A meal can make your day. Or the wrong one can sink your plans—and your digestive system—like a stone. That’s because all foods don’t digest the same way. Digestibility can even change from person to person. This depends on factors like digestive juices and enzyme activity, microbiome makeup, and anatomical differences. But there are some […]
If your diet is perfect, you can stop reading right now. This story is for people who occasionally hang out with foods best described as bad nutritional influences. That’s because even dietary troublemakers have redeeming qualities and you can find surprising sources of nutrients everywhere. That doesn’t mean your whole diet should—or even can—be filled […]
As you go about your everyday life, you are not alone. No need to be paranoid. You aren’t being haunted by ghosts or followed by anyone. But there is a community of nearly 1,000 different species of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and mites you constantly tote around with you—on your skin. It’s known as the skin […]
The human body is an amazing vessel. But it’s not intended to sit still—like in a modern sedentary lifestyle. Your body was meant to move. It’s made up of 360 joints and nearly 700 skeletal muscles. This allows for a range of motions in every direction. That means running, stretching, jumping, sliding, pushing, pulling, and […]
Parenting isn’t easy. It’s hard enough just making sure your child eats healthy, gets enough sleep, takes baths, and that he or she is physically safe. These are all basic needs parents must meet. This gets harder as children grow because they become more emotionally complex and their needs change. But you can’t hold their […]
The year is 1665. The Taj Mahal in India was completed 12 years ago. In a little over a year, Isaac Newton will witness an apple falling from a tree, sparking an idea. And somewhere in London, the architect and natural philosopher Robert Hooke places a thin slice of cork into the specimen holder of […]
Turns out watching your tongue should apply to more than just your words. There’s a lot that doctors—and you—can tell about your overall health just by looking at the color, size, and texture of your mouth’s unsung hero. You already know that your tongue is essential for tasting and digesting food and for articulating speech. […]
Blame your parents for your hairline. A lack of dimples? Your parents’ fault. The way your ear lobes connect to your head (or don’t) are also the responsibility of your parents. And, of course, there’s more you can’t see in the mirror. Your family health history is embedded in you because that’s what your parents […]
Habits take a long time to form, and aren’t easily altered overnight. Why should intelligent eating be any different? Food cravings are powerful! Even if you start to eat healthier, how can you actually enjoy healthier foods? Like any life change, it’s a process. You need to not only change your diet, but your thinking […]
Your brain is a mystery only it can solve. Unraveling the riddle of how your body’s command center works—perception, the formation of thoughts, memory creation, and more—might seem like daunting, headache-inducing work. But your brain is up to the task. Every second of the day it takes in so much information. Then it links disparate […]
