Wellness Readers Digest | Health & Wellness Tips for Everyday Living

Simple carbs are sugars that digest quickly, while complex carbs are starches and fiber that take longer to break down. Most adults should get 45 to 65 percent of their calories from carbohydrates, which is about 225 to 325 grams a day on a 2,000 calorie diet, and never less than the 130 gram daily minimum. The type of carb matters as much as the amount, so most of yours should come from whole grains, beans, vegetables and fruit. This article is for general information and is not medical advice. Key takeaways The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020 to 2025 set a carbohydrate range of 45 to 65 percent of calories and a Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of 130 grams a day for adults. Simple carbs are not all bad: the sugars in whole fruit and plain milk come packaged with fiber, vitamins or protein. Added sugars are the ones to limit. Most adults need 22 to 34 grams of fiber a day, but most get only about half of that. The glycemic index ranks foods by how fast they raise ...

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that can develop after you go through or witness a frightening event, such as a serious accident, violence or a natural disaster. It causes symptoms that last at least a month and get in the way of daily life. The good news is that PTSD is treatable: trauma-focused talk therapies and certain medicines help many people feel better. This article is for general information and is not medical advice. Most people feel shaken after a hard experience, and those reactions usually fade over weeks. When they stay stuck or get worse, it may be PTSD. This guide explains the symptoms in plain language, what raises the risk, how a diagnosis is made, which treatments work best and how you can support someone you care about. Key takeaways PTSD can follow any traumatic event, and symptoms must last at least one month for a diagnosis. Symptoms fall into four groups: re-experiencing, avoidance, arousal and reactivity, and changes ...

Osteoporosis is a bone disease in which bone density and strength drop, so bones break more easily, often from a minor fall or even a cough. It is diagnosed with a bone density scan called a DXA, which gives you a T-score: -2.5 or lower means osteoporosis. You can lower your risk with enough calcium and vitamin D, regular weight-bearing exercise, fall prevention, not smoking and limiting alcohol, and medicines can cut fracture risk if you already have it. This article is for general information and is not medical advice. Key takeaways Osteoporosis is usually "silent": most people have no symptoms until a bone breaks, which is why screening matters. A DXA scan T-score of -1.0 or higher is normal, between -1.0 and -2.4 is low bone density (osteopenia), and -2.5 or lower is osteoporosis. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends screening for all women 65 and older and for younger postmenopausal women at increased risk. Most adults need 1,000 to 1,200 mg of cal...

A cataract is a cloudy area in the lens of your eye that slowly makes vision blurry, dim or faded. Most cataracts come with age, and surgery to replace the cloudy lens is the only way to remove one. You usually only need surgery once the cataract gets in the way of daily tasks like reading, driving or watching TV. This article is for general information and is not medical advice. Cataracts are extremely common. According to the National Eye Institute , more than half of all Americans age 80 or older either have cataracts or have had surgery to remove them. The good news is that treatment works well for most people, and a few simple habits may help delay them. Key takeaways A cataract is a clouding of the eye's natural lens, usually caused by proteins breaking down and clumping together with age. Common symptoms include blurry vision, faded colors, glare, halos around lights and poor night vision. Age is the main risk factor, but diabetes, smoking, heavy sun exposure, long-...

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a structured, short-term talking therapy that helps you spot unhelpful thoughts and habits and change them so you feel and function better. A typical course runs about 5 to 20 sessions, includes practice between sessions, and has strong evidence for depression, anxiety disorders, PTSD and insomnia. This article is for general information and is not medical advice. Key takeaways CBT works on the link between thoughts, feelings and behaviors: change one, and the others often shift too. Most people have between 5 and 20 sessions, and homework between sessions is a core part of the treatment. CBT is a recommended treatment for depression, anxiety, panic, OCD, PTSD and chronic insomnia, among other conditions. Specialized forms include CBT for insomnia (CBT-I), exposure therapy and trauma-focused therapies such as cognitive processing therapy. You can do CBT in person, by video, by phone or through guided online programs, and the skills are mea...