Weed, pot, grass: Whatever you want to call it, marijuana is steadily becoming legal in more U.S. states. The recreational use of cannabis is legal in 14 states and has been decriminalized – meaning it carries a very small penalty – in 16 others. In addition, 36 states allow the use of marijuana for medical reasons with a doctor’s prescription. [Read more…]
The Evidence on Detox Diets
March 26, 2021 By Leave a Comment
Most people associate spring with the cleaning and scouring of their house, garage, basement, or car. Some people extend the ritual to an internal cleansing of their bodies through detox diets.
There are dozens of available plans for detox diets. One of the earliest, the Master Cleanse, was first introduced in the 1940s and gained popularity in 1976. It involves consuming a concoction of lemon juice, purified water, cayenne pepper, and maple syrup—and nothing else—for 10 days. Today, one of the most popular is the 10-Day Green Smoothie Cleanse, in which participants drink green smoothies and eat raw fruit and vegetables, nuts, and hard-boiled eggs. Actress and entrepreneur Gwyneth Paltrow, through her wellness company Goop, promotes detox diets that prohibit alcohol, caffeine, added sugar, gluten, dairy, soy, corn, and nightshade plants, including potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplant. [Read more…]
Why Are the Incarcerated More Likely to Commit Suicide?
March 3, 2021 By Leave a Comment
There are approximately 655 people incarcerated for every 100,000 Americans – the highest rate by far out of all developed countries. In total, that adds up to more than 2 million Americans currently in U.S. prisons and jails. About one quarter of these imprisoned people have not be convicted or sentenced; they are incarcerated because they cannot afford to pay bail. [Read more…]
A Pet Could Boost Your Mental Health
March 1, 2021 By Leave a Comment
If you don’t have a pet, you may think about what caring for an animal entails: feeding, training, cleaning up after and paying veterinary bills. But most pet owners understand that pets provide them with benefits as well.
[Read more…]
Your Mental Health May Affect Your Vaccine Response
February 26, 2021 By Leave a Comment
Nearly 30 million Americans have received a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine – thanks to a national effort to return the country to “business as usual” after a year of restrictions designed to stop the deadly virus’s spread.
One important component of this effort is maximizing the vaccine’s level of protection for each recipient. With this in mind, researchers from Ohio State University have summarized the evidence to date on how social and psychological factors impact our biological responses, specifically to vaccines. Their article was published last month in the journal Perspectives on Psychological Science. [Read more…]
How Gut Bacteria Are Linked to Mental Health
February 25, 2021 By Leave a Comment
Scientists have been studying how the human body functions for millennia, yet there are still countless workings that we still do not fully understand. Just in the past decade, health researchers have discovered an interesting connection — one that affects tens of millions of Americans. It turns out the bacteria that naturally occur in everyone’s digestive tract play an important role in our mental health. [Read more…]
What We Know About Exercise for Older Adults
February 4, 2021 By Leave a Comment
People around the world are living longer than ever before, which has led to an increase in the overall age of the global population. Over the past 50 years, the number of people over age 65 has tripled. If this trend continues, older adults will make up more than 25 percent of the global population by 2050. [Read more…]
New Evidence on Face Masks to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19
January 25, 2021 By 3 Comments
Nearly a year into the COVID-19 pandemic that has killed approximately 2 million people, wearing face masks in public has become the norm almost everywhere and a requirement in many places.
In the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommended that Americans wear cloth face coverings in public after they learned that COVID-19 spreads via droplets produced when someone coughs, sneezes or even speaks, and that people can spread the virus without having any symptoms. [Read more…]
What To Do About Vaccine Hesitancy During COVID-19
December 19, 2020 By Leave a Comment
Developing a COVID-19 vaccine in record time is a major accomplishment for the U.S. health care system. Now, as drug companies begin to distribute the vaccine across the country, public health experts must confront another challenge: convincing enough people to take it. [Read more…]
Holiday Weight Gain Stays With Us
December 11, 2020 By Leave a Comment
With COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths rising across the country, the holiday season will certainly look different this year for most Americans. Although most of us are stuck at home without the typical holiday parties and cookie exchanges, there will still be plenty of opportunities to indulge in cookie-baking, candy canes and holiday cocktails. Unfortunately, all of that delicious food means that most of us consume extra calories during this time of year. [Read more…]
Gratitude Isn’t Cancelled This Thanksgiving
November 23, 2020 By Leave a Comment
Like many events this year, Thanksgiving will be a starkly different holiday for most people. Rising cases of COVID-19 mean that many will forgo gathering with family and friends, instead staying home during what used to be America’s biggest travel holiday.
While big dinner parties may not be possible, there is one element of Thanksgiving that can stay despite the global pandemic: the notion of giving thanks. [Read more…]
How to Cope With the Winter Blues and COVID-19
November 16, 2020 By Leave a Comment
In the northern hemisphere, darkness now falls before dinnertime. Most northern latitudes have less than ten hours of daylight in November – meaning most people spend the majority of their day light hours at work.
Evidence clearly establishes that darkness impacts the moods and mental health of millions of people. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a well-founded medical condition that affects about 5 percent of Americans; and another 15 percent experience a milder form of SAD, often referred to as the “winter blues.” [Read more…]
