advice
Answering all of your health, wellness, fitness, and personal questions.
Health Foods That Aren’t Actually Healthy
Navigating the dusty isles of the grocery store can be a daunting enough task itself. Combine that with the often overwhelming options of “health foods” that promise to help you lose weight, gain muscle, or generally keep your body in peak condition. While many of these foods do provide nutritious benefits, many provide nothing more than false promises.
Alysha DePernaPublished 8 years ago in LongevityProbiotic Foods You Need in Your Diet
Do you know all the probiotic foods you need in your diet? Normally the idea of bacteria makes people uncomfortable. We have all of these soaps, wipes, and disinfectants we can stash in our purses and backpacks for the specific purpose of killing bacteria. But anyone who’s sat through an introductory level biology class will remember that we can’t actually kill off all of the bacteria in the world. We need some of it in our intestinal lining to promote healthy digestive processes and keep our lives running smoothly. Frequently, we get ourselves off track in terms of growing healthy bacteria by eating foods that aren’t so great for us, or overloading on antibiotics. Luckily, there are food options out there, probiotic foods, that you need in your diet to help regulate your digestive system.
James PortersonPublished 8 years ago in LongevityHow the Wisdom of Confucius Can Help You Be Less of a Jerk
I’m sure you’re a pretty nice person. I like to think that I am too. But sometimes I let myself justify getting pretty snippy with the customer service rep - like it’s her fault that Comcast is stupid. Other times I find myself muttering under my breath when my kids eat graham crackers in my unmade bed, or I let a friend’s Facebook post piss me off for the rest of the day. Nobody’s perfect, but if you feel your inner Hulk bursting out in a rage every time the wind doesn’t blow your way, it might be time to try walking a more peaceful path. Let the Great Sage (aka Confucius) help you get there. He’s famous for little snippets of wisdom that can sound like they came out of a fortune cookie - until you look deeper. Sometimes a simple phrase can help you see things differently and make keeping your cool a little easier. Feel free to scrawl any of these on a post-it note or make them the background on your lock screen. If they really change your life, they might even make it onto a canvas you can look at every night as you fall asleep. Hopefully, you’ll be sleeping more peacefully when you’re treating others in a way that makes you both feel great.
Sarah QuinnPublished 8 years ago in LongevityDepression
“I ate too much. I’m depressed.”“Damn, he didn’t answer my text. Now I’m depressed.”“The store already closed, I’m depressed!”
Alexa CurtisPublished 8 years ago in LongevityWill You Make It to Immortality?
You think you're going to die some day? WRONG! Just hang in there; you’ve got this! This is already 2016…by 2045, give or take, we will all be immortal cyborg-things! No, really. We’ll be immortal cyborg-things.
Matt CatesPublished 8 years ago in LongevityFive Free Things You Can Do To Be Healthier and Happier Now
When I say “free” I am assuming that you have a source of clean drinking water and the internet. If you don’t have those things (at least the water), your potential for health and happiness are probably pretty limited (Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs comes to mind). But if you DO have those things, and you’re feeling miserable and lonely and dehydrated and achy, it’s worth taking a few simple steps to care for yourself. The term “self-care” is bandied about a lot on the internet these days, and sometimes suggestions for achieving it are unrealistic. Not everyone can afford a massage; not everyone can see a therapist. Those things can be wonderfully helpful for different people, but you’ve got to start where you are. Here are my top five favorite free, stay-at-home things to do when you're down.
Sarah QuinnPublished 8 years ago in LongevityHealthiest Superfoods
Who doesn’t want to wake up happy and healthy with a bright mind every morning? You can easily accomplish this by incorporating some of the healthiest superfoods in your daily diet. If you’re wondering, “What makes the healthiest superfoods so special?” you’re not alone. What exactly is a “superfood”? To put it in basic terms, it’s a food that is really great for your overall health. It is almost like superfoods have superpowers, that’s how good they are for you. These foods are ideal for your body and can add a big dose of nutrients to your diet. A great advantage of superfoods is that you get a lot from a little. You don’t have to eat a ton of the same food to get the effects. Below we have assembled a list of the healthiest superfoods that you should try to consume daily to improve your health.
James PortersonPublished 8 years ago in LongevityBest Sulfate Free Shampoos
Has the hairdresser recently recommended that you switch to a sulfate free shampoo? They may be onto something. What exactly are sulfates and why are they in shampoo? In the most basic terms, sulfates are very harsh cleaning chemicals that are added to shampoos to make it extra foamy and get hair super clean. This sounds great but the problem is that sulfates clean so well that they also strip away all of the good things in hair. You end up with dry, damaged hair that’s dull and lifeless. On top of that, sulfates are highly toxic to your body and are known to cause eye and scalp irritation. Yikes! Do you fear you will never be able to let go of your favorite shampoo? Don’t worry, there are dozens to choose from and we've picked out some of the best sulfate free shampoos on the market.
David McClearyPublished 8 years ago in LongevityThe Mane Event
We all want it thicker, fuller, longer or all of the above. As we age, each strand seems to become more precious than the last as we watch our luscious locks shed. There are a wide variety of reasons as to why we lose our hair such as stress, genetics, age, poor nutrition, hormonal changes, autoimmune disorders, and damage from over styling, to name a few. Suddenly we find ourselves longing to transform into a Chia Pet. If only we could water ourselves in the shower to stimulate our follicles resulting in a new head of hair in just a couple of weeks… but alas, that is an on demand request that even Silicon Valley has yet to master.
Vanessa FitzgeraldPublished 8 years ago in LongevityDo Facials Help Keep You Looking Young?
Professional facials used to be the territory of the rich and wrinkled, usually administered in pricey private salons that weren't very accessible to or interested in people on more modest time/money budgets. All for the sake of looking young. But the alternative—doing it at home with a store-bought steaming machine—just didn't produce the same results. Deep-pore cleansing was modest; mar-free blackhead removal was near impossible; relaxation and pampering were lost in the effort, as were potential rejuvenation effects.
Mackenzie LuPublished 8 years ago in LongevityThe Unknown Heartburn Heroes
I’m a firm believer that you should never leave home without your common sense, except when it comes to a few health myths. For instance, let’s take a look at the popular treatments for heartburn; also commonly known as indigestion or, in some cases, acid reflux.
Vanessa FitzgeraldPublished 8 years ago in LongevityZika, West Nile and Malaria..Oh My!
Traveling is stressful under the best of circumstances, but once a warning from the CDC comes into the mix, it becomes a whole different type of stress. Once upon a time, there were murmurings of the Zika virus. Nothing too specific, just tales of babies born with small heads. Didn't seem to be anything that would effect us in the great USA, but then, somehow, the virus started appearing in Brazil, then Puerto Rico and was getting closer and closer to the greater population. Most recently, a public health alert was issued. "The CDC has issued an alert for travel to areas where Zika virus is spreading, which now includes Miami-Dade County, Florida. Travelers who are pregnant or considering pregnancy should consult a doctor."
Banji GanchrowPublished 8 years ago in Longevity