Blame your palate
Whether you gain weight could have something to do with your genetic sensitivity to the taste of bitter and fatty foods. So says Beverly J. Tepper in the April issue of the Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter.
Tepper, director of the Rutgers University Sensory Evaluation Laboratory, has spent two decades studying why some people love high-fat foods more than others, why some enjoy the creaminess of dairy products over others and why, to some, certain foods are intolerably bitter.
About 25 percent of Caucasians are “super-tasters” who have more taste buds and pick up more keenly on whether food is rich, buttery, sticky, syrupy or bitter. Another 50 percent are medium-tasters and 25 percent are non-tasters.
Super-tasters are lucky in that they tend to be thinner and eat less overall than those who don’t pick up on the nuances of foods. Non-tasters are more likely to be heavy smokers. Tepper and other researchers hope that someday the research on sensitivity to taste will be used to help fight obesity.
Hypno health
Making people in a trance do silly things makes for an entertaining stage show, but hypnosis also has a lot to offer in helping to ease pain. Studies have found it helpful in easing pain associated with childbirth, burn wounds, dental pain and surgical procedures, according to an article in April’s Mayo Clinic Health Letter.
Hypnosis also can relieve chronic pain associated with cancer, tension headaches and irritable bowel syndrome, but it may take longer to achieve this type of relief. Other uses for hypnosis include reducing anxiety and problems with phobias, reducing the symptoms of asthma and skin inflammation and reducing ringing in the ears.
However, hypnosis works only on a willing participant. When looking for hypnosis, find a therapist with experience in treating your condition.
Sports-injury how-to
Sports injuries seem to rise in spring and summer as larger numbers of kids head out to participate in a variety of recreational activities. Advice on treating some of the more common injuries is offered in the April issue of Family Circle by Eric Small, clinical assistant professor of pediatrics, orthopedics and rehabilitation at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York City.
Here is what he suggests:
* Ankle sprain: Apply ice and rest. Have children ages 10 to 13 checked by a pediatrician to see if they have damaged any growth plates.
* Black eye: Apply ice to the upper cheek for 15 minutes every hour to reduce swelling and internal bleeding.
* Concussion: Have the child sit quietly, but be sure he or she doesn’t sleep for a few hours. If the child can’t remember what happened or has nausea or dizziness, see a doctor.
* Jammed finger: If it’s badly bruised, apply ice and offer an anti-inflammatory to reduce pain. If it’s dislocated, get emergency care.
Allergy-wear
Life-threatening allergies can be a big problem for children heading off to school, to camp or even to a friend’s birthday party. One way to decrease your child’s risk of exposure to the wrong kinds of foods is to outfit him with labels, tags or wristbands that clearly identify specific allergies.
Two companies offer help with that, says the April Babytalk magazine. StuckonYou.biz has items that say egg-free zone, dairy-free zone and nut-free zone. AllergiKID.com also offers several items identifying food allergies.
