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Smoothies have become a daily staple for many health-conscious eaters. And that’s no surprise: They’re a foolproof way to combine fruit, veggies, yogurt, and healthy nuts and nut butters into one delicious meal. To add smoothies to your lineup of healthy, filling food options, you’ll need a blender that’s up for the task. Unfortunately, many models on the market fall short for a number of reasons: They don’t blend into a consistent texture, they struggle to puree common ingredients like nuts or leafy greens, or they leave tiny ice chunks suspended throughout every smoothie (which some people like and others can’t stand)....

People living with HIV need to incorporate healthy habits into their lifestyle. Follow these eight tips for healthy living with HIV: Practice safe sex. This is paramount on the list. Says Dr. Englund, “Practicing safe sex is essential.” Understand how the virus is transmitted to reduce the risk of infecting others. Use condoms not only to avoid the spread of HIV, but also to protect both you and your partner against other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and other types of infections....

One concern for people seeking treatment for hepatitis C is cost. When these medications were introduced, the cost of one full treatment course could reach about $100,000 per patient. Pharmaceutical companies began producing generic versions, which lowered the price to $24,000 —still, a significant cost. Fortunately, many insurance plans offer coverage for the treatment, and several resources are available for those who need financial assistance. Take, for instance, Albert Pannell, who received funding to pay for his hepatitis C therapy through Medicare....

In fact, even if you dutifully work out every day, sitting for at least 13 hours a day and taking fewer than 4,000 steps per day can blunt the benefits of that exercise, increasing the risk of insulin resistance, poor blood sugar control, and a high level of the fatty acids called triglycerides. This, in turn, increases the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease, as suggested by research published in April 2019 in the Journal of Applied Physiology....

What many people don’t realize is that the pancreas — and the enzymes it produces — are essential for digestion, says Kristi King, RDN, MPH, a clinical instructor at Baylor College of Medicine in Texas; senior pediatric dietitian at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston; and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “Pancreatic enzymes are used to digest all three macronutrients: carbohydrates, proteins, and fats,” she explains. “Without adequate amounts of the enzymes, malabsorption of the macronutrients are bound to occur....

The obsession with almonds can be traced way back to 1400 B.C., when the nuts were mentioned in the Bible. Later, almond trees took root in modern-day Spain, Morocco, Greece, and Israel, and eventually, almond trees found a home in California. But it wasn’t until the 20th century that the California almond industry blossomed. Today, almonds grow on over half a million acres and are the state’s top agricultural export....

The findings, published in September 2019 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, analyzed 44,000 American adults’ eating habits from 1999 to 2016. Researchers found that refined carbohydrate intake fell by 3 percent, but low-quality carbs, including white bread, white potatoes, and processed snack foods like crackers and cakes, still accounted for about 42 percent of the typical American’s daily calories. Healthy high-quality carbs that come from vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, including brown rice, whole-wheat bread, and whole-wheat pasta, made up only 9 percent of calories consumed....

Given that addiction is such a serious mental health concern, researchers have evaluated the efficacy of telehealth in comparison with in-person treatment for addiction. A literature review published in Psychiatric Services in October 2021 reported that seven out of the eight published studies they reviewed found telehealth addiction treatment to be as effective as in-person treatment, though not more effective. The review noted that telehealth may improve access and convenience for patients to encourage better engagement with treatment....

But you might be better off with a newer type of blood-thinning medication, such as Xarelto (rivaroxaban), Pradaxa (dabigatran), Eliquis (apixaban), or Savaysa (edoxaban) — collectively known as non–vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants, or NOACs. In January 2019, the American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology, and the Heart Rhythm Society joined together to recommend NOACs as the preferred alternative to warfarin in a focused update to their atrial-fibrillation guideline....

Sitting for extended periods of time increases the risk for VTE, which can take the form of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a clot that typically forms in the deep veins of the legs, potentially causing painful symptoms in the area. A clot may also travel to your lungs and restrict or cut off blood flow, known as pulmonary embolism (PE) — a potentially life-threatening emergency. While it’s important to take the risk for blood clots seriously if you have underlying risk factors, most people can travel without any undue risk for VTE, according to David Garcia, MD, a professor of hematology at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle....

Many people with the condition experience nausea, vomiting, and an urgent need to run to the bathroom when they first wake up, says Ashwin Ananthakrishnan, MBBS, MPH, a gastroenterologist with the Massachusetts General Hospital Digestive Healthcare Center’s Crohn’s and Colitis Center in Boston. It can take some people two to three hours to finish their morning bathroom routine — and that’s before eating breakfast, which can trigger yet another trip to the toilet, he says....

Another board-certified dermatologist, Jamie MacKelfresh, MD, an associate professor of dermatology at the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, concurs. “Acne on the buttocks is not like the true acne you get on your face, chest, or back,” Dr. MacKelfresh says. RELATED: Why ‘Bacne’ Happens and How to Get Rid of It In general, acne is defined as plugged pores, pimples, and cysts (which go deeper under the skin than pimples) that occur on the face, neck, shoulders, upper arms, and upper back or chest....

You may be wondering if a complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapy like yoga or acupuncture could help you manage your treatment and symptoms better. Although research on the benefits is far from conclusive, for many people the answer is yes. CAM therapies can’t increase your odds of survival, but they can help relax you when you’re undergoing chemotherapy or surgery, says Jessica Geiger, MD, an oncologist at Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center who specializes in head and neck cancer....

That list includes major physical and mental illnesses. “Very early in the infection, the organism invades the bloodstream and the lymphatic system. This can happen even before the first chancre [sore],” says Sheila A. Lukehart, PhD, a professor emeritus at the University of Washington in Seattle and an expert on Treponema pallidum, the bacterium that causes syphilis. This delicate, spiral-shaped microorganism can easily pervade every corner of your body. It invades the heart, bones, and digestive tract....

Hallucinations are, indeed, a part of the condition, says Matthew Barrett, MD, an assistant professor of neurology at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. “These symptoms may be worsened by certain medications,” he says, “but if symptoms become bothersome, there are other medications that can help.” So be sure to tell your doctor about your symptoms. Meanwhile, here are some strategies that might help ease the symptoms of Parkinson’s related psychosis....

That’s because people with MS who use many of the available disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) approved for reducing MS relapses and slowing MS progression are high on the risk scale if they are living in proximity to the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, or to other viral outbreaks. It’s one of the reasons we are always advised to get the annual flu shot. The WHO’s Protective Plan of Action for Everyone Let’s start with the basics....

People get sick with COVID-19 when respiratory droplets and aerosols carrying the virus come in contact with the eyes, mouth, and nose. And gyms are high-touch, close-proximity spaces where vigorous exercise increases the range at which people exhale respiratory particles because they’re breathing more heavily, says Iahn Gonsenhauser MD, chief quality and patient safety officer with The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus. “Gyms in general are probably one of the highest-risk spaces of all of our reopening and returns,” he says — but vaccines, updated safety precautions, and new variants of the novel coronavirus have changed (and continue to change) the equation....

This week, the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital published its National Poll on Children’s Health (PDF) that highlighted the severity of body image issues among children and teens. Researchers surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,653 parents of at least one child between 8 and 18 years old. Nearly two-thirds of parents said their child is self-conscious about some aspect of their appearance, with skin concerns (like acne), weight, and hair being the top issues reported....

Excessive thirstLess-frequent urinationDark-colored urineDry mouth and tongueDry skinTirednessSunken eyes or cheeksLight-headedness or faintingDecreased skin turgor (when the skin is pinched and released, it does not return to normal right away) Call 911 immediately if: The person loses consciousness at any timeThere is any other change in the person’s alertness, such as confusion or seizuresThe person has a fever over 103 degrees FYou notice symptoms of heatstroke, including rapid pulse or rapid breathingThe person’s condition does not improve, or gets worse despite treatment

This health condition affects everyone, but it disproportionately affects Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that prevalence of diabetes diagnoses is 14.7 percent among American Indians/Alaska Natives, nearly double that of white people (7.5 percent) in the United States. Diabetes has also been diagnosed in 12.5 percent of Hispanic people, 11.7 percent of non-Hispanic Black people, and 9.2 percent of non-Hispanic Asian people....