With an ample supply of yogurt choices in your supermarket, making the best choice can seem overwhelming.  You may have noticed several Greek yogurt options, but is this really different and what makes Greek yogurt special?

Greek yogurt is considered superior to regular yogurt, but why?  Greek yogurt contains more protein and less carbohydrate due to its unique straining process.  The straining process removes the watery whey giving it a thick, creamy texture.

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Distracted driving, whether it’s texting, eating, talking on a cell phone or putting on makeup is unsafe, irresponsible and can be deadly. Dr. Thomas Esposito, a Trauma surgeon at Loyola, talks about the impact these activities have on us all. Each year more than 40,000 people die in car accidents, and another 3 million are injured. Don’t become another statistic. Watch this video.

The warm weather has arrived and so have the insects. This time of year we often see patients who have concerns about insect bites.

Mosquitoes, ticks, fleas and chiggers are among the many pests that “bug” us this time of year. Other pests like bees, yellow jackets and wasps bring the risk of being stung, which is when an insect embeds its stinger into the skin.

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Parenting a teenage athlete is a juggling act — monitoring homework, keeping up with practice and training schedules, weeks packed with competitions or games. It may seem like a never-ending “to-do” list and that yearly sports physical can seems like just one more thing in a busy parent’s life. But the quickest way of checking it off the list could be detrimental to a teen’s health.

“Sports injuries are a small portion of what is affecting our teens’ health and well-being. The sports physical required by schools and sports leagues just skims the surface and doesn’t dive deep enough into the real issues that affect a teen’s health,” said Jerold Stirling, MD, pediatrician at Loyola University Health System and chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. “Some of the deeper issues such as mental health, social and emotional challenges can’t be addressed in a school gym surrounded by hundreds of other kids or with a quick exam at a retail store.”

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Is juice OK for my kids?

Picture the typical kiddy party. The kids are running around playing and nearby is their trusty juice-filled sippy cup or juice box. Let’s see, it tastes good, gives them energy and won’t slow the play time down. It’s the perfect kid food, right? No, let’s look at why.

Juice is not bad for you, but it is a concentrated form of carbohydrate calories. Juice does provide nutrients but is not the best choice for all the fruit servings in a healthy diet.

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It’s true, the kids are still in school, but it’s not too early to start thinking about your child’s back-to-school physicals and vaccines for next year.

“Come August, doctors’ offices will be jam-packed with last-minute appointments, so get a jump-start on it now,” said Dr. Heidi Renner, primary care physician at Loyola University Health System and assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine.

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Finally, the cold spring blasts have made way for balmy breezes. Along with allergies, our physicians are seeing more asthma flare-ups at our Immediate Care centers in Burr Ridge, Homer Glen and River Forest.

Asthma is a respiratory disorder that affects the lungs by causing airway constriction and inflammation.  It is commonly inherited.  People who suffer from allergies or eczema are predisposed to having asthma.

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It’s time to fire up the grill. Summer memories often include blue skies, red-checkered tablecloths and tasty grilled brats and steaks. But getting sick from your picnic is a sure way to ruin all the fun.

What are some tips so all the food stays safe?

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There is nothing like breaking out the golf clubs after a long winter hibernation and hitting the golf course. Golf is a great way for people of all ages and activity levels to get moving and enjoy the outdoors. However, injuries are common in golf, especially to the ankles, elbow, spine, knee, hip and wrist. Most injuries occur from repeating the same swing motion over and over again. This places stress on certain muscles, tendons and joints. However, a few trips to the gym before your golf outing could avert injuries.

Golfer’s Elbow
One of the most common injuries is medial epicondylitis, better known at Golfer’s Elbow. This is an inflammation of the tendons that attach your forearm muscles to the inside of the bone at the elbow.
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It’s been pretty well publicized that high cholesterol is a risk factor for heart attack and stroke.  We now know that atherosclerosis, which can trigger a heart attack or stroke, begins in childhood. If this condition is diagnosed in childhood, there are opportunities to delay or even prevent heart attack and stroke in adulthood.  Many children with high cholesterol levels have inherited this condition from their parents, and since most parents of young children are just young adults themselves, they may not yet know they too inherited cardiovascular disease.

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In an initiative to help lead more Americans toward the path of healthy living, 18 cooking websites and five media companies are working with first lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move campaign. The websites will feature healthy recipes that follow the guidelines of the MyPlate campaign.

MyPlate is part of a larger initiative with the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans to help consumers make better food choices.  MyPlate illustrates the five food groups using a familiar mealtime visual, a place setting (choosemyplate.gov).    More than 3,000 recipes will be featured on a new Pinterest page (http://pinterest.com/MyPlateRecipes/).  Recipes may be for a main or side dish that meets at least one part of the MyPlate criteria.

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