Most of us live in a world with so much comfort compared to our ancestors.

Want that double latte with 2 percent milk? Skim? How about almond milk? Maybe soy?

Can't remember who was the 16th president of the United States? Don't waste time...

Virtually every day we see a new adorable dog or cat video going viral. Cute pet antics are among the Internet's greatest guilty pleasures. We also regularly see studies showing how beneficial having a pet can be. Having a dog, for example, can benefit our blood pressure, our...

The abundance of nutritional research available certainly gives us food for thought when making decisions regarding diet and nutritional supplementation. It can also lead to confusion due to misleading headlines and questionable interpretations of studies.

If you've come across headlines such as "Are Eggs As...

Every human being makes mistakes and will continue to do so. The ability to make mistakes doesn't discriminate based on gender, educational level, or social status. It is part of what makes us human. It is how we handle our mistakes that makes the difference. As Dr. Brian Goldman so...

Recently, a loved one of mine needed to receive blood. He initially had some reservations and concern, mostly because he didn't expect that he would need it (who does?), and the idea of receiving somebody else's blood into his body was new for him.

My friend's need reminded me that...

Sometimes I think coffee is so enjoyable, it seems like it has to be bad for you. Hot, delicious, with the little stimulating kick of caffeine -- how could it not be? And yet it's true: For most people, regular, moderate coffee consumption is not harmful to your health.

In 1987, when Glenn Close was cast as Alex Forrest -- the iconic lead character in Fatal Attraction -- Close met with several psychiatrists. She was hoping to learn more about the obviously troubled lead character. Little did she know, she was also about to learn something more troubling about...

Tonight you'll meditate. You really will.

Tomorrow, you'll figure out a way to fit in that yoga class, between getting your kids to school and making it to work on time.

This week, you'll start inching toward that elusive "work/life" balance you keep...

It was love at first sight. When I went to my local animal shelter more than six years ago, I thought of it as a first step -- I was planning on researching carefully all of my options, visiting several shelters and rescues, and taking my time to find my...

Winter is officially here. It's the season of long nights and short days, of reflection and looking inward, and of thinking of ways to keep warm: scarves, gloves, fireplaces, cuddling... and soup. Ahh, soup.

When I want to remedy that "cold to the bone" wintertime feeling, a delicious steaming bowl...

Dave deBronkart, "e-Patient Dave," was diagnosed with stage IV kidney cancer in 2007. The median survival time for his condition was 24 weeks. Thanks to the help of an online network for patients with his disease, he quickly learned about treatment options and found support for his recovery. The treatment...

When many of us think of mushrooms, we may think of culinary delights such as Portobello and Shiitake, or we may think of those "magic mushrooms." But the implication of mushrooms is absolutely profound. They have the potential to dramatically improve our health and the...

Nothing says refreshment quite like the summertime smoothie. These blended concoctions are a great way to cool down and power up, especially in the summer heat. The downside? Many commercially available smoothies you might find at your local convenience store contain refined sugars, artificial colorings and flavorings, and other unwanted,...

HuffPost Living's Sleep Challenge 2010 gave us a lot of great insights as to the importance of sleep, tips on how to experience better quality and quantity of sleep, and the challenges and obstacles that we face when trying to improve our sleep. Many commenters revealed how they experience high...

This month HuffPost Living has featured an abundance of great articles on the importance of sleep, with excellent tips on how to enhance your slumber from experts in a variety of fields.

An approach that can also aid in the quest for a good night's sleep is that of Chinese...

Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food. -- Hippocrates, father of medicine, 431 B.C.

Eat Food. Not Too much. Mostly Plants. -- Michael Pollan, renowned food expert and journalist, 2007 A.D.

The healing properties of food have been reported by cultures worldwide throughout history. However,...

At-risk teens. Animals abandoned at shelters. Two marginalized groups in great need of love, security, and a chance at living a good life. With an alarmingly-high rate of teen suicide (the third leading cause of death among teens) and over three million unwanted dogs and cats euthanized each in year...

Have you noticed that the pace of our society seems to get faster all the time? People report having less in-depth, meaningful conversations, yet have more breadth of connection--more "contacts" in their online Rolodex. Twitter, Facebook and other new media tools have given us the ability to connect at an...

It might not be much of a surprise when we read about how eating broccoli can lower the risk of certain cancers, or how loaded with antioxidants fruits and vegetables are. It seems that virtually every day we see a report of a newly-discovered health benefit of a fruit or...

In last week's blog, Susan Smalley, Ph.D., founder of the Mindful Awareness Research Center (MARC) at UCLA, shared with us her fascinating journey. After 25 years as a research scientist, she experienced a personal challenge that changed her life and eventually led her to founding MARC.

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