Posts by Wellness Editor

The FDA has been busy cracking down on contaminated prescription medications. So far, six drugs have tested positive for a chemical that shouldn’t be in any of them. Officials are still pinpointing how and why so many different medicines have the same problem, but the latest crackdown has involved the diabetes medication metformin. An Alarming Discovery in Metformin According to the American Chemical...
1/15/2021 6:59:17 PM
When it comes to masking for COVID-19, many of us have gotten used to the idea of covering up to protect other people from our germs. We want to be good people who care about others so we wear masks to protect them. There are whole PSAs built on "protecting grandma." And it's true that they do protect others. Masks can catch many of the vapor particles we breathe out or at least reduce how far we eject...
1/15/2021 8:00:00 AM
How much of an influence over us do our friends really have? In some cases, they might influence our weight (through food choices and even through shared activities), or they might influence our ambition. Maybe you had a friend go do something extraordinary and you think hey, maybe I should go back to school and try to reach a little higher, too. So we already know that our friends have an influence...
1/15/2021 8:00:00 AM
If we had a time-lapse documentary of our nails, we might feel shocked by the dramatic differences as they change in days or weeks. As babies, our fingernails and toenails resemble perfectly shaped pink seashells. But by adulthood, our nails may have ridges, discolored areas, and other signs commonly attributed to aging but which can actually be indicative of health challenges both hidden and overt....
1/13/2021 8:00:00 AM
Bitters are something most of us leave to the bartenders. A little dash makes that cocktail just right. But bitters have long had a strong connection to human health. And one in particular, which may seem like it's found behind the bar, actually isn't. We were curious about this little unheard of gem, and how it might benefit health. Swedish Bitters Swedish bitters, also sometimes called Swedish tincture,...
1/5/2021 8:00:00 AM
Whew! The year is complete, and we’ve almost stopped spinning in the aftermath of the election and the holidays and everything else that stacked up at the end of the year. After weeks of planning, shopping, cleaning, cooking, scheduling, table-setting, feasting, celebrating and toasting, it might feel like a relief for some of us or a let-down for others. Now we can implement a post-holiday wellness...
1/4/2021 8:00:00 AM
In 2018, more than 1.7 million people received a cancer diagnosis, and about 600,000 of them are expected to succumb to their disease despite treatment. As new advanced treatments are developed, however, the number of people who die from cancer is expected to decline just as it has over the past few decades. An innovative treatment involving nanomedicine may soon be one of the reasons why more and...
1/4/2021 6:00:00 AM
Not much compares to the warmth and glow of a crackling fire on a cold winter day. It can change the room’s whole feel, offering an escape from the elements and a place for couples or a family to huddle close through a long winter night. As inviting and cozy as that fire might be though, it could also be the source of multiple health problems. Here’s what everyone with a fireplace needs to know. Fireplaces...
12/21/2020 7:56:03 PM
When everyone around you eats sweets and treats and takes the holidays as an excuse to indulge for the entire month of December, it suddenly gets really hard to make good choices. The house that used to have nothing too tempting is suddenly bursting with candy, cookies from grandma, and leftovers from rich indulgent meals. Ugh. What's a person who is trying to stay the course on a healthy lifestyle...
12/21/2020 7:36:34 PM
It’s that time of year when "the stomach bug" runs rampant through families across the country. The dreaded stomach bug or what some call the flu is not technically the flu or even a bug at all. It’s most often a form of norovirus that targets the gastrointestinal tract. With diarrhea and vomiting, sometimes even severe versions of these, "the stomach bug" can quickly ruin holiday plans. Here is how...
12/21/2020 5:09:05 PM