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Researchers recruited 82 female teachers—all married or living with a partner—to undergo a program that taught them all about meditation and how to do it. After eight weeks of training, the teachers reported feeling less depressed, anxious, and stressed, while also feeling more compassionate and empathetic. More from Prevention: Find A Mediation Style To Match Your Personality Promising stuff, but researchers wanted to see if those personal benefits would also spill over to relationships....

Researchers from Tufts, Wake Forest, Columbia, and Stanford universities asked hundreds of people to think about their lives and to write down either a major or minor secret. Afterward, those people who wrote down big secrets—such as marital infidelities or uncommon sexual desires—estimated hills to be steeper, judged distances to be farther, and believed physical tasks would require more effort than people who had recalled minor secrets. Your iPod’s Secret Healing Powers Why?...

You messed up at work, had yet another argument with your partner, and caught a glimpse of yourself in a store window and were shocked by how old and tired—and frighteningly like Dame Edna—you looked. What’s the best route out of the depths of self-recrimination and despair and back to happyland? For starters, stop beating yourself up, says Kristin Neff, PhD, associate professor in human development and culture at the University of Texas at Austin....

Knowing what gives your life meaning and what gives you a sense of purpose is the path to finding your happiness. In a University of Wisconsin-Madison study, researchers found that people with high scores for having a sense of purpose in life also enjoy a strong sense of happiness and satisfaction. The people who ranked high in this characteristic, one of six measured by the Ryff Scales of Psychological Well-Being, had a sense of direction and were aware of the meaning of their lives....

She had a point. On the independence scale, I rank right up there with the feistiest 2-year-old who puts her hands on her hips and announces, “I can do it myself!” Growing up, if I didn’t have any needs, then I didn’t have to ask for help and risk being disappointed or even humiliated. Needy people seem so vulnerable. Their happiness is dependent on others, not themselves. Our tendency to lean toward neediness or too much independence begins when we’re babies....

Skip the Cheese on Your Sandwich at Lunch The typical slice of Swiss or American can rack up 80 to 100 calories, says Kylene Bogden, RD, a nutritionist at the Cleveland Clinic. Order your midday ham and cheese or turkey and Swiss sammy without the two to three slices the typical restaurant or deli piles on, and you cut up to 300 calories without sacrificing the filling protein in the meat and poultry....

Media Platforms Design Team1. SLICE eggplant ¼" thick without peeling. Our cooking method will soften the skin. Media Platforms Design Team2. PUT slices on an oiled pan and brush tops with olive oil—quickly so they don’t absorb too much. Media Platforms Design Team3. GRATE real, fresh Parmesan. The fuller flavor means you can use less than canned varieties. Media Platforms Design Team4. LAYER baked eggplant slices with our light tomato sauce and Parmesan....

Why does my psoriasis get worse in the winter? A combination of dry air, decreased sunlight exposure, and colder temperatures all contribute to psoriasis getting worse in the winter. Frequent moisturizing and using a home humidifier can help alleviate some of the symptoms. Also, discuss treatment such as UVB phototherapy with your doctor. Can I get the flu shot or other immunizations if I have psoriasis? Yes, as long as your psoriasis is not actively flaring and you get the inactivated or “non-live” version of the vaccine....

Fiber is the part of a plant that bodies can’t digest. There are two types, soluble and insoluble, and both are found in plant-based foods, although in varying amounts: Insoluble fiber acts like the body’s broom: It traps water to help move things along and keep us regular. Insoluble fiber is also a good natural laxative because it adds bulk to stools and helps soften them. Soluble fiber is more like a sponge and helps to soak up LDL (or bad) cholesterol....

In the dream, her hands itched and burned; she looked down and saw they were covered by small black spots. The discomfort grew until the specks burst into a vibrant bouquet of flowers. Fryer took it to mean that she was holding her creativity in her hands, and only when she followed her passion would she flourish. A week later, she quit her job to pursue documentary filmmaking–a career she’d always longed to take up....

The first time it happenedIt was an average day for me. I woke up feeling completely normal and went about my day as I typically would. Suddenly, while out driving around doing errands, I felt as if I couldn’t swallow. The saliva built up in my mouth—like the sensation you get right before you vomit—and I had to force it back, throwing my head back to force the excessive build up down my throat....

Improving indoor air quality can be quick and easy—87% of the families visited by Gagney’s volunteers make at least one change to freshen their air. So we asked her, and other health researchers and housing experts, to reveal common mistakes you’re probably making—plus the solutions that help you breathe easy. Mistake: You clean your clothes dryer’s lint trap…but ignore the exhaust pipe Eliminating buildup in the filter solves only half the problem: If the exhaust pipe is clogged, lint can escape through cracks, says contractor Tim Carter of AsktheBuilder....

So what else are we drinking? Enter alternative dairy. Almost 15% of milk drinkers choose soy or almond milk instead of cow’s milk, according to research from Mintel. And it seems every time we hit our local health food store, there’s a new option on offer: flax, cashew, rice—even hemp. Health-wise, the two most popular alternative milks have a lot to offer: You can avoid the hormones cows are fed, sidestep dairy sensitivities, and steer clear of the detergents that can be mixed in with your dairy milk....

I’ve observed that men who cry seem particularly sorry. Since when is crying a sin? Even once I explain to people that I’m okay and even touched by their expression of vulnerability, they continue to habitually say, “Sorry,” when tears arise. As a cognitive behavioral therapist, I collaborate with clients at the start of each session to set an agenda for our time together. One day last week, I met with several people wanting to address their worries around crying....

Kabocha squash is a clean eater’s dream: It’s cheap and healthy and you don’t have to spend eighteen zillion hours peeling it before you cook it. This six-ingredient recipe transforms the humble fall veggie into crispy, craveable fries. MORE: Butternut Squash Mac And Cheese Serves 4 to 6Fries 1 kabocha squash (about 4 lb), seeded and cut into 1⁄4" half-moons 2–4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil ½ tsp sea saltSauce ¾ c fat-free Greek yogurt 1 tsp Sriracha sauce ¼ tsp sea salt (optional)1....

Sole-saving tips: Avoid flip-flops and mules. Nemia Walter / EyeEm / Getty Images “Any backless shoe will contribute to or aggravate hammertoes because you have to curl your toes to keep them on your feet,” Torres-Hodges says. (If you must wear flip flops, at least try one of these pairs which provide arch support.) MORE: 16 Ways To Treat Foot Pain Don’t self-treat. If you suspect you have a foot condition, skip the splints and shoe inserts you see at the pharmacy and head to a podiatrist first....

Chickens can teach us about good stress vs. bad stress “We have this fantasy that pasture-raised hens are living in some kind of Club Med,” says Dr. Miller. “But they have their own kinds of stressors: They can get picked off by a hawk or a bobcat, or terrified by a thunderstorm.” Sometimes, those stressors kill (see hawk, above)—but most of the time, “it’s a healthy jolt to the system and then they go back to their healthy, playful lives....

Remove stubborn sand from your scalp You may be a beach bunny, but you hate the feeling of sand in your hair. Shampooing it out takes forever, and the little granules irritate your scalp. Instead, massage 1 tablespoon of baby powder into your roots, brush thoroughly, then shampoo as usual. The astringent powder will absorb the natural hair oils that bind the sand to your locks, so the stubborn grains can be washed right out....