New motivation to avoid sitting
Don’t sit too much. Your desk may not like it.
As evidence mounts showing that sitting is hazardous to your health, including increasing your chances of heart disease and diabetes, more contraptions are coming out to get people up and moving. The latest are SmartDesks. These desks, such as the Stir Kinetic Desk F1 ($4,190, pictured) or ERGO (pre-order from $399), automatically adjust depending on how long you’ve been sitting. If getting ordered around by your desk doesn’t sound appealing, it may be best just to set a timer. New research from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City showed that walking just two minutes for every hour of sitting significantly reduces health risks.
New care for children It’s time to welcome a new medical center to the area. The anchor tenant for Meridian Place in North Naples will be the Miami Children’s Hospital pediatric center.
Long-term dangers of sleep apnea
Getting that snoring under control will not only benefit your annoyed partner; it might also decrease your risk of Alzheimer’s disease and memory loss. A study published in the journal Neurology showed that patients who suffered from sleep apnea reported cognitive issues 10 years earlier than those who did not. Although the report shows just a correlation, researcher Dr. Ricardo Osorio of NYU School of Medicine told The Washington Post that the brief cutoffs of oxygen to the brain might be to blame. The good news: The researchers said using CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machines helped stave off the impairments.
An orange juice boost Can OJ make you smarter? Researchers at the University of Reading showed a slight increase in cognition abilities for older adults who drank two glasses of orange juice a day over eight weeks.
The lightest of bikes
An automaker has introduced a super-light bicycle. Just don’t get sticker shock. Audi’s Sport Racing Bike was unveiled recently at the manufacturer’s showroom in Tokyo, weighing in at about 13 pounds total. The frame itself, made of a lightweight carbon-fiber material used in racecars, weighs about 28 ounces, about the same as five iPhone 6s, as The Wall Street Journal points out. And it’s because of that space-age material that the price of the bike comes out to about $19,450. Might be better to just start saving up for an actual Audi.
FITNESS TIP OF THE MONTH
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. A close runner-up: the post-workout meal. Trainer Justin Klein of Orangetheory Fitness in Fort Myers recommends foods high in clean protein or carbohydrates to help the body recover. If you don’t have time to grill some chicken, Klein recommends grabbing a protein shake or even a few rice cakes. And, of course, drink water to rehydrate.
“Anytime you exercise, you’re breaking down your body,” he says. “Your body is looking for something to repair it.”
Donate to the milk bank
You’ve heard of a blood bank. How about a milk bank? Lee Memorial is seeking lactating mothers who would be willing to donate breast milk to two new depots at Cape Coral Hospital and HealthPark Medical Center. The milk is needed to feed babies in the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit when their mothers’ milk is not yet available to them. According to the hospital, 1 ounce of breast milk can feed a preemie for a day and provides easy-to-digest nutrition he or she can’t get with formula.
Mothers will be pre-screened to qualify and will be required to take a blood test. For more information, call (407) 248-5050.
Downside to cynicism A good reason to look on the bright side: Research from the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology shows that cynics, who are distrusting and avoid collaboration, tend to earn as much as $300 less per month than optimists.
Laser treatment for vaginal walls
A one-of-its-kind laser treatment to help women suffering from vaginal atrophy has arrived in Southwest Florida.
Physicians’ Primary Care of Southwest Florida now has The MonaLisa Touch, a recently FDA-approved device that can counteract the thinning and drying in the vaginal walls that can cause irritation, discomfort during sex and painful urination. Vaginal atrophy typically affects women in menopause or those who have survived breast cancer or gotten a hysterectomy. The MonaLisa Touch uses a carbon-dioxide laser to help restore and rehydrate the vaginal walls. A study from the Mayo Clinic estimates that close to 50 percent of post-menopausal women suffer at some point from vaginal atrophy.
