Books
Can Onions Cure Ear-Ache?: Medical Advice from 1769
by William Buchanan (author) and Melanie King (editor)
Originally written in 1769 by Scottish physician William Buchanan as Domestic Medicine, this book offers entertaining insight into cures for common ailments during the late 18th century, treating heartburn with oyster shells and deafness with eels. Some of Buchanan’s recommendations still are true today, such as the importance of exercise and fresh air. Beware of other “cures” such as Spanish fly for aching joints.
Sites
HealthCentral.com features a cornucopia of health information and news on health issues from acid reflux to diabetes. Also featured on this site are health tools for checking symptoms in men, women and children and offering possible causes.
Pocket Yoga HD itunes.apple.com
This $2.99 app was named Best App for Practicing Yoga by MacILife. The app acts as a yoga instructor. In practice mode, it guides you through a sequence of yoga postures with customizable scenery, time for practice and level of difficulty. The app is preloaded with one music track, but the user may use his or her own music as well.
Studies
Drinking sweetened beverages linked to depression
According to a study conducted by the National Institutes of Health and the American Academy of Neurology, drinks such as sweetened beverages, coffee and tea have important physical and, possibly, mental health consequences. The study, which will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 65th Annual Meeting in San Diego from March 16-23, showed people who drank more than four cans or cups of soda a day were 30 percent more likely to develop depression than those who drank no soda. Those who drank four cans of fruit punch per day were about 38 percent more likely to develop depression than those who did not drink sweetened drinks. Conversely, those who drank four cups of coffee per day were about 10 percent less likely to develop depression than those who drank no coffee. According to the researchers, the risk of depression appears to be greatest for people who drink diet rather than regular soda, fruit punch or coffee.
