Be Well

FILE - A child keeps cool beneath misters along the Las Vegas Strip, Friday, June 16, 2017, in Las Vegas. Pediatricians suggest keeping your child hydrated and avoiding prolonged sun exposure to keep heat illness at bay. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)

Kids spend a lot of time outside in the summer. Here’s how to deal with their common injuries

Summer means playgrounds, pools, bikes and being outside for kids. Pediatricians say it can also mean more potential for injuries like dehydration, sunburns and scrapes.

FILE - Swimmers try to stay cool in near 100 degree temperatures at Red Oaks Waterpark in Madison Heights, Mich., June 28, 2012. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4. It's also the second leading cause of unintentional death for those ages 5 to 14. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)

What to know about water safety before heading to the beach or pool this summer

The dating app Bumble is shown on a smart phone on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in New York. Plenty of happy couples can trace their meet-cute moment to an online dating app. But many others find the never-ending process of likes, swipes, taps and awkward DMs that go nowhere to be exhausting. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan)

Ever feel exhausted by swiping through dating apps? You might be experiencing burnout

This undated image shows a variety of homemade popsicles made with natural sweeteners by Jessica Gavin, a certified culinary scientist. (Jessica Gavin via AP)

Orange creamsicle or minty watermelon? Homemade popsicles are healthier than in the freezer aisle

FILE - A Morehouse College student lines up before the school commencement, May 19, 2024, in Atlanta. With graduation season over, many college grads are embarking on summer internships or their first full-time jobs.(AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File)

Starting your first post-graduation job? Here’s how to organize your finances

More wellness news

FILE - James Pelletier holds his dog, a papillon-Chihuahua mix named Lilly, at his Seattle home on June 30, 2023. Pelletier has tried new methods to help Lilly get through the stress of July Fourth fireworks, including placing sound-dulling foam over a basement window and playing loud recorded synthesizer sounds in an attempt to drown out the fireworks sounds. (AP Photo/Gene Johnson, File)

ThunderShirts, dance parties and anxiety meds can help ease dogs’ July Fourth dread

Much of the U.S. may be looking forward to July Fourth for dazzling displays of fireworks or setting off firecrackers and poppers with neighbors.

FILE - A poison ivy plant appears at Lancaster County Park, in Lancaster, Pa., on July 22, 2010. Botanically known as Toxicodendron radicans, poison ivy contains oily chemical compounds called urushiols in its leaves, stems and roots. (Marty Heisey/LNP/LancasterOnline via AP, File)

Getting rid of poison ivy is a serious matter. What you should and shouldn’t do

Leaves of three, let it be. That’s the old childhood rhyme about how to identify poison ivy so you can avoid it at all costs.

This Nov. 2005 file photo shows future parents awaiting the arrival of their first child in Carlsbad, Calif. When you're expecting a baby, you hope nothing goes wrong. But at least one in 20 pregnant patients develops a scary complication called preeclampsia, a high blood pressure disorder that kills 70,000 women and 500,000 babies worldwide every year. New blood tests promise to help doctors predict and manage the condition. (AP Photo/Julie Busch, file)

Preeclampsia can be fatal for pregnant people and babies. New blood tests aim to show who’s at risk

At least one in 20 people who are pregnant develop a scary complication called preeclampsia, a high blood pressure disorder that kills 70,000 women and 500,000 babies worldwide every year.

Shigeo Takahashi, 83, uses a pec deck machine as he works out at the Fukagawa Sports Center in Tokyo, Wednesday, June 12, 2024. If you are getting up there in years, weight-resistance training might deliver unexpected benefits. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)

Looking for the Fountain of Youth? Try the gym and weight-resistance training

You’re getting up there in years. Maybe you haven’t thought about going to the gym and taking up weight-resistance training. Dr. Marcas Bamman thinks you should.

A plate of green beans picked from a home garden is prepared in a saute pan in Chatham, Mass. on July 28, 2021. Nutrition experts say you can improve your health anywhere by mimicking at least one aspect of the diet — eat whatever fruits and vegetables are in season. (AP Photo/Carolyn Lessard)

Mediterranean diet or not, eating seasonally can be good for you

It’s been years since scientists established that the Mediterranean diet really is good for you. But nutrition experts say you can improve your health anywhere by mimicking at least one aspect of the diet — eat whatever fruits and vegetables are in season.

Wyatt Seymore pours the last drops of liquid from a water bottle into his mouth as he takes a break from unloading a stiflingly hot trailer of fireworks outside Powder Monkey Fireworks ahead of the opening of the stand, Monday, June 17, 2024, in Weldon Spring, Mo. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

If you can’t stay indoors during this US heat wave, here are a few ideas

It’s hot and getting hotter for workers and everyone else outdoors as the first significant heat wave of the year makes its way eastward across the United States.

Dr. Lisa Walling greets her 13-year-old hospice patient, Rugby, a Newfoundland, in the dog's home in Bedford, N.Y., on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. As an end-of-life care veterinarian, Walling considers both pet and owner to be her patients. She’s there to make sure animals are as comfortable as possible in their final days, and help humans through the difficult decision of knowing when it’s time to say good-bye. At a later visit, after Rugby had deteriorated further, she euthanized her surrounded by her family. (AP Photo/Mary Conlon)

How to navigate the end of your pet’s life

There are a number of options available to help aging pets and their caregivers, including hospice and palliative care, at-home euthanasia and a growing community of so-called pet death doulas.

A man on a bike photographs the sunset at the Great Salt Lake Thursday June 13, 2024, near Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

A large part of the US is preparing for a heat wave. Here’s how to stay safe

A heat wave will bring dangerously hot temperatures to the Midwest and Northeast next week, with health officials urging people to make plans now to stay safe.

FILE - A woman walks to her room at a senior care home in Calistoga, Calif., on Dec. 5, 2019. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)

Lower your risk of falling as you get older with these simple steps

One in four older adults in the U.S. fall each year, putting them at risk of injury, broken bones and even death. Falls are not inevitable.

FILE - A patient prepares to take the first of two combination pills, mifepristone, for a medication abortion during a visit to a clinic in Kansas City, Kan., on, Oct. 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)

Abortion pill access is unchanged after the Supreme Court’s decision. Here’s what you need to know

A unanimous Supreme Court ruling means the abortion pill mifepristone remains available in the United States, even through the mail.

Prince Bhojwani sits on Charlies Bunion mountain along the Appalachian Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee on April 17, 2022. (Nita Bhojwani via AP)

Here’s how you can improve your health by stopping negativity and embracing optimism

Do you tend to see things as glass half full or glass half empty? Numerous studies over the years have demonstrated a link between a positive outlook and good health outcomes.

Kate Bulkeley uses her phone to print textbook pages while Sutton packs art materials ahead of a ski vacation, Friday, Feb. 16, 2024, in Westport, Conn. It is hard to be a teenager today without social media. For those trying to stay off social platforms at a time when most of their peers are immersed, the path can be challenging, isolating and at times liberating. It can also be life-changing. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

Life as a teen without social media isn’t easy. These families are navigating adolescence offline

The damaging consequences of social media are increasingly well documented, so some parents are trying to raise their children with restrictions or blanket bans on social media use.

Bao Le, 18, sits for a photo on Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. The Associated Press spoke with teenagers and young adults about their experiences on social media and what they wish they had known when they first got online. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

In their own words: What young people wish they’d known about social media

Kids constantly hear about the downsides of social media from the adults in their lives, often in the form of dire warnings and commands.

FILE - A patient sits in the living room of her apartment in the Brooklyn borough of New York during a telemedicine video conference with a physician on Jan. 14, 2019. Patients can now see an array of doctors without leaving their recliner thanks to telemedicine. But that doesn’t mean trips to the office should end. Finding the right balance between virtual and in-person visits can be a key to getting good care. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)

How to find the right balance between telemedicine and in-person care

Patients can now see a growing array of doctors without leaving their living room recliner thanks to telemedicine. But that doesn’t mean trips to the office should end.

FILE - A dish with roast turkey breast is photographed in Concord, N.H., on Sept. 28, 2015. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead, File)

Eat whatever you want, just not whenever you want. This is how intermittent fasting works

Intermittent fasting, where people eat what they want, but only during certain daily windows of time, has skyrocketed in popularity in recent years.

Racers competing outside for the title of "King and Queen" of The Alpine Training Center Gym in Boulder, Colo., July 26, 2023. (Scott Griesser via AP)

Here’s how to get started on an outdoor exercise routine

For people who can’t stand the gym, working out in the fresh air might be the best option. To get started, build on what you enjoy.

Various vegetables are displayed for sale at a farmer's market in Waitsfield, Vt., on Aug. 28, 2021. Signing up for a Community-Supported Agriculture program means getting a box of produce from local farms every week or two. It's a great way to take advantage of summer's bounty, discover new fruits and vegetables, and support the folks who grow food in your area. (AP Photo/Carolyn Lessard)

Why I love my CSA (it’s more than the weekly box of fresh produce)

If you’re looking for fresh, locally grown food this summer, a Community-Supported Agriculture program might be the answer.

Amea Wadsworth works on her computer at her home, Friday, April 19, 2024, in San Diego. Wadsworth, who moved back home after graduating college, wanted to use her first full-time job as a chance to save, and a moment to take a hard look at her spending activity. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Tempted to try a no-buy year? Here are tips from people doing it

Many people start no-buy challenges at the beginning of the year and commit to keep going until the end of it.

Amea Wadsworth poses for a portrait at her home, Friday, April 19, 2024, in San Diego. Wadsworth, who moved back home after graduating college, wanted to use her first full-time job as a chance to save, and a moment to take a hard look at her spending activity. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

People are embracing the ‘no-buy year’ to save money and the environment

The self-imposed rules of a no-buy challenge are simple: participants pledge to stop buying non-essential items, be they unneeded shoes, additional beauty products or other impulse buys for a set amount of time, usually 12 months.

Mosquitoes cling to the inside of a jar loaded with repellent during a test as part of a tour of the Center for Disease Control laboratory, Thursday, April 4, 2024, in Fort Collins, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

What to look for in mosquito repellents

Mosquito season is starting to rev up across much of the United States. So you might want to pause summer vacation planning and consider what to look for in insect repellents.

This image shows a recipe for potato salad with leeks, lentils and a citrus vinaigrette. (Patricia Bannan via AP)

For a Memorial Day barbecue, update side dishes to keep the flavor, lose some fat

A typical spread at a Memorial Day barbecue might not scream “healthy.” But nutritionists see an opportunity in those gloppy, heavy side dishes.

Have you tried pink noise for sleep? Here’s what to know

White noise is frequently used to mask background sounds and it now has competition in a rainbow of colors.

FILE - This undated photo provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a blacklegged tick, also known as a deer tick. Another mild winter and other favorable factors likely means the 2024 tick population will be equal to last year or larger, some researchers say. (CDC via AP, File)

Tick season has arrived. Protect yourself with these tips

Tick season is starting across the U.S., and experts are warning the bloodsuckers may be as plentiful as ever.

FILE - A screen shows the Dow Jones industrials at in Seoul, South Korea on Aug. 9, 2011. Through its long history, the Dow Jones Industrial Average has offered a way for people to get a quick read on how Wall Street is doing. But its importance is on the wane. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man, File)

The Dow closed above 40,000 for the first time. The number is big but means little for your 401(k)

Through its long history, the Dow Jones Industrial Average has offered a way for people to get a quick read on how Wall Street is doing.

FILE - A woman meditates on the beach in Miami Beach, Fla., on April 28, 2010. Research shows a daily meditation practice can reduce anxiety, improve overall health and increase social connections, among other benefits. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)

If you’ve tried meditating but can’t sit still, here’s how — and why — to try again

If you’ve tried meditating but can’t sit still, you’re not alone. Experts say many people try it only once because they are antsy and feel they’re doing it wrong.

Bottles of raw milk are displayed for sale at a store in Temecula, Calif., on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. (AP Photo/JoNel Aleccia)

Here’s why raw milk drinkers need to be concerned about bird flu in US dairy cows

Sales of raw milk appear to be on the rise, despite an outbreak of bird flu in U.S. dairy cows. Federal officials warn about the health risks of drinking raw milk at any time, but especially during the outbreak.

Ultra runner Helen Ryvar runs through an underpass in Wrexham during running a half marathon in Wrexham, Wales, Wednesday, March 20, 2024. Helen who took up running in 2020 just before lockdown completes her daily half marathon early so as to fit in a full time job and being a single parent to 3 children. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

Here’s what you can learn from a mom of three who runs a half-marathon a day

Helen Ryvar took up running in 2020 just before Britain went into lockdown amid the coronavirus pandemic and after being told her ex-husband had died following a mental health battle.

Gene and Sallie Carr pose for a picture in their recently remodeled home on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Hendersonville, N.C. An increasing number of Americans in their late 50s and older are staying in their houses, some by choice, others because they're locked into low mortgage rates that are too low to give up. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Some older Americans splurge to keep homes accessible while others struggle to make safety upgrades

Living at home as long as possible is preferred by a vast majority of adults over 50. But the real estate market and inflation has made doing so less of a choice.

A grab bar next to the bathtub is shown in the recently remodeled home of Gene and Sallie Carr on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Hendersonville, N.C. An increasing number of Americans in their late 50s and older are staying in their houses, some by choice, others because they're locked into low mortgage rates that are too low to give up. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Tips to make a house or apartment safe and accessible for older adults living at home

With a majority of Americans preferring to live in their own homes as long as possible, experts stress the importance of modifications to keep dwellings safe and accessible.

FILE - James Walter uses a phone at home in the Queens borough of New York, on April 7, 2021. Sleep scientists long ago established that insufficient sleep is linked with poor health outcomes, anxiety, obesity and several other negative effects. The research is equally conclusive that smartphones are particularly disruptive to the circadian clock that regulates sleep and other hormones. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski, File)

The blue light isn’t the only reason it’s a bad idea to look at screens at bedtime

Even people who know that looking at their smartphone in bed isn’t good for them do it anyway. If you’d like to stop, consider this.