Schools and child care centers are teeming with germs and contagious illnesses. Common infections like the flu, colds, stomach bugs, ear infections, and pink eye spread like wildfire. Most parents wish they could do more to protect their children. Even worse, kids bring these illnesses home and infect their siblings, parents, and other family members,…

Healthy foods have an image problem. In most people’s minds, the word ‘healthy” is synonymous with blandness, boring! It’s no surprise that many people only eat healthy food when they’re on a diet. They eat unhealthy foods most of the time and only have a salad or chug a green smoothie every once in a…

Speech is the main way we communicate with others. It develops naturally and requires the coordination of multiple body parts, including the brain, mouth, jaw, chest, neck, and abdomen (and you thought saying “What’s up?” was easy). Many people deal with language disorders, making it challenging to communicate with others. Sometimes, a person knows what…

Most of us only know about one type of pneumonia — the one that hospitalizes about 1 million people every year. However, there’s another kind called walking pneumonia, whose symptoms are very similar to the common cold or flu. About two million people in the US catch walking pneumonia every year. Most think it’s a…

Having a serious illness like cancer, heart disease, or ALS can be very lonely, and no one should try to bear it alone. First, it isn’t practical to hide something that serious from friends and family without them noticing that something is troubling you. Second, acting like everything is okay when it’s not, requires energy…

Some people really love working out, but most want to get their workout done as fast as possible. They’re always looking for the ultimate bang-for-your-buck workouts that get them the best results in the shortest time! Compound exercises are the easiest way to take your workout from good to great without spending more time in…

Although baldness is an intentional choice for some people, most desire a full, healthy head of hair because they feel more confident and attractive. Unfortunately, about half of us will experience some form of hair loss before the age of 50. The exact numbers, according to the American Hair Loss Association, are 50% of men…

Do you ever crave certain foods, like crawling across shards of broken glass kind of cravings?  That might be a bit extreme, but you get the idea. Food cravings are a universal struggle. One hundred percent of young women and seventy percent of young men experience them; scientists have yet to find a “cure.” But…

It’s early in the New Year, and people are crowding the gyms to get in shape. If you’re one of them, chances are your body is hurting all over!  Usually, when pain occurs in one part of the body, it’s easy to pinpoint the cause. But generalized aches and pains are another story and are…

Tracking your weight can be frustrating, especially if you have more than a few pounds to lose because weight can fluctuate by more than a few pounds a day. To complicate matters, when you’re thirsty, your body panics and retains water, causing you to weigh even more. When you’re adequately hydrated, your body drops the…

When someone asks what makes us happy, we often think of our family and friends, circumstances, and possessions. However, happiness has more to do with the chemicals in our brains than with what’s going on in our lives. In fact, there are four main neurotransmitters associated with the feelings we refer to as happiness: endorphins,…

The average person gains about one pound during the six weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. It may seem like a small price to pay for enjoying your favorite holiday treats, but it’s quite difficult to shed that weight after the festivities. And you know what? That holiday weight gain tends to stick around year…