Author: healthtost

When the same thought keeps coming back, it’s worth asking if it’s true — or just familiar. Irrational thinking — it’s a term you’ve probably heard thrown around, but what does it actually mean? And is there a real connection between cognitive distortions and anxiety? If you’ve ever wondered how your thoughts and emotions are connected, you’ve come to the right place. I’ll pass you by ten thought patterns which can send your stress into overdrive. Here’s the hard truth: your thoughts have a much greater influence on your mood than most people realize. However, that’s not the whole story…

With 26 bones, 33 joints, over 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments and thousands of nerve endings, the human foot is arguably one of the most complex structures in our body. It’s also one of the most vital: our feet support all our weight, keep us upright and act as shock absorbers for every step we take. However, instead of protecting them, many women subject their feet to “skinny” shoes. Driven by societal pressures to live up to an aesthetic ideal, we often sacrifice our health for fashion. The price? Potentially irreversible damage to our legs, musculoskeletal structure and circulatory system.…

Over the years, we’ve talked to thousands of people about herpes, both through our previous phone lines and email service and now through ours Ask the experts program. We probably answer more questions and address more concerns about herpes than any other STD.Why the great interest? First, while herpes can be treated, it cannot be cured, so people naturally have questions about managing symptoms, reducing the chance of passing the infection to sexual partners, and managing herpes in relationships. But perhaps a bigger challenge is the stigma associated with herpes—TV shows, movies, and society as a whole create and perpetuate…

Nuts and seeds. Nuts and seeds. They are often discussed for their nutritional value, but have you ever thought about the specific benefits of seeds?It seems like every nutrition news story mentions how good nuts and seeds are for our health. We know this to be true. But incorporating nuts into the diet seems much more common. Seeds somehow feel more difficult and intimidating.Although the seeds have consumed for hundreds of thousands of years and used in the diet of every culture around the world, we can’t seem to find ways to eat seeds as much as we should. What…

As young adults, many millennials feared growing up more than previous generations. But they’ve been doing it as they get older, finds research published by the American Psychological Association. The study, published in the journal Developmental Psychologylooked at how “coming of age fears” – the fear of adulthood and the desire to return to the safety of childhood – changed among college students between 1982 and 2002 and then among those same groups 20 years later. Overall, the researchers found that later generations of students feared growing up more than their predecessors. However, among all generations, these fears subsided as…

As he told you Nicole Audrey SpectorWhen I discovered dance at the age of 10, I immediately fell in love with it and knew I wanted to be a professional dancer. My family supported my ambitions and it was an incredibly proud moment when I landed my first job — as a backup dancer for Beyoncé at the Billboard Music Awards. I was only 17. A year earlier I had been told that I would eventually have leukemia. I had been told so in a letter from the American Red Cross. It arrived in the mail shortly after I had…

The heat is on and something about summer just flips a switch. You feel it, that extra spark of energy, the urge to move more, sweat a little and feel strong in your own skin. You have made the decision to start and use your Total Gym. This first step matters. Now is the time to make that decision direction. A well-planned beginner training program provides structure, builds confidence and creates a clear path forward. It allows your body to learn how to move with control, develop strength through full range of motion, and establish a routine that is effective…

University of Adelaide researchers have conducted the first human trial of a new type of treatment for the leading cause of blindness in working-age adults, with promising results. Retinitis pigmentosa is a genetic condition where the retinal cells responsible for detecting light do not work properly, resulting in progressive blindness. Current treatment options for later stages of the disease are limited and there is no cure. Now, a new approach to treating the disease offers new hope. In collaboration with researchers from the University of Washington, University of Adelaide experts conducted a small pilot trial to see if a potential…

Ever wonder if you’re getting the right amount of vitamins and minerals while pregnant or breastfeeding? Like Goldilocks, you don’t want too little or too much – you do exactly right. Although it took Goldilocks many tries to find the right size chair and the right bowl of porridge, it doesn’t have to take you that long to find the right amount of vitamins and minerals for you! Everyone has a 3% chance of developing a birth defect during pregnancy. Taking the right amount of FOR YOU vitamins and minerals is not expected to increase your risk for problems during…

Rotini pasta salad with arugula and cherry tomatoes, healthy summer dish Macaroni salad is one of those foods that just hit summer. Backyard barbecues, picnic blankets, paper plates, it’s nostalgic, it’s people-pleasing, and frankly, it never gets old. As a nutritionist, I’m also here to tell you that it can be much more than an afterthought. This chickpea pasta pesto recipe is the healthy summer salad you’ll want to bring everywhere this season. It’s bright, light and bursting with herbed pesto flavor, juicy cherry tomatoes, tender courgettes, all built on a base that quietly does your body a lot of…