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In a study published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, researchers found that common genetic factors may underlie both alcoholism and specific symptoms of eating disorders – most notably, the binge eating and purging habits associated with bulimia nervosa. “Prior studies have shown that among people who had eating disorders, there were higher rates of alcohol abuse and dependence than those who didn’t have these eating disorders,” study author Melissa Munn-Chernoff, of Washington University School of Medicine in St....

Your dilemma is quite common—between cold weather and drying indoor heat, winter takes its toll on a complexion. You may just need to change the way you’re washing your face. Here are a few skin care tips to try for dry skin this winter if you don’t want to make a switch in your cleanser and moisturizer. Only wash your face once a day—in the pm—to get the day’s makeup and grime off....

Researchers from the Mayo Clinic found that about 80% of people who don’t eat gluten—a protein found in wheat and other grains—are following the diet despite never having been diagnosed with celiac disease, the genetic disorder that causes an autoimmune reaction to gluten. On the other hand, of the 1.8 million Americans who have celiac, 1.4 million of them are unaware that they have it. “One percent of the population, and one in 100 Caucasians, has celiac,” says Joseph Murray, MD, a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist who co-authored the study....

Researchers conducted four experiments where study participants were asked to play video games or consume a favorite food, such as chocolate, at either their own pace or a longer pace dictated by the experimenter. The results? Those who chose their own pace enjoyed their experience less than those whose rate was chosen for them. What’s more, participants who were left to their own devices not only consumed more chocolate, they also did so twice as fast....

“Both RA and gum disease share astonishingly similar clinical features,” says lead study author Jan Potempa, PhD, who used mice to monitor how a common pathogen aggravates the course of RA. Periodontal disease is an infection-driven inflammation, while RA is an autoimmune disease, and yet a common denominator for both diseases is the fact that the frustrated immune system is attacking its own tissues, eventually leading to tooth loss and severe disfiguration and crippling of joint functions with RA, Potempa explains....

After just a week of taking a 1500 mg dose of red ginseng three times a day, a group of men logged more REM sleep and spent less time awake in bed. Although the root’s sedative effects in this study seem to fly in the face of ginseng’s reputation for being a stimulant, this study backs up the theory that it can play both roles. The root has a reputation for being an adaptogen, a term used to describe plant extracts that balance the body’s response to stressors, whether it winds you up or wears you out....

Turns out, it’s pretty common for exercisers to overeat—or eat a bunch of junk—after a sweat session, according to findings published in The Journal of Physical Activity and Health. When researchers interviewed 27 active folks about their food intake and workout habits, they found that regular exercisers typically give themselves permission to eat certain foods postexercise. (Here are 5 fool-proof ways to avoid a pig-out.) MORE: The 7 Best Weight-Loss Snacks That Aren’t Fruits or Vegetables What’s more, these foods have a lot to do with their feelings toward working out....

Roughly 14% of the population carries a gene called TCF7L2, which nearly triples your risk for stroke and also increases the chances you’ll develop Type 2 diabetes, explains study author José M. Ordovás, PhD, director of the Nutrition and Genomics Laboratory at Tufts University. But among more than 7,000 people who followed either a Mediterranean or low-fat diet for five years, those who stuck to the Mediterranean-style meal plan and who carried the risky gene were no more likely to experience a stroke than the rest of the population, the research, which is published in Diabetes Care, shows....

Coconut vinegar, derived from coconut water or coconut tree sap, packs a fairly impressive list of trace elements, including potassium, iron, zinc, and calcium, as well as antioxidants. But, “You’re not really having it for the nutrients, which you should be getting from food—you’re having it more as a detoxifying agent,” says certified clinical nutritionist Christina Towle. MORE: The Eight Best Recipes to Make with Farmers’ Market Food Coconut vinegar, like its apple-based counterpart, has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties that help stave off illness and infections....

People sometimes tell me they know a couple married 20 years whose sex life is still as good as it ever was. While it’s certainly possible, I’ve also heard many of the couples I’ve counseled over the years say that after five or 10 years of marriage, the passion became elusive. When you were dating the man you ultimately married, you were both putting your best feet forward in order to be attractive to one another....

Those trillion blogs reveal everything from the screenplay auditions she held as a child, to the Vegas trip she took to meet David Copperfield, as well as the important tub-time lesson she learned from Oprah: “Bath and candles, girl. Bath and candles.” A mother of three children who writes full time—she’s doing a TV pilot for NBC, a movie script for Warner Bros., and she keeps up her personal Tumblr, too—Oxford seems to do it all....

When given the opportunity to simply sit by themselves and daydream, participants in 11 studies ranging in age from 18 to 77 generally did not enjoy their quiet time. In fact, they found it so unpleasant that 67% of the men and 25% of the women opted to self-administer an electric shock in order to cut their 15 minutes of alone time short. Enjoyment wasn’t the only issue. Study author David Reinhard, a doctoral student at the University of Virginia, was surprised participants found the “thinking period” not only miserable, but difficult....

Set to kick off this spring, Walmart hopes the bright green labels will help customers instantly identify food options that are, well, great for you. The icon will appear on items like fruits and vegetables and packaged goods that fit their nutrition criteria. To earn the seal of approval, each product must meet these requirements: Total fat must be less than 35 percent of the total caloriesContain no trans fat and no partially hydrogenated oilsSaturated fats must be less than 10 percent of the total caloriesAdded sugars cannot make up more than 25 percent of the total caloriesSodium can’t exceed 600 milligrams per meal or 380 milligrams per serving [sidebar]...

Just today, the FDA released a warning about Easter (and for that matter, Tiger, Asiatic, Day, and Japanese Show) lilies. The entire plant is poisonous to cats—even nibbling a leaf can cause acute kidney failure. The FDA alert also notes that even if your cat brushes against the lily flower and gets a few grains of pollen on her fur, and then licks it off, the results can be devastating....

Watch as Jessica busts four super-common snacking myths you’re probably falling for (case in point: snack calories DO count, people!), and then shows you how popping some essential protein into your snacks—like adding a delicious Premier Protein shake to your smoothie—will help you feel fuller longer. And that’s snacking done right, folks.

First thing’s first—I didn’t follow the recipe exactly. Why? Because it called for regular spaghetti made with refined white flour, and that’s just not something we recommend. But when I couldn’t find whole wheat pasta at my local grocery store, I followed the cashier’s suggestion of brown rice pasta, which has a similar texture and taste to whole wheat—plus, it’s totally gluten-free, meaning two of my gluten-intolerant coworkers could join in....

You’ve got a kale-and-quinoa diet, get 6.5 hours of sleep (ish), and fit in about four weekly workouts. Congrats! That puts you squarely on the health-and-wellness honor roll. But what about the healthy habits of the wellness valedictorians? What do these exceptionally balanced people know that we don’t? You’re just a tip away, says Jim Nicolai, MD. In Integrative Wellness Rules, the director of Miraval’s Dr. Andrew Weil Integrative Wellness Program compiles dozens of simple practices that turn healthy people into uber healthy people....

21 percent would stop having sex. It’s like saying: “Sorry honey, I would rather read Kim Kardashian’s Twitter feed.” 84 percent would ditch their GPS. Let the “Why don’t we just ask for directions?” fights commence. [sidebar] 83 percent would say good-bye to fast food. We finally found what would break America’s drive-thru obsession. 77 percent would cut out chocolate. Which means 23 percent of people are crazy enough about cocoa beans to keep their candy instead of the world wide web....

Episodic migraines, which occur less than 15 days per month, affect anywhere between 10-15% of the population. In the study of over 3,800 people, researchers from Johns Hopkins University discovered obese participants were 81% more likely to have migraines episodic migraines of any frequency and up to 89% for low frequency migraines as compared to participants of healthy weight. Think a few migraines a month isn’t enough to get you on the right track to a healthy weight?...