Your health: Should we believe food claims?
Truths or myths
Is coffee good for you, or bad? Robert J. Davis, a health journalist and professor, takes on this question and many other food-related truths and myths, and explains the science behind (or not behind) each claim in his book, “Coffee Is Bad Good For You.”
Is red wine good for you? Is it OK to eat bagged “triple-washed” salad greens without washing them? All these questions are subjected to a “truth scale” Davis has created to evaluate the claims, according to The Washington Post. A “yes” says that “the claim is believable because there's solid supporting evidence from at least several randomized trials or large cohort studies with consistent results,” Davis writes, while a “no” says that “the supporting research may be very limited or nonexistent.”
Davis' scale includes “half-true” and “inconclusive” for cases where evidence is contradictory. Davis says his goal is “to help you put scientific research to use so you can make informed decisions for yourself and your family.” You alone choose what nutrition claims to believe, but when you want a simple explanation in layman's terms, Davis' system is a handy tool. As for coffee, his scale gives a definitive “no” to the idea that it's bad for you. Studies show it provides a lot of health benefits. Just don't drink too much or load it up with cream and sugar.
Hospital stays
Check this out before checking in.
Elizabeth Bailey, a director and producer for several record labels, frequently uses checklists to keep track of the artists under her wing, reports The Washington Post. When her 81-year-old father needed help to manage a frustrating hospital stay, she came up with a similar system for him. Now she's publishing her lists, for use by other patients, in her book, “The Patient's Checklist.”
Her book has one list outlining what to do before you go to the hospital. (No. 5: “If possible, schedule surgery early in the day, early in the week — not in July.” Why not July? Because that's when interns and residents typically start their rotations, and they will lack experience.) Other lists suggest what to bring, what to do during your stay, what you need to know at discharge.
Bailey asserts that “the single greatest threat to patient safety in hospitals is simple human error: communication breakdowns resulting from overly fragmented care by overworked doctors and nurses, lapses in the most basic sanitary practices and mistakes in routine care because of the frantic hospital pace.” If you go in prepared, she says, you can better advocate for your own well-being.