Chocolate: the answer to every special occasion, breakup, last-minute gift, or moment of indulgence. According to the Mayan people, chocolate was considered the “food of the gods.” That’s understandable: When you get a really good piece of chocolate, it can transport you to an otherworldly place. There are several varieties of chocolate, and it’s important to know that dark and milk chocolate differ. “Milk chocolate is a modest percentage of cacao mixed with milk and sugar, which cuts the naturally slightly bitter cacao flavor and makes it creamier,” explains Anna Binder-McAsey, RD, of Rethink Nutrition in Manhattan, Kansas....

RELATED: A Comprehensive Skin-Care Glossary All that is to say, respecting this important organ with smart skin-care habits can help keep you healthy — and, yes, even smooth fine lines and wrinkles, and lessen discoloration. Knowing these cool facts will help you care for your skin as best you can: 1. Your Skin Is Hiding a (Not So Great) Secret Hopefully, you’re diligent about applying a broad-spectrum sunscreen daily now, but there may have been a time in your past when you were not so careful — and those habits may catch up to you....

Too little sleep puts stress on your body, causing it to release hormones, including cortisol. “Cortisol increases insulin resistance and increases blood sugar levels,” Dr. Faiman says. On the other hand, too much sleep may also pose health dangers for people with type 2 diabetes. In a study published in 2020 in Diabetologia, individuals with diabetes who slept more (or less) than seven hours had an elevated risk of dying early, compared with those who got a full seven hours....

In one study, of a multi-cancer early detection test made by Grail Inc., of Menlo Park, California, researchers found that cancer was detected with a high degree of accuracy — along with information on where the tumor originated — in people suspected of having cancer. The test produced a false-positive rate — the rate at which a test comes up positive for cancer when it is not there — of less than 1 percent....

One of these tools is the nicotine patch, a type of nicotine replacement therapy that works by releasing a measured dose of nicotine into the skin, helping to wean smokers off their nicotine addiction and lessen the effects of nicotine withdrawal. Here’s what you need to know about trying it for yourself. Where Can I Find a Nicotine Patch? Before the Food and Drug Administration approved the over-the-counter sale of nicotine patches in 1996, they were available only by prescription; now you can buy a supply at a wide variety of stores, for about $4 a day....

The National Weather Service warns the nor’easter “would likely lead to very dangerous travel conditions and isolated power outages,” and says Boston may see wind gusts of up to 50 miles per hour. If the news of being slammed with a winter snowstorm strikes you as the inevitable “cherry on top” of a year that’s been anything but easy, you’re not alone. “I think that’s the sentiment of everybody who lives where the storm is projected to hit,” says Lily Brown, PhD, the director of the Penn Psychiatry Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety in Philadelphia....

So convinced of the strength of their data, the authors discouraged use of the A1C test alone to rule out diabetes, especially in people with prediabetes or those who are at known risk for the disease. The test has a “significant tendency” for underestimating the prevalence of type 2 diabetes and overestimating normal blood glucose levels, says lead researcher Maria Mercedes Chang Villacreses, MD, a postdoctoral fellow at the City of Hope Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute in Duarte, California....

A growth known as an actinic keratosis — a scaly, crusty skin patch — can result from exposure to the sun. More than 10 million Americans are believed to have one or more actinic keratoses and, besides being unsightly, they put you at risk for skin cancer. Symptoms of Actinic Keratoses An actinic keratosis most often develops on an area of skin that receives frequent sun exposure, such as your:...

But this urgency presents a challenge for physicians, because there is currently no single test that results in a definitive diagnosis of MS. Add to that the fact that MS causes different symptoms in different people, and you’ll see that an accurate diagnosis is rarely straightforward and is largely a process of elimination. In 2000, a set of criteria, known as the McDonald Criteria for the Diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis, aimed to spell out what’s needed to accurately diagnose MS in people with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS), or a single episode of demyelination and the accompanying symptoms, which commonly include blurred vision or vision loss, numbness and tingling in the legs or face, and slurred speech....

You probably know BMI stands for body mass index and that it has to do with weight, but what exactly is BMI used for, and how seriously do you need to consider your BMI and the BMI of your family members? Think of this as your comprehensive guide to all things BMI. Here, you’ll learn what BMI means; how to calculate your number; what a low, normal, or high BMI is; and why the measurement isn’t without its downsides....

Serves 12 (1 muffin cup per serving) Ingredients 3 cups old-fashioned oats1 ½ cups unsweetened soy milk or lowfat cow’s milk2 large eggs¼ cup pure maple syrup½ cup unsweetened apple sauce1 tsp baking powder1 tsp ground cinnamon¼ tsp kosher salt2 tbsp chia seeds1 tsp pure vanilla extract½ cup chopped walnuts1 ½ cups fruit of your choice (berries, apple, pear, or other)Fresh fruit, nuts, coconut for topping (optional) Directions Serve with yogurt or a piece of fruit for a complete meal....

Nearly 900,000 Americans have DVT each year, and 60,000 to 100,000 die of a pulmonary embolism, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Deep vein thrombosis is “mostly a disease of aging,” says Mary Cushman, MD, director of the University of Vermont Medical Center’s Thrombosis and Hemostasis Program, in Burlington. “Among women younger than 30, the annual risk is just 1 in 10,000. There’s a sharp increase around age 40 or 45, and by the time you’re in your eighties, your annual risk is 1 out of 100,” says Dr....

People worldwide believe apple cider vinegar is a cure-all for many common complaints, from skin issues to weight loss and more. The problem is that many of these claims aren’t backed by solid science. According to the Mayo Clinic, studies evaluating apple cider vinegar’s ability to aid weight loss haven’t consistently shown significant and sustainable results across diverse populations. The Cleveland Clinic reports that many people believe in the power of apple cider vinegar to improve digestion....

RELATED: 6 Surprising Alternative Treatments That Worked for People With Diabetes According to an article published in January 2015 in the Indian Journal of Clinical Biochemistry, antioxidants help fight against free radicals, which are molecules produced by behaviors like smoking, drinking alcohol, eating fried food, or being exposed to air pollution or pesticides, and which cause oxidative damage. These behaviors, according to a blog article from Huntington’s Outreach Project for Education at Stanford University, trigger cell dysfunction and may increase your risk for chronic diseases including diabetes....

This type of supportive care is considered a whole-body approach. It addresses a person’s physical, psychological, social, and spiritual needs. Some people choose to have palliative care when their standard treatments stop working, but you can have it at any time during the course of your disease. Palliative care can be given along with traditional medical therapy, such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. How Palliative Care Works Palliative care is sometimes referred to as “supportive care” or “comfort care....

In the past, less attention was paid to the challenges of cerebral palsy in adulthood, but researchers are learning more each day about those challenges and about the best practices in treating adults with cerebral palsy. They agree that adults with cerebral palsy benefit when they and their care providers pay continued attention to their physical, mental, and social health. In addition to the physical demands of cerebral palsy, people with cerebral palsy can experience such health challenges in adulthood as progressive loss of hearing or vision, respiratory problems, osteoporosis, epilepsy, hypertension, kidney stones, and nutritional problems....

The study focused on people with moderate to severe knee osteoarthritis, a condition that typically develops with advanced age as wear and tear on the body erodes cartilage in the joint and makes movement painful. Scientists studied 277 people who took nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for at least one year to manage their pain and a control group of 793 people who didn’t use these medicines. At the start of the study, all of the participants had detailed MRI scans of their knees....

Lung cancer can cause a variety of problems that are sometimes related to the disease itself but may also be side effects of treatment. Recognizing the signs of certain complications can help your doctor devise a plan to treat your symptoms. When Lung Cancer Spreads Lung cancer can spread to different parts of your body, which is known as metastasis. Lung cancer commonly metastasizes to areas such as the brain, bones, liver, and adrenal glands....

The news each day reveals more about the coronavirus and the illness it causes, COVID-19. In early June, the National Psoriasis Foundation’s COVID-19 task force released recommendations for the psoriatic community in response to the pandemic, with an update on July 7. Below, I summarize my takeaways from the recommendations and how they impact me as a person living with severe psoriasis. RELATED: A Guide to Living With Psoriasis During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Help, Resources, and Making a Personal Checklist...

The Centers for Disease Control or Prevention (CDC) recommends avoiding close contact with others on your commute if at all possible. Rather than use public transportation or carpooling, the agency suggests that individuals consider biking, walking, and driving alone or with other members of your household. But following these guidelines may be impossible for the many people who don’t own a car or live in a pedestrian-friendly area. So what’s a commuter to do?...