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Don’t be intimidated by pro cyclers you may see on your local bike paths. While there’s no shortage of pricey cycling gear (and bicycle options) out there, all you need to get a good sweat in is a bike, a well-fitting helmet, and a plan. “Although boosting cycling performance and efficiency is important when you begin riding more, the first and best rule at any level is to have fun,” says Garret Seacat, CSCS, a USA Cycling–certified cycling coach based in Manhattan, Kansas....

The use of a hot stone in the actual massage also has advantages. It is much easier for the therapist to adjust the pressure of the massage stroke using a stone instead of just his or her hands. It also enables her to pinpoint more accurately spots that need that little bit of extra work. Last, but not least, it is a massage method which is much less stressful to the joints of the therapist’s hands....

But, vitamin C has also made headlines as singer James Blunt confessed over the summer that going on the carnivore diet (a plan that involves primarily eating meat and drinking water) when he was studying as a university student caused him to develop scurvy. Scurvy is a disease caused by a severe vitamin C deficiency, notes the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Scurvy is rare in the United States. Centuries ago, it was once common among sailors who ate little or no vitamin C on their long voyages, according to the NIH....

Sanity BreakThe MightyElephant Journal Organizations These institutions, many of which study anxiety disorders, can provide valuable information on the nature of these conditions and how to cope with them. National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI); 800-950-NAMI (800-950-6264)Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA); 240-485-1001National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH); 866-615-6464Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Mental Health (CDC); 800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636)American Psychological Association; 800-374-2721American Psychiatric Association; 800-357-7924 Resources for BIPOC Communities The National Alliance on Mental Health notes that barriers exist to mental healthcare, especially in Black American, Asian American, Pacific Islander, Hispanic or Latino, and Indigenous communities....

They’re not as fringe as they used to be. According to the International Food Information Council, about 65 percent of Americans have eaten plant-based meat alternatives in the past year, with about 1 in 5 people consuming a plant-based meat alternative item each week and another 1 in 5 people consuming one of these products every day. The popularity of these meat substitutes is aided by the fact that fast-food menus across the country feature them....

Dr. Buckingham’s Philosophy My ultimate goal is that I can take a “before” and “after” picture of a person and have anyone who looks at those photos say, “Wow, that person looks a lot more youthful in the ‘after’ photo.” But if you take away the “before” photo, and you only show someone the “after” photo, they would have no idea that person had ever seen me. All they would see is a completely rejuvenated, natural-looking face without any evidence that anything’s been done....

While bronchitis symptoms, such as wheezing and shortness of breath, are similar to the symptoms of asthma, there are some important differences, namely in what causes those symptoms in each condition and how each are treated. Here’s what you need to know about both lung conditions. It gets tricky because there’s a type of bronchitis known as chronic bronchitis (a type of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD), which, as the name implies, is a persistent condition that results from heavy exposure to cigarette smoke or other air pollutants, or frequent cases of acute respiratory infections....

However, it is true that people with diabetes may have to limit their sugar intake. That’s because type 2 diabetes is characterized by an inability to properly use insulin, a hormone that helps usher sugar (in the form of glucose) out of the bloodstream and into the cells, where it’s used as energy. Eventually, the body is unable to produce enough insulin to keep your blood sugar levels stable. When doctors and scientists talk about sugar in the blood, they often use the word “glucose....

This review examines the best platforms for online CBT, including options with free resources and financial assistance programs. Engaged in ongoing independent researchMystery shopped each of the brandsContacted the brands’ customer service teams to ask questions and gauge responsivenessConsulted six leading psychologists and psychiatristsBecame customers of online therapy providers ourselvesReviewed academic research about the efficacy of online therapy versus in-person therapy Only users with in-network insurance plans can book therapist sessions....

You know these things are coming, from the day a fluffy bundle of joy arrives home with you. You know it, but you tuck it away like the knowledge that you’ve a progressive, debilitating disease that will probably get worse. You tuck it away because the good days — and the day in question, November 30, was one of the best in my life — can help you through the bad....

Bowel dysfunction is a source of frustration and embarrassment for many people with MS and sometimes for their caregivers as well. It’s very common, affecting around 50 percent of people with the disease, according to an article published in July 2017 in the Journal of Neurology. One form this dysfunction can take is bowel incontinence, or inability to control bowel movements. People who experience this symptom often fear they could have an “accident” at an inopportune time, without much warning....

In the past, the only “solution” for people who didn’t wish to remain bald was to get a wig once their hair had fallen out. While that’s still an option, it’s no longer the only one. A technology called cold cap therapy, also known as scalp cooling, might reduce your chances of losing your hair in the first place. How Cold Cap Therapy Works During cold cap therapy, patients wear a cap (or set of caps) designed to dramatically lower the temperature of the scalp and its hair follicles....

One afternoon, Carter fell asleep during a family outing on a boat in Charleston Harbor. Beall remembers the ride was bumpy, and it concerned her that Carter had been able to fall asleep during it. Later that evening, when they were out to dinner, Carter didn’t want anything to eat. “He said he just couldn’t,” Beall recalls. Carter’s fatigue was blamed first on mononucleosis, then on anemia. But the tests came back negative, so doctors sent him to an infectious disease specialist, suspecting a viral infection....

So does that mean that the nearly 1 million people living with MS could have avoided getting this chronic autoimmune disease? Based on what experts know about MS, the answer is no — or at least not yet. One reason that effective prevention measures have yet to be developed is that the cause of multiple sclerosis is multifactorial: There’s no one thing that we know of that causes MS, says Emily Harrington, MD, PhD, a neurologist at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus....

One potential piece of the puzzle if you’re of a mind to tweak your lifestyle: diet. Concrete conclusions with regard to diet and disease are tough to come by because smoking-gun studies that prove a correlation between a food and risk are difficult to do. Lots of studies, for example, are based on people’s recall of what they ate. (If you can’t remember what you had for breakfast yesterday you see the problem....

Acute pancreatitis is the most common form of the condition and often subsides after a few days of treatment. Chronic pancreatitis, on the other hand, is a lasting illness that can cause serious and life-threatening problems. The worldwide prevalence of chronic pancreatitis is about 50 per 100,000 people, according to a 2013 report. (1) It affects men more than women and is most common in middle-aged people. What Are the Causes of Chronic Pancreatitis?...

Learn More About the Differences Between Cold and Flu Symptoms Can a Cold Turn Into the Flu? The common cold and the flu are caused by different viruses. The flu is caused by influenza viruses, while the common cold can be caused by 200 other distinct viruses. Most colds are caused by a type of virus called a rhinovirus, per the CDC. Cold symptoms typically appear about one to three days after exposure to a cold-causing virus, with most cases peaking within two to three days....

There’s no foolproof way to prevent a flare-up, but there are steps you can take to minimize your symptoms and reach remission faster. Here are 10 common mistakes you might be making. Correct them, and you may start feeling better, faster. A variety of medications can treat UC, depending on the severity of your condition and your overall health. While it may be tempting to skip doses once you start feeling better — a report published in the journal Intestinal Research reported that medication adherence is a “significant problem” for people who have inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) — doing so can cause your symptoms to reappear....

The only way to know the diagnosis for certain is to obtain a tissue biopsy. As you already know, the mesenteric lymph nodes are located in the abdomen, near the intestine. Enlargement could have one of several causes, including viral or bacterial infections, parasites or lymphoma. If the nodes can be easily accessed surgically and there are no other medical reasons to avoid surgery, it may be reasonable to try to get a tissue sample for examination....

Constipation, which develops when digested food spends too much time in the colon, can result from a wide range of factors. Common causes of constipation include: A low-fiber dietGI problems, such as irritable bowel syndrome, obstructive tumors, and celiac diseaseTravel and other changes to daily routinesFrequently using laxatives or enemasVarious medications Whatever the cause, constipation is often associated with the same common signs and symptoms. Signs and Symptoms There’s no real “right” number of bowel movements you should have in a day or week — it’s different for each person....