Daily Health News Blog

People who meditate regularly say it provides mental, spiritual, and physical benefits. Even some mainstream doctors recommend meditation to help treat chronic pain, high blood pressure, and other ailments. How it works is not fully understood, though research is accumulating--and encouraging. Meditation helps you draw attention inward and calm the mind. It comes in many forms, which typically involve combinations of postures, breathing, sound, visualizations, and/or movement. Transcendental Meditation, for example, focuses on a mantra, which can be a word, phrase, or sound that is repeated with every slow breath. Zen Buddhist meditation involves sitting in special positions as you direct your awareness to your posture and breathing. Another popular form is mindfulness meditation, which also comes out of the Buddhist tradition. You practice being aware of the present by observing your thoughts, feelings, and sensations, without making judgments or allowing yourself to think abo

When it comes to dieting, losing the initial weight is the “easy” part. Keeping the weight off is harder. Here’s what it takes to be a successful weight-loss maintainer. A large study in the  American Journal of Preventive Medicine  has found that dieting and long-term weight control require some different tactics. In particular, successful weight-loss maintainers are more likely to: • Eat lots of low-fat sources of protein. • Follow a consistent exercise routine. • Reward themselves for sticking to their diet or exercise plan. • Remind themselves why they need to control their weight. That’s in addition to practices common in both successful dieting and weight-loss maintenance, such as eating lots of fruits and vegetables, controlling portions, planning what you’ll buy before going to the store, and reading nutrition labels. Previous research by the National Weight Control Registry (NWCR), which tracks people who have lost at least 30 pounds and kept it off for at leas

(BPT) - The new year is widely accepted as a time to start fresh, and every year people make resolutions to better themselves. For many, this means vowing to make lifestyle changes to improve how they look and feel. However, sticking to restrictive diets and intense workout programs can be difficult and not sustainable for most people. Before you get hooked by the annual flood of diet tips and gym promotions, focus on a few key areas to commit to a healthier lifestyle for 2013. Consume whole foods  Adding more whole foods into your everyday diet is a natural way to obtain the nutrients your body craves without feeling like you're making a drastic change. One of the easiest ways to do this is by incorporating fresh juices into your daily routine. Whole-food juicing is a quick and easy way to get several servings of fruits and vegetables at once, making it a perfect on-the-go solution for those juggling hectic schedules. Simply toss whole fruits, vegetables, or a combinatio

It would be a dream come true if we could all be good sleepers. But for many of us who are not, sleeping pills are a help. Or are they? Actually, sleeping pills are usually of limited effectiveness, all have potential risks, and none have been tested for long-term safety. That’s why most of the pills have been approved only for short-term use. Now a study in the online journal  BMJ Open  has linked prescription sleeping pills to a surprisingly high risk of premature death. The risk of dying over a 2.5-year period was four times higher among pill users, a finding that held up after the data were adjusted for many health and lifestyle factors. Even occasional users had a higher death rate, though the risk increased with more frequent use. This is not the first study linking sleeping pills to higher death rates. Many factors are involved. The drugs can cause falls and car crashes, even the next day, and may worsen depression. The study also found that people taking at least

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news , world news , and news about the economy

(BPT) - Whether you're resolving to eat healthy, begin an exercise routine, save money or update your wardrobe, many of these resolutions are easier said than done, as people aren't sure where to start or how to get motivated to make these important life changes. Nearly one third of people who made resolutions in 2012 failed to sick with them, according to a recent survey by MSN and Impulse. Nationally recognized nutrition expert and published author Keri Glassman offers these tips for jumpstarting and maintaining a healthy lifestyle this new year. *New year, clean pantry - More than 30 percent of people want to eat healthier in the new year, either by eliminating junk food or pursuing a specific diet. Set aside a little time to raid the pantry and clean out items that are old, unhealthy or any that you might be prone to overconsume. Throw food out or, better yet, donate to a local food pantry and make room for new, healthier foods. This exercise also helps you get or

Small easy changes can lead to sustainable weight loss and healthier eating habits Previous research conducted by Dr. Brian Wansink through the Food and Brand Lab has shown that making small easy changes to our eating habits on a consistent basis can lead to sustainable weight loss. The challenge lies in figuring out which changes work for each individual and how to stick with them long enough to make them second nature. To find answers to these questions, Cornell University researchers launched the National Mindless Eating Challenge (NMEC), an online healthy eating and weight loss program which focused on simple eating behavior changes, instead of dieting.