beniebuzz blog

If I asked you to name your immediate family members, would you include a pet? We definitely think of our animals as part of the family. My dog, Shaka, is often the first living being I speak to each morning.

 Perhaps this strong connection between pets and owners is why so many studies have popped up over the years to answer this question: are pets the key to living a healthier (and perhaps, longer) life?

This is a guest post by Dr. Val Jones who works with our Doctors Online partners at eDocAmerica.

Stool analysis can be helpful in diagnosing gastrointestinal disorders, but without laboratory testing, I would be hesitant to go too far with self-diagnosis. However, there are a few things that you may notice as a casual (adult) onlooker that could be medically important.

It’s almost Easter, for Peep’s sake!  Growing up, we'd come home from church on Easter morning to a basket left by the Easter Bunny full of assorted candies, which always included those colorful marshmallow treats,

I LOVE Peeps! But, I also love staying healthy. You see, I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes in 2008. While I have success in maintaining good blood glucose levels for long periods at a time, this was not always the case. Knowing the triggers is always top of mind.

Ah yes, the holidays…mix all your favorite high-calorie foods with more stress, less time, less sleep, strained family dynamics and what do you get? Weight gain!  

According to multiple studies, the not-so-merry news is that we can’t just “blame it on the holidays.” Americans tend to gain .4 to 1.8 pounds each year. At that rate, a 20-year-old who weighs 130 pounds could weigh 148 at age 30, 166 at age 40, 184 at age 50 and 202 at age 60 (does this sound familiar to anyone else?).  

Are your holidays usually stressful and jam-packed? Baking, visitors, cooking, family, high expectations, financial woes, a full calendar, parties, events, exhaustion, shopping, gifts, cleaning, and let’s not forget weight gain from all the cooking and baking. Some would say we’ve taken what’s supposed to be “the most wonderful time of year” and turned it into “the most stressful time of year.” 

This is a guest post by Dr. Val Jones who works with our Doctors Online partners at eDocAmerica.

How can we combat skin that becomes dry, thin, and inelastic as we age? Dr. Val shares her final tips with us below. If you missed her previous post on what happens to aging skin, you can read here.

There are some products and procedures that can help to slow or reverse the aging process to some degree. 

Did you know it's Domestic Violence Awareness Month? It’s a topic that continues to need our attention and support. Here are a few stats compiled by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) that may surprise you…

This is a guest post by Dr. Val Jones who works with our Doctors Online partners at eDocAmerica.

Did you know that up to 56,000 Americans die of the flu each year, and as many as 710,000 are hospitalized because of it? The flu is a dangerous viral illness that can be lethal, or cause complications that range from pneumonia to inflammation of the heart, brain, and muscles. The good news is that flu vaccines can reduce your risk of getting the flu, and the virus tends to circulate through March, so it's not too late.

What are the most common flu symptoms?