US Life Expectancy Falls for Second Year in a Row

US Life ExpectancyThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently revealed Americans born in 2016 can expect to live an average of 78.6 years. This is down from 78.7 the year before, marking the second year in a row that the life expectancy in the U.S. has dropped. In that same report, the CDC also revealed that death rates and drug overdose deaths have both risen.

Life Expectancy in the U.S.

Although the life expectancy has dropped in the U.S., it’s only regarding the life expectancy of men. The life expectancy for women has not dropped. The life expectancy for men at birth is currently 76.1 years, while for women it’s 81.1 years. It’s also worth noting that the life expectancy drop wasn’t equal for all racial and ethnic groups either. The average death rate of black men increased by one percent in 2016, while the average death rate for white women dropped by one percent.

The Leading Causes of Death in the U.S.

The report published by the CDC revealed that the number of deaths per 100,000 has risen among young adults from 2015 to 2016. Around 63,600 of those deaths were related to drug overdoses in 2016, roughly two-thirds of which were caused by opioids. Although these overdose-related deaths were not directly linked to the drop in life expectancy, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say they are somewhat related. Death rates associated with drug overdoses have increased by 18 percent each year from 2014 to 2016.

According to the report, heart disease was the leading cause of death in the U.S. Other major causes of death in the U.S. included cancer, chronic lower respiratory diseases, unintentional injuries, diabetes, stroke, pneumonia, influenza, Alzheimer’s disease, suicide and kidney disease.

The third leading cause of death was found to be unintentional injuries, replacing chronic lower respiratory diseases in that spot from last year. (Drug overdoses are classified as unintentional injuries.)

Life expectancy is dropping in the U.S., while drug-related deaths are increasing. Stay up-to-date with all the latest health news by visiting us at The Benefits Store today.

Eating Intuitively: Healthiest Resolutions for 2018

New Years ResolutionIt’s 2018, and odds are you’re ready to make a New Year’s resolution. One of the most common resolutions is to go on a diet and to lose weight, but this rarely lasts. While people who diet may see short-term results, the majority end up putting the weight back on later in the year. Instead of making a resolution to lose weight, you should consider making a resolution to eat intuitively.

Why Losing Weight Shouldn’t be a Resolution

There are hundreds of different diets out there that are meant to help you lose weight. Few of these diets consider what impact their advice will have over the long-term. Studies have shown that you are statistically likely to put back on whatever weight you lost on your diet.

The Journal of the American Dietetic Association published research involving 80 obese women who were chronic dieters. Half of them were put on a “normal” diet. Roughly 40 percent of dieters ended up quitting the diet over time, failing to lose weight. Although many of them lost weight over the short-term, they regained that weight and even gained more weight in some cases over the long-term.

Learn to Eat Intuitively

Eating intuitively involves ignoring what you’ve learned about how many calories you should eat and what’s good for you and what isn’t. It’s all about learning how to listen to your body’s needs and fulfilling those needs with the food choices you make.

For example, if you’re trying to decide between an apple and a candy bar, think about what your body is feeling. It may need fiber and vitamin C or it may need sugar. Make your choice based on how your body feels, not what you know about the flavor or nutrition factors of the food.

Instead of going on a diet that only works for a few months, make a resolution to learn how to eat intuitively. Doing so is more likely to result in a healthier lifestyle and a positive body image. To learn about more health tips, visit us at The Benefits Store today.

Can Apple Watch Diagnose Hypertension and Sleep Apnea?

Apple watchDevices such as the Apple watch and the Fitbit are known for helping people keep track of certain important metrics while they are exercising or dieting in order to improve their health. But it turns out that these watches may be able to do a whole lot more, such as diagnosing hypertension and sleep apnea.

Apple Watch and Fitbit Can Diagnose Hypertension and Sleep Apnea

Cardiogram and the UCSF Health Lab recently published a study revealing that wearables, such as Apple Watch and Fitbit, are surprisingly accurate when it comes to diagnosing hypertension and sleep apnea. In fact, research revealed that wearables diagnose hypertension with 82 percent accuracy and sleep apnea with ninety percent accuracy. Over 6,000 subjects were tested over the course of the study. Of the subjects, thirty-seven percent had hypertension and 17 percent had sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is a disorder that causes a person’s breathing to be regularly disrupted while asleep. Hypertension is the condition of having high blood pressure. These two conditions affect millions of Americans. Many Americans don’t even realize they have either of these conditions; it’s estimated by the American Sleep Apnea Association over 80 percent of Americans who suffer from sleep apnea don’t realize it.

According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control), roughly 75 million Americans suffer from hypertension, which accounts for around twenty-nine percent of the U.S. population.

Apple and Fitbit are both looking into expanding their medical research into hypertension and sleep apnea as well as abnormal heart rhythms. They realize their wearables could provide an easy and effective way for individuals to recognize there is something wrong with their bodies and to provide an accurate diagnosis of those conditions. Realizing something is wrong as a result of a reading provided from a wearable could encourage people to visit their doctors, which, in turn, could help to save lives.

It turns out that the Apple Watch and Fitbit could be incredibly beneficial in helping to diagnose certain conditions, such as sleep apnea and hypertension. For all the latest health news, visit us at The Benefits Store today.

Left Brain Vs. Right Brain: What’s the Difference?

Left Brain Vs. Right BrainYou’ve probably heard people describe themselves as being more left brain vs. right brain oriented; in fact, you may have even used the phrase once or twice yourself. The idea is that more creative types tend to use the left side of the brain more, whereas more organized and logical types use the right side of the brain more. It turns out that there’s actually no such thing as left brain or right brain dominance.

The Left Brain vs. Right Brain Study

The PLOS One journal published a study in 2013 that focused on brain-side dominance. The study lasted two years and involved over 1,000 subjects. The brains of these subjects were carefully studied in search of differences between the right and left brain hemispheres. The research revealed that there were no major differences.

However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t differences between the left side and the right side of the brain. They’re also not completely different from each other. In fact, many of the processes that take place on one side also take place on the other side. In fact, according to Dr. Harold Wolff, a renowned brain scientist in the 20th century, everything about the brain that makes an individual human exists on both the left side and the right side of the brain.

One of the reasons that the idea that each side of the brain was different originated from the findings of two neuroscientists in the 19th century. They found that people who struggled with language processing often had damage to certain parts of their left sides of the brain. Not to mention that the book, “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” helped popularize the idea of left brain vs. right brain dominance.

Although people often say “left brain vs. right brain” to describe whether they are more creative or logical, the differences between the two hemispheres of the brain are not that substantial. To learn more about how your brain can affect your health, be sure to visit us at The Benefits Store today.

5 Tips for Christmas Tree/Holiday Light Safety

Christmas Tree SafetyHoliday lights and Christmas tree safety is something a lot of people don’t often think about. Decorating with holiday lights and putting up a Christmas tree has become such a tradition among many households that people often don’t realize that there are safety risks involved. Fortunately, there are ways to eliminate those safety risks.

5 Holiday Light and Christmas Tree Safety Tips

The following are a few safety tips that you should keep in mind when setting up holidays lights or a Christmas tree:

  1. Check your lights for damage – Always check your lights for broken or cracked sockets, loose connections or wires that are frayed or bare. Strings of holiday lights that are damaged are more likely to pose a potential fire hazard if they short. If they’re damaged, just throw them away.
  2. Be careful when plugging in your lights – First of all, never connect more than three strands of incandescent holiday lights together. If you’re using extension cords, make sure that each cord is rated for its intended use and in good condition.
  3. Be careful using holiday lights outside – Make sure your holiday lights are certified for outdoor use. Not all holiday lights are. If they are, make sure you only plug them into a GFCI (Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupter) outlet, which will automatically shut off the flow of electricity if there is a short, which can prevent potential electrical fires from breaking out.
  4. Don’t put your Christmas tree near a heat source – Avoid putting your tree near fireplaces, candles, radiators, and vents where the heat or flames could cause the branches to catch fire.
  5. Make sure your tree isn’t blocking an exit – Don’t put the tree up near a doorway. This could obstruct a potential exit that you may need in the event of a fire.

If you’re planning to put up a Christmas tree or decorating with holiday lights this holiday season, then make sure you keep these safety tips in mind. Learn about more safety tips throughout the year by continuing to visit us at The Benefits Store.