Where to Get Sophia Bush’s Hot Looks From Our September Issue

In our latest issue, Health cover star Sophia Bush shares what she has learned about following her heart, taking action and discovering what matters most in this world. Here’s where you can find the cool pieces the Chicago P.D. star rocked during our shoot.

And don’t forget to grab a copy of the September issue, on newsstands now!

On the cover

Sophia’s wearing: Alexander Wang BI color mesh halter dress ($370, alexanderwang.com). Earrings, Sophia’s own.

In our feature

Sophia’s wearing: Topshop utility jumpsuit ($105, topshop.com). Stanmore bracelet; stanmorenyc.com. Stanmore bracelet (stanmorenyc.com for similar styles).

Sophia’s wearing: Vivienne Westwood dress (Viviennewestwood.com for similar styles)

Sophia’s wearing: Rag & Bone tank (rag-bone.com for similar styles), Missoni knit pants (missoni.com for similar styles), Fortune necklace (fortuneandframe.com for similar styles), ring Sophia’s own.

Sophia Bush behind the scenes

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The Beginner’s Guide to Meditation

Photo: Getty Images

Maybe you’ve tried meditating before. You close your eyes, expecting enlightenment (or at least some instant stress relief ) but nothing happens. Until the next minute when you see everything you’re trying to forget about for a minute flooding your mind’s eye—Mail that check! Pick up more tampons! Don’t forget about so-and-so’s birthday!

Yep, we’ve been there. But what we’ve learned is that with some professional guidance and a little determination, you can find your way to meditation’s storied benefits.

We spoke with Elena Brower, one of the teachers featured on the Lolë White Tour (which has a free yoga event in Central Park on Wednesday, September 2nd, that Health is sponsoring), to give us a beginner’s guide. Get ready to say om.

Why is meditation so important?

Meditation helps us reduce the amount of stress in our lives by placing the body into a relaxed, healing state. Each time we sit, we are literally inviting our cells to release long-held maladaptive stress reactions that we’ve accumulated over time, leaving us more clear, bright, level-headed, and adaptable. Through meditation, we can access levels of happiness that become more and more accessible over time. Meditation lowers blood pressure, improves our sleep, and heightens our overall sense of contentment and steadiness, no matter what our circumstances.

RELATED: A Meditation to De-Stress

What’s the easiest way to start making meditation a part of your day?

First, set an alarm for 20 minutes earlier in the morning (you can do it!).  Brush your teeth and sit down where you prefer—sofa, chair, or floor. Be comfortable. Set a timer for 20 minutes.

Close your eyes and let the show begin. At first, it will seem as though you’re being bombarded—that’s just your internal clearing happening. Thought after thought will likely parade by in your awareness. Watch, and keep turning your attention back to your breathing again and again. It might take a few minutes, but the thought parade will slow down, and you might even notice some space or a pause from one thought to the next.

When’s the ideal time to meditate?

The ideal time is in the morning for 20 minutes and then again in the afternoon (before eating dinner) for another 20 minutes.

RELATED: A Meditation to Start Your Day

Do you need to sit a certain way to meditate?

Sit comfortably, on a chair, on a sofa, or the floor, if you wish. Sit upright, eyes closed. Ensure that you’re not distracted by how you’re sitting, so you can simply breathe and let your body enter a relaxed state.

How exactly do you meditate?

Get into a comfortable seat, close your eyes, and observe. Give preference to your breathing rather than the thoughts that will inevitably appear in your mind. Keep turning your attention back to your breathing.

What can people do if they have racing thoughts or can’t clear their minds?

Keep watching. That’s precisely why we meditate. Notice how your breathing can at least help you turn your attention inward rather than outward.

RELATED: Yoga Moves to Beat Insomnia, Ease Stress, and Relieve Pain

How often or how long should beginners meditate for?

Try it daily for one week. See how it goes. Any meditation is better than none.

Are there any apps or videos you recommend to beginners?

YogaGlo.com and the Art of Attention Audio Meditation Course have a nice selection on meditation.

Editor’s Note: This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

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Many Seniors With Cancer Use Alternative Medicines: Study

FRIDAY, Aug. 28, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Many elderly cancer patients use alternative medicines, including some that could interfere with their treatment, a new study shows.

Even though alternative medicines are marketed as “natural,” many contain active ingredients that can react with other therapies, the researchers explained.

The study authors also found that many of these patients don’t tell their doctors they are using complementary or alternative medicines (CAMs).

“Currently, few oncologists are aware of the alternative medicines their patients take,” study author Ginah Nightingale, an assistant professor at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, said in a university news release.

“Patients often fail to disclose the CAMs they take because they think they are safe, natural, non-toxic and not relevant to their cancer care, because they think their doctor will disapprove, or because the doctor doesn’t specifically ask,” she said.

Nightingale and her colleagues surveyed over 200 elderly cancer patients (aged 61 to 98), and found that 26 percent took alternative medicines at some point in their cancer treatment. Sixty-eight percent of those who used alternative medicines were older than 80, they found.

Commonly used alternative medicines included products for the eye disease macular degeneration and joint health, as well as stomach probiotics and mega-dose vitamins and minerals, the study said.

The findings were published online recently in the Journal of Geriatric Oncology.

The researchers didn’t examine the potential harm posed by these alternative medicines, but “we know that some can have a biochemical effect on the body and other drugs,” Nightingale said.

A number of alternative medicines are known to interfere with cancer treatments. For example, St. John’s wort can reduce the effectiveness of some cancer therapies, and other alternative medicines can interfere with anesthesia during surgery for cancer, the researchers said.

That’s why it’s important for doctors to ask about all of the medications an older cancer patient might be taking, including CAMs, Nightingale recommended.

“Clear and transparent documentation of CAM use should be recorded in the patient’s medical record. This documentation should indicate that patient-specific communication and/or education was provided so that shared and informed decisions by the patient can be made regarding the continued use of these medications,” she explained.

More information

The U.S. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health has more about complementary health products and methods.

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Guidelines for Preventing Catheter Infections in ICU Often Ignored: Study

FRIDAY, Aug. 28, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Many health-care providers don’t follow guidelines meant to reduce the risk of infection from catheters placed in the arteries of intensive care unit patients, a new study finds.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says health-care providers should wear sterile gloves, a surgical cap and mask, and use a small sterile drape when inserting catheters into patients’ arteries.

But a Rhode Island Hospital survey of more than 1,200 health-care providers found that only 44 percent followed the CDC recommendations during insertion. And only 15 percent used “full barrier precautions.” The participants’ responses were anonymous.

“Barrier precautions are employed inconsistently by critical care clinicians across the nation, and such individuals underestimate the infection risks posed by arterial catheters,” study co-author Dr. Leonard Mermel, medical director of the hospital’s epidemiology and infection control department, said in a Lifespan Health System news release.

“Every effort should be made to prevent such infections since they lead to increased cost, length of stay and [death],” he added.

Almost 8 million arterial catheters are placed in patients in U.S. hospitals every year, the researchers said. These types of catheters can cause bloodstream infections.

The study was published recently in the journal Critical Care Medicine.

An arterial catheter is a thin, hollow tube placed into an artery (large blood vessel) in the wrist, groin or other location to measure
blood pressure, oxygen or carbon dioxide levels, according to the American Thoracic Society.

Study corresponding author Dr. Andrew Levinson said arterial catheterization is a commonly performed procedure in critically ill patients.

“Bloodstream infections are largely preventable, and if the survey results mirror the clinical practice in the U.S., there’s work to be done in reducing risk of such infections,” he concluded.

More information

The American Thoracic Society has more about arterial catheterization.

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Settling the Back-to-School Jitters

FRIDAY, Aug. 28, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Starting or returning to school can trigger anxiety in some children, but parents can help ease worried young minds, a mental health expert says.

“Anxiety is one of the most common mental health challenges for children. Uncertainty fuels the fears, especially during times of transition, like starting a new school year,” Dr. Theodote Pontikes, a pediatric psychiatrist at Loyola University Health System in Chicago, said in a university news release.

One way to limit anxiety is to establish a routine before the first day of school that’s similar to the one that will be used during the school year. This includes consistent sleep and wake times, no daytime naps, and scheduled meals and snacks. It’s important to encourage a pattern of physical activity, which helps children release excess energy and sleep better at night, she said.

It’s also a good idea to have children practice how they will get to and from school, meet their teachers and tour their school before classes start, if possible, she added.

“When it’s time to head out on that first day, consider putting a small trinket or photo in your child’s backpack, so they feel connected to home. You can teach your children relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing, positive self-talk and visual imagery exercises, so they feel prepared to manage stressful situations,” Pontikes said.

The most crucial thing is for parents to talk to their children about their worries, connect with them and make them feel secure.

“It’s important for parents to be attuned to their child’s concerns regarding school, as they help their child cope with anticipatory anxiety,” Pontikes explained.

Anxiety and stress is also common among new college students.

“When a child heads off to college, they need to still feel connected to their parents. Parents should establish a schedule of communication on a regular basis via telephone and even texting,” Pontikes said.

“Participating in parents’ weekend and other activities for families, as well as just being available to listen, can help your college student realistically achieve short- and long-term goals,” she added.

But sometimes parental support isn’t enough, she explained.

“When anxiety becomes paralyzing and students aren’t able to look forward to learning and aren’t able to embrace the academic experience, parents must seek consultation from a mental health professional, to provide guidance and discuss recommendations for care and treatment,” Pontikes said.

More information

The American Academy of Pediatrics has more about preparing for a new school year.

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How Parents Add to Math Anxiety

FRIDAY, Aug. 28, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Parents can spur math anxiety and poor math performance in children, a new study suggests.

“We often don’t think about how important parents’ own attitudes are in determining their children’s academic achievement. But our work suggests that if a parent is walking around saying ‘Oh, I don’t like math’ or ‘This stuff makes me nervous,’ kids pick up on this messaging and it affects their success,” study co-leader Sian Beilock said in a news release from the Association for Psychological Science.

Beilock is a professor of psychology at the University of Chicago.

For the study, researchers assessed math achievement and math anxiety among 438 first- and second-grade students. They also asked the children’s parents about their levels of math anxiety and how often they helped their kids with math homework.

The results showed that children of math-anxious parents learned less math during the school year and were more likely to be math-anxious if their parents frequently helped them with math homework.

“Math-anxious parents may be less effective in explaining math concepts to children, and may not respond well when children make a mistake or solve a problem in a novel way,” study co-leader Susan Levine, a professor of education and society in psychology at the university, said in the news release.

The link between parents’ and children’s math anxiety has more to do with attitude than genetics, Beilock and Levine said.

“Although it is possible that there is a genetic component to math anxiety, the fact that parents’ math anxiety negatively affected children only when they frequently helped them with math homework points to the need for interventions focused on both decreasing parents’ math anxiety and scaffolding their skills in homework help,” the study authors wrote.

The study was published recently in the journal Psychological Science.

The researchers said tools that could improve parents’ ability to help their children with math include math books, computer and board games, and Internet apps.

Previous research by the same investigative team found that when teachers are anxious about math, their students learn less math during the school year.

More information

The American Academy of Pediatrics outlines how parents can help children develop good homework habits.

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Women Soldiers No More Likely to Develop PTSD, Study Finds

FRIDAY, Aug. 28, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Women in the U.S. military are no more likely than men to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a government study shows.

“This is the first study to prospectively investigate the development of PTSD in male and female service members who were matched on multiple important characteristics that could explain some of the differences in PTSD, including military sexual trauma,” study co-author Dr. Shira Maguen, a staff psychologist at the San Francisco VA Medical Center, said in a Veterans Affairs news release.

The study included more than 2,300 pairs of women and men who were matched on similarities — including combat experience — and followed for an average of seven years.

No one had PTSD at the start of the study, and all served in Iraq or Afghanistan at least once. By the end of the study, 6.7 percent of women and 6.1 percent of men had developed PTSD, a difference that is not statistically significant.

There was no difference in PTSD severity between men and women, according to the study in the September issue of the journal Psychiatric Research.

“We found no gender differences in the development of PTSD. Consequently, our focus should be on the types of traumatic experiences that people have been exposed to, rather than any inherent gender differences in the development of PTSD,” said Maguen, an associate professor at the University of California, San Francisco Medical School.

PTSD is a psychiatric disorder that can arise after experiencing life-threatening events such as military combat, natural disasters or personal trauma.

Previous studies on civilians have found that women are at higher risk than men for PTSD. But those studies did not compare women and men with similar experiences.

“I do think military women are extremely resilient, but I think the differences in rates in the civilian literature actually have to do with a number of factors, including women having much higher rates of interpersonal traumas, which we know put people at high risk for PTSD,” Maguen said.

The findings support U.S. Department of Defense efforts to allow women into combat roles, the researchers said.

More information

The U.S. National Institute of Mental Health has more about post-traumatic stress disorder.

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Could Oral Contraceptives Help Ease Rheumatoid Arthritis?

By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, Aug. 28, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Oral contraceptives — also known as birth control pills — may ease pain and improve functioning in women with rheumatoid arthritis, a small German study suggests.

“Women with inflammatory arthritis who were currently using oral contraceptives or who had used them in the past, presented with better patient-reported outcomes within the first two years of arthritis,” the study authors wrote.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks the joints, resulting in pain and swelling. About 1.3 million people in the United States have rheumatoid arthritis, and of these, nearly 75 percent are women, according to the American College of Rheumatology.

Dr. Waseem Mir, a rheumatologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, noted, “We have to take the findings of the study with great caution.” Mir was not involved in the current study, but reviewed its findings.

One reason he cited for the note of caution is that all of the data were self-reported by patients, so it’s not clear that all the participants in the study actually had rheumatoid arthritis. Researchers only saw an association, not a cause-and-effect link, between birth control pill use and lessened rheumatoid arthritis symptoms.

Mir also pointed out the potential risks of oral contraceptives. “Certain patients with inflammatory arthritis may increase their risk of blood clots by going on oral contraceptives,” Mir said.

The report was published Aug. 20 in Arthritis Care & Research.

The researchers, led by Dr. Katinka Albrecht from the German Rheumatism Research Centre in Berlin, reviewed data on 273 women with rheumatoid arthritis. The women were between 18 and 60 years old, the study said.

The researchers found that 18 percent had never used the birth control pill, 63 percent had used it in the past, and 19 percent were taking it at the time of the study. None of the women had taken hormone replacement therapy, the study noted.

The progression of the disease was not affected by birth control use, the study found. But women who had used or were using the pill had better scores on standard measures of rheumatoid arthritis than women who had never used the pill, the researchers said.

Albrecht’s group also found that women who had used or were using oral contraceptives — especially those with impaired function — relied less on steroid treatment than women who hadn’t used the pill.

The researchers speculated that the beneficial effect of oral contraceptives may be due to increasing the levels of estrogen, which may have a positive effect on mood. Whether boosting estrogen levels also helps reduce the inflammation associated with rheumatoid arthritis isn’t clear, they said.

Dr. Jennifer Wu, an obstetrician-gynecologist from Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, said, “Oral contraceptives are known to reduce the risk of ovarian and uterine cancer, and reducing the toll of rheumatoid arthritis may be another benefit.”

However, she doesn’t think women should be taking oral contraceptives to try to reduce or prevent rheumatoid arthritis.

“When young women are diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and if they need birth control, they should think about using the birth control pill instead of other forms of birth control,” Wu said.

“Older women with rheumatoid arthritis, however, shouldn’t go on birth control pills to try to treat their inflammatory arthritis,” she said.

Mir agreed. “Although oral contraceptives are important in society for what they offer, one should not be using it to treat inflammatory arthritis,” he said.

The study authors also noted that their results should be interpreted carefully. “This association needs to be confirmed in further studies before any clinical conclusion can be drawn,” they wrote.

More information

For more information on rheumatoid arthritis, visit the American College of Rheumatology.

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Obesity May Be Linked to Greater Risk of Stillbirth

FRIDAY, Aug. 28, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Obese pregnant women may have a nearly twofold increased risk of stillbirth, a new study says.

The leading reasons for that higher risk appear to be high blood pressure and placental disorders, the researchers suggested.

“We’ve known for some time that obese women are more likely to have stillbirths, but this is one of the first and most comprehensive efforts to figure out why,” study author Lisa Bodnar, an associate professor in the department of epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, said in a university news release.

However, because of the study’s design, the authors could only show an association between obesity and stillbirth; they couldn’t prove a cause-and-effect relationship.

The researchers reviewed information from more than 650 stillbirths at Magee-Womens Hospital of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, between 2003 and 2010. For the study, stillbirths were defined as cases that had reached at least 16 weeks’ gestation and there was no evidence of life after delivery.

The rate of stillbirths was just under eight per 1,000 births for lean women. The rate jumped to 17 per 1,000 births for severely obese women, the study revealed.

Certain complications were more likely to occur in obese women, the investigators found. These complications included high blood pressure, placental diseases or disorders, fetal abnormalities, and umbilical cord abnormalities, the study said.

“Our hope is that this work can be used to better counsel women on the importance of a healthy pre-pregnancy weight, and monitor them for complications during pregnancy that may threaten the survival of their fetuses,” Bodnar said.

“This study also could be used to guide prevention efforts at a societal level,” Bodnar contended. “If we can reduce pre-pregnancy obesity by even a small amount, through environmental or policy changes, we could significantly reduce the burden of stillbirth.”

The study was released online, and is to be published in the October print issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Doctors should monitor pregnant obese patients for complications so they can quickly treat conditions such as high blood pressure and, hopefully, reduce the risk of stillbirth, study senior author Dr. Hyagriv Simhan, professor and chief of the division of maternal-fetal medicine and medical director of obstetrical services at Magee, said in the news release.

“However, we’d like to see these women before they even become pregnant. When a doctor has an obese patient who is considering pregnancy, she should be referred to a maternal-fetal medicine specialist who can counsel her on the benefits of losing weight before pregnancy, as well as safe approaches to weight loss,” Simhan said.

There are 3.2 million stillbirths worldwide each year, and the United States has one of the highest rates of stillbirth among high-income countries, the researchers said.

More information

The March of Dimes has more about stillbirth.

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Many Parents Unaware of Dangers E-Cigarettes Pose to Little Kids: Survey

FRIDAY, Aug. 28, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Many parents don’t understand that the liquid nicotine used in electronic cigarettes poses a serious danger to young children, a new survey indicates.

The liquid nicotine used in e-cigarettes is often fruit-flavored, which makes it appealing to youngsters. Consuming a teaspoon of this liquid can be deadly to a child, and smaller amounts can cause nausea and vomiting that require emergency care, experts warn.

Children can also become sick if the liquid nicotine comes into contact with their skin.

“These are largely avoidable risks, but because e-cigarettes are relatively new, many people — including pediatricians — aren’t aware of the dangers or the steps that should be taken to protect children from them,” study first author Dr. Jane Garbutt, a professor of medicine and of pediatrics at Washington University in St. Louis, said in a university news release.

She and her colleagues surveyed 658 parents and guardians at 15 pediatric clinics in the St. Louis area about their knowledge and use of e-cigarettes. Nearly all of them knew about the products, 20 percent had tried them, and about 12 percent said a family member used them.

In two-thirds of homes where children were exposed to e-cigarettes, they were also exposed to regular cigarettes, according to the study published Aug. 25 in the journal Academic Pediatrics.

Thirty-six percent of e-cigarette users did not lock up bottles of liquid nicotine and did not use childproof caps. Liquid nicotine was most often kept in a drawer or cupboard (34 percent), a purse or bag (22 percent) or on an open counter (13 percent), the findings showed.

“Three percent of the people in our study said a child of theirs had tried to drink the e-liquid,” Garbutt said. “The easiest way to lower risk is to store e-liquid out of the reach of children. Open counters and shelves, unlocked drawers, and purses and bags aren’t safe storage places,” she added.

Only 15 percent of e-cigarette users in the study had told their pediatricians they were using e-cigarettes, and only 6 percent of those users said the doctors had explained the use and safe storage of the devices.

“We strongly encourage pediatricians to ask parents about nicotine use, including e-cigarettes, and to discuss the risks of exposure,” Garbutt said.

More information

The American Association of Poison Control Centers has more on protecting children from liquid nicotine.

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