Living Well Blog

It’s the holiday season – a time of joy, cheer and heartburn. Mainstream holiday fare – high-fat foods, alcohol and desserts – can trigger heartburn. Of course, heartburn isn’t just a holiday thing – many of us experience bad heartburn anytime we eat foods that are spicy or high in fat or drink… See more

Back pain is a major public health issue and one of the most frequent complaints to doctors. About16 million Americans struggle with chronic back pain and another nearly 65 million people report recent back pain.  Back pain can diminish your quality of life. For example, if you work, there’s a… See more

Nearly half of American adults have high blood pressure, according to a report from the American Heart Association. High blood pressure stiffens the arteries, decreasing the flow of oxygen… See more

Knee pain can interfere with your ability to move, workout and perform daily activities. It also can affect your overall quality of life. While therapies are available to manage and treat knee pain, some of the most effective ways to address arthritis-related knee pain and stiffness are… See more

There’s been an uptick in kidney cancer media attention since 46-year-old Brad Arnold, lead singer for the rock band 3 Doors Down, was diagnosed with stage 4 kidney cancer. Kidney cancer, along with other kidney diseases, is a major public health concern. While these conditions affect a small… See more

While many of the medical elements of Alzheimer’s disease remain a mystery for researchers, it’s increasingly obvious that lifestyle choices heavily influence our risk for this debilitating disease.  With that in mind, researchers from Rush University Medical Center developed the MIND diet in… See more

Legendary musician Billy Joel recently cancelled his current tour after being diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), which is also known as water on the brain.  This rare condition can develop if the flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is blocked. CSF helps absorb shock, protecting… See more

Can eating potassium-rich foods like bananas help keep hypertension in check? According to a new study, eating a diet rich in potassium seems to counteract the effect of foods with too much salt on blood pressure.  Almost 50 percent of American adults have high blood pressure. Hypertension is… See more

American adults love napping. In fact, 80.7 percent of U.S. adults reported napping at least 10 minutes in the past three months, according to a survey conducted by the Sleep Foundation. Results from the same survey also showed that 30.5 percent of Americans nap more than twice a week.  While… See more

Many household and personal care products list the chemical compounds phthalates among their ingredients. Phthalates are often referred to as “everywhere chemicals,” because they’re commonly used and continuously leach into the environment.  They’re typically added to polyvinyl chloride (PVC)… See more