Skim Health 1.6.17 January 6, 2017

Top health articles of interest circulating in the media this week, 1.6.17

• A recent study, to be published in the Journal of Consumer Research, reveals that consumers often equate higher food costs with quality of health – which can be problematic when it comes to choosing nutritional options in the grocery store. The Washington Post shares an article exploring how “your brain may work against you when choosing healthy foods,” leading shoppers to spend more with likely nutritional setbacks.
• The Post and Courier reports that Web MD named Charleston, SC as “ground zero” for the flu this year, with cold and flu symptoms gaining momentum following the holiday season- while local experts suggest there to be no sufficient increase in cold and flu to date.
• Archeologists at a site in the northern Jordan Valley recently examined new evidence to suggest that early humans consumed a more varied diet than previously thought- plants and nuts such as acorns providing a more balanced nutritional palate. This fascinating TIME article explores what the original “paleo diet” may have consisted of.
• One long term Harvard study set out to measure happiness over a 75 year trial with some surprising – and not so surprising – results. An excellent TED talk by Harvard psychologist and Grant Study director Robert Waldinger – one of four generations of scientists working on the project – shares a few of the study’s revelations.
• This New York Times Well article suggests that you’re not the only one in need of a new year’s resolution in 2017- but also your gut. “Refashioning the community of bacteria and other microbes living in your intestinal tract, collectively known as the gut microbiome, could be a good long-term investment in your health,” the author declares, detailing the efforts of our microbial ecosystems and how our diet can affect everything from allergies to disease.

Barrier Islands Free Medical Clinic provides medical care to eligible patients, just like any family practitioner or internist – but it is free. We serve uninsured adults living at or below 200 % of the Federal poverty level who live or work on Johns, Wadmalaw or James Islands. You can follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.