For most people, food shopping is at the bottom of the barrel for fun. Between the crowds at stores, the time it takes out of our day, and the skyrocketing prices, it’s one of the week’s dreaded chores. Throw in the marketing madness on the packaged foods and many well-intended shoppers are being health "punked" for that expensive bill at the register. One thing I love about giving grocery store tours is explaining what the terms plastered on products mean. Why not give the Patch readers a bit of shopping marketing know-how?  Perhaps this table will help. Marketing label What it means Why we’…

In light of last week’s Boston Marathon bombing tragedy, followed by a week of sadness, fear and hundreds of stories of those in our town affected personally, I was pulled to write about ways to find our healthy balance. Living only a few miles from the start of the world's oldest annual marathon, it becomes a  bit of a 'holiday' tradition in Milford and surrounding towns. Very few people don't take time to stand somewhere on the route, or to cheer on a friend or relative who has qualified or as a renegade runs the race. This year we stood at mile 3 for 2.5 hours. We gave out oranges, lost …

This week Milford schools are hosting “Healthy Kids Week” thanks to the organization of many health committees and dedicated school faculty. In a document sent from Judy Dagnese, Director of School Nursing, she writes: “During The week of April 8-12, the Milford Public Schools will be celebrating Healthy Kids Week. During this annual event we hope to offer students and staff fun, engaging and creative activities that will promote yearlong wellness and healthier living for our children and their families. The Milford Public Schools embraces health and wellness as the foundation upon which all …

Although Spring officially started Wednesday and the snow is still covering many of the farms, soon summer will come and bring us delicious, juicy tomatoes that taste like tomatoes. After finishing a salad I made from grocery store produce this week, I couldn’t help but think “I can’t wait for spring and summer fresh produce.” Most Patch readers know the recommendation of 5-8 vegetables and fruit (or 2 cups of fruit and 2-3 cups of vegetables) each day. That said, many will admit to not getting half this amount, regardless of the studies revealing those who ate large amounts of produce had …

LOSE 10 POUNDS FAST!! Who wouldn’t stop and consider purchasing a product that's marketing claims like this? Giving marketing credit: losing 10 pounds hits at the core of 90 percent of most people’s top 5 wish list. There’s the juice cleanse, “Master” cleanses, heavy metal cleanses, parasite cleanses and even Candida cleanses. Then we have liver detoxes, detox diets, herbal detoxes, detox baths and the Acai Berry detox. Then there are the people who say there is no need to cleanse at all because the body is self cleaning anyway. It’s so confusing! The words “cleanse” and “detox” are often …

Fear, anger, sadness and confusion are emotions many of us have had, since hearing of the events in Newtown, CT. These feelings weigh heavily on us physically, albeit are less obvious than insomnia and tears. Although we are relieved this didn’t happen in Milford, the chaos of the season mixed with our fear and anxiety about the shootings Dec. 14 may be coming out in reactions toward the children we are so blessed weren’t hurt.Psychologist Connie Lillas uses an analogy about driving to describe the three most common ways people respond when they’re overwhelmed by stress, which I am sure ALL …

"What are your thoughts on the flu vaccine?" is a question I am asked daily. It truly comes down to informed consent and personal philosophy. We live in a country with much propaganda for vaccines. I was checking out at Rite Aid this week and I heard the cashiers asking all the customers if they had received the flu shot yet.  If someone responded with “No,” the employee would say “our pharmacy has them and it is free with your insurance, you really need to get one so you won’t get the flu.” … and a column was born. At this time of year everyone in the family over 6 months old is encouraged …

At least once a day I have a client, friend or patient ask my thoughts on “toxins.” In general, people are aware that we live in an environment of chemicals in our food, air and water. However, many don’t know how to begin to decrease the exposure and are simply too busy to research. Although some readers may roll their eyes, there are many people who are searching for ways to decrease exposure for themselves, their families and friends. Why? A total of 1,638,910 new cancer cases affecting 9 million people and 577,190 deaths from cancer are projected to occur in the United States in 2012 …

A 15-year-old boy trips and falls, someone takes a video on their phone and sends it to their contact list, posting it to YouTube and Facebook. A 19-year-old woman is sexually assaulted, tells a friend and days later has expletives spray-painted on her car. A 12-year-old boy is invited to a party at the town park — when he gets there, no one is there. A coach screams at a team, picking on weak personality traits. An 8-year-girl is tripped repeatedly on the bus. A 14-year-old girl is made fun of every day for her choice of clothing or hairstyle. An 11-year-old boy is made fun of for being …

More than 62,000 concussions are sustained each year in U.S. high school contact sports and the likelihood of suffering a concussion while playing a contact sport is estimated to be as high as 19 percent for each year of play, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Concussions in high school sports are rising at about a 15 percent (and up to 27 percent) annual rate, according to a study published in 2011 by the American Journal of Sports Medicine. Twelve of the top contact sports were studied, finding football topped the list with the highest rates. Girls …

Suicide is a tragic topic that leaves communities with confusion, blame, questions and coping. Milford has had its share of lives lost by the shock of suicide; some public and some very private. As a nurse practitioner in town, I have personally called Riverside Community Emergency services on many occasions to expedite care for a suicidal patient, and have encouraged family members to bring their loved one to Milford Regional Medical Center. I contacted the medical center, the Town Clerk's Office, Riverside, and many other offices looking for statistics for our town of 27,000. The Milford …

Even though fall doesn’t start until Sept. 22, this is Milford’s last week of official summer. The last week for many to squeeze in the last bit of summer fun, but also a week of “Yikes! School starts next week!”  It isn’t just parents holding back tears as they send college students away (and the stress of the financial burden with that), it's parents making sure their kids’ summer reading and logs are complete, and going through closets, desks and stores to prepare for the new school year. This feeling goes for educators who have to set up classrooms, review curriculum and revise lesson …

It’s been almost a year since Colorado’s state health department reportedto the CDC an outbreak of Listeriosis in Cantaloupe. From August to October, 2011 the outbreak reached 28 states, and 146 cases of invasive Listeriosis were confirmed and reported to public health officials. Thirty patients died and one woman had a miscarriage. This outbreak was the deadliest of foodborne illnesses since 1924, according to the CDC. This week, Stop & Shop reported they have stopped selling their Calico Bean Salad after a voluntary recall by its manufacturer because of possible Listeria contamination. Many…

Essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber found in fruits and vegetables help protect us from chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, auto immune illnesses and diabetes, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Despite the fact that most people "know" they should be eating 5-8 fruits and vegetables a day, the CDC found in 2009 that only 32 percent of adults and 32 percent of adolescents consumed the recommended two or more fruits/day. And only 27 percent of adults and only 13 percent of adolescents consumed the recommended three or more vegetables. A …

Healthy Futures Milford Coalition is hosting this Summer Challenge to support its mission to promote healthy eating and physical activity throughout the community. ReThink Your Drink Summer Challenge was put together to encourage the community to cut down and eliminate sugar-sweetened beverages. Sodas, sweet fruit juices, and even chocolate milk add, on average, an additional 140 calories per day to the American adult's diet. This may not seem like much, but it adds up to 7 percent of total caloric intake in the United States and equate to an excess of 15 pounds per year per person, without …

A 2011 study reported that 49 percent of pregnancies in the United States were unintended in 2006, a slight increase from 48 percent in 2001, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Having worked in OB/GYN for nearly 20 years, it is evident to me that these unintended pregnancies are women of all ages. However, four out of five pregnancies among women aged 19 years and younger were unintended, according to the CDC. The pregnancy rates are not reflective of lack of sexual and birth control education, based on discussions of Milford Public Schools' health education at …

It’s that time of year: graduation parties filling our calendars and red and white balloons are flying all around town. Graduations are just the beginning of the summer cookouts. Just the smell of the grill cooking and people laughing is a sound I long for during Milford’s colder months! Hamburgers and hot dogs are the typical fare at the American cookout. But I would bet there are a few people living in Milford who either have dietary restrictions from allergies, chronic conditions such as diabetes, or heart disease, or who simply don’t eat meat who might welcome a platter or two of other …

Laughing – Coughing – Sneezing – and JUMPING. What do they all have in common? The inevitable “leak.” Everyone knows someone who has had that moment of embarrassment: jumping is just asking for trouble. Yes, I am putting a taboo and private issue out there for thousands to read and shake their head. Why? Because one in four women have urinary incontinence to some degree and one in seven have a pelvic floor relaxation or spasm leading to a lower quality of life. Regardless of age, women are disempowered when told “it’s part of being a woman or part of the aging process," “you have to live with…

Warm weather allows us to send the kids outside to play. Hiking, biking, swimming, playgrounds, sports games, and gardening offer fresh air and exercise. However, because warmer weather means shorts and tank tops our skin is exposed to thousands of insults a day. While watching the intense Lacrosse playoff game last night, I couldn't help but wince watching the girls skid, roll and trip, knowing their skin would be covered in turf burns, cuts and bruises. The skin is the largest organ in the body. This silent, soft organ packages all our vessels, muscles, ligaments and bones quite beautifully…

Summer sun and heat for some is miserable but for me? I will wrap it up in one word: Aahhh! That said, summer comes with a few health dilemmas Patch readers can easily avoid. Sun: Sun has it’s health benefits through offering vitamin D. Vitamin D is essential for optimal body functioning and being deficient can lead to increased calcium loss from bones, poor wound healing, muscle pain, depression, migraines, increased risk for heart disease, autoimmune disease and cancer. In fact, 40 percent of people in the Northeast are moderately to severely deficient in vitamin D, according to the …