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“At the very first sign of a cold, I toss a couple of andrographis supplements down my throat. I never travel without them.” –Chris Kilham, founder of Medicine Hunter, Inc, and an ethnobotanist at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, conducts research around the world to develop and introduce traditional plant-based medicines to Western users. An herb with antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties, andrographis is used in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine to treat a wide variety of infections and diseases....

Drum fitness (Drums Alive, Pound)Pound medicine balls, the floor, and your sticks in the air during aerobic drumming classes like Drums Alive and Pound. The classes combine rhythmic drumming with traditional moves like squats, lunges, and sit-ups, for an arm-focused full-body workout. All through IDEA, the instructors at Drums Alive were gathering crowds with their drumming demonstrations. Try it if: You have lower-body pain (since many classes can be modified so you sit the whole time), you’re dying for Michelle Obama arms, or your favorite Beatle is Ringo....

Toss some in an omelet. Why buy fresh veggies to add to your morning scramble when you can just use your juice pulp instead? This blogger likes using ¼ c of spinach, chard, carrot, celery, parsley, or red pepper pulp in a two-egg omelet. Add it to homemade bread or muffins. Try folding green vegetable pulp into savory breads or fruit, carrot, or beet pulp into sweeter stuff like muffins or pancakes....

Back then, my “nutrition smarts” came from popular bestsellers and word-of-mouth advice. Some of the information was valid; a lot wasn’t. Today, I’m qualified to help customers safely and healthfully navigate the aisles. Here are the top lessons I wish everyone knew. Don’t be fooled by fat fads Bad fats are unhealthy by any name. Ghee (clarified butter), promoted as a healing food in Ayurvedic medicine, doesn’t deserve a health halo....

While surprising at first, it makes some sense when you take a look at the factors cited in the study: We have busier social lives at this time of year, with as many as 3 events per week. There’s stress in planning trips. Kids are out of school, which puts all kinds of new scheduling pressure on parents. And through all of that, many of us are dealing with ongoing seasonal allergy symptoms, which make everything harder....

Bad news would not be a shock. Alzheimer’s runs through Helene’s family like fat marbling a steak, reaching invisibly into each generation. Her mother and an aunt both died from Alzheimer’s-like dementia, and Helene’s older sister Judith was diagnosed 4 years ago. Helene’s mother, Helen Kelly, in the 1930s That family history is what brought Helene, 67, to this Boston neurology practice in the first place. She and hundreds of other patients across the United States, Canada, and Australia have volunteered to be screened for admission to a landmark study called Anti-Amyloid Treatment in Asymptomatic Alzheimer’s, or the A4 study....

She was motivated to undergo the preventative double mastectomy in part by the fact that her own mother died of breast cancer at age 56. She writes: MY MOTHER fought cancer for almost a decade and died at 56. She held out long enough to meet the first of her grandchildren and to hold them in her arms. But my other children will never have the chance to know her and experience how loving and gracious she was....

But what is it about French women that makes them seem so pleasantly content and perfectly complected? In the New York Times best-seller, French Women Don’t Get Fat, author Mireille Guiliano describes a lifestyle that is full of variety, where deprivation is replaced by savoring things to the fullest. And when it comes to beauty, Thomas explains it’s a similar mindset: “Balance is the key word: French women balance food their food and balance their lifestyle....

Danielle Bessett, PhD, assistant professor of sociology at the University of Cincinnati, calls these “pregnancy mythologies” and says they influence our understanding of pregnancy more than we realize. “Survey research shows women rely on health providers to inform themselves about pregnancy, but even those who thought they knew nothing before becoming pregnant actually had a wealth of information they took for granted,” she says. Dr. Bessett conducted in-depth interviews with 64 pregnant women, finding a gap between what they expected and what they experienced....

“When people have allergies, they become agitated and stress levels go up,” says Baxter Bell, MD, a medical acupuncturist and yoga instructor in Oakland, CA. “When that happens, the immune system starts to shut down. Doing something that lets you unwind, like yoga, can help quiet your body’s fight-or-flight response, in turn quieting allergies.” Setzen agrees: “Sometimes merely relaxing can allow the allergic reaction to subside.” Plus, he adds, because yoga is typically practiced indoors, you’ll be doing yourself a favor by avoiding whatever irritants are lurking in the air outdoors....

Try dipping celery and green bell pepper slices in hummus, or chop and mix with tuna, herbs (like parsley or chives), and a dollop of plain yogurt for a healthy tuna salad.

Prepping for the best possible sweat session starts even before you lace up your kicks, choose your spin bike, or roll out your mat: You need to make sure you have ample energy to push through the workout. “Your body needs fuel—in the form of sugar—to perform any sort of exercise,” says Sharon Richter, RD, a nutritionist in Manhattan who also runs, lifts weights, and practices yoga. “It’s a myth that exercising on an empty stomach will result in more weight loss or better performance....

That old fraying toothbrush you’re using could be hurting your quest for a healthy smile. “As the bristles wear down, they become worse at removing plaque,” says Jessica Emery, a cosmetic dentist in Chicago. If the bristles are bent, you’re sick, or you’ve been using the same brush for more than 3 months, it’s time to switch. Here are 3 newcomers that get the job done—and then some. Media Platforms Design TeamFOR SUPERSENSITIVE TEETH....

But still, bipolar disorder is often misunderstood—and sometimes, people go years before they are properly diagnosed. In her People magazine interview, Carey revealed she originally thought her bipolar disorder was a sleeping problem. “But it wasn’t normal insomnia, and I wasn’t lying awake counting sheep,” she said. “I was working and working and working…I was irritable and in constant fear of letting people down.” It turned out that she was actually experiencing a manic episode....

Downward-Facing Dog Flow This short dynamic sequence, targeting the circulatory system, is an excellent all-around warm-up. It stretches and strengthens most of the major muscle groups, promoting circulation and helping white blood cells move through the body to fight invaders. Come into Plank Pose with your wrists under your shoulders, legs stretched straight back behind you, and your whole body in one straight line. Lift your hips up away from your hands and your heels, coming into Downward-Facing Dog Pose....