More than a quarter of the country’s senior citizens are hungry or at nutritional risk, New America Media reports. Researchers at the Gerontological Society of America determined that two-thirds of older, hospitalized patients are poorly nourished. Malnutrition is especially challenging for individuals older than 65 as it can trigger or worsen chronic diseases. Poor nutrition may increase the chances of infection, delay normal healing and result in longer hospital stays. Malnutrition among Latino elders is a greater crisis as they tend to be among the fiscally poorer. “Malnutrition literally means ‘bad’ nutrition,” said Lauri M. Wright, a researcher and nutritionist from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “A big issue for our senior population is the lack of ...
Updated federal dietary guidelines suggest Americans should consume less sugar, fat and salt and more vegetables and whole grains, The Wall Street Journal reports. The guidelines, which are updated every five years recommend a “healthy eating pattern” with conscious decisions about what we drink and eat. “By focusing on small shifts in what we eat and drink, eating healthy becomes more manageable,” Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia M. Burwell said. The guidelines suggest Americans should consume: A variety of vegetables, including dark green, red and orange, legumes (beans and peas), starchy and other vegetables
Fruits, especially whole fruits
Grains, at least half of which are whole grains
Fat-free or low-fat dairy, including milk, yogurt, cheese, ...
Martín and Martina continue to gain popularity among Latino parents and this year they’re well situated among the top 10 Latino baby names, according to a survey by BabyCenter. For the ninth consecutive year Sofía and Santiago remained the most popular names. For girls, Lucia climbed eight spots to No. 3 and Ximena dropped from the top 10. For boys, Benjamín made an impressive comeback to the top 10 climbing to No. 8 while Daniel dropped. According to the survey, gender-neutral names are a hot trend among Latino parents, such as Max, Alex and Dani. Parents also told BabyCenter en Español that celebrities from popular TV shows like The Voice Kids also influenced their decision at the time of choosing a name that’s original and reflects Latino values. A whopping ...
Editor’s Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2015 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply now for 2016. Monica Montaño
Downey, Calif. With a Panamanian hat-wearing grandfather who pushed his children to go to college and a mom who took her to microbiology classes as a child, it’s no surprise that education is Monica's main tool to promote health among Latinos. She has a true passion for teaching and not only wants to expose her students to health disparities, but also wants to conduct research and deliver education on cancer and disease prevention across the nation and beyond. Monica Montaño received her Bachelor of Science degrees in Community Health Education and School Health Education (2000), from California State University ...
Still waiting to get your yearly flu vaccine? If you haven’t you should get it soon—according to US Health Officials, Univision Noticias reports. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns that flu activity usually peaks in January or February and can also strike as late as May. “ As long as the virus is circulating, it's not too late to receive a flu shot and protect yourself and others against this seasonal misery.” "Influenza seasons and severity are often unpredictable. Annual influenza vaccination is the best way to prevent influenza among people 6 months of age and older," Marion Gruber, director of FDA's Office of Vaccine Research and Review, said in an agency news release. "However, taking such practical measures as washing hands, covering coughs and ...
Mexican researchers are beginning clinical trials of a treatment that could prevent the recurrence of different types of cancer, Latin Times reports. “The new therapy trains the immune system to recognize and eliminate remaining cancerous cells" after conventional treatment, team leader Dr. Juan Pablo Márquez Manriquez, of the International Cancer Center in Sonora, told EFE. In the early stages of their research Dr. Marquez and his team tested the vaccines on mice that were genetically modified to develop cancer. “The animals that received the vaccine, both individual vaccines and the cocktail, never developed colon, pancreatic or ovarian cancer,” Dr. Márquez explained. During clinical trials the treatment will be tested in Mexico City, Sonora and Ciudad ...
En California, Latinos que han sido negados seguro de salud, o no están contentos con su plan de seguros medico ahora tendrán una herramienta a su favor. La organización California Chronic Care Coalition (CCCC) ha lanzado una versión en español de su pagina MyPatientRights.org. "MyPatientRights.org es un faro de luz en un mar tormentoso en cuanto a atención medica , en especial para los pacientes con una enfermedad crónica ", dijo Liz Helms , presidente y CEO de la CCCC . "Con el futuro de la salud de la nación estrechamente vinculada al bienestar de la comunidad latina, es importante que tengan acceso adecuado y de calidad.” El programa de salud del gobierno mejor conocido como Obamacare ha hecho que miles de familias latinas tengan acceso a cuidado medico, sin embargo ...
SaludToday Guest Blogger
Brietta Mengel While it’s common knowledge that certain foods influence your weight, it’s not as widely known that food can also affect your mental health.
Here we take a look at what foods can make mental illness worse, and which can help promote a healthy mind.
More than 16% of Latinos experienced a mental illness in the previous year. Depression is the No. 1 cause of disability in the world, and $193 billion is the cost of mental illness in lost earnings per year. More than half of people with mental illness do not even seek help, especially Latinos.
Foods that work for your health include: fatty fish, such as salmon, sardines, mackerel and herring are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which can boost dopamine and serotonin levels in the brain. ...
In 2015 cancer was the leading cause of death among Latinos in the United States, Latina Lista reports. Last year, Latinos experienced 125,900 new cases of cancer and more than 30,000 deaths from cancer. According to experts most cancer related deaths among Latinos are caused by lung tumors in men and breast malignancies in women. “Death rates are declining for both heart disease, the leading cause of death in the U.S. overall, and cancer, the second leading cause,” Rebecca Siegel, a researcher at the American Cancer Society, said. “Cancer has already surpassed heart disease as the leading cause of death in Hispanics because of their young age structure.” Although Latinos have lower incidence of prostate and breast cancer than whites, they are more likely to be diagnosed ...
