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Researchers from San Francisco State University had 110 college students either walk down a hall in a slouched position or skip. The results? The slouchers reported increased feelings of depression and lower energy than skippers. That’s no surprise to posture expert Carol Krucoff, a yoga teacher and author of Healing Yoga for Neck and Shoulder Pain. “Even our language reflects this connection between proper posture and emotional affect—someone weak is called spineless and someone proud has backbone,” she says....

But because there are no government regulations for slapping “Greek” on a food label, the descriptor is popping up throughout the dairy aisle and beyond, masking products that aren’t so healthy, after all. To help separate the Greek from the, well, not-so-Greek, learn how to strain out imposters. Greek Yogurt vs. Regular YogurtSo what makes Greek yogurt so special? “The difference between Greek yogurt and regular yogurt is that they strain off the whey, [the watery part of milk that remains when milk is curdled] which makes it really thick and creamy,” says Karen Roth, clinical nutritionist and founder of Karen Roth Nutrition in Los Angeles....

Yet not everyone experiences Raynaud’s in the same way. Some feel numbness from the lack of blood, then their fingers turn red again when the blood returns. In advanced stages of Raynaud’s, poor blood supply can weaken the fingers and damage the sense of touch. Raynaud’s is a medical mystery; no one is sure what causes it. Some speculate it has a hormonal connection because women are 9 times more likely to have it than men, and 20% of all women of childbearing age experience it....

Ashley’s answer: You are asking such an important question! Recently, a dieitian colleague from the Cleveland Clinic addressed this same issue, so I wanted to share her post as well as add on a bit. A key point is that the word “supplement” by definition means “in addition to”—in the case of nutrition, a healthy diet. It doesn’t mean “to supply all the nutrients for a healthy diet.” There isn’t a need for a supplement to provide more than a day’s worth of nutrients....

HEADACHE SYMPTOMS AND TYPESTension headache The most common headache type is the tension headache. These headaches are painful and annoying, but not usually incapacitating. They can be worsened in times of stress, so you may need to reduce the amount of stress in your life if you’re getting a lot of tension headaches. Most of the time, tension headaches can be relieved with over-the-counter pain medications like Tylenol (acetaminophen). Rarely, a person may have chronic tension headaches....

Samantha Rector West Cliff, Santa Cruz, CA “My first walk at West Cliff was so cleansing that I actually cried. About 4 years ago, serious family issues left me on autopilot, just trying to keep it all together. When I started walking at West Cliff, I felt the warm sunshine on my back and the cool breeze on my face. It calmed me, allowing me to be OK with what was happening around me and within myself....

[sidebar]To help you (and ourselves) re-enter the world of reading, we propose a challenge. We propose that for today, the first official day of summer, and every day until Labor Day, you join us in reading five pages of a book—no matter if it’s in print or on your iPad. Five pages during your morning commute. Five pages waiting in line at Starbucks. Five pages when the rain keeps you indoors....

If you hate stretching before exercise, you’re certainly not alone. It can be boring. And sure, it may seems like a waste of time when you’re eager to get to the action. As it turns out, static stretching doesn’t improve performance or prevent injury prior to activity, according to Eric Cressey, CSCS, a Massachusetts-based trainer who works with pros and Olympic athletes. “A better approach is dynamic stretching, or what I call mobilization,” says Cressey....

Downward Dog Variation A. Lying face down, curl your toes under and place the palms of your hands flat on the mat beside your shoulders. Squeeze your elbows into your body. B. As you inhale, push your body up into Chaturanga. Exhale. On the next inhale, lift your body in one fluid motion all the way up (hips in line with shoulders). Starting from a suspended position rather than the ground makes it very difficult....

To help you decide whether or not your skin irritation is something that ought to be looked at by your doctor, we’ve compiled a list of classic psoriasis symptoms. This list will give you a better idea of what to watch for. Click on the checkboxes to mark which conditions match your skin symptoms. If your skin condition is described here, print this page out and bring it to your physician or dermatologist to help you discuss your treatment options....

We all strive to live a long, healthy and fulfilling life. Wellness is a collective process that happens throughout our lifetime. One way to maximize the “Health Span” of your life — the number of years you live in optimal health — is to put yourself in the driver’s seat and make the best choices possible for your body and your mind at every turn. Taking charge of your wellness gives you confidence to take on whatever comes your way and make the most of every moment of every day....

At the same time, I felt stuck and unhappy. I felt bad about myself because of my weight, I didn’t feel fulfilled in my job as a legal assistant, and I was so drained by the end of the day that I didn’t have the energy to keep up with my two young kids. I needed to hit the refresh button on my life. After coming back from a winter vacation at the end of 2011, I put in my 2 weeks’ notice and decided to pursue a career that would help change people’s lives—and mine in the process....

11 “Natural” Cereals That Aren’t To make the list, at least one human study had to have shown a link to one or more of these conditions—though some suspects, like lead, have dozens of studies supporting their connection. “I hope this reinforces the message that there are environmental causes of autism and other learning disabilities,” says Phil Landrigan, MD, co-author of the list and professor of preventive medicine at Mount Sinai Medical School in New York....

The Myth: You’ll lose your hair if your mom’s dad did.The Truth: You can’t predict hair loss by looking at your family tree. Like many traits, hair loss is polygenetic, which means that your fate is decided by a (pretty random) assortment of genes from both immediate and extended relatives, says Rogers. That said, if hair loss generally runs in your family, you’re more likely to deal with it, too....

If you’re thinking of going vegetarian (or at least flexitarian, for those who want a side of meat with their plants), this list is all the motivation you’ll need. The health and environmental costs of our meat-based food system might be enough to make you want to swap that steak for a salad—for good. 1. Eating meat hardens blood vessels A compound found in red meat (and even used as an additive in some energy drinks) called carnitine has been found to cause atherosclerosis, the hardening or clogging of the arteries, according to a study published in the journal Nature Medicine....

Still, many clean eaters have picked up an irrational fear of chemicals—especially the ones used as food additives. It’s a phenomenon aptly known as “chemophobia,” and it’s got a bunch of chemists really pissed off. Part of the reason we’re conditioned to fear chemicals is because of influential bloggers like the Food Babe, who consistently use the word to imply danger and toxicity. But mostly, experts say, we fear chemicals because we don’t understand them....

Why it happens: When plants pollinate, they send pollen into the air. Some people’s immune systems respond by producing antibodies that attach to cells in the nose, eyes, and lungs that release histamine, the chemical that causes the symptoms. What you can do: Keep reading for the latest and most effective treatments for seasonal allergies. Self-hypnosis Can you think yourself allergy free? Perhaps not entirely, but hypnosis may help relieve your symptoms when it’s used in conjunction with other allergy treatments....