Newswise — The warning signs of declining health
For many people, the holidays are the one opportunity a year to spend extended time with parents, grandparents or extended family. It’s a time when you may notice a slowing gait, unusual memory lapses, or increased frailty or fatigue that is worrisome. Dr. David Reuben, chief of geriatrics at UCLA Health, can discuss what to look for in an aging person’s health, how to talk to them about their health and what else to do to help.
Living (less) in the material world
As ex-Beatle George Harrison put it, we are living in the material world. But each holiday season some parents struggle with the desire to make the holiday season a little less materialistic. It’s not always easy to put the reins on the gift-giving, but Cynthia Whitham, licensed clinical social worker and a co-director of the UCLA Parenting & Children’s Friendship Program, has suggestions on how to make the holidays about more than just presents – and how to get the rest of the family on board.
Skipping that third piece of pumpkin pie
It’s the same every holiday season. You promise yourself you won’t overeat and put on those five extra pounds but hey, it’s the holidays, and that pie and stuffing is so delish. But this year you’re determined not to overdo it. Erin Morse, chief clinical dietitian at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, and Dr. Josh Goldman, sports medicine physician at UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica, share their advice on how to avoid overindulging during the holidays and what to do if determination fails you--again.
Dialing down the stress over the holidays
Gathering with family over the Thanksgiving dinner table can be stressful for some people. And this year, that recent national election left many people feeling tired and anxious. Add to that the frenzy of gift shopping, concerns over holiday spending and long lines at the airport, and you have a pressure cooker of stress and anxiety. Robert Bilder, professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at the Semel Institute and director of Tennenbaum Family Center for the Biology of Creativity, offers some techniques for coping with stress, realigning priorities and expressing gratitude to help you better enjoy the season.
Holidays don’t have to hurt
Falling off a ladder while hanging holiday lights is just one of the things that contributes to the thousands of emergency department visits that take place during the holidays. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimated that ER departments treated 15,000 injuries in 2012, for example, including back injuries and kitchen accidents. Dr. Wally Ghurabi, medical director of the Nethercutt Emergency Center at UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica, can offer safety tips and advice to help you avoid spending your holiday in the ER.
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