Your body’s inflammatory response is a natural and beneficial process designed to protect you from infection and injury. Swelling from increased fluids protects injured areas from further harm while the body goes into overdrive to fend off bacteria, viruses, and even parasites. – The problem is that many things can trigge … Read More
In 2012, the term “pink slime” became a household word. It refers to what the processed meat industry calls "lean finely textured beef" (LFTB), but what is really beef scraps and connective tissue treated with ammonia then added to ground beef. After it was widely publicized, many food companies removed it from their burg … Read More
Everyone has “on” days and “off” days, but if you’re "off" at the gym you'll likely be wasting both your time and energy. Finding the time to work out is one of the biggest hurdles people face in fitting in exercise, after all, so when you make the time to do it, you want to be sure you’re maximizing your efforts. Obvi … Read More
The next time you check the weather, you should also check out The Weather Channel’s aches & pains forecast. Yes, there really is such a thing, and you can either search by your zip code or check out the National Aches & Pains map. Depending on factors such as chance of precipitation, barometric pressure, absolute … Read More
Beneficial bacteria known as probiotics are most often discussed in relation to your digestive health, but they do so much more than enhance digestion. Your body has about 10 times more bacteria than cells, and those bacteria are part of your “microbiome.” Your microbiome is composed of trillions of microbes, which inc … Read More
Endometriosis occurs when the tissue lining your uterus (the endometrium) grows in other areas of your body, such as your ovaries, bowel or tissue lining your pelvis. The endometrial tissue thickens, breaks down and bleeds with a woman’s menstrual cycle, and this occurs whether it is in your uterus or outside of it. En … Read More
You’re cranky, you’re tired and you just want to get into bed and pull the covers over your head. But it’s only 3 p.m. Your first instinct might be to order a triple-shot espresso, grab a candy bar or maybe scoop yourself a big bowl of ice cream, but any of these will be suicide for your already-tanked mood. Here I’ … Read More
It’s estimated that up to 80 percent of women will have an ovarian cyst at some point during their lives. These small, fluid-filled sacs are most often formed during the menstrual cycle (known as “functional cysts”). In many cases these cysts may go away on their own in a matter of weeks and months, and you may not even k … Read More
When surveyed about their most-loathed body part, 75 percent of women agreed their upper arms were the clear ‘winner.’ More specifically, the extra flab that’s unflatteringly known as “chicken fat,” “chicken arms,” or, sometimes, “bingo wing arms” (so-named for its tendency to ‘flap’ like a chicken wing) is many women’s n … Read More
For a food that your body can’t even digest, fiber has an impressive role in your health. In fact, its ability to pass through your stomach, small intestine and colon mostly intact is part of what makes it so useful. For starters, fiber provides bulk to your diet, helping you feel full longer (and ultimately maintain a he … Read More