Health Tip: Safe Use of Candles

(HealthDay News) -- Many people enjoy burning candles to enhance their home's cozy atmosphere. But candles can be a fire hazard if not used correctly.
The City of Fairfax, Virginia, offers these candle safety tips:

• Never leave a room with a candle still burning.
• Light a candle in an area far from flammable materials, such as drapes, bedding, furniture, paper or wallpaper.
• Make sure that a burning candle can't be reached by children or pets.
• Only burn a candle that is in a sturdy, non-flammable base.
• Keep the candle wick trimmed to about one-quarter of an inch.
• Don't burn candles right next to each other, near doors or windows, or on a surface that may catch fire or melt from the heat.
• Throw a candle away when the wax is down to about 2 inches from the base.
• Don't use a candle that has flammable materials (such as twigs or pinecones) inside the wax.

Health Tip: Warding Off Age-Related Memory Loss

(HealthDay News) -- Memory loss in seniors is common, but occasional forgetfulness doesn't necessarily mean dementia.
Rotary International offers these recommendations for what you can do to help prevent memory loss:

• Get plenty of regular exercise to boost oxygen to the brain and reduce your risk of disorders that can lead to memory loss.
• Pack your diet full of vegetables and fruits, healthy fats and whole grain foods.
• Keep stress under control, which will help make it easier to concentrate.
• Get enough quality sleep each night.
• Avoid smoking, which increases the risk of vascular problems that can lead to stroke and reduce oxygen to the brain.

Brain Anatomy Could Point to Autism

(HealthDay News) -- Autistic toddlers seem more likely to have an enlarged amygdala, a brain area linked with facial recognition and emotions, University of North Carolina researchers report. Read more

Why Plastics Can Make You Sick

A controversy regarding the safety of low-dose effects of bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical used to make hard, clear plastics such as those found in baby bottles, food-storage containers and the lining of soda cans, has reached the forefront in America. Read more

Health Tip: Allow Yourself to Grieve

(HealthDay News) -- While you're grieving because of a major life change or loss, you need time to cope.

Rotary International offers these suggestions to help manage grieving:

• Accept your loss, and deal with your feelings. Ignoring your emotions may lead to emotional and physical problems later.
• Be creative in expressing your emotions. Try writing in a journal, writing a letter or creating a photo album or scrapbook.
• Stay physically healthy with a good diet, plenty of sleep and regular exercise.
• Avoid using drugs and alcohol to deal with grief.
• Allow yourself to grieve on your own schedule. Express whatever emotions you feel -- cry, laugh or just be sad.
• Know that grief may re-emerge at certain times, such as on birthdays or holidays. Don't let it surprise you, and try to prepare for it as much as you can.