[COLUMN] 12 food myths
MYTHS abouts food, other matters, fake news, and other mis- and disinformation abound in social media. What a waste of a wonderful, valuable technological advance in communication! In this column…
Category: Health
Covering the most noteworthy news stories in the health and wellness industry for the Filipino community.
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FDA experts are still puzzled over who should get which COVID shots and when
By Arthur Allen/Kaiser Health News At a meeting to simplify the nation’s covid vaccination policy, the FDA’s panel of experts could agree on only one thing: Information is woefully lacking…
[COLUMN] News Capsules
SWEETENERS dilemma Artificial sugars or sweeteners are very popular. Questions about their safety with long-term use still float around. The claim that Saccharin caused cancer years ago was debunked. From…
[COLUMN] New year, new YOU
It’s 2023 and it’s great to be back! After 2 years, my column is now active and I can’t wait to share more ideas, advice and beauty know-hows. NEW YEAR,…
[COLUMN] Coffee: Benefits and Risks
COFFEE, the waker-upper for 75 percent of adults in America, has been shown to have health benefits and also a risk among those who have severe hypertension for those who…
Resolve to give yourself the gift of health in 2023
THE County Health and Human Services Agency is encouraging San Diegans to resolve to be healthy in 2023 and get vaccinated against COVID-19 and the flu. Both viruses are circulating…
Get important tools that could save someone’s life
KNOWING how to perform CPR and how to locate and use an AED, automated external defibrillator, can help someone when seconds are critical. The collapse of Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin during…
Older adults can start the year of the rabbit on a healthy note even as covid lingers
With vaccines and treatments, we’ve come a long way in preventing the worst outcomes from COVID-19. But older adults remain among the most at risk. As we gather together to…
[COLUMN] Damage control
THE holidays may be behind us but their collateral health effects, among others, will linger a while. Medically speaking, it is actually a time for “damage control” for those of…
Bivalent COVID boosters approved, available for 6 months and older
BIVALENT COVID-19 vaccination boosters are now approved and available in San Diego County for children as young as six months of age. The County Health and Human Services Agency is…
[COLUMN] Weight loss ‘cures’ diabetes
OBESITY has been known to be a major risk for the development of diabetes mellitus Type2 (DMT2) for decades. Being overweight not only increases the risk for diabetes but also…
[COLUMN] D3 and the brain
STUDIES have shown that the body relies on vitamin D to stave off heart disease, inflammation and even cancer. People with deficient vitamin D in their body are associated with…
Here’s where to get free COVID tests
WITH the reopening of the federal government program to order no-cost COVID-19 tests, there are more options to get free tests this year. But how do you know what’s legit…
Sleigh bells ring, you recycling?
SANTA Claus, jingle bells, gifts, packages and — recycling? Yes! The holidays are a great time of the year to put your recycling skills to work, from all that wrapping…
Assisted living facilities pressed to address growing needs of older, sicker residents
by Judith Graham Assisted living communities too often fail to meet the needs of older adults and should focus more on residents’ medical and mental health concerns, according to a…
Treating long covid is rife with guesswork
By Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio, Kaiser Health News Medical equipment is still strewn around the house of Rick Lucas, 62, nearly two years after he came home from the…
The pandemic’s collateral damage: Long COVID
By Sunita Sohrabji/Ethnic Media Services An estimated 4 million people in the U.S. have permanently dropped out of the workforce due to long COVID, which can include an array of…
This open enrollment season, look out for health insurance that seems too good to be true
By Bram Sable-Smith It took nearly a year for Kelly Macauley to realize the health plan she bought while shopping for insurance coverage last October was not, in fact, insurance….
What you don’t know can hurt: The facts about updated COVID vaccines
By We Can Do This COVID-19 Public Education Campaign THE updated vaccines have arrived, but surveys are showing that some people don’t know much about them — even though they…
[COLUMN] Tripledemic
YES, three different viruses, not only the Three Kings, are expected to visit us this coming Christmas season. This is predicted to be a winter of tripledemic. The three viruses…
County public health officials renew call for vaccinations against COVID-19
COUNTY public health officials are renewing their call for San Diegans to get vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19 as the colder months are upon us. Respiratory illnesses historically increase during…
Will COVID spike again this fall? 6 tips to help you stay safe
By Céline Gounder/Kaiser Health News Last year, the emergence of the highly transmissible omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus caught many people by surprise and led to a surge in…
Updated COVID-19 booster shots expanded to 5 years and older
SACRAMENTO – California Health & Human Services Agency Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly, and Director of the California Department of Public Health and State Public Health Officer Dr.Tomás J. Aragón, issued…
Updated vaccines: How to update your protection against covid this fall
“Been there, done that.” People are feeling like they’ve heard enough about COVID-19. But staying on top of the facts, vaccinations, and level of spread in the community is still…
Nursing home surprise: Advantage plans may shorten stays to less time than Medicare covers
After 11 days in a St. Paul, Minnesota, skilled nursing facility recuperating from a fall, Paula Christopherson, 97, was told by her insurer that she should return home. But instead…
Health plan shake-up could disrupt coverage for low-income Californians
Almost 2 million of California’s poorest and most medically fragile residents may have to switch health insurers as a result of a new strategy by the state to improve care…
Is COVID ‘under control’ in the US? Experts say yes
By Louis Jacobson, PolitiFact and Jeff Cercone, PolitiFact/Kaiser Health News President Joe Biden caused a stir in a “60 Minutes” interview on Sept. 18 when he declared that the COVID-19 pandemic is over. “We…
Health plan shake-up could disrupt coverage for low-income Californians
Almost 2 million of California’s poorest and most medically fragile residents may have to switch health insurers as a result of a new strategy by the state to improve care…
LA County declares ‘safe haven’ for all seeking reproductive health care
WITH its June 24 “Dobbs” decision, the U.S. Supreme Court took away the guarantee of a right to abortion it made 50 years earlier under Roe v. Wade. The Dobbs…
New abortion laws jeopardize cancer treatment for pregnant patients
As abortion bans go into effect across a contiguous swath of the South, cancer physicians are wrestling with how new state laws will influence their discussions with pregnant patients about…