All Health & wellness Articles

What if you thought of your day as a dance? Sounds a little odd at first, but consider this: Isn't that a better perspective than thinking of your day as a chore? Taking a dancing approach toward your day can give both your body and mind a lift. Think Like a Dancer As you begin each activity of your day, imagine yourself as a dancer performing for an audience. Let each movement be Read more...

You've undoubtedly read that your relationships can affect your weight--especially your ability to lose it. Your mother, who always seems to be pushing food at family occasions; your teens, who insist on stocking the cupboards with Flaming Hot Cheetos; your husband, who won't eat anything but steak for dinner. Sound familiar? Indeed, the people in your life can have an enormous impact on Read more...

Brain scans suggest that older people are much better than the young at screening out life's negative experiences, giving them a rosier outlook, according to a new study. The new report adds to growing evidence against the "grumpy old man" stereotype. "It's just the opposite," says neuroscientist Roberto Cabeza of Duke University. "People tend to be more contented as Read more...

WASHINGTON -- Hospitals in about a dozen states are testing whether some simple steps, such as arm-strengthening exercises, could reduce the risk of one of breast cancer's troubling legacies -- the painful and sometimes severe arm swelling called lymphedema. Lymphedema has long been a neglected side effect of cancer surgery and radiation: Many women say they never were warned, even though Read more...

I keep hearing that omega-3s are good for you, but what exactly do they do? Yes, omega-3 fatty acids are beneficial -- in fact, they're essential. Here's what you need to know: The fats you eat can dramatically affect your body chemistry. Whether they come from fryer grease or more healthful sources, they pass from your digestive tract into your bloodstream. Traces of these fats end Read more...

Ten years ago. Lori*, a speech pathologist in Virginia, was grocery-shopping when she suddenly couldn't breathe or swallow. "My heart was racing and my chest felt tight -- I thought I was having a heart attack," says the 42-year-old mother of four. The symptoms lasted several minutes before finally letting up. Lori took a deep breath and brushed off the incident as a onetime thing; Read more...

It's 3 p.m., and you're feeling less than peppy. Instead of grabbing a cup of joe or a sugary caffeinated drink, why not try one of these natural, low-to no-calorie energy boosters? Go Nuts! (Almonds, to be precise.) "Almonds are a terrific source of protein that help stabilize blood sugar and increase energy," says Georgianna Donadio, MD, of the National Institute of Whole Read more...

WASHINGTON -- If you're looking for a little help shedding extra pounds after the holidays, the government is warning you to stay away from nearly 30 weight-loss products that contain unlisted and possibly dangerous ingredients. The pills are advertised as "natural" fat busters and have intriguing names like Imelda Perfect Slim and Zhen de Shou. Some are touted as new versions of Read more...

After two strokes, he was completely blind, dependent on his cane and his wife's arm to safely walk down the street. But researchers had a hunch: They suspected that, unconsciously, the man might be sensing the world around him through his eyes better than anyone realized. So the neuroscientists devised a simple experiment: They asked the man to walk down a long hallway unaided by his cane or Read more...

WASHINGTON -- Federal regulators have approved the first new drug to treat prostate cancer in four years. The injectable treatment from privately held Ferring Pharmaceuticals fights the cancer by lowering levels of testosterone, which promotes the growth of tumors in the prostate. Food and Drug Administration officials said older drugs in the same class can actually increase testosterone Read more...

Recent headlines reported that the drug Crestor cut nearly in half the number of heart attacks and strokes even in people with low cholesterol. The results sounded so good, people may have been tempted to run out and ask their doctor for a prescription. The news is good, but local doctors caution that the implications apply only to people who are already at elevated risk for heart attack Read more...

Having a spiritual experience may be all in your head -- or at least part of it. A group of University of Missouri researchers recently completed a study that claims a particular area of the brain is linked to spirituality. According to sciencedaily.com and several other news sources, Brick Johnstone, an MU neurophysiologist, made the finding after studying individuals who had suffered Read more...

Being obese raises an older woman's chance of developing ovarian cancer by almost four-fifths, a study has confirmed. Researchers in the U.S. found a link between obesity and ovarian cancer in women aged 50 to 71. An association between high body mass and ovarian cancer was already known, but the new study of 95,000 women provides powerful confirmation of the link. The research by the US Read more...

A little fresh-fruit snack may put you on the fast track to better blood flow. People in a study experienced better blood flow in their brachial arteries just three hours after eating the equivalent of one and a quarter cups of grapes. At 60 calories a delicious cup, that's a pretty juicy deal. Many Benefits The blood flow benefits were even better after three weeks of consistent Read more...

MILWAUKEE, Wis. -- People in their 30s and 40s who got less sleep at night were more likely to develop the early buildup of plaque in the arteries of their heart, according to a new study. The study is the first to link an objective measure of the duration of a person's sleep to an established method for assessing the risk of coronary artery disease, a CT scan that measures calcification in Read more...

Doctors are advising golfers to wear earplugs on the course as the noise from their drivers could cause deafness. The warning follows the case of a 55-year-old golfer who visited hospital complaining of hearing loss and tinnitus in his right ear. His doctors told him the damage had been caused by using a new thin-faced titanium-headed driver -- a King Cobra LD -- three times a week for Read more...

Vibrantly colored vegetables often overshadow the paler varieties, which many people view as nutritional lightweights. It's true that color is usually a reliable indicator of the nutrients inside, and typically the brighter the better. For example, dark leafy greens have more to offer than pallid iceberg lettuce. Even so, winter white vegetables should not be discounted. They might lack the vivid Read more...

Liposuction may provide a quick fix to reduce waist size but the loss of weight may not help the heart, U.S. researchers advise. Dr. Amit Khera, who directs the University of Texas Southwestern program in preventive cardiology, says belly fat, or waist circumference, is more closely associated than other distributions of fat with heart disease or risk factors for heart disease. However, Read more...

When I completed the research for my book, The Irritable Male Syndrome, I was astonished to see that mid-life and older men were committing suicide at rates much higher than women. For instance, men in their 40s commit suicide at rates 350 percent higher than women of the same age. Men in their 50s commit suicide at rates 400 percent higher. Men in their 60s commit suicide at rates 500 Read more...

Are you living your life exactly as you always planned? A millionaire by your 45th birthday? Deliriously happy with a life partner by your 50th? After all, isn't the future in your hands? Well, actually, not to burst your bubble, but it's not. According to Zen philosophy, control is an illusion. No matter how logical our thinking and no matter how entitled we may feel, some of our Read more...