Be honest: When you think about your body, do you usually focus on how it looks or on what it can do? If you’re all about the former, then take note: That body-centric perspective might have a serious impact on how well you handle menopause. Women who are more concerned with their physical appearance tend to have more negative attitudes about menopause, according to a new study published in the Journal of Health Psychology....
“You face a lot of fatigue mentally and physically, and it gets very, very challenging,” says Joe Taravella, PhD, a clinical psychologist with offices in Manhattan, Staten Island, and New Jersey. And he should know. Dr. Taravella is also a marathoner who’s set to run the ING New York City Marathon on November 3. “You want to remember that we control our mind, it does not control us,” Dr. Taravella says....
Two free apps recently launched to make your trip to the drug store easier and healthier: the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep app and the independent Canadian app Think Dirty. Just scan the barcode or type in the name of the beauty product you’re curious about, and the apps will flag any potentially toxic ingredients on the label. Here’s how the two apps stack up: App: Think DirtyProducts in database: 12,000Rates: Potential links to cancer, reproductive or immune system toxicity, and allergensHow it works: Think Dirty will pull up a “dirty meter,” which gives you a health impact rating between zero (harmless) and 10 (serious health impact) on each rated category....
7 Signs of Mental Illness Doctors Miss Encouraging steps forward in the world of Alzheimer’s care—no question—but diagnosing Alzheimer’s still isn’t easy. Distinguishing between plain old forgetfulness and mild cognitive impairment (MCI)—a noticeable decline in cognitive function that indicates a greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s—during your annual checkup isn’t a quick or simple task, particularly during a short appointment when you likely have other questions for your doc. “Typical [cognitive] assessments can take 5 to 7 minutes, and a lot of primary care doctors have 15 to 20 minutes at the most to spend with a patient,” says Michael Malek-Ahmadi, MSPH, from the Banner Sun Health Research Institute in Sun City, Arizona....
Earlier this month, the USDA decided to revoke the labeling standards that have been in place for grass-fed meat and dairy products for the past decade. Weirdly, the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service—which is responsible for developing quality standards for commodity foods (like meat, produce, and dairy)—essentially decided that “grass-fed” is a marketing claim. And determining whether such claims are legit for specific products isn’t their job. So they stopped. But it gets more bizarre, because grass-fed labeling itself isn’t actually going anywhere....
Honesty is the best policy, right? So—honestly—this isn’t the easiest recipe to make. It’s actually a big pain in the ass. But—honestly—it’s worth the effort. Once you get past grating the tomatoes and pushing the mixture through a sieve, you’ll see why the end result is worth the culinary exertion. And while your taste buds are doing a happy dance, your body will be soaking up disease-fighting lycopene and vitamins A and C....
Healthy Breakfast Vitasoy’s organic single-serve soy milk (no refrigeration needed until opened); pair with packet of instant oatmeal and a small banana, orOne single serve bag of freeze-dried fruit like the ones made by Crispy Green; pair with one 6 ounce low fat yogurt, orOne of the 8 healthy breakfast ideas Healthy Lunch One pop-top can of soup like Pacific Natural Foods; pair with a whole grain like Newman’s Own Natural 100 Calorie Mini Bags microwave popcorn, orA frozen meal (look for one that’s less than 400 calories and made with veggies and whole grains), orOne of these 14 slimming—yet filling—salads Healthy Snacks...
More from Prevention: Scary Toxins In Your Home In a commentary published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, US researchers (from five universities and a government agency) point to evidence that eating an unhealthy diet actually makes you more susceptible to pollution’s negative health effects. The good news is that making smarter personal choices can protect us from many everyday chemicals. Increasingly, researchers believe that adopting certain food habits—and trashing bad ones—could help blunt the blow of pollution present in daily life....
You probably don’t crave slices of green cake very often, but trust me: This creamy, delicately-flavored confection will change your mind. Plus, it’s vegan, Paleo, gluten-free, and rich in green tea antioxidants (great for occasionally indulging when you’re sticking to a clean eating diet). We’re calling it: Green cake is the new green smoothie. MORE: The 10 Best Ways To Use Matcha Tea Prep time: 30 minutesTotal time: 4 hours 10 minutesServes 16 Base1 c hazelnuts5 dates, pitted½ tsp sea salt1 Tbsp black sesame seeds Sesame layer2 Tbsp black sesame tahini½ c cashews, soaked in water for 30 minutes½ can (14 oz) coconut cream2 Tbsp maple syrup3 Tbsp coconut oil, melted Matcha layer½ Tbsp matcha powder½ can (14 oz) coconut cream1 c cashews, soaked in water for 30 minutes3 Tbsp maple syrup4 Tbsp coconut oil, melted Sauce1 Tbsp black sesame tahini½ Tbsp cocoa powder1 Tbsp coconut oil, melted½ Tbsp maple syrup1 pinch sea salt...
Try An Over-The-Counter Product There are a variety of nonprescription products that may soften the nail and the skin around it. Many of them include anti-inflammatory agents, such as tea tree oil, menthol, and other botanicals, says Wilma Bergfeld, MD. Other over-the-counter products contain chemicals, such as salicylic acid, to soften the nail plate and relieve the pain. Dr. Scholl’s Ingrown Toenail Relief Strips and Outgro Solution are two products that may help treat your ingrown toenail....
What you fear is osteoporosis, the disease that leaves bones brittle and prone to fractures. It often occurs in the first few years after menopause, when bone loss accelerates due to dropping estrogen levels. A matrix of minerals, bone is constantly broken down and rebuilt by the body at a microscopic level: If the breakdown consistently exceeds the buildup, bones lose density. Eight million women and 2 million men age 50 and older have osteoporosis, and some 34 million more Americans have osteopenia, a stage of bone decline that occurs before full-blown osteoporosis....
As the director of the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University, Green heads one of the few centers in the country devoted solely to diagnosing people with celiac disease. He’s also the author of the new book Gluten Exposed, which makes the case that for the vast majority of us, eating gluten—the protein found in wheat, barley, and rye—is just fine. In fact, you’re probably better off with gluten than without it....
If you and your partner have been unable to get pregnant, you’re far from alone. Overall, 2.1 million married couples face infertility. About one-third of infertility problems are linked to the man’s reproductive system, another third is caused by the woman’s reproductive system—which has more tasks to perform in the baby-making process—and the last third is a combination of the couples’ reproductive systems. But take heart, especially if you’re an older mommy wannabe....
What does it take to see similar results? The study participants—34 sub-elite soccer players—performed 2 training sessions a week for the first two weeks, and then bumped it up 3 training sessions a week for the rest of the study, completing 3 sets of 15 reps for each move. The resistance and difficulty of the exercises increased with each workout. Adding just a few simple inner thigh exercises into your workout routine a few times a week can not only prevent injuries, but also help tone, tighten and strengthen this common problem area, says Tom Holland, MS, CSCS, exercise physiologist and author of Swim, Bike Run—Eat....
In it, Reynolds uses recent, quality research to address oft-debated exercise questions and to strike down common misconceptions—like how much should we exercise (20 minutes at a time, hence the book name, is enough to reap health benefits.) What’s the best way to get rid of muscle cramps? (Drinking pickle juice. Yes, really.) And many, many more. The book is so full of fitness findings that floored us that we selected five of the most jarring research conclusions Reynolds comes to....
Level 1: Stand in front of stairs and place hands on a step at about chest height, body in line from head to heels. Bend elbows to sides, lowering chest toward stairs, and push back to start. Begin with 6 reps. When you can easily do 12 reps, move to level two. MORE: Tone Your Inner Thighs With These 8 Moves Level 2: Make it harder by moving hands down a step and stepping feet farther away from stairs so body stays in line....
To help guide your choices, check out the Nutrition Facts label. Ideally, you want up to 500 calories, no more than 15 g of fat (5 g or fewer saturated), no trans fats, and less than 700 mg of sodium, says Cynthia Sass, RD, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. Today, there are lots of delicious entre that fit the bill. Some of our favorites include Lean Cuisine Chicken in Peanut Sauce, Kashi Lime Cilantro Shrimp, and Amy’s Vegetable Lasagna; each is hearty, healthy, and flavorful....
So, what does this algae stuff taste like? And should you be eating it on the reg? We read up and reached out to experts for the answers. Here’s everything you need to know about eating algae in its three biggest health-food forms. Spirulina The Nutrition: Spirulina is a species of freshwater blue-green algae that’s sold in dried-and-powdered form. It’s got protein, B vitamins, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, potassium, selenium, omega-3 fatty acids—basically, it contains a little bit of almost every nutrient humans need, says Gina Hassick, RD, a Pennsylvania-based nutritionist....
“The very best preventive measures are those that get the patient away from the cause of the problem,” says Betty Wray, M.D., interim dean of the School of Medicine at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta and a past president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. “All the medications we give help blunt the response, but they don’t do away with the problem.” Environmental control isn’t the same as “running away” from your current environment....
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