Here’s Why You’re Spooked by Friday the 13th

Photo: Getty Images

If you’re feeling a little unlucky today, you’re not alone. For centuries, “Friday the 13^th” has enjoyed a mythical association with bad things happening, and it definitely  persists today. In fact, Friday the 13^th came in at No. 17 on a list of 28 superstitions that people secretly believe in, according to a recent survey of more than 27,000 voters posted on Ranker, a crowd-sourcing website. (Knocking on wood snagged the top spot.)

So, where did the myth start? It’s unclear when exactly Friday the 13th became it’s own superstition, but the “bad juju” surrounding the number 13 stems from the early days of Christianity, Stuart Vyse, a psychology professor at Connecticut College, explained to USA Today. That’s because 13 guests are believed to have dined with Jesus for the Last Supper before he was killed, with the traitor Judas Iscariot believed to be the 13th guest.

Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, published in the 14^th century, didn’t help the situation when Chaucer cast Friday as a day of misfortune. “On a Friday fell all the mischance,” he wrote.

And much more recently, who can forget the Friday the 13th movies, and even the classic film Freaky Friday?

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This historical background, however vague, is the reason we feel like something terrible is going to happen every time the 13^th of the month falls on a Friday, science writer and the author of The Seven Laws of Magical Thinking ($14; amazon.com) explained to Health.

“We’re told that Friday 13^th is unlucky, so that sort of puts us on guard and causes us to look for things that might be evidence of the preconceived notion that Friday 13^th is unlucky,” he said. “You’re also more likely to interpret neutral events as bad because that also matches your biased notions.”

Luckily, us extra superstitious folks don’t have to hideout for the day to avoid our Friday the 13^th fear.

RELATED: Why Superstitions Can Be Good For You

“You can also take a negative superstition and flip it around. So you could try to think of Friday 13th as a lucky day and to recall good things that have happened on Friday 13^th in the past. Maybe a good friend that was born on Friday 13th or something good happened to you on the 13th of the month in the past,” Hutson said. “Forming these position associations can help to overwhelm the negative associations and help you feel less anxious throughout the day.”

But engaging in a little healthy superstitious belief isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

“Interpreting something bad that has happened as something that was meant to be, may help you find a silver lining,” Hutson adds. “There is research that suggests that people cope better and recover better from negative experiences when the view them as something that was part of the bigger picture.”

At the end of the day, Hutson explained that as long as you are rational in your superstitious thoughts and they aren’t affecting your ability to live, you have nothing to worry about.

“If you feel like touching your doorknob three times on the way to work improves your luck, then go for it, but if you feel like you need to touch it 3000 times or else the world will fall apart, then you should probably rethink your habit,” he said.

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‘Nashville’ Star Clare Bowen Just Got a Pixie Cut

Photo: Instagram

As most people who watch Nashville know, Clare Bowen has the most gorgeous hair ever. The actress/singer is known for her cascading waves of blonde ringlets, which is why it was such a shocker when she cut them into a pixie cut. The reason? To show her fans that beauty comes from within.

Clare revealed that she was diagnosed with nephroblastoma as a child, an experience that changed her perception of beauty. “I got to grow up surrounded by children just like me,” she said in a Facebook post. “We were mostly bald, all tubed, taped, bandaged up and stitched back together. We were all missing parts, some obvious like eyes or legs, others more hidden, like lungs and kidneys … But we were all together, so no one’s appearance came into question. No one got laughed at or teased. We were all we knew.”

Clare survived and her hair grew back, but says she’s still the “stitched back together little creature, in a world where people are judged so harshly for the way they look.”

“Look deeper than skin, hair, nails, and lips,” Clare explains. “You are who you are in your bones. That is where you have the potential to shine the brightest from. It is where your true beautiful self lives.”

Gorgeous in so many ways.

This article originally appeared on MIMIchatter.com.

 

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See How Every Form of Birth Control Actually Works

There are lots of options when it comes to birth control, and federal data on American women reveals that more and more of them—11.6%—are choosing long-acting methods like IUDs and implants. As recently as 2006-2010, just 6% of women reported using such methods.

We’ve rounded up all the various options women and men have when it comes to preventing pregnancy, how each method works, and how effective they are.

This article originally appeared on Time.com.

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Lung Cancer Surgery Rates Differ Widely Between States

FRIDAY, Nov. 13, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Rates of surgery to cure lung cancer vary greatly across the United States, a new study finds.

Researchers analyzed data from patients in 38 states and the District of Columbia who were diagnosed with early stage non-small cell lung cancer between 2007 and 2011.

Non-small cell lung cancer is the most common type of lung cancer. It can potentially be cured by surgery if it’s detected at an early stage before it spreads, the study authors pointed out.

The highest rates of surgery to cure lung cancer were seen in Massachusetts, New Jersey and Utah, at about 75 percent each. The lowest rate was in Wyoming, where patients were 25 percent less likely to have curative surgery than those in the top three states, the findings showed.

“We do not have a uniform quality of health care in this country,” said Dr. Helmneh Sineshaw, health services researcher with the American Cancer Society. “Curative surgery for non-small cell lung cancer is one example.”

The other states with the lowest rates of curative surgery included: Colorado, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas, according to the study.

The report was scheduled for presentation Friday at an American Association for Cancer Research meeting in Atlanta. Research presented at meetings should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.

States with major medical centers generally had higher rates of lung cancer surgery. Also, insurance may play a role in the differences among states, Sineshaw suggested in an association news release.

“From state to state, the quality of insurance coverage may be different, even as we move toward universal health care. Varying standards for co-pays, for example, can all add up and make a difference in the cost of treatment,” he said.

One potential solution would be to further standardize health care coverage, Sineshaw said.

More information

The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about non-small cell lung cancer.

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Healthy Diet May Lower Black Women’s Risk of Ovarian Cancer

FRIDAY, Nov. 13, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Black women may be able to reduce their risk of ovarian cancer by eating a healthy diet, a new study suggests.

“As a high-quality diet is likely to have benefits for many chronic conditions, it is probably a safe bet for better health in general,” study author Bonnie Qin, a postdoctoral associate at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, said in a news release from the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR).

Qin is scheduled to present the research Friday at an AACR meeting in Atlanta.

The study included 415 black women with ovarian cancer and a control group of 629 black women without the disease. The cancer patients provided information about their eating habits in the year before their diagnosis, and those in the control group described their eating habits in the previous year.

The study wasn’t designed to prove cause and effect. However, the results showed that those women with the healthiest diets — based on U.S. government guidelines — were 34 percent less likely to develop ovarian cancer than those with the least healthy diets.

Among postmenopausal women, those with the healthiest eating habits were 43 percent to 51 percent less likely to be diagnosed with ovarian cancer than those with the least healthy eating habits, Qin’s team found.

With ovarian cancer, prevention is crucial, Qin said.

“Because there is currently no reliable screening available for ovarian cancer, most cases are diagnosed at advanced stages,” she noted. “That highlights a critical need for identifying modifiable lifestyle factors, including dietary interventions.”

More research is needed to determine whether all parts of a healthy diet, or just specific nutrients, contribute to reduced risk of ovarian cancer, Qin added.

One expert who reviewed the findings said they highlight the importance of eating well.

The study “found that adherence to a healthy diet — one that includes a higher intake of vegetables, seafood and plant proteins and a lower intake of calories from solid fats, alcohol and added sugars — was associated with a significantly reduced risk of ovarian cancer,” said Dr. Stephen Rubin, chief of gynecologic oncology at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia.

“Although the study is limited by the fact that patients may not accurately recall dietary details, these observations suggest yet another advantage to a healthy high-quality diet, which has been shown to have important health benefits for a large variety of serious medical conditions,” he said.

Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer death among American women. While black women are less likely than white women to be diagnosed with the disease, they are more likely to die from it.

Findings presented at medical meetings are typically considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

More information

The U.S. Office on Women’s Health has more about ovarian cancer.

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Type 1 Diabetes: An Unrelenting Disease

By Serena Gordon
HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, Nov. 13, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Although more than one million Americans have type 1 diabetes, most people don’t understand the toll it can take on daily living.

“It would be easier to tell you how diabetes doesn’t affect my life,” said Meri Schuhmacher-Jackson, a mother of four sons — three with type 1 diabetes.

“Type 1 diabetes affects every aspect of our lives. It looks invisible from the outside. But, it’s anything but invisible for us. There’s a hamster running on a wheel in your brain all the time,” she explained.

November 14 is World Diabetes Day, an international campaign designed to raise awareness about diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that occurs when the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys the body’s insulin-producing cells. Insulin is a hormone that helps the body use the sugar in foods as fuel for the body and brain.

Because the body can no longer make enough insulin, people with type 1 diabetes have to replace that lost insulin. This can be accomplished with insulin injections — about four to six shots a day — or from a tiny tube inserted under the skin that’s attached to an insulin pump. The tubing has to be changed and reinserted in a new place under the skin approximately every three days.

People with type 1 diabetes have to make a number of potentially life-challenging decisions about their care throughout the day. They need to check their blood sugar levels by lancing their fingers to draw a small drop of blood at least four times a day, and often more, according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA). And, unfortunately, insulin dosing is not a precise science.

“Eating, exercising, stress, illness and more can all impact blood sugar levels,” said Mark Heyman, director of the Center for Diabetes and Mental Health in Solana Beach, Calif. Heyman has type 1 diabetes.

All of those factors make getting the right amount of insulin a difficult balancing act. Too much insulin can cause blood sugar levels to dip dangerously low, leading to confusion and mood changes, or even seizures and death, according to JDRF (formerly called the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation). Too little insulin leaves blood sugar levels too high.

Over time — in addition to making someone feel tired and thirsty — high blood sugar levels can eventually lead to a higher risk of long-term complications, such as heart disease, vision problems and kidney disease, the ADA says.

People with type 1 diabetes have to become nutrition experts and learn how to count the carbohydrates in their food. It’s the carbohydrates in foods that get processed into blood sugar in the body. Then they need to learn a mathematical formula to figure out how much insulin they’ll need.

Insulin pumps may help with the math, but they don’t do all the work — not yet, anyway.

“Contrary to what many people believe, an insulin pump is not an intelligent device,” said Derek Rapp, chief executive officer of JDRF and the father of a 21-year-old son with type 1 diabetes. “People with type 1 diabetes still have to make decisions for the pump about insulin dosing.”

Complicating matters, everyone responds to insulin a bit differently. And, from day-to-day, insulin needs may change for the same person, Rapp noted.

“In high school athletics, my son’s blood sugar would go down during a practice. But, if it were a game or a race, his blood sugar would go up. He was doing the exact same activity, but his blood sugar would go in opposite directions,” Rapp said.

And Heyman added that’s one of the most frustrating parts of living with type 1 diabetes. “It’s unpredictable. You can do everything you’re supposed to be doing, and still have an outcome that wasn’t supposed to happen.”

Another frustrating aspect is dealing with the many misconceptions surrounding the disease. When Schuhmacher-Jackson’s third son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, one of her sons’ teachers said, “Meri, what have you done?” implying that it was somehow her fault. But there are currently no known ways to prevent type 1 diabetes, according to JDRF.

“It was a terrible feeling knowing we were being judged. There’s such a stigma attached to the word diabetes,” Schuhmacher-Jackson said.

Another difficult part of living with type 1 diabetes is the personal cost.

A study from Diabetes Care found that diabetes costs about $7,900 a year per person. That works out to about $660 a month on doctor visits, insulin, syringes, insulin pump supplies, test strips, blood glucose meters and continuous glucose monitors, along with supplies for treating low blood sugars.

But, despite the many challenges, most people with type 1 diabetes learn to live — and to live well — with the condition. For example, Rapp’s son has run in three marathons and is a senior in college.

Heyman agreed there are definitely positive things that can come from living with type 1 diabetes.

While I would love to get rid of it, diabetes has given me a career I love, and I’m more in tune with my body. Diabetes has also taught me some really good communication skills and how to have difficult conversations with people,” he said.

Still, it’s hard when people don’t understand “how demanding and unrelenting this disease is,” said Rapp. “They see our son running marathons and doing well in school, and assume he’s just like everyone else. But, he has to be vigilant while he’s living his life.”

And, Rapp added, people don’t understand that while someone with type 1 diabetes may look perfectly healthy, something as simple as a stomach flu can make them very sick, very fast.

“Type 1 is a serious condition, but it can be managed. Having type 1 diabetes doesn’t mean that we can’t do anything that other people can. It just takes a lot of extra planning,” Heyman said.

More information

Learn more about type 1 diabetes from JDRF.

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CDC: Child Autism Rate Now 1 in 45 After Survey Method Changes

By Tara Haelle
HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, Nov. 13, 2015 (HealthDay News) — About one in 45 children has an autism spectrum disorder, according to a new U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey of parents.

This apparent increase is likely due to a change of questions parents were asked about their child, the study authors said.

“Probably the most important finding of this paper, which is hardly new, is that how one asks a question matters,” said Dr. Glen Elliott, chief psychiatrist and medical director of Children’s Health Council in Palo Alto, Calif.

“The CDC spends considerable time appropriately emphasizing that the total number of individuals in the three categories covered — intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorders and developmental disability — has not changed,” Elliott explained. He added that what did change was the distribution among those groups.

The findings were published Nov. 13 in the CDC’s National Health Statistics Reports.

More than 11,000 families were asked to complete the survey in 2014. They were asked about one child in their household between ages 3 and 17. The parents were asked if a health professional ever told them that their child had autism, Asperger’s disorder, pervasive developmental disorder or autism spectrum disorder.

Slightly more than 2 percent of parents answered yes. That works out to about one in 45 children, the researchers said.

Previous surveys have asked similar numbers of parents whether a doctor or health professional said their child had any conditions from a long list including autism spectrum disorder. Some of the other conditions on the list included Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, diabetes, arthritis, and heart conditions.

About 1.25 percent of parents said their child had autism spectrum disorder in the earlier surveys. That’s around one in 80 children, the CDC said.

Dr. Andrew Adesman, chief of developmental and behavioral pediatrics at Cohen Children’s Medical Center of New York, said the “irony is that the survey is, for the first time, now asking specifically about Asperger’s disorder — a diagnosis that was actually eliminated in 2013 with the revision to the DSM, the diagnostic manual that all clinicians use.”

So when Asperger’s was an approved diagnosis, the researchers didn’t ask about it. And now that it’s no longer an official diagnosis, the CDC is specifically asking parents about it, Adesman said.

“Autism spectrum disorder” has often been a catch-all term for children with social disabilities, language disabilities and other problems, noted Dr. Danelle Fisher, vice chair of pediatrics at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, Calif. As specific definitions have evolved over the past two decades, so has the understanding of different children’s needs and treatments.

“A child with autism may have different symptoms than one with pervasive developmental disorder, who may be different than one with Asperger’s,” Fisher said. “Treatment may differ or be similar depending on the characteristics observed in each child.”

What hasn’t changed, however, is the need for early intervention to ensure children develop to their greatest potential, Fisher said.

“Insurance companies should work with families and the school system to start early intervention and treatment for children identified with autism spectrum disorders,” Fisher said.

“Early intervention will help impact how these children grow and develop and assimilate into society,” she said.

Insurance companies are now required to cover mental and developmental conditions to the same extent of other health conditions, Elliott said.

That means “the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder could have a profound impact if insurance companies are compelled to cover services for toddlers and even older children,” Elliott said.

Rules on insurance coverage may vary by state, and are still being decided, he said.

One reason for the increase may be that parents feel a diagnosis of autism is more “acceptable” than “mental retardation” — the previous term for intellectual disability, Elliott said.

“As a society we seem to crave ‘knowing’ what is wrong, even if the diagnostic label does not suggest additional treatments,” Elliott said.

But there can be significant benefits to being diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, Elliot explained. An autism diagnosis is tied to “a variety of special accommodations and resources in school and through regional centers that are simply not available to individuals with diagnoses such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression or anxiety,” he said.

It isn’t clear if autism spectrum disorders are actually increasing, Elliott said. But he added that changing the definition has had some impact.

A tendency now exists “to use autism spectrum disorders as a label for almost any individual who has social difficulties,” Elliott said.

More information

For more about autism, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Khloe Kardashian on Staying Strong During Difficult Days: ‘You Can Only Control Yourself’

Photo: Getty Images

If you’ve scrolled through Khloe Kardashian’s Instagram feed in the past year, you’ll know that girlfriend has made health and fitness a serious priority. The reality star has recently spoken of the healthy eating habits and intense workout regimen. Now, the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star is giving us an even deeper glimpse into her healthy life in her new memoir Strong Looks Better Naked ($18, amazon.com), available now.

In her memoir, Kardashian opens up about the relationships, personal struggles, and lessons that have helped her become the strong woman she is today. She recently spoke with Health to share her tips for finding your own strength and beauty—both inside and out.

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What made you want to write a memoir?

I wanted to be able to share my experience with my fans. Working on myself and my body has given me the strength to ultimately change my life for the better, and I wanted to share that with everyone. I also thought readers would be entertained by some of the funny things I’ve done to work on myself every single day. This past year has been really transformative, and I want to be open about it.

You recently turned 31. What about your body now (as opposed to when you were in your 20s) makes you feel strong?

Over time, I’ve come to believe your body starts and ends with knowing that life, health, love, and beauty is a journey, not a destination. This book outlines some of steps in my own journey, some hard-won wisdom and some great entertaining and fun-filled ideas and tools to make your own journey one that’s filled with love, beauty, health, fun, and strength. With strength of heart, mind, body, and soul, all things are possible. As I started to build my physical strength I also started to build my mental, emotional, and spiritual strength.

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In general, what makes you feel body-confident?

I don’t believe it’s one-size-fits-all, nor do I believe that my plan is the only plan. I do believe that with strength of heart, mind, body and soul, all things are possible and that feeling is what makes me feel body confident.

A couple of months ago, you shared a picture on Instagram with the caption, “Looking back at pictures of myself I didn’t realize at the time how unhealthy my lifestyle actually was.” What led you to want to make a change in your lifestyle, and lead a healthier life?

Over time, I’ve come to realize that you can only control yourself—nothing else. I decided that it was time to take control and focus on improving myself overall in my mind, body, and soul.

Everyone has times when they don’t feel like working. How do you motivate yourself to get to the gym on those days?

Don’t get me wrong. Like anyone else, I have my days where I’d rather sleep in or do something else. When those days do come around, I have to remind myself of how far I’ve come and that I can’t stop now.

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When you haven’t worked out in a few days (or weeks) and find yourself making less-than-healthy food choices or just feeling unmotivated, what do you do to help yourself feel better?

I remind myself that I am human and full of imperfections and zigzags on the road. My journey is by no means a straight line!

You’ve said that exercise is a form of therapy and a great stress reliever. How so?

My time at the gym is the one time a day that I’m able to block out the noise from the rest of the world and truly dedicate [everything] to myself.

Fat-shaming seems to be the norm these days, and the media has often been quite mean to you as it relates to your weight. How do you stand strong in the face of such negativity?

I choose to believe that negativity comes from a place of unhappiness and insecurity. When I find myself in the cross hairs of negativity, I try to remind myself of this and send love to the haters, as they usually need it more than me.

What is your advice for women who may not feel comfortable in their own skin?

One baby step at a time. That is my philosophy. Small changes and small steps lead to big changes and a new you.

Looking back over your journey to fit, what would you say is the major lessons you’ve learned about body image, loving yourself, and just finding physical and mental strength?

I know that no matter what your challenge or obstacle might be—whether it’s losing weight, a serious health crisis, the loss of a loved one, or simply a broken heart—the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.

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5 Things Every Curly-Haired Girl Needs

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I’ve been through countless stages with my curly hair–hating it, bleaching it, cutting it–the works. After a failed home-straightening kit disaster, though, I started to realize enough was enough. Not only is my curly hair unique, but it also looks pretty damn good when treated properly. Also, isn’t part of becoming a real life grown-up learning to love the way you look?

With help from Halli Bivona of the John Barrett Salon at Bergdorf Goodman (my part-time hairstylist, part-time life coach, full-time friend), I narrowed down the five most important things to maintaining healthy hair, and in my case, a subsequently fulfilled life.

1. Wet Texture Spray

Spritz curls with a light misting of water followed by an even distribution of texture spray. Gently scrunch and let air dry to refresh second-day curls.

2. Light Oil

Sometimes your hair needs a bit of taming during the day. I recommend a fast-absorbing oil to take away frizz and revive curls without weighing them down. Shu Uemura Essence Absolue Oil absorbs five times faster than argan oil and doesn’t leave any annoying residue. Pump a quarter-size amount of product into your hand emulsify it between your palms. This will help with the distribution. Coat your fingers and gently twist the curls.

3. Cold Water

The most important thing is to keep your curly hair hydrated, and the way to do that is by limiting hot showers. Warm water causes the hair follicle to become porous, which leads to dryness–and that will lead to frizz. If you can’t give up steamy hot showers altogether (we certainly can’t), then make sure to at least finish off with a cool rinse.

4. Your Fingers (Instead of a Brush)

Skip brushing your curls. Any type of brush will fray the ends of your natural curls and create frizz. When you need to detangle, comb your fingers through your hair, it’ll keep the shape of the curl as well as maintain it’s texture and sheen.

5. Deep Conditioner

If your curls aren’t cooperating it may be time for a deep conditioner. Look for one that is chock-full of essential oils (ingredients like camellia oil, lotus, and olive oil). Apply to your hair and wrap it up in a shower cap for 5-10 minutes.

This article originally appeared on MIMIchatter.com.

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Kitchen Utensils Can Spread Bacteria, Study Finds

THURSDAY, Nov. 12, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Kitchen utensils such as knives and graters can spread bacteria between different types of produce, a new study finds.

University of Georgia researchers contaminated different types of fruits and vegetables with bacteria such as salmonella and E. coli. They cut the produce with a knife or shredded it with a grater, then used the unwashed utensils on other produce.

Both utensils spread the bacteria to other types of produce, the study found.

The researchers also found that certain types of produce contaminated knives to different degrees.

“For items like tomatoes, we tended to have a higher contamination of the knives than when we cut strawberries,” said lead author Marilyn Erickson, an associate professor in the department of food science and technology.

“We don’t have a specific answer as to why there are differences between the different produce groups. But we do know that once a pathogen gets on the food, it’s difficult to remove,” she said in a university news release.

Further testing revealed that brushes and peelers also transfer bacteria between produce.

Many people don’t know that kitchen utensils can spread bacteria, Erickson said.

“Just knowing that utensils may lead to cross-contamination is important,” she said. “With that knowledge, consumers are then more likely to make sure they wash them in between uses.”

The study results were published recently in the journal Food Microbiology.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about food safety.

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