The holidays are just around the corner and with Thanksgiving approaching, we might begin to sense our waistlines already expanding...How about we make one final resolution before 2009 and try to eat healthier during this upcoming holiday season? Let's start with Thanksgiving, a time to celebrate and be grateful. MedHelp is grateful for all of our members and we are here to help you celebrate your health during the holidays and every day. Try these great Thanksgiving recipes and tips from MedHelp members to be health conscious while you are celebrating.

Herb Roasted Turkey: http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Healthy-Cooking/Brine--Herb-Roasted-Turkey/show/1100728

Light Turkey Gravy: http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Healthy-Cooking/Light-Turkey-Gravy/show/1100114

Spiced Cranberry Sauce: http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Healthy-Cooking/Spiced-Cranberry-Sauce/show/689291

Stuffing with Cranberries: http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Healthy-Cooking/Stuffing-with-Cranberries/show/692600

Healthy Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes: http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Healthy-Cooking/Healthy-Twice-Baked-Sweet-Potatoes/show/623436

Herbed Mashed Potatoes: http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Healthy-Cooking/Herbed-Mashed-Potatoes/show/690412

Roasted Green Beans: http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Healthy-Cooking/Roasted-Green-Beans/show/999165

Red Cooked Brussel Sprouts or Green Beans: http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Healthy-Cooking/red-cooked-brussel-sprouts-or-green-beans/show/563367

Pumpkin Bread: http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Healthy-Cooking/Halloween-Pumpkin-Bread/show/1084533

Pear Ginger Crumble: http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Healthy-Cooking/Pear-Ginger-Crumble-/show/1100722

Halloween is a fun time for kids of all ages,  (including some "kids" over the age of 30!)...  Parties, costumes, haunted houses and trick-or-treating cause much excitement and make this holiday unlike any other.  But don't forget to exercise some responsibility and planning while you're having fun.  Here are MedHelp's Ten Trick-or-Treating/Halloween Tips to keep you and your loved ones safe on Halloween:

1.  Safety in numbers.  Children should never go trick or treating alone and young kids should be accompanied by an adult.  If an adult isn't available, an older sibling or neighbor should join them (and share their candy  ; ) ).

2.  Have a plan and know the neighborhood.  Your little trick-or-treater should be equipped with phone numbers, cell phone, and solid common sense.  Parents should be aware of the route that their children will be taking and should set a time limit for their children to be home by.  

3.  Although it’s best for trick-or-treating to take place during daylight hours, here are some after-dark safety tips:  Carry flashlights and wear reflectors, reflective tape or lights.  Walk in groups and cross streets cautiously (at stop signs, stop lights, crosswalks, or corners).  Instruct kids to only go trick-or-treating at houses where the lights are on.  Never go inside a stranger's house during day or night!

4.  Costumes should be comfortable, appropriate and flame resistant.  Some masks can limit vision and can also restrict breathing or may just be generally uncomfortable.  Be aware of long capes and cumbersome costumes that may cause your trick-or-treater to trip.  In addition, Halloween can usher in the cool fall air, and costumes should be warm enough that your kids won't get cold while out having fun.

5.  Halloween manners:  Don't forget to make sure your kids say thank you for those treats!  Be sure to tell kids that "tricks" shouldn't hurt others or vandalize property and treats should be accepted politely and appreciated.

6.  Candy!!! Inspect those treats before your kids dive into 'em.  Look for torn and open packages.  Loosely wrapped treats, unwrapped candy or homemade goods should be thrown away.   It's a good idea to give your child a snack before trick-or-treating to prevent them from eating their hard-earned treats before you've approved them.

8.  Parties...  Teens and older children may be attending night time parties.  Make sure they have a dependable ride home and beware of drunk driving.  Having a friend or group to go with is also a good idea.

9.  Home Safety: Be careful with lit jack-o-lanterns and be sure to blow out candles before going to sleep or leaving your house.  Ensure that your walkway is clear of garden hoses and other things that could cause trick-or-treaters to trip and fall.

10.  Give healthier treats!  You can feel good about giving out sealed boxes of raisins or pretzels to neighborhood kids rather than junk food and candy... They'll be getting enough of that from the rest of the neighbors anyway...

** Bonus Tip for your other loved ones**

Don't forget about your pets on halloween!  Don't force them to wear a costume if they don't seem to tolerate or enjoy it.  Be aware of opening doors for trick or treaters and make sure pets have a quiet area that they can retreat to.  And don't share any of your halloween candy with them!  Chocolate, xylitol and wrappers can be harmful to your pet.

Happy Halloween from MedHelp!

We're pleased to announce 2 new features that are now available. Both of these features were requested heavily by our members in our "Improve MedHelp" survey as well as in our Suggestions forum.

1. Photo Sharing - In your profile, you can now upload as many photos as you'd like. Simply go to your "My MedHelp" and click the "Photos" tab. This is a great way to share multiple pictures with other members.

2. Privacy - We just added a new set of privacy features. You can now control who can see your "Posts" tab, your "Photos" tab and who can send your private messages, as well as invite you as a friend. To change your settings go to "My MedHelp" and click on the "Settings" tab. From there, click the "Privacy" link and make your adjustments. In addition, Journal Entries and Photos can also be adjusted at the journal/photo level.

Keep the suggestions coming and thanks for being a member of MedHelp!

MedHelp

A busy month

We started the new year working through our list of features requested by our members such as upgrading our search, adding a drug database, and including photos in posts. We also changed the look of the forums and, with your help, have been iterating on it to make sure it meets your needs. Please bear with us for a couple of more weeks as we finish updating the remaining pages.  We're really excited about the next couple of months as we have a lot of important things we will be adding to the site. Please continue to let us know what you need as it will help us prioritize the list.

Stay healthy.

MedHelp team
www.medhelp.org

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MEDTALK :  Featured Article

Happy You Year! (This is not a typo, this is the year for you!)  
by Roger Gould, M.D.

Not surprisingly, people’s number one New Year’s resolution is to lose weight. Maybe you’ve heard that voice in your head that says, "This year is going to be different, this year I will finally lose the weight, this year I definitely won’t be embarrassed at this event or on the beach."

In the past, that probably meant a new diet starting on day one of the new year.

Unfortunately, diets don’t work. Even Weight Watchers, the foremost authority on diets in the country, has declared in their new campaign that people should not go on a diet.  

>> Read More:
http://search.medhelp.org/blog/ShrinkYourself.php?itemid=181

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MEDTALK :  Featured Article

Traveling Well During the Holiday Season
by Enoch Choi, M.D.

The flu has passed epidemic rates in much of the country, and if you don't have a cold, I'm sure you have a friend who has the sniffles, fever, chills, aches and pains of a viral upper respiratory infection. This is different from a bacterial infection such as sinusitis, bronchitis, or pneumonia. A viral infection doesn't improve with antibiotics as these infections do. A virus hijacks your own body's healthy cells and uses it to reproduce and spread. A bacteria is its own living cell and multiplies and spreads on its own and is easier to destroy in that process. Here are some guidelines on helping differentiate between run of the mill colds and more serious bacterial infections:

>> Read More:
http://www.medhelp.org/user_journals/show/1737

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NEW EXPERTS

*  Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery: http://www.medhelp.org/forums/show/206
   Michael H Kirsch, DDS

*  Radiology: http://www.medhelp.org/forums/show/209
   Sumer K Sethi, MD
   Anna Beattie, M.D.

*  Ear Disorders: http://www.medhelp.org/forums/show/211
   Eric P Wilkinson, MD

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NEW COMMUNITIES

* Chlamydia: http://www.medhelp.org/forums/show/202

* Sexual Health: http://www.medhelp.org/forums/show/207

* PCOS: http://www.medhelp.org/forums/show/203

* SIDs: http://www.medhelp.org/forums/show/205

* Incontinentia Pigmenti: http://www.medhelp.org/forums/show/204

* Hysterectomy: http://www.medhelp.org/forums/show/208

* Borderline Personality Disorder: http://www.medhelp.org/forums/show/210

* Children's Allergies: http://www.medhelp.org/forums/show/214

* Living with an Alcoholic: http://www.medhelp.org/forums/show/217

* Endometriosis: http://www.medhelp.org/forums/show/218


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NEW FEATURES

* Improved Search: Our search is even more powerful now: Real time results, a new simpler look and feel, image results and also search by a member name.  

  >> Run a search: http://www.medhelp.org/search?query=heart

* Drug Database: Detailed information on over 20,000 prescription and over-the-counter drugs. Available through Search, with more ways coming soon.

  >> See an example: http://www.medhelp.org/drugs/show/2578

* My Posts: An easy way to find all of your posts in one place. In My MedHelp, simply click the "Posts" tab.

  >> See all of your posts: http://www.medhelp.org/user_profiles/my_profile

* Enlarge Text: You get to control the size of the font for our forums and discussions.

  >> See an example: http://www.medhelp.org/forums/show/197

* Photo Posts: Show what you're trying to describe by adding a photo to your question.

  >> See an example: http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/417323

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COMING SOON

Over the next few weeks we will be rolling out a lot of new functionality. Keep a watch out for:


* Find a Doctor: Find a local doctor or medically professional in our upcoming directory which has over 1 million medical professionals and institutions.