By Barbara Ficarra, RN, BSN, MPA Twitter is a powerful form of social media, and it is a phenomenal resource for sharing information. Twitter can help improve your health. A significant blog on Mashable, “HOW TO: Use Social Media for Better Health” by Ben Parr, he writes that “Healthy living can be a shared experience.” Social media is about connections and information, while healthy living is about consistency and knowledge. Combined, social media can bring…
Read More...Fitness: Are you Ready for the 11 Weeks to Move it and Lose it Challenge?
By Barbara Ficarra, RN, BSN, MPA We are into the second week of the New Year and if you made a resolution to focus on your health and to lose weight, it is not too late. Since you have decided that you are ready to begin the journey of weight loss and you are ready to tackle this endeavor, it is very helpful to have a team of experts ready and able to help you….
Read More...What Everybody Ought to Know About Plastics
By Barbara Ficarra, RN, BSN, MPA Information circulating about the dangers of plastic containers has created fear and confusion. Are plastic containers toxic? Do harmful chemicals leach out into its contents? Do we need to discard all plastic containers? Recently, I interacted in a live health chat on MedHelp about the safety of plastics. Scientist, Joe Schwarcz, PhD, Director of McGill University’s Office for Science and Society talked about “The Real Truth About Plastics: What…
Read More...Alcohol and Cancer: What You Ought to Know
Guest post submitted by MD Anderson Cancer Center When you raise your glass at this year’s holiday toast, choose your beverage wisely. Research shows that drinking even a small amount of alcohol increases your chances of developing cancer, including oral cancer, breast cancer and liver cancer. Yet, other research shows that drinking small amounts of alcohol may protect the body against coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Some evidence even suggests that red wine…
Read More...A Patient’s Journey with Heart Failure
By Barbara Ficarra, RN, BSN, MPA Q & A with Mary Knudson Mary Knudson, a patient, health journalist and author, shares a glimpse into her journey with heart failure. Mary Knudson was diagnosed with heart failure in 2003. She knew something wasn’t quite right. She became very short of breath and fatigued from walking from one room to another in her home. After being diagnosed with heart failure, she was frightened. “I thought the diagnosis…
Read More...