HealthHacks

Do apricot seeds really contain cyanide?

Palm reader (not that kind) tells clients their antioxidant levels.

Curing asthma using hookworms…a personal account.

Monday’s child is full of face, Tuesday’s child is full of grace, but spring’s child is more likely to need therapy.

The BBC begins a new series on the science of happiness tonight. At least one American is depressed he can’t get the BBC’s programming here.

Unable to get people to care about pesticide dangers, scientists devise a new approach.

When you use melatonin makes all the difference.

While exercise won’t make you invincible, it will accelerate how fast your wounds heal.

How you decorate your home may determine your waist size.

How can you boost your metabolism naturally?

Apparently, there is a weed that successfully treats skin cancers.

[tags] health, fitness, antioxidants, metabolism, cancer, diet, happiness, exercise [/tags]

Not according to Dr. Sarah Weitzul, assistant professor of dermatology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

She says that the most important thing to keep your skin looking young is an inexpensive sunscreen. Look for one that blocks both UVA and UVB rays.

Also useful: products that contain retinoids, and products that contain hydroxy acids. These boost collagen production, and may reverse some sun damage. She recommends using a product that contains just one of these ingredients.

More here.

[tags] sun damage, sunscreen, skin, skincare [/tags]

Nearly everyone who has spent time in front of a computer has experienced eyestrain — that feeling of dry, tired, sore eyes — but can too much time on a computer actually case more permanent damage?

When I started working after college — and spending up to 12 hours a day online, I noticed that my eyes rapidly deteriorated from a prescription strength of roughly -2.25 to -4.50 within the course of a year. I had always wondered if it was a coincidence, or if the two were related. According to research on the issue, it was mere coincidence — though the issue remains controversial.

Some have pointed to computer use to explain the enormous increase in myopia seen in children recently. This, of course, proves nothing; but their vision is more likely to be susceptible because their eyes are still developing.

Regardless of the long term effects, you can help reduce temporary eyestrain with just a few adjustments and some simple eye exercises.

[tags] eyes, vision, computers, ergonomics, myopia [/tags]

I can’t believe they are actually going to do this, but according to recent reports McDonald’s is set to introduce — a least for a limited time — a Bigger Big Mac. Weighing in at 690 calories, the new burger will be 40% larger and pack-in 130 more calories than the current version.

Set to debut in Europe, the burger is being introduced to coincide with the Summer World Cup games.

This is an amazing move given all the money and effort they put into rebranding themselves after the film Super Size Me. That movie effectively killed super sizing, and forced the company to emphasize their healthy menu items (at least in the commercials). Just this week they rolled out an adult happy meal complete with exercise video.

So, why risk their image and roll this thing out then? These things sell, salads don’t.

Still it’s a surprising move.

[tags] fast food, McDonald’s, Big Mac, hamburgers [/tags]

If you suffer from chronic headaches, you may have been told to avoid certain trigger foods such as chocolate, MSG, and caffeine. What you may not know is that foods such as bananas, nuts, and even veggie burgers can contribute to the problem — up to 72 hours after you eat them. This can make it very difficult to isolate which food is the culprit.

NPR talks to David Buchholz a neurologist at Johns Hopkins University and author of the book Heal Your Headache about how to stop the pain.