attend a circumcision last summer.  Male circumcision is a religious obligation according to my faith, so I did expect to attend one at some point in my adult life. But I assumed it would not happen unless my older sister gave birth to a boy (and she is certainly far [...]

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Just another dam blog post…

March 25, 2013

I got an email from my sister recently that was eloquently entitled “dam it.” It seems Jarabacoa, the town in the Dominican Republic where she lives and works, is in the midst of protests against a hydroelectric  dam project. It’s actually an old project that has been recently resurrected and is moving forward against the [...]

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How Safe is Marijuana? A Toxicological Perspective

March 25, 2013

I’ve been contemplating marijuana since Colorado and Washington passed ballot initiatives legalizing the stuff back in November.  Not as a user, mind you – but as a toxicologist entertaining the idea of a new recreational drug entering the fray currently ruled by alcohol and tobacco. What are the health hazards (or benefits?) associated with smoking [...]

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Placenta Smoothies, Anyone? A Look at the Practice and Effects of Placentophagia

March 23, 2013

Reader Beware: This post contains graphic images. I’d advise holding off on the turkey sandwich for now. Last year, the actress January Jones made headlines for revealing she ate her placenta. Why? [It] can help women with depression and fatigue…I’d highly suggest it to any pregnant woman. Although, I was appalled at first,  I had [...]

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I’m New Here: A Look at Kickboxing Safety

March 22, 2013

I tried my first kickboxing class this week.  After class, I took my gloves off and saw that my knuckles were bruised. Ouch. So I decided to investigate. There’s a lot of research out there on the health benefits of kickboxing, but what about the risks? Do people get injured a lot? And if so, [...]

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Food Marketing: Not Quite a Gender Neutral Zone

March 22, 2013

As I sat down to watch a little tube the other day, I couldn’t help but notice the blatant marketing of certain foods towards males or females.  Ladies: eat Special K cereal and you’ll drop a pant size.  Fellas: drink Muscle Milk and you’ll turn into an elite athlete.  But, men also eat cereal and [...]

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Dietary Supplements: Vitamins . . . and Minerals . . . and Energy Drinks –Oh My!!

March 21, 2013

The term “dietary supplement” has been in the news lately.  A couple of days ago, the New York Times reported that Monster Beverage Corporation, the energy drink manufacturer, intends to “sidestep some rules” by repositioning its product. After a decade of being marketed as a dietary supplement, Monster Energy will now be marketed as a [...]

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Got milk? Dunking into the truth behind child milk consumption and obesity

March 21, 2013

While we may think that it is healthier for toddlers to be drinking skim or 1% milk, it may actually prove to be more protective against obesity if they are sipping on a bottle of the higher fat-containing 2% or whole milk. Wait, really?!… I have recently come across a few articles in the news that [...]

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Some Like it Hot (Part 1): Why do Some People Have a Preference for Spicy Foods?

March 20, 2013

I always wondered why some people, like my brother, like really spicy foods. For him, it’s the hotter the better. For me, if I eat food that spicy I no longer taste any particular flavor–I just feel pain. Are people who like really spicy food just masochistic? Why do some people find pleasure in the [...]

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Downward Dog to Decrease Inflammation

March 20, 2013

Doing yoga is way more than just an excuse to buy expensive leggings. Aside from improving fitness and flexibility, yoga has been used to treat many ailments including depression, arthritis, anxiety, asthma, type II diabetes, fatigue, chronic pain, IBS, and sleep disruptions. Recent research suggests that hatha yoga can also play a role in reducing risk [...]

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