Research shows that supportive relationships are good for our mental and physical health. However, dealing with difficult people and maintaining ongoing negative relationships is actually detrimental to our health. It’s a good idea to diminish or eliminate relationships that are filled with conflict. But what do you do if the person in question is a family member, co-worker, or someone you otherwise... [Read more]

Can chewing sugarless gum really help you cut calories?
By Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD
WebMD Expert Column

Chew on this: Chewing gum can be good for you. Not only can it freshen your breath, it can help you overcome cigarette cravings, improve your memory — and even help you lose weight.

Contestants on The Biggest Loser use it regularly, and studies have shown... [Read more]

By Madison Park, CNN

(CNN) — Francisca Terrazas could not be left alone.

She burned her foot pouring boiling water over an ant hill in her driveway. She would wander for hours searching for aluminum cans. The effects of Alzheimer’s disease had taken hold.

Minorities such as Terrazas are at greater risk for the degenerative disease, according to an Alzheimer’s... [Read more]

By U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack
Special to Health.com

School meals matter. Just ask any teacher or parent and they’ll tell you that children who lack proper nutrition have trouble focusing in school. Medical authorities and nutrition researchers have documented that youngsters who eat nutritious meals every day and lead active lifestyles tend to excel. More importantly,... [Read more]

TOKYO — Japan and the United States keep rubbing each other the wrong way.
This Story

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Japan says it won’t comply with bluefin tuna ban
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Saving the bluefin tuna
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From the Archive: Overfishing affects Tokoyo’s tuna supply
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U.S. supports trade ban on Atlantic bluefin tuna

View... [Read more]

by Carol Heffernan

Caring for an aging parent is a responsibility few people ever expect or envision. We avoid thinking about our parents falling ill or growing weak. We don’t feel equipped to handle the welfare of those who raised us. Confusion, sadness, helplessness jar us during this unsettling transition.

As baby boomers live longer, healthier lives, any assistance that is... [Read more]

By MARK HALL

Mark-a-hall-150×150 Is it unconstitutional to mandate health insurance? It seems unprecedented to require citizens to purchase insurance simply because they live in the U.S. (rather than as a condition of driving a car or owning a business, for instance). Therefore, several credentialed, conservative lawyers think that compulsory health insurance is unconstitutional. See... [Read more]

By THE WASHINGTON TIMES

President Obama and congressional Democrats are ramping up efforts to ram through a government takeover of the health care system. The vast majority of Americans are opposed to this bureaucratic power grab because they know government will do what it always does, which is increase cost while lowering efficiency and service. In case there’s any doubt, all you... [Read more]

Out-of-date make-up can be a magnet for germs

Women are using cosmetics well past the use-by date, unaware that some products could be magnets for germs which could damage their health and looks, said Sara Stern, Director of Cosmetics at retail chain Debenhams.

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35561627/ns/health-skin_and_beauty/

Overwhelmed overachievers turn to prescription drugs for an edge.

Almost 6 percent of American women, that’s 7.5 million adult women, report using prescription medicines for a boost of energy, a dose of calm or other non-medical reasons, according to the latest numbers from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

“Many may not consider... [Read more]