For starters, beets are a good source of fiber, and deliver potassium and vitamin C, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Cleveland Clinic points to beets as an excellent source of antioxidants and an anti-inflammatory food that may decrease the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Beets are also rich in nitrates, compounds that research has found support heart health....

But they’re not the easiest fruit to cut, which can make prep work a pain — though it doesn’t have to be. With a few simple tricks, cutting fresh mango is easy. Here are the steps you need to know for the best way to cut a mango: How to Cut It: Mango Mango Salsa Serves 8 Ingredients 2 Roma tomatoes, diced2 fresh mangos, diced1 jalapeño, minced (optional)¼ cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped2 scallions, ends removed and sliced1 lime, juiced¾ tsp kosher salt...

Protein You can get all the protein you need from a vegetarian diet. Pulses (beans and peas), legumes, and soy are all rich sources of protein. Good sources of plant protein include whole grains, seeds, nuts, and some vegetables, including brussels sprouts and broccoli, though vegetables are not a significant source of protein. Plant-based meat substitutes have also come a long way in recent years, both in taste and nutrition — just be sure to read the nutrition label to avoid excess sodium and saturated fat....

Will their child have the support they need? Does the school system provide assistive technology to help them reach their full potential? Will they be accepted or bullied by their peers? Parents who start educating themselves early about issues related to school are more likely to find the resources they and their child need, and to arrive at workable solutions by the time school starts than those who leave such questions to the last minute....

This skin condition that causes itching and, typically, raised red spots starts when human itch mites (called Sarcoptes scabiei) burrow under your skin and lay eggs there. In most healthy adults, just 10 to 15 mites can cause scabies. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, immunocompromised or elderly patients are at greater risk for contracting crusted, or Norwegian, scabies — a form of scabies involving an extreme infestation of thousands of mites — and as a result can become highly contagious....

Exposure to unsafe levels of pesticides can result in headaches, dizziness, trouble breathing, or vomiting. Pesticides can also interfere with your hormones and result in birth defects in children, so women who are pregnant should be especially cautious. (3) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention investigated illnesses that resulted from insecticide used to control bedbugs and found about 80 percent of the cases weren’t severe, though one person did die from this exposure....

Routine exercise is an important part of managing diabetes well, and it also may help you reduce your chances of complications from COVID-19, should you become infected with the novel coronavirus. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people with diabetes are among the groups at an elevated risk for complications, especially if their blood sugar is not well managed. “Current research shows that abdominal fat is a driving factor behind the development of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, as well as [a factor that affects] how people manage the condition,” explains Margaret Eckert-Norton, PhD, RN, a certified diabetes educator and nurse practitioner with the diabetic treatment center at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York....

High blood pressure can lead to heart attack and stroke, two of the three leading causes of death for Americans. You can have high blood pressure without experiencing any symptoms — that’s why it’s important to have your blood pressure checked regularly. And even if you know that you have a normal blood pressure reading today, you want to do everything you can to keep it in that healthy range....

And it’s true — it is harder. Many situations in adolescence and young adulthood not only introduce us to lots of new people, but also present repeated opportunities to continue seeing those people and building intimacy. Intimacy, in both platonic and romantic relationships, develops in part because of geographical closeness, says Mahzad Hojjat, PhD, a professor of psychology at University of Massachusetts Dartmouth who researches friendships and close relationships. Being near someone else physically creates more opportunities for bonding, she explains: “The more you see each other, the more you may discover that you share the same interests....

Most often, this happens when part of your intestine pushes through your abdominal wall toward the outside of your body. This is called an external hernia, and it usually affects the lower abdomen and groin. Each type of hernia has different causes, which means that the steps you can take to prevent them will also be somewhat different. Not all hernias, though, are preventable. There are certain factors outside your control — such as prior abdominal surgery, and muscle weakness that you’re born with — that can lead to a hernia no matter what preventive steps you take....

For those with IBD, “flares” unfortunately come with the territory. They’re periods of active gastrointestinal (GI) inflammation that result in painful and often disruptive symptoms, making it challenging to figure out what to eat without further exacerbating things. While every IBD patient’s nutritional needs, disease course, and tolerance to different foods is unique, there are certain easily digestible foods that are generally well tolerated, may help lower inflammation, and will promote a healthy gut microbiome and provide nutrients the body needs to heal....

“Mentally, I find it very difficult to motivate myself,” Knott says, adding that symptoms like fatigue also make it hard for him to go to the gym after work — he usually goes home to rest up instead. Facing the Complications from Obesity Knott is one of a growing number of people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) who are struggling with weight issues. A study published in February 2017 in the journal Nature Reviews Gastroenterology and Hepatology reported that 15 to 40 percent of people with IBD are overweight or obese....

“Since plant-based diets are on everyone’s lips these days, it’s no surprise that jackfruit would become [popular],” says Bonnie Taub-Dix, RDN, the New York City–based author of Read It Before You Eat It: Taking You From Label to Table. “Like tofu, jackfruit takes on the flavor of other foods and spices paired with it,” Taub-Dix says. “So feel free to add it to your favorite dishes to pump up the volume and help you feel full without adding lots of calories....

Think of your knee joint as a machine. As you use it, the parts — in this case cartilage — start to wear down. As the cells in your cartilage sustain damage over the years, they produce inflammatory substances in an attempt to stimulate healing and repair. But this self-repair process can go wrong, and excess inflammation leads to joint damage instead. The result: pain, stiffness, and more. In people with osteoarthritis, the cartilage breaks down and thins out, causing the space between the cartilage and bones to collapse and the bones to rub against each other....

“I want a divorce.” Those are easily four of the most devastating words a wife can hear. Divorce can leave you depressed, lonely, financially strapped and wondering, Now what? “Initially, you feel like you’re never going to get through because you’re just so turned upside down,” says Vikki Stark, MSW, a Canadian family therapist and author of Runaway Husbands(Green Light Press), whose own husband of 20-plus years left her without warning....

“Black adults have the highest rates of high blood pressure in the United States, and, for reasons we don’t fully understand, it starts at a younger age and results in strokes, heart attacks, heart failure, chronic kidney disease, and other serious hypertension-related health problems occurring at an earlier age as well,” says the senior study author, Stephen Sidney, MD, MPH, a research scientist at the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, California....

Sleep problems also have a snowball effect: A lack of sleep can exacerbate an RA flare, and when you’re feeling fatigued, it’s harder to deal with RA symptoms like joint pain. To add fuel to the fire, sleep problems have been linked to an increased risk of depression, as well as a decreased ability for people with RA to carry out day-to-day tasks. How to Curb RA-Related Sleep Problems There are plenty of strategies you can try to help get better sleep....

Consequences of Untreated GERD Ignoring GERD can be dangerous. The effects of untreated GERD include esophagitis, an inflammation of the esophagus due to chronic exposure to stomach acids, which can lead to bleeding, esophageal ulcers, and potentially cancer. GERD that isn’t treated can also lead to difficulty swallowing due to the narrowing of the esophagus from the buildup of scar tissue. “Chronic acid exposure in the esophagus can be associated with the potential for esophageal cancer,” says Eric Esrailian, MD, MPH, section head of the department of general gastroenterology at the University of California, Los Angeles....

“Decades of incredible work conducted by lupus researchers have resulted in major advancements in lupus treatments over the last year,” says Stevan W. Gibson, the president and CEO of the Lupus Foundation of America. “Some of the longest and largest clinical trials for lupus drug treatments have been conducted. In the last six months alone, we have seen two treatments receive U.S. Food and Drug Administration [FDA] approval for lupus nephritis [kidney damage related to lupus]....

Measles is a potentially serious respiratory disease caused by the measles virus. The illness is highly contagious and is easily spread through coughing and sneezing, particularly since the virus can survive for up to two hours outside the human body, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). You can get measles if you breathe in contaminated air or touch your eyes, nose, or mouth after touching a contaminated surface — especially if you haven’t received the measles vaccine....