Author: healthtost
A landmark study led by researchers at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) and published in Molecular Psychiatryhas identified a significant association between prenatal prescription of commonly used medications and risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children. Analyzing 6.14 million maternal-child health records from the Epic Cosmos database—representing nearly a third of all US births between 2014 and 2023—the team found that prescription drugs known to inhibit the cholesterol synthesis pathway were consistently associated with higher rates of ASD at birth. While previous studies grouped drugs based on their indications, the UNMC team grouped prescription drugs based on…
In most modern high schools, PE is a full-on take-off course — something you have to take when you’re not playing a sport and have to fulfill a health/gym-related elective. Participants often sit in the stands and chat or half-heartedly play some basketball. There was a time in this country when PE was taken more seriously, however, and it reached its absolute peak at La Sierra High School in Carmichael, California.During the 1950s and 1960s, La Sierra boasted arguably the most rigorous PE program in the country, if not the world. The so-called “La Sierra System” was born at a…
In a world of endless notifications, relentless multitasking and constant information overload, the ability to focus is slipping from our fingertips, which is why scientists are now beginning to explore what we consume and how we consume it, including the role of simple rituals like making tea in restoring mental clarity. The research suggests human attention spans have shrunk dramatically over the past two decadeswith a widely cited Microsoft study putting it at just eight seconds today, down from 12 seconds in 2000. That’s shorter than the attention span of a goldfish. Meanwhile, chronic stress and cognitive overload are now…
Earth Day is scheduled for April 22, 2026, this year. This is an annual event created to raise awareness of environmental issues and encourage people to do what they can to protect the planet. A trend that is attracting a lot of attention this year is “logging”. This activity combines exercise with litter picking. It’s simple, active, and fun, so it makes sense that people interested in wellness, fresh air, and doing something good would be curious about it. Earth Day Activities: What Is Plogging and Where Did It Come From? Earth Day activities don’t have to be complicated, and…
Menopause is a major transition in a woman’s life, bringing hormonal changes that can affect everything from metabolism and muscle mass to mood and digestion. And while we can’t stop the aging process, we can box take control of how we fuel our bodies. I personally started noticing how food was affecting my mood, energy, and even my sleep around my 40s. Fast forward to my 60s, and I now notice that food is clearly a factor in how I got through menopause and how my body functions on a daily basis! Proper nutrition can help manage weight gain, balance…
Measles remains one of the most contagious infectious diseases, transmitted through coughing and sneezing, with even small reductions in vaccination coverage leading to outbreaks. As of 2026, California has reported the highest annual number of measles cases in seven years. In response to this growing concern, researchers have begun to examine gaps in knowledge and vaccination coverage about measles. A UC Riverside study found significant gaps in knowledge, vaccination status, and acceptance of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine among patients visiting emergency departments in the United States. Posted on American Journal of Emergency Medicinethe study examines how misinformation…
Many people across the country have become involved with the ‘No Kings’ movement and rallies. We had more than 1,000 participate in our small town of Willits, California. I have been a rebel with a purpose all my life. My parents were active in the human rights and labor movements in the 1950s, and my father was one of the blacklisted writers in Hollywood who resisted McCarthyism. My causes include love, compassion and dignity for all people and true cooperation with the communities of life on planet Earth. Timothy Snyder is a widely respected professor and author of several books…
Black Maternal Health Week 2026 is coming to an end and BWHI was everywhere it needed to be. Underfoot. In the halls of Congress. In community spaces. In honest conversations with the people who do the work every day. This week, we showed up in full, and here’s a look at everything we’ve been up to and why it matters. We signed. We got up. BWHI proudly added our name to the 2026 Black Maternal Health Week resolution, led by Representative Alma Adams, Representative Lauren Underwood, and Senator Cory Booker, calling on Congress to stop treating Black maternal health as…
Last week, I shared with you the framework for a powerful exercise to help you identify and “turn around” your blind spots, weaknesses, temptations, and areas of weakness. As a quick refresher, you: Identify a conscious or unconscious pattern of identity in a paragraph. Name the redeeming opposite in a sentence. Boil this sentence down to a single word. One of the best ways to learn is by example, and I hope that revealing the results of my own identity reversal will inspire you and help you create your own. The following process took me about eight hours in total.…
Air pollution is associated with increased migraine activity, according to a study published April 15, 2026, in Neurology®the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Both short-term and cumulative exposure to air pollution as well as climatic factors such as heat and humidity were associated with increased migraine activity. The study does not prove that air pollution causes migraine attacks. shows only a correlation. These results help us better understand how and when migraine attacks occur. They suggest that for people with migraine susceptibility, environmental factors may play two roles: medium-term factors such as heat and humidity may modify…