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Your immune system likely plays a role “It used to be thought of as a problem where the skin just produces ‘more scale’ and gets thicker than normal skin,” explains Jason Reichenberg, MD, associate professor of dermatology at the University of Texas-Austin’s Dell Medical School and chief of dermatology at Seton Healthcare Family in Austin. “Now we know this is caused by an overactive immune system.” Translation: When you have psoriasis, your immune system goes a bit haywire, causing your white blood cells to attack the healthy tissues in your body....

In many ways, bronchitis is a lot like a cold. It’s usually caused by a virus, says Randy Wexler, MD, and antibiotics won’t do much good. Sometimes, though, bronchitis is caused by bacteria, and in this case antibiotics may clear it up. Acute bronchitis most often goes away by itself in a week or two. But people with chronic bronchitis can cough and wheeze for months. Although you have to let bronchitis take its course, there are things that you can do to breathe easier while you have it....

We’re nearly one month into 2013—meaning your gung ho attitude about that New Year’s resolution might be starting to wane. Fortunately, tempting yourself with the right kind of reward system can bring back the motivational mojo, new research reveals. Creating incentives from several different categories (clothing, spa indulgences, books, and so on) can enhance motivation to a greater extent than incentives from one category, according to a study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology....

If you’ve ever tripped over a few steps, or barely saved yourself from doing a face-plant on the sidewalk, you know the importance of being quick (and staying steady) on your feet. Strong, healthy knees are vital to capable legs—but new research warns that the way women are going about knee strengthening could be upping their risk of injury. An estimated one in four women experience knee pain on a daily basis, and women are also more prone to knee injuries than men, earlier research has shown....

In this study, researchers estimated the sodium intake of more than 2,600 healthy elderly Americans for 10 years using dietary surveys while tracking them for heart failure, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and death. After adjusting the data for potential confounders like gender, BMI, race, and exercise habits, they found no significant association between sodium intake and risk for death, heart failure, or CVD. Plus, those who consumed less than 1,500 mg (just ¾ of a teaspoon) of sodium per day—the current American Heart Association recommendation—didn’t have a significantly lower risk of health problems than people who consumed more moderate amounts, like 2,300 mg daily....

Duck eggs are delicious and nutritious. They’re richer-tasting than chicken eggs and contain more protein, calcium, iron, potassium, and pretty much every major mineral. The yolks are big and orange, and the whites are pure white. You can’t beat them for baking and making cakes rise high and airy, plus they’re divine soft boiled, poached, or over easy. (The yolks are like satiny custard.) Many breeds of ducks also lay more eggs per year than most breeds of chickens do....

5 Tasty Low-Sodium Dinners While it remains to be seen if the government will get involved, one thing’s for sure: We should be paying more attention to the amount of sodium we’re taking in with our go-to meals. “Oftentimes people look at calorie counts when choosing what to eat, but that’s simply not the whole picture,” says nutritionist Judy Caplan, RD, of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. [sidebar]The current daily guidelines for sodium is 2,300 mg a day, but as you’ll see, it’s easy to surpass that daily allotment in just one meal....

Smoothies are a delicious, quick way to enjoy breakfast in a flash. Fruit smoothies sound healthy, and often they are. But beware—some smoothie recipes aren’t such a great choice. Some fruit smoothies are loaded with added sugar and fat. It’s easy to forget that ingredients such as sweetened fruit juice, honey, agave, nuts and seeds, and frozen yogurt, are high in sugar. Mixing a bunch of these together can add up to an awful lot of calories....

Stressed at the office? Join the club: Nearly 30% of us suffer from work-related anxiety, and it causes problems more severe than serious cravings for a glass of wine. A pressure-cooker week can show up on your skin, dampen your mood, and even strain personal relationships. Unfortunately, new research also reveals that day-to-day stress takes a long-term toll—by upping the risk of disability in your golden years. In a study on nearly 3,000 people that spanned 28 years, Finnish researchers examined the effects of mid-life stress on old-age disability....

When something works—like, really works—customers love taking to the Internet to gush about their amazing results. Sunday Riley Good Genes All-In-One Lactic Acid Treatment, for example, has a massive cult following—despite its $105 price tag. It boasts over 1,000 five-star reviews on Sephora.com, and it’s also a favorite among members of the the Skincare Addiction subreddit. So, what exactly does it do? “Instant results every time” and “magic in a bottle” are just some of the phrases customers use to describe this multitasking product....

You’d think that the owner of Bite Beauty, a line of lush, natural cosmetics, would automatically pick makeup as the stuff that makes her feel beautiful. But not so, says Susanne Langmuir. Here’s what really makes her feel gorgeous from the inside out: Walking my dog in the rain is somehow very soothing. I always find it difficult to get myself out the door for these little excursions, but love the experience and my dog COCO is just so happy to run through the ravine even if she’s getting wet and soggy....

Why are fake tans so iffy? We’ve got three reasons for you: Your fake tan could be illegal. The most popular alternative to tanning beds has become the spray tan, a salon service that essentially sprays a tanning cream over your entire body to give you an even bronze glow. A closer look at the FDA’s guidelines, however, shows that their legality is questionable. [sidebar]The agency originally approved the primary ingredient in these products, dihydroxyacetone, or DHA, when over-the-counter lotions and gels were the only self-tanning options....

Why hate on the Holstein? Increasing research shows that the popular breed of dairy cows produces a milk protein known as A1 beta-casein that may be more difficult for people to digest—and that’s not all. “Studies have indicated a link between A1 milk and autoimmune diseases such as type-1 diabetes and cardiovascular disease,” says Dr. Richard Deth of Northeastern University, whose own research on A1 has found a link between the protein and autism....

Congratulations! The gifts are unwrapped, the champagne is done flowing, and the holiday decor has been stowed away. And with a new year comes an opportunity for fresh starts—especially if you’re feeling lucky. Not basking in a glow of lucky energy just yet? Maybe you can blame it on what you noshed when the clock struck midnight: Around the world, revelers ring in the New Year with an array of “lucky foods”: The Spanish custom of eating 12 grapes at midnight is supposed to ward off evil and usher in a year of prosperity, while Mediterranean cultures pop pomegranate seeds for abundance and prosperity....

Meet the green smoothie to end all green smoothies. This insanely simple dairy-free blend leverages the power of chia seeds for an impressive 16 grams of plant-based protein in every glass. The pretty green hue and subtle banana sweetness don’t hurt things either. Serves 1 Add 1½ c unsweetened coconut milk beverage, 2 c kale, 1 frozen banana, 1 Tbsp spirulina powder, 2 Tbsp chia seeds, and 1 c ice to a blender....

So should you switch over? That’s what Men’s Health nutrition advisor Mike Roussell, Ph.D., is advising his clients to do. MORE: Is Milk Really Healthy for You? Here’s the background: Ultra-filtered milk has become more widely available this year with the release of a new brand, fairlife, which is under the Coca-Cola umbrella and uses a grammatically-frustrating all lower-caps brand name. There are also other brands available, like Hood Simply Smart....

And it’s not just cutlery. The top 10 trash items found during the Ocean Conservancy’s annual International Coastal Cleanup—which combs 20,000 miles of coastline—include: cigarettes, cups, lids, plastic bottles, food wrappers, glass bottles, straws, cans, and paper bags. Or, to put it a different way, enough food packaging was found for you to get takeout for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day for the next 858 years, says Nicholas Mallos, conservation biologist and marine debris specialist....

After surveying 410 people, they found of those who deactivated their accounts, two-thirds reported being content with their decision to stop the status messaging. Forty-six participants deleted their accounts all together and 90% of them were happy to be off the site. Their reasons for logging off: privacy concerns, problems with productivity, addiction, shallow site interactions and awkward friend requests, says the study. (Boss, is that you?) This isn’t the only Facebook-focused research that shows the network can ruin relationships and negatively affect a person’s health....

Wine drinkers’ demands for gemstone colors, balanced tastes, and a smooth mouthfeel have winemakers adding everything from sulfites for preservation to additional sugar to increase the alcohol percentage. But egg whites and dried fish bladders? We’re not kidding. All wines may not meet the standards of a strict vegan or vegetarian diet because of materials introduced in the fining process, which clarifies the appearance of the liquid and removes particles that can produce off flavors....