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Jennifer Clark, diabetes educator and nurse practitioner at the University of Chicago Medical Center in Illinois, is sympathetic to people who may be seeking alternative treatments. “I think people are concerned about being on a lot of medications, especially insulin,” she says. Of course, cost is a primary concern, especially if you’re taking several drugs. Despite health insurance coverage, many people have high deductible plans or steep copays. There’s also a stigma associated with taking medication, despite its benefits....

Focused repetition of a soothing word or phrase, called autogenic training, helps you to relax and primes your body’s parasympathetic nervous system. A 2008 study at the University of Melbourne in Australia found that autogenic training, along with other relaxation techniques like progressive muscle relaxation and imagery, reduced depressive symptoms among some participants. It’s best to develop your own mantras that will appeal to your emotions, ones that make you feel safe and are able to calm you down....

After all, who wants to cut baked goods out of their life entirely? That “all-or-nothing” mentality is not only a miserable way to go about your day — it’s also likely to backfire. “When people go for the ‘nothing’ mentality, they end up feeling deprived, or like it’s not fair, like ‘Why me? Everyone else gets to eat what they want,’” says Jill Weisenberger, RDN, a certified diabetes care and education specialist (CDCES) and author of Diabetes Weight Loss Week By Week, based in Newport News, Virginia....

RELATED: Self-Care Tips for When You’re Stuck at Home That’s why self-care isn’t a luxury, but an essential part of adjusting to a new normal. Here are some tips on how to work from home happily and productively — and without dialing up your stress. “When you’re suddenly at home more, sleep schedules can take a hit as you try and adjust,” says W. Christopher Winter, MD, the president of Charlottesville Neurology and Sleep Medicine in North Carolina and author of The Sleep Solution....

You know the feeling: Your heart starts to race, your palms get sweaty, and that feeling of being overwhelmed takes over. How do you get back to feeling normal as quickly as possible? “Stress management can be critical to help you address stress in a healthy way,” says Melissa Dowd, a licensed marriage and family therapist and San Francisco–based therapy lead at PlushCare, a virtual health platform. “It’s important to acknowledge the feeling and utilize coping strategies....

The implants were linked to a rare form of an immune system cancer known as breast-implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL), and were implicated in 33 deaths. Breast cancer survivors and previvors (women who have a predisposition to developing breast cancer, and sometimes undergo prophylactic mastectomy and reconstruction) struggled to make sense of what the recall meant for them. Some worried they’d unwittingly put themselves at risk for an entirely different type of cancer....

Talk to us on Facebook and Twitter! The information contained on www.lifescript.com (the “Site”) is provided for informational purposes only and is not meant to substitute for advice from your doctor or healthcare professional. This information should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing any medication. Always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare professional regarding any medical condition. Information and statements provided by the site about dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease....

“When someone diagnosed with bipolar disorder has the support of family or friends, it can make a significant difference in their ability to successfully manage their symptoms,” says Meghan Marcum, PsyD, the chief psychologist at A Mission for Michael, a dual diagnosis treatment center in San Juan Capistrano, California, for people with mental health conditions like bipolar disorder and co-occurring disorders. Support from family and friends can also help protect a person from engaging in destructive behaviors, says Andrea Wittenborn, PhD, a professor of human development and family studies in the division of psychiatry and behavioral medicine at Michigan State University in East Lansing....

The key may be foods that ease inflammation, which is common in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and which may also play a role in osteoarthritis (OA): the wear-and-tear arthritis associated with aging. Adopting one or all of the following six diet strategies, recommended by a rheumatologist with nutrition expertise and by three patients with arthritis, may help you, too. 1. Eat Heart-Healthy Foods If you have arthritis, you may only be thinking about how your diet might ease pain and inflammation....

“We don’t know the exact cause of Dupuytren’s contracture, but we do know there is some genetic component because the condition clusters in families," says Peter J. Evans, MD, PhD, an orthopedic surgeon and director of the Upper Extremity Center at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. “It’s common in northern Europeans and rare in Asians and African-Americans.” However, many people who have a mild and painless form of the disease are never diagnosed....

Some of the signs and symptoms overlap with other mental health conditions, such as bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). (2) In fact, 85 percent of people with BPD have at least one other mental health diagnosis. That overlap can make BPD difficult to recognize and diagnose. BPD and other mood disorders tend to come to light in times of transition, says Marra Ackerman, MD, a clinical associate professor of psychiatry at NYU Langone Health in New York City....

Antipsychotics work in part by blocking dopamine receptors in your brain, but sometimes they have unintended consequences for sensory and motor function. “By definition, tardive dyskinesia is an iatrogenic disorder, meaning it is due to medications,” says Joseph Jankovic, MD, a professor of neurology and the director of the Parkinson’s disease center and movement disorders clinic at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. “It doesn’t occur without exposure to these medications....

seminars on navigating the holidays and the loss of a spouse Cost Varies by provider If you’re considering online grief therapy with a licensed therapist, Zocdoc may be a good option if you want the ability to schedule your sessions on demand, without a subscription. Your per-session cost could be made more affordable by searching for online grief counselors and therapists who accept insurance through Zocdoc. In addition to the insurance plans the providers accept, their profiles feature ratings from past patients to help you choose....

The recognizable white cauliflower isn’t the only option, though. There are purple, orange, and green varieties, thanks to different pigments (which are usually also antioxidants, so vary the colors for more nutrients). Regardless of the shade, all cauliflower tends to have a similar flavor — mild and nutty with slight sweetness. You can eat it raw or cooked, which has a slight effect on the taste. Raw cauliflower is a little more bitter than its cooked counterpart....

But how much do you really know about OCD? Despite its prevalence, OCD is one of the most misunderstood health conditions out there. Perhaps due to stereotypical portrayals in the media, many people have ideas about it that simply aren’t true. That’s why we’re debunking some of OCD’s most common falsehoods — and giving you the facts. Myth No. 1: All neat freaks have OCD. One common sign of OCD is an obsession with cleanliness — such as constantly washing your hands or excessively cleaning household items....

Your body uses the sugar, also known as glucose, in the foods you eat for energy. Think of it as a fuel that keeps your body moving throughout the day. “Keeping blood sugar stable can help prevent the long-term consequences of fluctuations,” says Melissa Li-Ng, MD, an endocrinologist at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. Dr. Li-Ng explains that high blood sugar can cause a number of symptoms that include:...

“Weight loss is very high on the priority list [for people with type 2 diabetes],” says Joanne Rinker, RDN, CDCES, the director of practice and content development at the Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists (ADCES) in Asheville, North Carolina, and a spokesperson for ADCES. Rinker admits that dropping pounds isn’t easy, but when you succeed, you’ll reap a host of health benefits. Read on! Improved Insulin Resistance With type 2 diabetes, your body doesn’t properly respond to the insulin produced by the pancreas, and your blood glucose levels go up, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)....

It’s low-impact (read: easy on joints) and works the whole body. It’s also an aerobic exercise that’s great for people of all ages, abilities, and fitness levels, counting toward the target of 150 minutes of weekly aerobic exercise for optimal health, as recommended by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (PDF). If you haven’t been in the pool in a while — or if you’ve never ventured down to the lap lanes — here’s everything you need to know about making swimming a workout....

A year later, Britney Spears was placed under a conservatorship, according to The New York Times, meaning that her personal and financial affairs would be managed by someone else — in this case, largely by her father, Jamie Spears. Court documents detailing parts of the conservatorship, including mandated drug tests and treatment with lithium (a medication typically used to treat bipolar disorder) were leaked in 2016, but the exact reasons for the conservatorship are still unknown to the public....

What are the treatments for AU, and what do they involve? Read on to learn more about what AU options may be available for hair regrowth so you can discuss these further with your dermatologist. Topical corticosteroids These may come in the form of creams, ointments, or foams, and are rubbed into your skin daily.Contact immunotherapy In this experimental treatment, a dermatologist uses sensitizing agents such as diphenylcyclopropenone (DPCP) to reduce the immune system’s attacks on hair follicles....