Sorting Out Coffee’s Contradictions When Howard D. Schultz in 1985 founded the company that would become the wildly successful Starbucks chain, no financial adviser had to tell him that coffee was America’s leading beverage and caffeine its most widely used drug. 8/7/2008 12:53:11 PM

Breastfeeding mother alleges WestJet harassment Another Vancouver woman has come forward to say she was harassed while breastfeeding in public. Takeoff and descent can cause painful pressure in children's ears, so it's common for mothers to nurse their babies, Vancouver teacher Erin Tarbuck said. 8/7/2008 12:13:54 PM

B.C. doctors call for more beds and staff The B.C. Medical Association says the provincial government must provide more acute-care beds, the staff to support them, and set maximum allowable wait times for acute-care treatment. 8/7/2008 11:23:37 AM

Toys with barium paint ordered recalled A child's toy contaminated with barium has been ordered recalled by Health Canada. The "Geometric Stacker," made in China, is a wooden stacking toy set with 25 pieces painted in red, yellow, blue, green, purple and orange. 8/7/2008 5:30:45 AM

B.C. doctors refuse to treat girl after parents protest A 12-year-old child with epilepsy, cerebral palsy and a spinal deformity has been advised by orthopedic surgeons at B.C. Children's Hospital to look for a doctor in Alberta or elsewhere in Canada. 8/7/2008 5:28:37 AM

Pollution can drive blood pressure up: study Whether it's working in the garden or playing sports, Ron Ellis likes to spend time outdoors. Having lost his mother, father and a brother to heart disease, Ron is motivated to be more active. 8/7/2008 5:25:09 AM

Marital sex on TV burdensome or non-existent: study A new study says the boob tube is undermining traditional family values and creating a world where adultery and pre-marital sex are the new normal. 8/7/2008 5:15:40 AM

Do It Yourself kidney machine saves girl A baby dying from kidney failure was saved when her doctor designed and built her a dialysis machine from scratch in his garage. Two years later, her mother Rebecca says she is "fit as a fiddle". 8/6/2008 2:22:48 PM

American ER wait times are less than an hour The average time that hospital emergency rooms patients wait to see a doctor has grown from about 38 minutes to almost an hour over the past decade, according to new federal statistics released Wednesday. 8/6/2008 12:37:22 PM

Fatty fish may help prevent memory loss: study Eating tuna and other fatty fish may help prevent memory loss in addition to reducing the risk of stroke, Finnish researchers said. People who ate baked or broiled -- but not fried -- fish high in omega-3 fatty acids are less likely to have "silent" brain lesions. 8/6/2008 10:59:30 AM

Broccoli may undo diabetes damage Eating broccoli could reverse the damage caused by diabetes to heart blood vessels, research suggests. It encourages production of enzymes which protect the blood vessels. 8/6/2008 7:18:55 AM

National Health Care Mess: Another doctor dumping patients In the latest jarring illustration of the country's doctor shortage, a family physician in Northern Ontario has used a lottery to determine which patients would be ejected from his overloaded practice. Yet it was not the first time. 8/6/2008 7:09:48 AM

Breastfeeding coverup sparks human rights protest A Vancouver mother plans to complain to the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal after she was hustled off to a back room when she tried to nurse her baby at a major clothing retailer, she says. 8/6/2008 6:15:36 AM

'Mammograms to go' for busy women Health officials recommend that women between the ages of 40 and 79 get a mammogram every year - but many don't because they can't find the time in their busy lives. 8/6/2008 5:16:28 AM

Laughter threatens UK woman's health A student wants to raise awareness about a condition which could paralyse her if she gets the giggles. Kay Underwood, 20, has cataplexy, which means her muscles weaken when she laughs, causing her to fall over. 8/5/2008 4:15:35 PM

Kelowna: KGH waits 5 days to tell family man is dead An investigation underway in Kelowna is aimed at finding out why hospital officials waited five days after a patient had died to tell his family. The protocol to immediately notify a patient's family when he or she is dead was not followed in Bordeniuk's case, said Joanne Konnert. 8/5/2008 2:59:46 PM

Health Canada recalls fire-prone toasters Health Canada has recalled thousands of toasters made in China because they can overheat and cause a fire hazard. The Black and Decker brand "Infrawave Toaster" is a two-slice toaster, black with stainless steel trim and has a digital display below the toaster lever. 8/5/2008 1:46:29 PM

Nothing on Earth like the smell of fresh artisan bread I don’t believe that there is a person on this planet who doesn’t melt into some minor state of nirvana after walking into a room smelling of freshly baked bread. 8/5/2008 7:48:56 AM

Medical waste discarded improperly The Regional District Okanagan-Similkameen’s solid waste department is urging locals not to dispose of medical waste in their recycling. These items, including disposable gloves, syringes and metal instruments cannot be recycled. 8/5/2008 7:40:18 AM

Pills taking over from psychotherapy U.S. psychiatrists are trading in the analysis couch for a prescription pad, a study released on Monday says after finding that fewer psychiatrists offer psychotherapy. "Psychiatrists get more for three, 15-minute medication management visits than for one 45 minute psychotherapy visit." 8/5/2008 7:22:07 AM

Number of complaints against B.C. doctors rises Patients’ complaints against B.C. doctors increased nearly 13 per cent last year, led by increases in sexual misconduct and quality of care concerns. 28 sexual complaints were related to 24 doctors, nine of whom were subject to disciplinary action. 8/5/2008 6:38:25 AM

Genetic discovery offers hope to family with legacy of cancer Luana Locke was 25 and eight months pregnant when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Although she gave birth to a healthy son, she had no idea she had passed on a rare genetic disorder that means Lucas is also likely to one day develop cancer. 8/4/2008 6:12:22 PM

Woman twice denied entry to Montreal hospital delivers baby at home A Montreal hospital will look into complaints a 21-year old pregnant woman was twice refused admission over the weekend, and as a result had to give birth to her baby in the bathroom of her apartment. 8/4/2008 3:19:14 PM

UK: Let children take risks, parents urged Overcautious parents could be stifling their children's development by stopping them from climbing trees or playing games because of the risks, a survey indicates. Half of the children polled said they had been prevented from climbing a tree because it was too dangerous. 8/4/2008 2:57:46 PM

Healthy meals for kids scarce in U.S. restaurants Parents looking for healthy meal choices for their children are likely to find slim pickings on the menus of the nation's top restaurant chains, according to a report released Monday by a nonprofit public health group. 8/4/2008 2:35:22 PM

Sports are tearing girls up An ACL is a tiny ligament the size of a pinky. It stabilizes the knee. When it ruptures or tears, "because it just sort of disintegrates and turns into mush" -- it is about the worst orthopedic injury short of being in a car crash, Michael Sokolove says. 8/4/2008 5:31:41 AM

Interior Health gets plan to avert crises In response to last year’s severe shortage of medical isotopes caused by the shutdown of a nuclear reactor in Chalk River, Ont., Interior Health has secured a second supplier of the radioactive material necessary for nuclear imaging scans. 8/4/2008 5:18:30 AM

Autism-centre proposal draws criticism Government funding for autism should go to services and programs instead of bricks-and-mortar, says one B.C. autism support group upset over the premier's promise to build a new autism centre. 8/4/2008 5:08:17 AM

Texting on the go can turn tragic Doctors want texters-on-the-go to know that constant cellphone use will make them prone to accidents. Multi-taskers who think they can text message while walking, driving or biking are a public safety hazard, says the American College of Emergency Physicians. 8/4/2008 4:49:40 AM

Pool upgrade a welcome sight for sore eyes The days of suffering red, irritated eyes at the community centre pool are almost over. With the help of $20,000 from the city, as well as more than $30,000 from additional donations, the pool will soon run on an ultraviolet water treatment system. 8/3/2008 7:02:50 AM

Study raises questions about flu vaccine's effectiveness Some seniors who get flu shots may not be much better protected against the virus or related illnesses than those who go without, according to a new study that is creating fresh controversy over the effectiveness of immunization. 8/3/2008 6:51:57 AM

CDC finds thousands more HIV cases in U.S. There are more new cases of Americans infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, than previously believed. About 56,000 people became infected with HIV in the past year, which translates to about 40 percent more cases than officials had estimated, said Dr. Kevin Fenton. 8/3/2008 6:23:14 AM

Awake patient reads aloud during brain surgery One night last spring, Conor Mather-Licht was celebrating the end of his freshman year in college. Out to dinner with friends, he started to read the menu, but couldn't. 8/3/2008 5:50:51 AM

Frankincense 'can ease arthritis' A herb known as "Indian Frankincense" can reduce the symptoms of arthritis, US researchers have suggested. Extracts from Boswellia serrata, a similar species to the variety famous for its role in the Christian nativity, were tested on dozens of patients. 8/2/2008 9:45:47 AM

Potato chips to get healthier Snack lovers, rejoice: Munching on potato chips just got a little healthier. Four food manufacturers agreed to reduce levels of a cancer-causing chemical in their potato chips and french fries. 8/2/2008 9:20:24 AM

Enforcing bike helmet laws not a priority Few resources have been devoted to enforcing the provincial laws that require cyclists to wear helmets. In the South Okanagan ICBC‘s numbers show a total of just 40 tickets written between 1997 and 2007 by police in Osoyoos, Oliver, Penticton and Summerland. 8/2/2008 7:44:04 AM

Most drowning deaths preventable: expert The drowning death of a Colorado man on Okanagan Lake last Saturday is a grim reminder of the importance of wearing a personal flotation device while out on the water, says a boat safety expert. 7/31/2008 5:45:32 AM