Category Archives: All

All, Common Myths, Summer

Is it Safe to Swim on a Full Stomach?

Related image

Photo from Clear Choice Pool

Nicole Kell

As summer rolls around, many of us have been warned about not swimming immediately after eating. This is based on the idea that blood will divert from the arms and legs and flow toward the digestive tract after consuming a large meal. We are told that  our stomach might cramp and we might drown. One might also hear that the limbs might not be supplied with enough blood flow to function. For most children, taking a break from swimming after a big lunch can feel like an eternity.

There are so many people who are concerned about the risks of swimming after eating that the American Red Cross presented a scientific advisory statement in the International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education that stated, “currently available information suggests that eating before swimming is not a contributing risk for drowning and can be dismissed as a myth.” Our bodies have enough blood to keep all of our body parts going after eating a large meal. This is exciting news for children who love the pool, lake, beach etc. They don’t have to listen to their parent’s advice… just this once. Saved by science.

http://theconversation.com/mondays-medical-myth-wait-30-minutes-after-eating-before-you-swim-10653

https://www.dignityhealth.org/articles/is-swimming-after-eating-really-dangerous

https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-minute-should-you-wait-30-minutes-to-swim-after-eating/

All, Medicine

Do Bones Grow Back Stronger?

Image result for broken bone

Photo from WebMD

Isabel Draper

Some people may say  that a broken bone will grow back stronger. After an inflammatory or “clean up” phase, followed by a reparative phase where first cartilage and then bone bridges the fracture,  the final stage of bone healing is the remodeling stage. A bone generally reaches 80-90% of its original strength in 3 to 6 months, but doesn’t complete remodeling and get to 100% strength for about a year.

During the reparative or second phase of bone healing, a callus forms at the site of the break. This callus is gradually replaced with woven bone. During the remodeling stage, the woven bone will be replaced with lamellar bone. The completion of this final stage may take anywhere from several months to a few years but once it is completed the bone will return to its original structure.  After the bone finishes the remodeling stage, its strength basically returns to what it was before. The bone at the fracture site is not less likely than the rest of the bone to break again and the bone doesn’t grow back stronger.

https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/did-you-know/broken-bones-grow-back-stronger-sort

https://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/19/health/19really.html

https://www2.aofoundation.org/wps/portal/surgerymobile?contentUrl=/srg/popup/further_reading/PFxM2/12_33_biol_fx_heal.jsp

All

Do meal kits help you lose weight?

Image result for meal kits

Photo from Washington Post

Andrea Hernandez

In the last few years, meal kit services that provide mail order food and recipes have become increasingly popular. This concept was intended to help busy people prepare dinner without having to shop for individual ingredients. Some consumers were under the impression that purchasing meal kits would help with weight loss because cooking at home offers more control over what you eat and how it is prepared, which might result in a healthier diet that might contribute to weight loss.  

Meal kit services give you the precise ingredients you need to make the recipe you select, but does not ensure that the portion of each ingredient is healthy and balanced. It is up to the consumer to make a conscious effort to choose a healthy meal plan and manage calorie intake.

Some programs have already been established for consumers who are interested in controlling calorie intake or focusing on a diet that can help improve a certain aspect of health. Weight Watchers is a commercial service that attends to calorie counts in meal plans.  Programs like DASH focus on improving blood pressure by choosing foods that are low in saturated fats, trans fats, and sodium, and rich in potassium.

If you want to lose weight, you need to limit calorie intake and increase calorie expenditure through more physical activity.  

https://dashdiet.org/what-is-the-dash-diet.html

https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/dash-eating-plan

https://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20150106/best-diets-ranking#1

https://www.cnet.com/news/best-meal-kit-delivery-services/

https://www.health.com/weight-loss/meal-kit-help-you-lose-weight