Tattoos Can Be Troublesome to Remove

People pondering a tattoo may want to consider the expense and discomfort of having one removed later on, experts say.

Nearly one out of five people with tattoos do think about having them removed later in life, according to dermatologist Dr. Jeffrey Orringer of the University of Michigan Health System.

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"The most common reason would be to remove a name of someone who is no longer involved in the patient's life," Orringer said in a prepared statement.

According to the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, people who want to get a tattoo should choose a licensed facility and a tattoo design that is simple and therefore easy to remove. They also advise people to put tattoos on parts of the body that can be covered by clothing in the workplace. Unusual or sensitive locations are more prone to scarring and are also more difficult for tattoo removal.

Blacks Less Likely to Stick to High Blood Pressure Diet

People who stick with the so-called "DASH diet" achieve significant reductions in blood pressure, but blacks are less likely than whites to adopt the diet, researchers have found.

The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet -- which is rich in healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy items, and low in fats and cholesterol -- has been proven to help lower blood pressure.

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In this study, Duke University Medical Center researchers examined whether adherence to the DASH diet was associated with blood pressure changes and what factors predicted who would stay with the diet.

The study included 144 sedentary, overweight or obese adults who had hypertension (high blood pressure) and were not taking blood-pressure lowering medications. They were randomly assigned to one of three groups: DASH diet alone; DASH diet plus weight-loss counseling and aerobic exercise; or no change in diet and exercise habits.

Stress At Works 'raises heart risk'

Having a highly demanding job, but little control over it, could be a deadly combination, UK researchers say.

They analysed 13 existing European studies covering nearly 200,000 people and found "job strain" was linked to a 23% increased risk of heart attacks and deaths from coronary heart disease.

Ilustration Stress At Works 'raises heart risk' (annespoor.co.uk)

The risk to the heart was much smaller than for smoking or not exercising, the Lancet medical journal report said.

The British Heart Foundation said how people reacted to work stress was key.

Job strain is a type of stress. The research team at University College London said working in any profession could lead to strain, but it was more common in lower skilled workers.

Doctors who have a lot of decision-making in their jobs would be less likely to have job strain than someone working on a busy factory production line.

Having A "Can Do" Attitude Could Help You Lead A Healthier Lifestyle

Having a positive "can do" attitude can lead to a healthier lifestyle.

The study which was conducted by Professor Deborah Cobb-Clark, Director of the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, found individuals who believe their life can be changed by their own actions ate healthier food, exercised more, smoked less and avoided binge drinking. The study used data from the Household, Income and Labor Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey. 

Having A "Can Do" Attitude Could Help You Lead A Healthier Lifestyle
(Photo : Flickr/ Park Avenue of Wayzata)

Researchers analyzed the link between perceived control and the health investments from an economic point of view, rather than a psychological perspective. They used economic models to assess the numerous ways an individual's thoughts influence their health choices.

Omega-3 Supplements Don’t Lower Heart Disease Risk After All

If you want to protect your heart, stick to exercise and a healthy diet, and pass on the fish oil pills, says a new study.

For years, doctors and health experts have recommended taking fish oil supplements, rich in omega-3 fatty acids, to lower the risk of heart disease. But the latest study on the issue — an analysis of previous clinical trials on the effects of omega-3s — shows that the supplements don’t lower users’ risks of heart attack, stroke, sudden death or death from heart disease or any cause. Although the rates of these events were lower among those taking omega-3 supplements compared with those not taking them, the differences were not statistically meaningful, the authors said.

It’s not the first time that the cardiovascular benefits of fish oil have been questioned: another recent analysis of previous research found that the supplements didn’t prevent heart attack or stroke in people with heart disease. (Separately, other research has suggested that that pills have little effect on boosting memory in Alzheimer’s patients, reducing symptoms of the disease or improving thinking and verbal skills compared with placebo.)

The Naptime Chef’s Fall Recipe for Foodies Who Are Also Harried Parents

Four years ago, when my first child was born, I started teaching the foodie in me how to be a pragmatic parent. I set out to streamline my husband’s and my favorite recipes so they could be made during naptime or any other precious little downtime I had. I nicknamed myself the Naptime Chef and started blogging about these early attempts at simplifying dishes without sacrificing flavor — attempts that led to me scraping more than my fair share of food into the garbage. But with a little practice, I came up with some great family-friendly recipes and in March published my favorites in my first cookbook. Maybe I’ll whip up a sequel after baby No. 2 arrives in January.

In the meantime, it’s apple season now, my favorite. I do my best to incorporate the fruit into just about every meal possible. From apple pancakes to apple cheddar soup, name your favorite food and I’ll add apples to it.

The beauty of my apple cake is that it is a simple one-bowl affair with only the most basic of stirring required. The preparation fits so perfectly into our hectic daily routine it makes an apple pie look positively arduous. Why bother coring and slicing half a dozen apples when you can get the same amount of flavor from simply chopping up two of them and pouring some batter into a pie plate?

Five Ways to Ramp Up Your Metabolism

When it comes to your metabolism, age can slow you down, making it easier to gain weight once you hit 40. But if you aim to turn that around, experts offer a few tips to boost your metabolism and shed a few extra pounds.

One way to do so is by altering your diet, exercise,
and sleep habits, suggets Scott Isaacs, M.D.
(img : GWImages/shutterstock.com)

One way to do so is by altering your diet, exercise, and sleep habits, suggets Scott Isaacs, M.D., an endocrinologist in Atlanta and author of Hormonal Balance: How to Lose Weight By Understanding Your Hormones and Metabolism.

"Think of your body as an engine - your metabolism is the rate at which your engine runs," he explained to Health magazine. "By making adjustments to these three elements, you can actually make your engine rev higher."

On September 4, fitness blog FitSugar and Health magazine offer a few expert tips to get your metabolic engine burning -- at any age. The promise? You can drop ten pounds, or 4.5 kilos, in 21 days.