Spotlighting Both Challenges and Progress This winter the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) released its new Lung Cancer screening recommendations, lowering both the starting age and pack-year criteria. Previously, low-dose computed tomography screening was advised for adults age 55 to 80 years with a 30 pack-year history of smoking who are current smokers or have quit within the past …
A Quick Guide to Seasonal Allergies
Pollen, Grass, Ragweed and Mold spores For more than 24 million Americans, the flowering trees and mild weather of spring and summer, signals another allergy season in full bloom. The cause: substances such as pollen, grass, ragweed and mold spores enter the body and are mistakenly identified as a threat by the immune system, triggering a variety of symptoms. We …
The Art of Cooking Without Sugar
A Chef’s Tasteful Look at Taking Sugar Off the Table In part two of our series with professional chef Stan Hodes, he shares some artful substitutes, both natural and man-made, to sweeten up recipes without dipping into the sugar bowl. “It’s almost impossible to eliminate sugar completely because it appears, sometimes stealthily, in just about all foods,” says Chef Stan, …
J&J Vaccine Update: CDC and FDA Recommend Use of J&J’s Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine Resume
On April 23rd, the pause on using J&J’s COVID-19 vaccine in the U.S. was lifted. Visit the CDC website to see the CDC/FDA official statement. For more information, download a copy of the CDC recommendations. Please continue to check the CDC website for the latest vaccine information.
4.13.21 J&J Vaccine Update
As news regarding the J&J vaccine has changed significantly since our COVID-19 Vaccine Update posted on 3.24.21, we offer the following link to today’s Joint CDC and FDA Statement on Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine. Please continue to check the CDC website for the latest vaccine information.
COVID-19 Vaccine Update
Experts Weigh In With Reassuring Outlook The COVID-19 vaccine rollout is in full swing around the country but many questions remain. We reveal the latest answers (as of February 2021) from nationally recognized vaccine experts Dr. Paul Sax, Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Clinical Director of Infectious Disease, Brigham and Women’s Hospital; and Michael Kinch, PhD, Director of …
A Guide to the Power Players in Pain Relief
Which Pain Relievers Work Best? When you reach for a pain reliever, what are you most likely to find in your medicine cabinet? And does it matter? While aspirin, Tylenol and Aleve may appear similar and aim for the same results, their effects can vary. Below is a quick guide to today’s most recognizable over-the-counter (OTC) pain relief products. The …
Cooking without Sodium or Sugar
Executive Chef Stan Hodes Shares Secrets of the Spice Rack The benefits of reducing sodium and sugar in the diet are compelling, backed by well- documented studies. The flip side is an equally powerful human craving for enhanced flavor, compounded by years of exposure to products boosted with salt and sugar and the ongoing quest for umami (the fifth taste, …
Vaccine Update 03.03.2021
As you’ve likely heard, Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine was recently approved by the FDA. If you’d like to be included on the Houston Health Department’s waitlist for the J&J vaccine, please CLICK HERE to register. We also want to share important information about our office policy: despite the statewide loosening of mask restrictions, we are still requiring staff and patients to …
New Year’s Resolutions Are So 2020!
What are your 2021 Anti-Resolutions? Year after year, the pattern rarely varies. Resolutions made, promptly followed by resolutions broken. The odds of sticking to New Year’s resolutions are, in fact, completely stacked against us, as research shows a paltry success rate of between 10 and 20%. But since the challenges of 2020 have reconfigured every aspect of daily living, 2021 …