Our diets can play a key role in longevity. But as it turns out, living longer may be as simple as adding one spicy ingredient to our diets. When we eat chili peppers, we may see our risk of several health problems drop dramatically. Let’s take a look at -the connection between chili peppers and adding more years- to our lives. What Makes Chili Peppers So Healthy? - Chili peppers contain capsaicin,...
Erectile dysfunction can cause self-esteem issues and may even introduce challenges to a relationship that seem insurmountable. But there are ways to reduce the prevalence or treat the problem, and a healthy diet may be the key place to start. Let’s explore how dietary choices may affect men who struggle with this problem. What is Erectile Dysfunction? - Erectile dysfunction (ED) is evidenced as the...
Diets and weight loss programs seem to hit us in the face every time we turn around. From social media and even in an email, to the latest fads our friends are trying (or selling). Yet this knowledge of the ubiquitous diet is juxtaposed against the fact that while more Americans are pursuing ways to slim down than ever, they are often not achieving, or maintaining, their goals. The Importance of Long-Term...
As we are growing up, our parents influence our health, from how much they encourage us to exercise to the food they provide. As adults, we take charge of our well-being. Or -do- we? Researchers have discovered surprising evidence that our spouses and domestic partners might also impact our wellbeing to a degree we've never quite realized. What Research Reveals About Couples’ Health - Our medical system...
When everyone around you eats sweets and treats and takes the holidays as an excuse to indulge for the entire month of December, it suddenly gets really hard to make good choices. The house that used to have nothing too tempting is suddenly bursting with candy, cookies from grandma, and leftovers from rich indulgent meals. Ugh. What's a person who is trying to stay the course on a healthy lifestyle...
We know the drill when it comes to -avoiding the dentist’s high-pitched drill: Brush and floss twice a day, and seek regular care and check-ups. But our overall dental health can often feel like it's just a matter of fate and mostly out of our hands. The thing is though, that our dental health isn't actually as out of our control as we might think. This is primarily because we might not know just how...
How many of us look up the ingredients of every food we eat, let alone investigate every obscure, unpronounceable additive to make sure it’s safe? We should be able to assume the foods in our pantries aren’t going to cause us long-term harm, but it’s possible that -some of them are.- Processed foods can contain all sorts of questionable ingredients. But some food additives can cause us harm. And this...
Photo credit: Paul Delmont, -Thrive Market - Coconut oil may be the reigning queen of oils—and for -a ton of good reasons-—but -pumpkin seed oil- is worthy of a royal title of its own when it comes to beauty. The iconic orange fruit pops up in everything during the fall months, including spiced lattes and rich, creamy pies, but it tends to falls off the map after Thanksgiving dinner ends. And that's...
Pasta, bread and baked goods are popular — and for good reason. Many of us crave carbs when we’re tired, stressed, or even when we're happy. Food can be used to soothe -and- to celebrate. But it seems that a high intake of gluten as a child could lead to celiac disease later in life. Gluten Consumption in the First Five Years - According to one study, which was published in the - Journal of the American...
Sugar can be downright divine. Just thinking about all the sinful, sticky, gooey possibilities can get our mouths watering. Humans and animals alike are -programmed- to love the sweet stuff, but too much of it may trigger a nasty spiral that can be difficult to escape. Excessive sugar consumption can cause changes to the brain similar to those caused by drug addiction, leading to cravings, binges and...