Why Sweet Potatoes May Boost Your Immune System (and My Recipe for Sweet Potato Gnocchi)

OK, don't laugh: I was listening to the 24-7 Christmas music station here in Seattle over the weekend (so far, I'm not sick of Jingle Bells!), and I heard an announcer talking about the amazing health benefits of sweet potatoes (random, I know). Of course, I listened up! We already know that they're loaded with potassium, thanks to this piece by Glamour.com's Lindsey Unterberger, but who knew they could ward off the cold and flu viruses? Read on for the details...

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So, according to several past studies, sweet potatoes are a fall power food you should eat year round. Yep, don't just save them for the holidays. Here's why: Sweet potatoes are rich in beta carotene, which scientists believe may help increase T cell activity in the body. T cells are known as the "helper" cells that fight infection.

Why Do We Call Dogs “Man’s Best Friend”?

I am a new dog owner, and even though I had dogs as a kid, now that I am older I am starting to realize the “real responsibilities” that come from owning a pet. My dog Atticus is now 9 months old, and I couldn’t help but wonder, why are dogs considered “man’s best friend”?

Atticus (Atti for short) always greets me at the door, is always excited to see me, and is always willing to overlook the small little imperfections about me (like leaving the dishes in the sink for too long). So when I researched “Why are dogs man’s best friend?”, I found a mountain of information about how humans acquired a relationship with dogs. It turns out that 16,000 years ago, men used wolves as guard dogs and to help herd livestock. We as humans have evolved tremendously, and now we also play, kiss, and hug our dogs… But still, after thousands of years, dogs are still known as “man’s best friend”.

Why Does My Pet Have Gas?

It’s completely normal for your pet to have gas just like humans do, however if your pet has excessive amounts of gas, unwanted side effects can occur for both pets and owners.

The occurrence of gas varies from breed to breed and can cause not only some embarrassing moments for pet owners, but may also be the result of a medical condition. Boxers in particular are prone to excessive gas due to their short muzzles.

Pets generally develop gas from swallowing air while drinking water or eating food. There are two types of gas that may develop in pets, gastric and intestinal. Gastric gas involves the accumulation of gas in the stomach which can cause belching. A lot of times, animals develop stomach gas which can be remedied by belching or even vomiting, which although completely safe is not a welcomed sight by pet owners.

Why Are Some Parents Not Vaccinating Their Children?

The recently released State of Health Care Quality report created by the National Committee for Quality Assurance found an interesting trend when it comes to vaccinations.

Researchers found the number of childhood vaccinations, including MMR (measles, mumps and rubella), decreased almost 3 percent between 2008 and 2009. Diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough vaccination rates also fell from 87.2 percent to 85.4 percent in the same one year period, and a similar decrease was seen in chickenpox vaccinations which dropped from 92 percent to 90.6 percent.

The yearly report is based on voluntary reporting from 1,000 health plans covering 118 million Americans, in addition to Medicaid data. Although the reasons for the decrease have yet to be explored, according to Sarah Thomas, vice president of public policy and communication for the National Committee for Quality Assurance " the one leading hypothesis is that parents have decided not to get their children vaccinated because of concerns about the potential for side effects and even autism."

When It Comes to Your Health, What Have You Flip-Flopped On?

I have this theory--and maybe you do, too--that we're all works in progress. When it comes to making healthy choices, it's a journey, and we're likely to "flip flop" now and then (remember that overused phrase from the 2004 elections?). Take the fact that I used to be a vegetarian, and now eat meat (and love it)--total flip flop. What health-related things have you changed your mind about over the years?

Lots of stars have flip flopped on the road to getting healthy. Oprah correspondent Lisa Ling was once a fan of colonics (you know, colon cleansing--eeew!), but not anymore. Lots of stars tried the Atkins Diet before ditching it, including 24's Marisol Nichols. And, let's not get started on all the wacky fitness trends out there.

When Does Your Brain Function Peak?

Brain ability peaks at age 22 and mental powers begin to dwindle at age 27, Virginia University researchers found.

Professor Timothy Salthouse found reasoning, speed of thought and spatial visualization all decline beginning in the late 20s, the British Broadcasting Corp. reported.

Therapies designed to stall or reverse the aging process may need to start much earlier than middle age, Salthouse said.

To test mental agility, Salthouse had 2,000 healthy people ages 18-60 solve puzzles, recall words and story details and spot patterns in letters and symbols.

The researchers found that the first marked decline was at age 27 in tests of brain speed, reasoning and visual puzzle-solving ability. However, memory stayed intact until age 37, while abilities based on accumulated knowledge, such as performance on tests of vocabulary or general information, increased until age 60.

What Are You Eating This Weekend?

Happy weekend, my dears! What's on the menu this weekend? Pregnancy cravings are in full effect now that I'm plowing through my second trimester, and here's what I'm dying to eat ...

I made crepes at home last weekend, but this weekend, I'm still on a crepe kick (blaming the baby), so I'll be checking out the new crepe restaurant in Seattle that's supposed to be really good. I think I'll get something savory, like a veggie and cheese crepe. Yum.

Oh, and I have to confess: I can't get enough pepperoncinis! You know, the spicy, pickled peppers that come in Greek salads? I am eating them by the jar. Craziest pregnancy craving yet.

What Are Your (Kind of Goofy) Health Rituals?

Do you ever take a step back and look at yourself and think, like Erin over at Life With Cancer wrote about today, "coo coo"? Her post about the sometimes-goofy weight-loss rituals we keep made me think of all the other quirky health rituals we (me included) pack into our days.

For instance, I'm a major germaphobe (not a word, I know). So I keep hand-sanitizing gel everywhere! And I mean, everywhere. I recently added a pump-top container of germ zapper to the cup-holder in my car, so every time I leave a germy store I slather my hands in the stuff. My husband, I'll add, thinks I'm nuts.

What are your borderline-crazy health rituals? Do you take a Vitamin C supplement at the mere sound of someone coughing at work? Swear that singing through a shot or blood draw makes it sting less?

What's With Jon Gosselin's Sudden Smoking Habit?

I will admit, I don't have much patience for smokers. Even the smokers I know don't have much patience for smokers (seriously, I know women who loathe themselves for their habit). And, after all the news about Jon and Kate Plus 8 of late (hey that rhymes!), I guess I wasn't that surprised to see Jon Gosselin puffing on a cig with his new gal pal over the weekend. But I'm still going to give him a hard time about it ...

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Jon Gosselin, once the cherubic family man--and let's not forget, father of 8--has suddenly gone bad boy. He was spotted over the weekend smoking with this gal-pal Hailey Glassman in France (P.S. Hailey's the daughter of the doc who gave Kate a tummy tuck--crazy, I know). To see photos of their smoky escapade, click here. (If he smoked before, TLC did a good job concealing it.)

We Live in A Very Sugary World, Don't We?

Guys, I recently scanned the label of my favorite jar of marinara sauce and found sugar in the ingredient list. Sugar! You should have seen me. I almost dropped the jar. OK, so a little bit isn't going to kill us, but here's my rant: Do they have to add it to everything? Can some things remain sacred no-sugar zones? Like marinara sauce for crying out loud? New warnings about sugar to tell you about...

When did everything suddenly get so darn sweet? If it seems like sugar makes an appearance in everything you eat these days, it's true. According to reports, Americans are now eating 19 percent more sugar than they did in the 1970s. We're on a sugar high, people. And, citing sugar's role in weight gain and obesity, the American Heart Association wants to do something about it.

Weird Science News: Too Much Caffeine Might Make You Hallucinate

Hey, you with the latte! New research from Durham University in the UK reveals that people who guzzle too much caffeine might end up with a spooky side effect: They could start hearing strange voices or see ghosts. Read on for the trippy details...

People who drink at least 330 milligrams of caffeine per day were three times as likely to have hallucinations as those who consumed less than 10 milligrams a day, according to the study published in Personality and Individual Differences. That's about the amount of caffeine in seven 8-ounce cups of black tea or 3.5 cups of black coffee.

When you consume caffeine, your body produces more of the stress hormone cortisol. Researchers suggest that this flood of extra hormones may cause some people to start seeing things that aren't there. Another explanation may be that people under stress are more susceptible to hallucinations, anyway, and the coffee intake is just a coincidence. But coffee fiends shouldn't fret--this news doesn't mean you need to give up your morning joe. "There would be no real reason for me to stop drinking tea," lead researcher Simon Jones told Bloomberg News. "I don't see a reason to change a moderate intake."

Touting the Benefits of Fish

The debate over the relative risks and benefits of eating seafood veered toward the benefits recently. Two authoritative scientific assessments concluded that for most people, the health benefits of eating finfish and shellfish clearly exceed any risks from contamination by toxic chemicals, heavy metals or microbes. Even vulnerable groups, like pregnant women and young children, could benefit by eating more fish if they avoided the most contaminated species. Both studies were financed by U.S. agencies, insulating them from commercial influences. The Institute of Medicine of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences judged seafood to be a good source of high-quality protein that is low in saturated fat and rich in many vitamins and minerals. It found that eating fish can reduce the risk of heart disease.

Tips to Promote Immunity in Pets

While your pet may initiate certain behaviors regarding eating habits and exercise, through the evolution of domestication, many of these normal processes fall under the influence of our hands. Therefore, making just a few tweaks in routine may greatly benefit your pet’s overall health and well-being.

There is much that can be done to support a healthy immune system in pets. Here are a few tips:

Avoid exposure to toxins and chemicals as much as possible.

Don’t expose your pet to second hand cigarette smoke.

Give your pet a healthy varied diet – making sure to include lots of raw meat, fresh vegetables and fruit.