The National Institute of Mental Health reports that 40 million adults—18% of the population—struggle with anxiety. Anxiety is normal; job interviews, public speaking and other everyday occurrences can cause anxiety.  It only becomes a problem when it extends beyond worry in an unreasonable, uncontrollable way. Anxiety can be a symptom of another mental illness, such as panic disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, phobias, or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).  Anxiety and anxiety disorders are the most common behavioral health issues in the U.S. There are some important health habits... Read More

Thirty percent of Americans only brush their teeth once daily.  That is certainly enough to reduce the level of plaque-causing bacteria–it takes about 24 hours to develop on teeth–but you are more likely to have cavities if you only brush once daily, particularly if you are only brushing in the morning.  If you are going to brush once a day, it should be at night. It is always tempting to take a few shortcuts to simplify our lives.  I’d like to make the case that brushing once daily is not enough. Let’s talk about the health benefits of brushing twice daily. Prevent gum disease.... Read More

This week we celebrated Earth Day, the world’s largest environmental movement. Our impact on the environment is complex and often interrelated.  For example, bees are dying from a variety of factors—pesticides, drought, habitat destruction, nutrition deficit, air pollution, global warming and more. Ninety percent of the world’s food crops are pollinated by bees, and humans are responsible for two major reasons that bees are dying: pesticides and habitat destruction. If bees die out, the world will face a serious food crisis. Our oceans are clogged with plastic, which is harmful to marine... Read More

On Monday evening, a massive fire broke out at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.  With about 13 million visitors each year, the cathedral is the city’s most visited monument, and has been part of Paris for more than 800 years. Many across the globe are expressing shock and distress about the burning of such an iconic Gothic structure that housed religious artifacts and works of art, some of which are lost, some moved just in time. When tragedy strikes, some of us never recover from it. The way we cope with these situations differ greatly. Some people immediately fall into a deep depression,... Read More

You may have already noticed some sniffles and sneezes from pollen and other spring allergens. That’s because allergy season is starting earlier than it has in years past.  In a recent paper written by a plant physiologist at the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, the authors considered temperature and pollen trends in the Northern Hemisphere going back decades. The paper, published in Lancet, found a clear correlation between the change in temperature, the change and the increase in the length of the allergy season, and also the amount of pollen that’s being recorded. What does this... Read More

Spring brings to mind rebirth, rejuvenation, renewal, and resurrection.  According to Wikipedia, “During early spring, the axis of the Earth is increasing its tilt relative to the Sun, and the length of daylight rapidly increases for the relevant hemisphere. The hemisphere begins to warm significantly, causing new plant growth to ‘spring forth,’ giving the season its name.”  This time of year is the perfect time to spring forth with a new exercise routine. Changing your workout is important to avoid boredom, overcome plateaus, and achieve new levels of fitness. Here are some ideas for... Read More

Organ donation is the process of committing your organs to help another person live. After you die, your healthy organs and tissues are transplanted into another person. Experts say that the organs from one donor can save or help as many as 50 people. You can donate eyes, tissue, and organs including kidneys, heart, liver, pancreas, intestines, and lungs. Right now, 113,653 people are on the national organ transplant waiting list, with a new name added every 10 minutes. The factors used in matching donors with recipients  include blood type, time spent waiting, other important medical information,... Read More

Today, about three million Americans are gluten free, 72 per cent of whom are classified as PWAGs: people without celiac disease avoiding gluten. Aside from celiac disease, there are other conditions impacted by gluten in the diet–rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis and other autoimmune disorders. Gluten is a mixture of two different proteins present in cereal grains, especially wheat, rye, and barley. For those with sensitivities, gluten causes inflammation and damage in the intestinal tracts and other parts of the body. One in 133 people have celiac disease, an autoimmune disease... Read More

The spring equinox (also called the March equinox or vernal equinox) falls on Wednesday, March 20, 2019, at 5:58 P.M. EST. This event marks the astronomical first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere.  Fun fact: the word equinox comes from the Latin meaning “equal night,” referring to the fact that the length of the day and night are nearly equal in most parts of the world. Since spring is almost here for most of us, it’s a great time to think about ways to spruce up our eating habits a bit.  Here are three ways to refine your diet this spring. Make small edits to your diet.  We all... Read More

Online dating.  There are no words for how frustrating it can be sometimes. For years I have seen so many dead end messages, going nowhere because they are so tired, so boring. Frankly, I no longer start conversations with men who lead with a pithy opener. These openers include, but are not limited to, ‘hey’, ‘hi’, ‘how’s it going?’ and the dreaded, ‘how are you?’  Allow me to set the record straight: these words alone are NOT conversation starters. Please stop treating them as such. Starting a conversation involves asking questions, but not just yes or no questions; rather,... Read More