You might think ear infections are reserved only for children, but I assure you that’s not the case. A little water left in your ear from the shower or a trip to the beach is all it takes to spawn one nasty infection. But good news awaits: chewing gum sweetened with xylitol can help reduce your risk of developing an inner ear infection by 40%!
I’ve reported on the merits of xylitol before, and now it seems you can add yet another reason to incorporate this sugar substitute made from the fiber of fruits and veggies into your life. Sounds good …read more

Guys, this one’s for you (although I’d imagine the findings would hold true – or at least be similar – for womenfolk as well.)
Harvard scientists have found a cheap disease-fighter that you probably (hopefully) already do: Flossing your teeth!
In their research, they found that out of 50,000 guys, those with gum disease had a 30% to 50% greater risk of kidney, blood or pancreatic cancer. Why? Possibly because the inflammation caused by gum disease can egg on the growth of cancer cells.
The key, of course, is to floss daily. And brush, too. Ahem.
This has been your Healthbolt Easy Health Tip …read more

Light a candle to reduce stress? Indeed.
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According to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, stoking up a vanilla-scented candle can reduce anxiety by 63%. That’s a ton!
While vanilla was the scent of choice in this instance, researchers acknowledge that scent is handled by the same area of the brain as memory, so smelling any aroma that brings back good feelings for you can have the same effect.
So if relaxation, calmness and optimism are on your To-Do list today, grab your Bic and light that wick.
This has been your Happy …read more

Dang! Another instance where conventional wisdom and years-old treatments have failed us yet again.
Bloody noses – a staple in the lives of kids, sports-playing teens and allergy-ridden adults – are not to be treated by tipping the head back as once was thought. Instead, you are to lower and tip your head forward, catching any wayward bleeding in a tissue.
Why is this? Because tipping the head back will send blood down into the esophagus and potentially into the stomach, which can be irritating and possibly cause vomiting. But by leaning the head forward, you can avoid such issues.
Other treatment …read more

I have a bit of a thing with interior design. I’m not saying I’m Martha’s prodigy or anything, I’m just saying I’m on the other side of obsessed with HGTV and the likes. But alas, if you love monkeying with design like me, we have a new (and very welcome) assignment: Redecorate to lose weight.
Here’s the scoop: Joanne G. Gould, M.A., R.D., of the OMS Wellness Institute says that by using our flair for making our homes lovely, we could cut our daily caloric intake by a cool 200 calories a day – that’s enough to melt 20 pounds in …read more

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Did things get a little crazy with the chocolate lips and conversation hearts this Valentine’s Day? Or maybe raiding the kids’ candy stash is an hourly occurrence for you (surely I can’t be the only one.) If your dietary efforts seem thwarted by the sheer amount of candy carcasses piling up around you, take heed…and save those wrappers as cold, hard evidence.
Why? A new study from Cornell University has found that those folks who save candy wrappers as a visual reminder of their treat consumption eat about half as many …read more