Living Well Blog

Think of good friends as a tool – not unlike diet and exercise, really – to promote mental and physical health. You can’t measure the benefits directly, but the ripple effect of strong social connections improves heart health, brain function, even your immune system. What if you’re perfectly… See more

We all have a friend or two we’ve known for years and still adore. Too often, these gems don’t live near us anymore. We can count on them for support and great conversation, but that happens by phone and text these days. As much as we love our dearest friends far away, they can’t fulfill our… See more

America has a loneliness problem. A report released in 2020 found that more than three in five adults are lonely. Many say they feel left out, poorly understood or short on companionship. Loneliness is associated with poor health outcomes including cognitive decline, depression and longer… See more

We reach out to friends to solve problems. We call them to share good news. We meet them for walks, for lunch, for card games. All the while, and with every interaction, we grow healthier – without stepping foot in a gym or counting a single calorie. More than 20 years of research connect… See more

Giving the gift of health to your family and friends can be expensive. But this year, you can be a “Healthy Santa," with our list of wellness gift ideas that won’t break the bank.     An Herb Mill is a thoughtful gift for someone who cooks or is trying to… See more

Your holiday lifestyle is probably different than your usual routine. Maybe you consume more calories—a lot more if you’re like most people. Or maybe you stress over juggling social, work and family commitments. Or maybe the shopping, decorating and gift wrapping is enough to push you over the edge… See more

In 2003 a new weight loss fad began emerging—high protein diets. For a while, these high-protein, low-carb diets seemed like the Holy Grail of weight loss.Over time, many people found these diets difficult to sustain and associated with some health issues. The diets fell out of favor as a lifestyle… See more

When you’re stressed out, indulging in your favorite, high-fat comfort foods may hit the spot. But doing so may interfere with your ability to concentrate, according to a study published in … See more

 It can be difficult talking about mental health concerns. There is still a stigma attached to mental illness, which may prevent people from getting the help they need. But mental disorders are so common that 1 in 5 Americans will deal with mental illness at some point in… See more

Most of us are stressed every day (in fact 55 percent in one Gallup poll reported feeling stressed for a good portion of the previous day). Unfortunately, that stress isn’t healthy. Uncontrolled stress is tied to heart disease, asthma, obesity, diabetes, headaches, depression … it’s a long list.… See more