Are poinsettias, mistletoe, or holly plants dangerous?
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Are poinsettias, mistletoe, or holly plants dangerous?

Last winter, my wife shooed the dog and visiting toddlers away from our poinsettia plants, saying "they’re poisonous, you know." I did not know. But it turns out that the belief that poinsettias are deadly is widespread. The same could be said for mistletoe and holly. But are their reputations for danger well-deserved? Since these…

5 skills teens need in life — and how to encourage them
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5 skills teens need in life — and how to encourage them

All parents want their children to be successful in life — and by successful, we mean not just having a good job and a good income, but also being happy. And all parents wonder how they can make that happen. According to Harvard’s Center on the Developing Child, it’s less about grades and extracurricular activities,…

Can ALS be caused by traumatic brain injury?
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Can ALS be caused by traumatic brain injury?

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease) is a neurologic disease that damages nerve cells in the spinal cord and brain, causing widespread muscle wasting and weakness. It strikes without warning, usually beginning between the ages of 55 and 75. As it worsens, ALS disables a person’s ability to move, speak, eat, or breathe….

Stretching studios: Do you need what they offer?
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Stretching studios: Do you need what they offer?

Boutique or specialty fitness studios offer all sorts of ways to exercise, such as strength training, indoor cycling, and kickboxing. Other popular options, like yoga and Pilates, are less likely to leave you sweaty and breathless, emphasizing flexibility and measured movement. Now a new trend has emerged: studios that focus solely on stretching. What are…

Can flavonoids help fend off forgetfulness?
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Can flavonoids help fend off forgetfulness?

The foundation of a healthy diet is a vibrant rainbow of fruits and vegetables, like rosy red strawberries, dark green spinach leaves, or sunny yellow peppers. Their colors often come from flavonoids, powerful plant chemicals (phytochemicals) that appear to contribute to many aspects of health. And now a large Harvard study published online in Neurology…

5 numbers linked to ideal heart health
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5 numbers linked to ideal heart health

How well are you protecting yourself against heart disease, the nation’s leading cause of death? A check of five important numbers can give you a good idea. “For my patients, I typically look at their blood pressure, blood sugar, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides values, and their waist circumference,” says Harvard Heart Letter editor-in-chief Dr. Deepak…

Why are women more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease?
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Why are women more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease?

Did you know that of the 6.2 million people with Alzheimer’s disease who are age 65 or older in this country, almost two-thirds are women? This means that Alzheimer’s disease is almost twice as common in women compared to men. Why is Alzheimer’s disease more common in women? Women live longer The first and most…

Minimizing successes and magnifying failures? Change your distorted thinking
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Minimizing successes and magnifying failures? Change your distorted thinking

Some things are not debatable. Rain falls from the sky. Elevators go up and down. Orange traffic cones are orange. But because we interpret the world through our experiences, a lot isn’t so definitive. The boss might say, “Good job,” and we wonder why they didn’t say, “Great job.” We see someone looking in our…