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While refined table sugar can fit into a healthful diet, you may prefer to incorporate alternatives for a variety of reasons. Non-nutritive (calorie-free) sweeteners include artificial sweeteners, sugar alcohols, and plant-derived options such as stevia and monk fruit extract. Nutritive sweeteners, which do contain calories, include non-refined sugar sources like honey, maple syrup, and coconut sugar. Each type has its own unique nutrition profile, taste and sweetness level, and the best one for you depends on your preferences, dietary needs, and how frequently you’re using it....

After losing a baby through miscarriage, it’s common to wonder if you did something to cause the pregnancy loss. Did you overexert yourself in that spin class you took? Or maybe you haven’t been getting enough rest. Have you been eating the wrong foods? Was it that one glass of wine you had at your sister’s wedding? While the cause of miscarriage is unlikely to be related to any of these situations, self-blame is hard to avoid when dealing with a pregnancy loss....

Generally speaking, CBD is considered a safe substance when applied topically or taken orally. There are, however, some potential side effects to keep in mind when using this substance, the majority of which are mild. Common Side Effects of CBD The most comment side effects of CBD include drowsiness, gastrointestinal issues, dry mouth, reduced appetite, nausea, and interaction with other medications. Those are outlined in detail below. Drowsiness Some common side effects when using CBD include drowsiness and sedation....

Medication, when appropriate, can be effective in helping you manage your attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms. These medications may be either stimulants or non-stimulants. It’s important to remember, however, that medication does not “cure” ADHD and is only a piece of the overall treatment plan, which may also include ADHD education, parent training, behavioral management methods, organizational strategies, school/work accommodations, coaching, and counseling. Tips for Taking ADHD Medications For some individuals with ADHD, these combined treatments may even lead to a reduced need or smaller dosage of ADHD medication....

The tween years are a monumental time of transition. No longer little kids, but not quite teenagers either, tweens experience significant physical and emotional changes in a short period of time. All of these changes can be challenging for tweens and parents alike. But with plenty of love, support, and guidance, parents and caregivers can help their tweens navigate these years while preparing them for a bright future ahead. The tween years are an opportune time to teach your 10-, 11-, or 12-year-old the life skills they’re going to need to be successful in their teenage years and beyond....

The number of older parents is on the rise. Many more women are waiting until their 30s and 40s to have babies, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control. When planning your family’s future, consider the unique struggles and benefits older parents face. Financial Security The first benefit of having children later in life is financial security. Older parents who’ve waited to have children have likely spent most of their adult lives working....

If you’re a parent of a teen or tween, you’ve probably heard of TikTok—the latest app that is taking the Internet by storm. In fact, TikTok is one of the hottest and fastest-growing social media apps around. So, if your tweens are claiming that everyone has it, they are not far off. According to the analytics site SensorTower, TikTok surpassed 2 billion downloads in 2020 and was the most downloaded non-gaming app in the world....

Do your childhood memories include Vicks VapoRub smeared under your nose when you had a cough or cold? You are not alone, yet the label clearly states that it should not be applied to your nostrils. In addition, the VapoRub label says it is not to be used in any way for children under age 2. The BabyRub formula can be used on babies 3 months and older, but it also specifically states not to use it on the face or in the nostrils....

It’s bedtime and your toddler pulls “Llama Llama Mess, Mess, Mess” off of their shelf. You’ve read that book every night for probably the last month, and you’d rather read pretty much anything else. “Let’s ready ‘Corduroy’ tonight instead,” you suggest feebly, but your toddler will have none of that. “No Corduroy,” they insist, pushing “Llama Llama” into your hands and climbing onto your lap. Repetitive or cyclical behavior is very normal during toddlerhood....

Although there are currently a number of effective medical and psychological treatments for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), these treatments don’t work for everyone. As such, there has been great interest in developing new treatments for OCD or using new methods to improve the effectiveness of existing treatments. Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, or rTMS, is a relatively non-invasive procedure that has received considerable attention as a possible alternative treatment to reduce OCD symptoms....

Quitting tobacco is a process. It doesn’t happen overnight, but compared to the amount of time most of us spent smoking, recovery from nicotine addiction is relatively short. As of Dec. 20, 2019, the new legal age limit is 21 years old for purchasing cigarettes, cigars, or any other tobacco products in the U.S. Successful recovery involves learning how to identify the urge to smoke and the trigger behind it, and how to respond with better choices, such as a nap, a meal, or exercise, for instance....

The placenta is vital to a healthy pregnancy. The organ supplies nutrients, hormones, immunity, and oxygen to the growing fetus. However, many people who are expecting don’t know much about it. If you find out you have an anterior placenta, you will probably wonder what that means and if it poses a problem to the pregnancy. Don’t worry, having an anterior placenta does not negatively impact the health of your baby....

In the “Ask a Therapist” series, I’ll be answering your questions about all things mental health and psychology. Whether you are struggling with a mental health condition, coping with anxiety about a life situation, or simply looking for a therapist’s insight, submit a question. Look out for my answers to your questions every Friday in the Healthy Mind newsletter. Forgiving Without Forgetting You mention that you can forgive your wife for what happened....

If you are pregnant, your healthcare provider has likely given you a list of foods and drinks to avoid during pregnancy. In addition to limiting alcohol and avoiding raw fish, they probably have told you to refrain from eating cold deli meats, hot dogs, as well as pâtés and cheeses sold at the deli. This is because these foods are known sources of listeria—which can be particularly dangerous for pregnant people....

On October 20, 2022, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended adding the pediatric COVID-19 vaccine to the childhood immunization schedule. At this time, there is no information about what that recommendation will look like in terms of vaccine timing, number of doses, and booster shots. According to the CDC, answers to these questions will be released in early 2023. Key Takeaways The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has recommended adding COVID-19 vaccines to the childhood immunization schedule....

Newborn dehydration, or dehydration in infants, is not unusual, but can quickly become a serious medical concern if not addressed quickly. Luckily, it can usually be remedied by simply feeding your baby more and more often. However, it’s very important to check in with their pediatrician to ensure their hydration levels quickly return to normal. What Is Dehydration? Dehydration is the state of not having enough fluid in the body for it to carry out its normal functions....

For many people, the new year and dieting go hand-in-hand. However, a 2020 study that compared 14 popular diets found that while some weight loss occurred after six months of following a diet, most was regained within the year. Key Takeaways Many New Year’s resolutions revolve around losing weight, but restrictive diets tend not to work, and leave you feeling bad about yourself.There are healthy ways to drop weight, including figuring why you want to, taking small steps, and practicing mindful eating....

Alcoholics Anonymous is an international fellowship of people who have had a drinking problem. It is nonprofessional, self-supporting, multiracial, apolitical, and available almost everywhere. There are no age or education requirements. Membership is open to anyone who wants to do something about their drinking problem. Subscribe Now: Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Google Podcasts Press Play for Advice On Finding Help for Alcohol Addiction Hosted by Editor-in-Chief and therapist Amy Morin, LCSW, this episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast, featuring multi-platinum award-winning singer Bryan Abrams, shares his sobriety journey and how he found treatment that actually worked....

Your vaping habit may have started innocently enough. Maybe you started vaping to help you quit smoking. Or maybe you were curious after watching your friends vape. Regardless of your reasons for starting though, now you probably find yourself in a situation where you want — or need — to quit. But you may be finding that saying you’ll quit is much easier than following through. In fact, research shows that vaping is a highly addictive habit and a hard one to break....

As if pregnancy wasn’t challenging enough, the changes it produces in your body can prompt your skin to behave and appear abnormally, too. In other words, pimples can pop up. Hormonal spikes may cause acne, as it is known, for example, that estrogen and progesterone increase during pregnancy. Atypical stressors at this time can also spur on a surge of the hormone cortisol, which has been known to cause an angry pimple or two, notes Elizabeth Hale, MD, board-certified dermatologist, and clinical associate professor of dermatology at the New York University Langone Medical Center....