If you’re like most people, you brush twice a day. But if you mindlessly move your toothbrush around your mouth, your oral hygiene routine may be ineffective or worse: It may be harming your tooth enamel. Keep reading to learn the best way to floss and brush to keep your teeth and gums healthy. Bone Up on Brushing Humans have been brushing their teeth since 3500 B.C. In ancient Babylonia people chewed on the ends of sticks to create a frayed end for tooth scrubbing. Over time and across cultures, people have constructed toothbrushes out of sticks, bones, and animal hairs, and made toothpaste … [Read more...]

Plain yellow, spicy brown, tangy Dijon, pebbly whole grain: However you like your mustard, its uses extend far beyond your sandwich, burger, wrap, or hot dog. In addition to adding flavor and depth to foods, all varieties of mustard have plenty of notable health benefits. Here are five new ways to enjoy this tangy condiment and do your body some extra good too. 1. Benefit: Fight or prevent cancer and other diseases Mustard seeds come from a plant that’s in the same Brassica botanical family as broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower. Brassica vegetables have several notable nutritional and health … [Read more...]

Nausea: It’s one of those universal human experiences we can all commiserate with. In fact, it’s estimated that each year half of the adult population experiences at least one bout of nausea, which may or may not lead to vomiting. That makes sense because there are many reasons people feel nauseous.What to Eat and Drink When You Feel Nauseous If you feel sick to your stomach, eating or drinking may be the last thing on your mind. And if your symptoms only last for a short time, abstaining could be the right thing to do.However, if your symptoms persist for more than a couple of … [Read more...]

We all know the phrase “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” So why isn’t there an equivalent rhyme for how much water we should drink? Water is arguably one of the most important items we can—and need to—add to our diet. In fact, we should think of it as a nutrient, just like we do with the vitamins and minerals we get from fruits and veggies.There are well known—and surprising—health benefits to drinking water. We’ll break those down and then dive into tips to drink more water no matter how busy you are. Benefits of H2O Before we explain how to drink more water, let’s talk about why … [Read more...]

Google “celebrity stretch marks” or search for #LoveYourLines on Instagram, and you’ll find that stretch marks can happen to anyone. The long, narrow streaks, stripes, or lines occur when the collagen and elastic tissue in the skin is damaged from stretching quickly, such as during puberty, pregnancy, or during rapid weight gain. Rapid weight loss can also cause stretch marks if excess skin pulls on healthy skin. Stretch marks are more common in women than men and frequently occur on the stomach, thighs, hips, breasts, upper arms, and lower back. They’re typically red or purple at first and … [Read more...]

Having strong and healthy fingernails is more important than a good looking manicure. In fact, what your nails look and feel like has more health significance than you may realize. Nails can actually tell you a lot about what’s going in your body, including if you have any deficiencies, thyroid issues, or more severe illnesses and diseases.We’ll dive into all the potential issues your nails may signal and what those issues can mean. (Do note, however, that this advice shouldn’t take the place of speaking with a medical professional. If something looks and feels off, the first thing you … [Read more...]

Storing food in the right place isn’t just about flavor, it’s about food safety. Some foods in your pantry or on your counter should be refrigerated—and some guidelines might surprise you. Here are 13 foods that should go from your pantry to the fridge.Condiments Ketchup, mustard, mayo, horseradish, and barbecue sauce can contain enough vinegar or other acid to make them shelf-stable, but once opened, refrigeration keeps them fresher longer. Opened mayo may be stored in the fridge for up to a month, and ketchup, mustards, and barbecue sauce for up to a year. Fruit spreads Fruit spreads … [Read more...]

While motherhood brings lots of joy, it also brings a whole lot of changes to your body. One change many women don’t talk about is diastasis recti, a condition that affects the abdominal muscles and connective tissue. Let’s take a look at the causes of diastasis, how to spot it, and what you can do about it. What Is Diastasis Recti? Diastasis recti (DR) occurs when the front fascial connection between the two muscle bellies of rectus abdominis—also known as the linea alba—thins. In other words, the connective tissue that holds the two sections of your top abdominals together stretches out … [Read more...]

With all the different diet techniques available, it’s sometimes difficult to know what actually works. You may hear “low carb” or “Whole30” on the daily, but those diets restrict certain types of foods—and nobody likes to say no to foods they enjoy. Enter intermittent fasting (IF). This protocol, which is less of a diet and more an eating pattern, focuses on when you eat instead of what you eat. To do it, you simply have short and recurring cycles of not eating (called fasting) followed by windows of eating. IF is based on the notion that regular, short fasts help your body burn fat more … [Read more...]