Category: Mind & Body

Want Less Stress? Try Kindness

You’ve tried it all. From deep breathing, to taking a nap, to venting to your friends, and yet you still feel stressed. Why not try a little kindness? Stress seems to be an epidemic these days. And if we’re not careful, today’s stress can become tomorrow’s anxiety, depression, or worse. But as we seek ways…


How to Treat Your Weekend Like a Vacation

Even though summer is coming to an end and school is back in session, that doesn’t mean we have to stop indulging in our wanderlust. COVID-19 and more rigid schedules may prevent us from taking far-flung flights and long, spontaneous road trips, but we can still find adventure close to home. It’s not feasible for…


Study Finds Exercise Goals That Last

When people set their own exercise goals and then pursue them immediately, it’s more likely to result in positive lasting changes, according to a new study. The researchers made their findings among an underserved population at particularly high risk of having or developing heart conditions, making the work especially important. “Most behavior change programs involve…


The 12 Worst Endocrine Disruptors in Your Body

Endocrine disruptors are scary. These synthetic chemicals are absorbed into the body and either mimic or block hormones and disrupt the body’s normal function. Unfortunately, endocrine disruptors are in many products, as the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) Dirty Dozen List of Endocrine Disruptors reveals. The list includes the worst endocrine disruptors. Since these 12 are…


Via Negativa: The Study of What Not to Do

When thinking about how to improve something, most people instinctively focus on what can be added or changed. You want to improve your life, so you ask, “What new habits can I add?” You want to improve your business, so you ask, “What processes need to be changed or adopted?” You want to be smarter,…


CDC Warns of ‘Larger Imminent Outbreaks’ of Measles After Six Afghan Refugees Test Positive

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is warning that there could be larger outbreaks of measles after six Afghan refugees tested positive for the disease. The warning wasn’t issued publicly but was delivered to Robert Fenton Jr., the senior response official for the Operation Allies Welcome Unified Command Group. The operation is centered…


CDC Warns of ‘Alarming’ Increase in Child Obesity During Pandemic

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said children and teenagers in the United States saw their body mass index (BMI) increase at almost double the normal rate during the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting that COVID-19 lockdowns and rules may have contributed to the higher-than-usual weight gain. According to the agency’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, released…


Be. Do. Go.

I sat on my bed looking at the last page of a journal I’ve yet to use. Almost three years ago, a dear friend of mine wrote an encouraging note starting with the phrase “Go. Do. Be.” I remember walking into 2015 with this phrase at the forefront of my mind. Years later, this phrase…


Unvaccinated Fans to Be Banned From Buffalo Bills, Buffalo Sabres Games

Fans who aren’t fully vaccinated against the virus that causes COVID-19 will soon not be allowed into home games for the NFL’s Buffalo Bills and the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres, officials announced this week. Fans 12 and older will have to present verification that they’ve gotten a COVID-19 vaccine when entering Highmark Stadium, where the Bills…


Why You Should Eat Sesame Seeds

In “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves,” the legendary phrase “open sesame” opens the mouth of a cave where a treasure lies hidden. In a delightful bit of symmetry, opening sesame pods also delivers a treasure of benefits for human health and well-being. Sesame seeds are a reservoir of nutrients, including important vitamins and minerals, phytosterols,…