To maintain a healthy weight, how much you eat is just as important as what you eat, says the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Your optimal portion size may or may not match the serving size listed on a product. It’s dependent on your age, weight and metabolism, among other factors.… read on >
Planning for your children’s return to school this fall should include thinking about how to pack healthy lunches that they’ll enjoy. Try to include children in the process of creating their lunches, including buying food and packing (or helping pack) their lunches. This lets them make their own choices and helps them learn about nutrition,… read on >
Healthy kids do better in school — something parents need to think about as they prepare for a new academic year. “As a parent and grandparent, I know that back-to-school time is a busy time. Yet, I encourage parents and students to be mindful of some health essentials to add to your to-do lists,” said… read on >
Dairy foods have been getting a lot of attention from researchers in recent years, notably from studies done both jointly and separately by scientists at Harvard and Tufts universities. They looked at the relationship between full-fat dairy and the risks for heart disease and diabetes. A 3,000-participant study found that people who included dairy fat… read on >
You might know your blood pressure and cholesterol numbers, but do you know your cardiorespiratory fitness level? Experts at the American Heart Association think this number may be an even better gauge of heart health. Cardiorespiratory fitness shows how aerobically fit you are and how effectively your circulatory system sends oxygen throughout your body. Research… read on >
Early to bed and early to rise? In its extreme form, this tendency is more common than previously believed, according to a new study. Going to sleep at 8 p.m. and waking up as early as 4 a.m. is called advanced sleep phase. It was believed to be rare, but this study concluded that it… read on >
Transgender college students are two to four times more likely than their classmates to have mental health problems, researchers say. They analyzed data from more than 1,200 gender-minority students on 71 U.S. campuses who took part in an annual nationwide survey. Gender-minority means their gender identity differs from the sex assigned to them at birth.… read on >
Your dog bounds heedlessly into a local lake or pond, playfully splashing in the water. But within minutes, your canine companion is staggering, drooling or suffering seizures. Left untreated, the dog will likely die. This fate has befallen a handful of pooches exposed to toxic algae blooms this year, experts say. “Blue-green algae is a… read on >
Warts surface when skin cells grow faster than normal due to infection from the human papillomavirus (HPV), says Harvard Medical School. About 10 strains of HPV cause skin warts, which can spread by direct contact through breaks in the skin. To get rid of a wart, Harvard suggests trying a salicylic acid treatment: Soak the… read on >
A staph infection is caused by bacteria commonly found on the skin or in the nose. Though usually minor, staph infections can become deadly if the germs invade the bloodstream or bones, says Mayo Clinic. Serious staph infections have a range of possible symptoms, including fever, nausea or joint swelling. As a rule of thumb,… read on >
