Everyone knows the health risks of obesity, how it leads to a myriad of harmful health conditions, including hypertension, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and worst of all, death. However, few people know that being lonely and socially isolated is much worse for physical health than being obese or smoking 15 cigarettes a day,…

Many people have a love-hate relationship with exercise. They view exercise as a kind of penance for a bad diet or an unhealthy lifestyle, and the mere thought of exercise invokes feelings of shame, fear, and self-judgment. It’s why so many people feel the need to hit the gym after the holiday season, and why…

Addiction is a complex and chronic disease that affects millions of people worldwide. Even so, many misconceptions remain. This article attempts to provide answers to some of the whys and hows of addiction. Who is at risk for addiction? Anyone can become addicted. Nonetheless, some risk factors significantly increase the odds of addiction. Genetics account…

Life today is rife with diet culture. So many people seem to be at war or have an unhealthy relationship with food. The rules are continually changing, and foods that were good a couple of years ago are now on the bad list. This obsession with diet is exhausting, and it doesn’t seem to be…

Parenting is demanding, especially when you have more than one kid because then you’re outnumbered! Raising healthy, happy kids is hard enough by itself but when you add all of your other responsibilities to the mix, life can become overwhelming pretty fast.   Even so, parents rarely admit when they’re struggling or feeling overwhelmed because…

Some foods are wearing a “healthy” halo they don’t deserve. People mistakenly believe they’re the healthier option because that’s what the commercial claimed, and they eat them without question. Not all “health foods” are healthy but are considered healthy because of clever marketing. For instance, due to a successful marketing campaign in the 90s, many…

More than 45 million Americans experience mental illness every year. That’s about 1 in 5 adults. There’s so much stigma surrounding this ailment that people go to great lengths to hide their mental health condition, including failing to seek or dropping out of treatment. A huge chunk of the negative stereotypes and misconceptions surrounding mental…

It’s SO confusing! With so many new diets and workout routines popping up all over the place, especially around January 1, it’s hard to know which is the “right” one. Should we go with Paleo? Gluten-free? Vegan? Vegetarian?  Should we join a spin class, buy a Peloton, take up Pilates, enroll in yoga, or become…

1 in 68 children has an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). ASD is a group of conditions known to cause social, communication, and behavioral challenges. They include autism – which is the most common, Asperger’s syndrome, and pervasive developmental disorder (PDD). Early Symptoms Autism appears in early childhood. Symptoms typically include: Communication problems such as speech…

We’re living in the age of health and fitness technology. From the fitness bands telling us how our workout is going to the calorie trackers telling us how our diet is coming along, technology has earned its place in health and fitness. There are hundreds of thousands of fitness apps in the app stores, with…

Physical fitness gets a lot of attention and for good reason. It can literally keep the doctor away by preventing obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and other diseases that are caused by unhealthy lifestyles. However, being physically fit is only half the battle; the other half is emotional fitness. What is Emotional Fitness? Do…

After 40, some parts of our bodies become tighter and stiffer while others become rounder and squishier! There are a couple of reasons why this happens. The metabolism slows by about 5% every decade after the age of 40. You will have to eat 100 calories less every day to maintain your weight, and much…