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Before you order your favorite Greek pita wrap or freshen up your cat’s litter box, you might want to pause and reconsider. It’s well-known that pregnant women need to avoid alcohol and sushi, but what is not as widely understood is why those items, and others, are off-limits. Knowing what you should avoid can help you prevent serious infections and make healthy, lower-risk choices. 

For the past 50 years, the American Red Cross has joined forces with hospitals and blood banks across the country to replenish our nation’s crucial blood supply. The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified the need. But before you schedule that appointment, you should make some tweaks in your diet.

Only 5 to 10 percent of all cancers are hereditary, but research reveals that family history can increase your chances of developing cancer. Factors that determine your risk include the type of cancer in your family, how old your relatives were when they were diagnosed, and whether other family members have the same type of cancer. If there is a hereditary form of cancer in your family, you might be at a high risk of developing the same type. 

At this point, most of us understand the hazards of smoking cigarettes and cigars. It’s been well proven that these products increase your risk for heart disease, hypertension and heart attack. But what about other types of smoking?

Imagine you’re out walking the dog and it spots a squirrel just before yanking you off your feet.  Breaking the fall with an outstretched arm, you feel a jarring pain in your shoulder and arm. Two days later, the pain has not gotten any better. And you can’t raise your arm over your head without discomfort. Every year, two to four million people in the United States suffer rotator cuff injuries like this. 

We all know exercise is good for us — that is, unless we overdo it and end up with a sprained ankle, pulled muscle or other injury. Warming up is the best way to get your body ready for exercise. Understanding how and when to warm up can help you get the most out of your workout while minimizing injuries. 

Mention the word “plaque,” and your heart probably isn’t the first image that comes to mind. But as we age, the accumulation of plaque, or fatty deposits, in the arteries can be a silent threat to cardiovascular health. As plaque builds up, blood vessels get inflamed and then arteries thicken and narrow. This process, which can result in a lack of blood flow to the heart and cause chest pain, shortness of breath and fatigue, is known as atherosclerosis.

Thanksgiving Day is all about gratitude — and the traditional food on your table. But that doesn’t mean that the holiday menu has to be a nutritional nightmare. There are ways to keep calories in check without missing out on the flavors you love.

Springing forward for daylight saving time can wreak unexpected havoc on our lives as we attempt to adjust. Losing an hour can lead to sleep deprivation, and that can even affect our hormone levels, meaning temporary changes in appetite, an increase in our cravings, as well as accidental overeating, are possible.

If you have fast or extra heartbeats, you might be suffering from atrial fibrillation, or AFib, a heart condition that affects millions of Americans. AFib can lead to more serious conditions, but there are ways to manage it.