Posts

A: Absolutely. How we feel mentally has such a big impact on our intestinal health—as anyone who’s ever had “butterflies” knows. Your gut actually has its own nervous system that governs digestion. It’s called the enteric nervous system, and it’s intricately linked with your central nervous system and, at times, your state of mind. The two systems communicate via the vagus nerve, which starts at the base of the brain and branches downward to the abdomen....

University of Scranton scientists analyzed both types for disease-preventing phenols. Raisins, prunes, and dried apricots and cranberries scored higher than their fresh fruit counterparts; dried dates and figs scored lower. Processing concentrates calories as well as phenols, so savor dried fruit sparingly.

(Learn how to reverse chronic inflammation and lose weight by changing your diet with the effective plan in Prevention’s The Whole Body Cure!) With so many OTC eczema treatments on the market, finding the best one for your particular set of issues can be daunting. That’s why we went to the experts to find out which ones they recommend to their patients again and again. Behold: Eucerin Eczema Relief Flare-Up Treatment Creme Over the counter, Eucerin makes some good quality eczema treatments, says Elizabeth Tanzi, MD, assistant clinical professor in the department of dermatology at George Washington University Medical Center....

Here’s an easy and inexpensive way to put seafood on the table. And it’s guaranteed to please even non-fish lovers! Pair the crisp patties with one of our instant dipping sauces for a fast and fun meal. Here’s how to make cod cakes: (cucumber yogurt sauce) Mix 1 cup plain Greek-style yogurt with ½ cucumber (grated and squeezed to remove extra liquid), 1 clove minced garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons chopped dill or mint or a combination....

The healthiest airport of them all? Denver International, where 86% of restaurants offer one or more healthy, plant-based entrées, from veggie wraps and garden burgers to fresh salads and fruit bowls. Tied for second place with a score of 85% are Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport and Chicago O’Hare International Airport. The lowest scorers were Las Vegas McCarran International Airport (68%) and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (just 51%). Even though you’ll probably eat only one meal at any airport you pass through, it’s the last place you want to eat poorly....

Or you can save yourself major time and headaches with this handy guide on how to pick the healthiest pasta for you. (Cook quick meals at home that taste great and fight fat! Sign up for Chef’d and get all the ingredients and recipes delivered to your doorstep.) Whole WheatMedia Platforms Design TeamWhat it’s made with: Like white pasta, it’s made from durable, high-protein durum wheat. But whole wheat pasta boasts the entire wheat grain, including the nutrient- and fiber-rich bran and germ....

A team of researchers from the London School of Economics, Harvard, and Stanford analyzed the results of 305 trials involving 339,274 subjects and found no significant difference in outcomes between those who had undergone an exercise treatment versus those who received medication for heart disease treatment, stroke rehabilitation, heart failure treatment, and diabetes prevention. “Based on these findings, we conclude that exercise can be considered either as a viable alternative to or alongside drug therapy in clinical practice,” says study author Huseyin Naci, a doctoral candidate at the London School of Economics and one of the researchers....

Follow the weight training plan outlined across the next pages. To supplement your weight workout, do at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise–such as walking, cycling, or kickboxing–on alternate days. To determine how much weight you should be lifting, choose an amount that is difficult to lift on your last repetition. General guidelines for women are 5 to 10 lb for light weight workouts, 10 to 15 for moderate workouts, and 15 to 20 for heavy workouts....

[header=The GM Food Controversy] The controversy over GM food safety has swirled since the first altered foods were introduced in the early 1990s. Many scientists insist there’s no proof that genetically modified food can harm human health; their opponents counter that such claims cannot be responsibly made because there simply hasn’t been enough research conducted—and there ought to be before consumers can buy them. Such arguments have persuaded 30 countries—including Japan, Australia, and the entire European Union—to ban or severely restrict GM crops....

You’ve had bread with salad, but you haven’t lived until you’ve eaten bread in salad. That’s the idea behind panzanella, and this version—with grilled, garlic-rubbed bread—is a perfect summer go-to. If you don’t have a grill or grill pan, simply toast the bread in a regular skillet, or pop in the toaster and add the oil and garlic afterwards.Prep time: 20 minutesTotal time: 25 minutesServes 4 Dressing ⅓ c red wine vinegar 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 sm clove garlic, minced ½ tsp dried oregano ¼ tsp black pepper Salad 4 slices bread 1 lg clove garlic 6 oz baby arugula 4 oz feta cheese, crumbled ½ c mixed kalamata and green olives ½ c thinly sliced red onion ½ c thinly sliced radish 1 med seedless cucumber, thinly sliced 1 pt cherry tomatoes, halved 1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts in water, drained and quartered...

Start With: After 2 to 3 Weeks, Add These:

But if you see O’Keefe exercising today, you’ll likely spot the MD on a postdinner stroll with his family. He also enjoys practicing yoga or doing some gentle backstrokes in the swimming pool. What changed? O’Keefe investigated the effects of intense physical activity on the human heart and body. The fruits of his and others’ research inspired him to dial down his own routine. “If your goal is exercising for overall health and to improve your longevity, then walking is ideal,” he says....

Being a sports fan doesn’t mean you’re expected to know all the players and stats of your hometown teams and destined for a beer gut—it’s about coming together in the name of good times as part of a community. “Bonding over sports—the highs and lows of the game—strengthens ties, helps us feel supported, and makes it easier for you to open up about personal things,” says Renee Clauselle, PsyD, who runs a private psychology practice in Long Island, NY....

Suffering from the winter blues? Indulge in a little nostalgia, says a new study in the journal Emotion. Turns out giving into warm and fuzzy thoughts can actually heat up your body. That’s not all: There are three more reasons good it’s healthy to take a trip down memory lane, which we’ve rounded up for you. Enjoy a slimmer holiday It might seem impossible given all those the frosted cookies…and that eggnog....

After determining the heavy metal content of 32 popular lipsticks and glosses, researchers estimated risk based on those concentrations and consumers’ likely daily exposure to the metals, then compared it to existing health guidelines. Lead turned up in 75% of products; about 30% of products contained levels of chromium higher than what’s considered safe when people applied them at the average daily rate. Study author Katharine Hammond, PhD, professor of environmental health science at UC Berkeley says levels of cadmium, chromium, manganese, and aluminum were of particular concern....

Chronic Fatigue SyndromeIf you’ve been experiencing extreme exhaustion for 6 months or more and your doctor hasn’t been able to identify the cause, you might have chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). And if you do have CFS, allergies could be playing an important role, says Leo Galland, MD, director of the Foundation for Integrated Medicine in New York City and author of Power Healing. Though no one knows exactly what causes CFS, researchers have found that more than half of the people with CFS they’ve studied also have allergies....

Free Contains too few calories and too little fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, or sugar to have any effect on your diet. Low Contains a small amount of calories, fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, or sugar. Example: 40 or fewer calories per serving. Reduced Has at least 25% fewer calories and 25% less fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, or sugar than does the standard version of the same food. Light Has 33% fewer calories or 50 percent less fat than does the standard version; also appears on foods that have 50% less sodium and are “low-calorie” or “low-fat....