Martin's Must-Reads

Martin's Must-Reads

By Betty Martin, Mark MartinArtsBooks
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Martin's Must-Reads episodes

  • To Your Health: Diabetes Awareness Month
    There are three types of diabetes: Type 1, in which the pancreas stops producing insulin; Type 2 in which the body becomes insulin resistant and the pancreas can’t keep up with the increased demand and Gestational Diabetes, when hormonal changes can make a pregnant woman’s body insulin resistant. While all three can be managed, only Type 2 diabetes can be prevented. People who are at high risk for Type 2 diabetes can lower their risk by more than half if they make healthy changes. November is
    2 min
  • To Your Health: Halloween Safety
    The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that 40 million kids aged 5 to 14 will be keeping up the tradition of knocking on doors this Halloween. Urban legends about poisoned candy or razor blades stuck in taffy apples have made parents vigilant through the decades; however, no recorded incident of a random Halloween poisoning or razor blade incident exists. The biggest threat to trick or treaters , according to the American College of Emergency Physicians, is actually cars. Children are four times more
    2 min
  • To Your Health: Blood Clots
    The American Society of Hematology states, “Blood clotting, or coagulation, is an important process that prevents excessive bleeding when a blood vessel is injured. Platelets and proteins in your plasma work together to stop the bleeding by forming a clot over the injury. Typically, your body will naturally dissolve the blood clot after the injury has healed. Sometimes, however, clots form on the inside of vessels without an obvious injury or do not dissolve naturally. These situations can be
    2 min
  • To Your Health: Depression Screening Day
    Mental Health America states, “Whether for heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, or depression - health screenings provide a quick and easy way to spot the first signs of serious illness and can reach people who might not otherwise seek professional medical advice. Clinical depression is a common medical illness. Like screenings for other illnesses, depression screenings should be a routine part of healthcare.” Today is Depression Screening Day. According to the Centers for Disease
    2 min
  • To Your Health: October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month
    In the early 1990s , the Susan G. Komen Foundation, Estee Lauder and Self magazine began distributing pink ribbons at events to promote breast cancer awareness. October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Today, most people are aware of breast cancer, but many don’t have a plan to detect the disease in its early stages and encourage others to do the same. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, about 1 in 8 women born today in the United States will get breast
    2 min
  • To Your Health: Fall Allergies
    Fall has arrived! The leaves are turning colors, the air is getting cool and crisp…and you’re sneezing? Allergies don’t just occur as things bloom in the spring and summer. Fall allergies have different triggers than spring and summer allergies, but they can be just as annoying. Ragweed is a common culprit. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America report that 10 to 20 percent of Americans suffer from ragweed allergy or hay fever. Ragweed begins releasing pollen in late summer and continues
    2 min
  • To Your Health: Multiple Sclerosis
    Do you remember hearing the quote “Don’t judge a book by its cover?” Chronic illnesses, such as Multiple Sclerosis, have symptoms that are like icebergs; you only see what’s on the surface. One of my students recently shared with me her experience as an MS warrior. There are 2.3 million people worldwide that are affected by this disease, according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disorder that affects the central nervous system and is the most
    2 min
  • To Your Health: Epsom Salt Can Ease Sore Muscles
    I can remember a big milk carton style box of Epsom salts sitting in the linen closet at my grandparents’ house. Like the canister of Metamucil in the kitchen and the denture tray in the bathroom, it seemed like one of the mysteries of senior citizens that would one day be revealed to me. So I was surprised when after indulging in a massage recently, the massage therapist told me I should take a bath with Epsom salts that night. Didn’t I have at least another 20 years before I needed that? And
    2 min
  • To Your Health: Nail Biting Can Carry Health Risks
    You know it’s a bad habit. And yet, there you are stuck in traffic and you find yourself trimming your fingernails…with your teeth. Up to 50 percent of us will chronically gnaw our nails at some point in our life, according to a study from the University of Calgary. But, nail biting is more than unattractive. It can carry health risks too. The Mayo Clinic reports that nail biting can: Increase the risk of colds and other infections by encouraging the spread of germs from your fingers to your
    2 min
  • To Your Health: Backpack Awareness
    What if when we talked about kids going “back to school” we considered their actual backs and their spinal health? A 2006 study in The Pediatric Journal of Orthopedics found 37% of children experience back pain due to carrying heavy backpacks. Rob Danoff, a doctor of osteopathic medicine and a certified family physician with Philadelphia’s Aria Health System compares the spine to the frame of a house: it’s what keeps your child’s body sturdy and upright. Put too much weight on this frame while a
    2 min

About Martin's Must-Reads

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There are one million new books published each year. With so many books and so little time, where do you begin to find your next must-read? There’s the New York Times Bestseller list, the Goodreads…