A cancer diagnosis is simply heart-wrenching. Besides dealing with the disease itself, the fear and apprehension of treatment—in addition to the usual chaos of life—can be overwhelming. In a non-descript conference room on the first floor of the Center for Advanced Care at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, cancer patients and survivors find […]
Not many sugeons are on the front page of the Chicago Tribune with any regularity, but Dr. Richard Fessler is one of the few whose innovations and list of who’s who patients put him routinely in the spotlight. He is a neurosurgeon whose skill allows for thought and expression in a brain that has suffered […]
The summer before Jeff Freedman of Wilmette turned 50, he was working through a debilitating Achilles tendon rupture, feeling the loss of several longtime family friends, and worried he was peaking professionally. “You go to funerals, and you walk out saying ‘that puts it all in perspective.’ But then you leave and you don’t change […]
Do people tend to lose weight or gain weight when they are stressed? The truth is that both are possible, but most people gain weight when they are stressed. The best science at present suggests that it is intense, traumatic stress that make us lose weight, while the chronic stress we all face daily only […]
Is one eating pattern better than another? I was reading through a compilation of recently published nutrition articles and two, in particular, caught my eye. One was titled “Sticking to 3 Meals a Day May be Key to Weight Control” and the other was titled “Eating Small, Frequent Meals May Help Control Weight, Study Says”. […]
In recent decades, scientists have identified an increasing number of hormones, chemicals, and genes that play a role in weight control. This has tipped the balance away from behavior and towards biology as the major force impacting an individual’s body weight. The idea that something as fixed as your body’s genetic code or hormone responses […]
You might worry about your teenager drinking or smoking pot, but statistics show, you also need to worry about them misusing prescription drugs. The University of Michigan longitudinal study, “Monitoring the Future” surveys U.S. teens annually. In their 2011 report, they found that 15 percent of teens misused prescription drugs, with Vicodin and Adderall the […]
No matter how old or young you are, you can take steps to protect and improve your brain’s cognitive function. According to Dr. Sherrie All, a licensed clinical psychologist for the Chicago Center for Cognitive Wellness and a consultant with Mather LifeWay’s Brain Fitness Program, “You want to think about your brain like a bank […]
In charge of promoting a wine tasting or golf outing to benefit your business? Here’s how to use Facebook to increase your attendance. Free Promotions Start by creating an “Event” on Facebook. Click on the “Event” button in the left hand column, then, when the page opens, click on “Create Event” in the upper right […]
For nearly a century, Planned Parenthood has played a powerful role in women’s reproductive health. Close to 5 million people annually get sexual and reproductive health care, as well as education, through the organization. And while the organization has always had detractors, it wasn’t until recently that the organization faced larger partisan attacks, including threats […]
