Tag Archives: Health

Culture, Food & Drink, Podcasts, Travel

Culture Podcast: “Wine Windows Of Florence” Date Back To 17th Century

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In the era of social distancing, Italians in Florence have revived the custom of serving wine through pint-size windows in centuries-old buildings.

Year 2020: The covid-19 pandemic arrives. Italy is under lockdown starting March 8th. Everyone is confined to home for two months and then the government permits a gradual reopening. During this time, some enterprising Florentine Wine Window owners have turned back the clock and are using their Wine Windows to dispense glasses of wine, cups of coffee, drinks, sandwiches and ice cream—all germ-free, contactless!

Year 1634: The Black Death or Plague has passed through the city of Florence, leaving death and havoc in its wake. The Florentine scholar, Francesco Rondinelli, writes a report about disease contagion and describes the use of the abundant Wine Windows in the city for the safe sale of wine, without direct contact between client and seller. Diletta Corsini describes this important document regarding Wine Windows and their uses almost 400 years ago.

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Health, Medicine, Science, Technology, Videos

Health Technology: “The Science Behind Artificial Blood” (WSJ Video)

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The coronavirus pandemic led to shortages in the blood supply across the U.S. Scientists around the world are working on a potential solution. The Future of Everything looks at the process of making artificial blood.

Illustration: Timothy Wong

Health, Sleep, Sleep Health, Videos

Health: “6 Tips For Better And Longer Sleep” (Video)

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Want to not only fall asleep quickly but also stay asleep longer? Sleep scientist Matt Walker explains how your room temperature, lighting and other easy-to-fix factors can set the stage for a better night’s rest.

Sleeping with Science, a TED series, uncovers the facts and secrets behind our nightly slumber. (Made possible with the support of Beautyrest)

Check out more: https://go.ted.com/sleepingwithscience

Health, Sleep, Sleep Health, Videos

Health Video: “The Stages Of REM & Non-REM Sleep”

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Did you know you go on a journey every night after you close your eyes? Sleep scientist Matt Walker breaks down the difference between REM (Rapid-Eye Movement) and non-REM sleep, what occurs during each stage of sleep — and why it’s important to get enough of both. Sleeping with Science, a TED series, uncovers the facts and secrets behind our nightly slumber. (Made possible with the support of Beautyrest)

Check out more: https://go.ted.com/sleepingwithscience

Health, Sleep, Sleep Health, Videos

Health Videos: “How Much Sleep Do You Really Need?”

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You know you need to get enough sleep, but the question remains: How much is enough? Sleep scientist Matt Walker tells us the recommended amount for adults and explains why it’s necessary for your long-term health. Sleeping with Science, a TED original series, uncovers the facts and secrets behind our nightly slumber. (Made possible with the support of Beautyrest)

Check out more: https://go.ted.com/sleepingwithscience

Health, Medicine

Importance Of Vaccines: Flu Hospitalizations Can Result In Sudden Heart Conditions (Infographic)

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CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL & PREVENTION (August 25, 2020) – A CDC study published today that looked at more than 80,000 U.S. adults hospitalized with flu over eight flu seasons (2010-11 through 2017-18) found that sudden, serious heart complications were common and occurred in one out of every eight patients (~12% of patients).

The study looked at a range of sudden heart complications called “acute cardiac events” that resulted in the following:

  • damage to the heart muscle,
  • inflammation of the heart muscle,
  • fluid or inflammation of the sac surrounding the heart, or
  • weakening of the pumping function of the heart.

The most common acute cardiac events reported in the study were acute heart failure and acute ischemic heart disease. Acute heart failure is the sudden inability of the heart to pump enough blood to meet the body’s demands, while acute ischemic heart disease is a term that describes heart problems caused by narrowed or blocked heart arteries.

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Health, Medicine

Infographics: “Shingles – Signs & Symptoms” (2020)

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A reactivation of the chickenpox virus in the body, causing a painful rash. Anyone who’s had chickenpox may develop shingles. It isn’t known what reactivates the virus.Shingles causes a painful rash that may appear as a stripe of blisters on the trunk of the body. Pain can persist even after the rash is gone (this is called postherpetic neuralgia).Treatments include pain relief and antiviral medications such as acyclovir or valacyclovir. A chickenpox vaccine in childhood or a shingles vaccine as an adult can minimize the risk of developing shingles.

Health, Technology

Health & Data Trackers: Will “Body Technology” Really Make Us Healthier?

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The principle behind these technologies is that collecting more data will help make us healthier. The message from experts I spoke with is that there’s potential in that idea, but it hasn’t been fulfilled yet.

NEW YORK TIMES (August 28, 2020): One big limitation of health devices, though, is that many people don’t know what to do with the data they see about their heart rate or how many hours they slept.

“We’re not doing a very good job of educating people what to do with that information. That’s the piece that’s missing,” said John Jakicic, the director of the Healthy Lifestyle Institute at the University of Pittsburgh. (Side note: For some people, having data on their sleep might actually be counterproductive.)

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