It may seem like adolescence is the time in a woman’s life when most of the biological changes she will experience take place. After all, puberty brings with it hormone fluctuations that can affect both physical and emotional health in various ways. However, as a woman enters mid-life and beyond, she may notice that she has to reevaluate her lifestyle to accommodate the evolution of her body and health.
Preventive health screenings and additional strategies can keep women fit and well as they... Read more
Health and Wellness
Is this the year of the healthier, more energetic you?
There are so many options out there, including ...
Holistic healing
Massage - Chiropractic - Acupuncture
Reiki - Yoga - Meditation
Tai Chi * Qigong
Sound and/or Voice Therapy
Forest Bathing Nature walks
Sports
Golf * Pickelball *Racquetball * Tennis
Swimming *Hiking *Aerobics
Bicycling *Running *Dancing
Kickboxing
Dietary pitfalls to avoid
A balanced diet and routine exercise are the recipe for a healthy lifestyle. Such an approach can help a person maintain a healthy weight and even avoid many illnesses.
People tend to be creatures of habit, and that includes poor dietary habits. Familiar foods and methods of cooking may be holding people back as they pursue their health and fitness goals. According to John Foreyt, Ph.D., director of the Baylor College of Medicine, people tend to be skeptical about dietary changes because they... Read more
Wellness and Working Out: Where to Begin?
When it comes to strength training, this age-old question stands strong. And while there are benefits to both practices, I advise my clients towards free weights, barbell and suspension training over machines more often than not.
Here’s why.
While you can effectively perform the same exercises utilizing hand held weights as you can stabile machines, the outcome is very different. From the effects of gravity, dumbbells or kettle bells allow you to challenge your body through resistance (i.e... Read more
‘Fall’ is another bad 4-letter word
I know I’m beginning to sound like a broken record with my yearly article about fall prevention and balance. But I’m here to tell you the statistics aren’t changing and people are still getting hurt and, in some cases, dying from their injuries as a result from falling. Even our local Joe Gelarden in his “Happy New Year “ article of wise words, described how he had fallen in his garage. This year alone, I know of over a dozen people in our community who have fallen. Examples include falling off... Read more
The risk factors for skin cancer
Incidence rates for skin cancer can be hard to determine. The World Cancer Research Fund International notes that’s due in large part to the various subtypes of the disease, which can present challenges when collating data. Those challenges have led the WCRFI to conclude that global skin cancer incidence rates, though significant, have likely been underestimated.
Even if skin cancer incidence rates don’t paint an accurate picture, researchers and medical professionals recognize that skin... Read more
Skip the salt, but keep the flavor
The human body needs salt to survive. Sodium chloride is required in a nominal amount to conduct nerve impulses, contract and relax muscles, and maintain a proper balance of water and minerals. The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health says it’s estimated people need 500 mg of sodium per day to perform these vital functions. Too often, however, people consume much more salt in their diets than is necessary, which can lead to a host of medical issues. The average person eats 3,400 mg of... Read more
Pickleball: A game for all ages
On Monday, Jan. 7, 48 pickleball players came together for the opening matches in the second season of the Boothbay Region YMCA Pickleball League. When the online sign-up for the season had been posted before Christmas, organizers Andy Hollon and Susan Kirby were surprised by the speed with which the roster filled up.
“We’d run a trial league over four weeks around Thanksgiving 2023,” Hollon said. “We needed 32 players to make it work – four teams of eight players. The first 16 signed up... Read more
Folk remedies for what ails you
Human use of herbs, flowers and other plants for their curative powers goes back centuries. In some cultures, shamans and wise women used them to treat a variety of complaints. How long? According to takingcharge.csh.umn.edu, the Egyptian Ebers Papyrus dates back to 1500 B.C. and, in India, the Charaka Samhita documented the uses of more than 300 medicinal plants in 700 B.C.
In “Understanding Folk Medicine” Bonnie O’Connor and David Hufford note the connection between pagan European pagan... Read more
What to know about AFib
The heart has been characterized as the engine that makes the human body run. If that metaphor is not exactly spot-on, it still serves as a good indicator as to just how vital a healthy heart is to the human body.
Despite the importance of a healthy heart, diseases that affect the heart remain the single greatest cause of death across the globe. According to the World Health Organization, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death globally, claiming roughly 18 million lives... Read more
Facts about Crohn’s disease
Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory bowel disease marked by swelling and inflammation of the digestive tract, specifically the small and large intestines. The disease gets its name from American gastroenterologist Dr. Burrill Crohn, who was one of the first physicians to describe the illness back in 1932. Crohn’s disease is similar to ulcerative colitis, but the two illnesses are not exactly the same.
Symptoms of Crohn’s disease
The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation says living with Crohn’s... Read more
How to overcome mental fatigue
Fatigue and exhaustion are often discussed in terms that characterize the physical effects that they have on the body. However, mental fatigue can be just as draining as physical exhaustion, even if its symptoms are not as evident as achy muscles or tired feet.
The online medical resource WebMD notes that mental fatigue typically arises when individuals focus on mentally challenging tasks for extended periods of time. Many individuals also experienced mental fatigue during the pandemic.... Read more
How to get kids more engaged in their dental health
Dental health should be a priority at any age, and is especially important for children. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says more than half of children between the ages of six and eight have had a cavity in at least one of their primary teeth. Also, more than half of adolescents aged 12 to 19 have had a cavity in at least one permanent tooth. Cavities and other oral health conditions, such as periodontal diseases, are largely preventable with proper oral hygiene.
Parents know... Read more
Coulombe Center continues growth, impact in Lincoln County
The Coulombe Center for Health Improvement (CCHI) connects LincolnHealth to community members to help solve everyday challenges and improve lives. Often working behind the scenes and through other partnered agencies, its impact is not always visible – but is felt, according to Director Anni Pat McKenney.
CCHI believes in a community health model focused on health promotion, disease prevention, and community engagement, through supplementing and supporting such initiatives without duplicating... Read more
Fostering healthy lives, together
Whether teaching kids about nutrition, helping townspeople prevent substance abuse, or collaborating with farms to distribute fresh produce, Healthy Lincoln County (HLC) works with partners across the community to support wellbeing throughout the region.
Director Larissa Hannan likes to describe the Damariscotta-based organization as a community health department. Hallinan said HLC mainly focuses on food security, nutrition and substance use, but she wants HLC to be a resource connecting... Read more
The Health and Wellness of Our Community
How the Community Resource Council is addressing social determinants of health
The Community Resource Council (CRC) is dedicated to understanding and addressing the multifaceted nature of health, recognizing the intricate interplay between individual choices and broader social and economic factors. The CRC's initiatives, such as the Food for Thought program, exemplify the organization's commitment to tackling social determinants of health.
In acknowledging that health outcomes extend beyond personal decisions, the CRC places a strong emphasis on proactive interventions... Read more
Local organization broadens definition of domestic violence
Finding Our Voices, a grassroots, Camden-based organization, is working to raise public awareness by redefining what domestic violence looks like.
This summer, the organization won a Purple Ribbon Award for its bookmarks with the faces and stories of 44 Maine survivors of domestic violence. The Purple Ribbon Awards, run by experts in the domestic violence field, strive to nationally honor advocates, programs, shelters, survivors and community support systems.
Finding Our Voices won the same... Read more
9 signs your young child is having vision problems
As many a parent can attest, decoding a youngster’s needs can be challenging when that child is not yet able to fully communicate. Diagnosing health issues may require a little trial and error. So it’s no wonder many parents are not aware if their children are having issues with vision.
Routine wellness exams by your child’s physician can help to determine if a child is having problems with his or her vision. Doctors may detect subtleties that parents may not see, including signs that suggest... Read more
Kids can set the pace for long-term health
Long-term health is not something that many young people routinely consider. After all, it’s easy to feel invincible during one’s childhood and adolescence. But the steps that young people take early on can affect their health as they get older.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, establishing healthy behaviors during childhood and adolescence is more beneficial to long-term health than trying to change poor behaviors in adulthood. The following are some ways young... Read more
How blood type can affect your health
Most people do not give much thought to the blood running through their veins. However, it may pay to learn more about blood type, as it can affect your overall health in a variety of ways.
What is blood type?
The American Red Cross says there are four main blood types, which are determined by the presence or absence of A and B antigens on the surfaces of red blood cells and the presence of antibodies in the blood plasma. Blood type is further affected by a protein called the Rh factor, which... Read more
Winter white spaces
“Hey, it’s snowing!”
Familiar words to any Mainer, though not always met with excitement and joy. Let’s face it, when we stopped getting snow days off, we pretty much stopped thinking of snow as anything more than a nuisance. The shoveling, the ugly piles of it still around in spring, every winter, year after year. No thanks.
But perhaps we have sold snow short.
A growing body of research points to several benefits exposure to white landscapes (whitescapes) has on both physical and... Read more
BBB Tip: Spot misleading ads and subscription traps for weight loss products
When it comes to New Year's resolutions, scammers know that losing weight and getting in shape is one of the most popular goals. This popularity has led to a slew of scams involving vitamins, supplements, and weight loss formulas, all claiming to offer rapid results. Not only are the products themselves questionable, but so are the business dealings of the companies peddling them.
How the scam works
Most weight loss product scams start with promises that are simply too good to be true. Body... Read more
How to quit smoking in 2023
While tobacco use has been declining for decades, 16.5% of Maine residents still smoke and tobacco is the leading cause of death and disease in the state. Through the new “Tobacco-Free ‘23” campaign, the American Lung Association in Maine is sharing key reasons why 2023 is the year to quit tobacco, as well as sharing tips and resources.“Each year, quitting smoking is listed as one of the top New Year’s resolutions. While quitting smoking is extremely difficult, it is possible. In fact, it... Read more
'Fall,' another bad 4-letter word
With the leading cause of accidental death in persons 65 and older “Fall” is a bad 4-letter word and not enough is being done about it. Why? Because we typically do not concern ourselves with something that isn’t currently our problem. Many people say” I don’t fall so why should I worry about it.” I don’t know about you but I fall down often and as someone who teaches Balance and Fall prevention daily and I still FALL how can this really be avoided? I am here to tell you it can’t be but you can... Read more
7 surprising health benefits of walking
Individuals looking for a way to incorporate exercise into their lives need look no further than their own feet. Walking offers numerous health benefits to people of all ages, and it’s particularly beneficial to fitness novices. Walking can facilitate a transition between inactivity and increased intensity for those who may have been away from exercise for some time.
According to Dr. Thomas Frieden, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, walking is “the closest... Read more
Fun ways for seniors to stay active
Physical activity is an important component of overall health. Health experts advise that exercise can increase lean body mass, prevent conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular disease, improve balance, and positively affect mental health/cognition. Exercise also can foster socialization with others, helping people overcome boredom and isolation.
As individuals get older, they may not be able to participate in all of the activities they enjoyed as youths, but that doesn’t mean older adults... Read more
Come play pickleball at the Y
It may have a comical name, but pickleball is a sport with a seriously enthusiastic following. As it takes the country, and the Boothbay Harbor Region by storm, the YMCA is the place to come and play.
The Y is the hub of our pickleball community and provides players of all ages and skill levels, including total beginners, opportunities to join in on the fun. Pickleball offers the ideal combination of a short learning curve while still being challenging to master. There are currently four... Read more
Boothbay Harbor Urgent Care: Your best bet for life’s little emergencies
LincolnHealth’s Emergency Department is experiencing a significant increase in volume, like most hospitals in Maine. As a result, extremely long wait times can be expected, especially for those who arrive with non-life threatening concerns.
The Urgent Care Center in Boothbay Harbor offers a better option for those with non-life threatening illnesses or injuries who cannot access their primary care provider.
“You can expect to be treated quicker, at lower cost than a typical Emergency... Read more
https://youtu.be/Lh6TGetqbiM
Yoga for all ages
Downward facing dog, happy baby, child’s pose, high dragon, cobra pose: These are but a few of the poses struck during yoga classes all over the world. Practiced for centuries, its health benefits include increased flexibility and muscle tone, cardio and circulatory health, improved breathing, and more, according to http://www.yogaalliance.org/
For those of us living on or near the Boothbay peninsula, there’s Crow Point Yoga owned by teacher Sharon Goldhirsch. It has been around seven and a... Read more
Natural healing for mind, body and soul
Siddhartha Gautama, known as the Buddha, was the founder of Buddhism. One of his teachings was this: “Your mind is a powerful thing. When you filter it with positive thoughts your life will start to change.”
Life during a pandemic makes it harder to focus on positive thoughts; every day, every hour we are bombarded with new COVID-19 statistics, worrying about the health of family members – and our own health; political fractures, changes in doing business, business closings, the to mask or not... Read more
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