HEALTH & WELLNESS

WELLNESS--There's no playbook for responding to a loved one's cancer diagnosis, but there are things you can say to remind the person they're not alone. 

WELLNESS--Chances are that you know someone who is prescribed antidepressants. A report from the National Center for Health Statistics shows that from 2011 through 2014 ― the most recent data available ― more than 12 percent of people ages 12 and over said they took antidepressants in the last month.

WELLNESS--Fertility rates in the United States dropped to a record low in recent years. Researchers aren’t entirely sure what’s causing the trend. Some theorize the dropping fertility rates are a result of women waiting longer to have kids and opting to focus on their education and careers instead.

WELLNESS--Fatigue, like stress and busyness, has become a default state for many people. The feeling, characterized by extreme tiredness and low energy, usually occurs after an especially mentally, emotionally or physically draining experience. (Think: hectic work travel or an illness.)

WELLNESS--The gender gap in running the U.S. government has taken a huge leap towards closure with the 2018 Midterms. More women and women of color joined the forces that are part of our governing structure than any other time in history.

WELLNESS--There are many stereotypes surrounding depression, from being unable to get out of bed to crying at all hours of the day. But those living with the condition will tell you that the illness comes in many forms, and often looks far different than what we’ve learned over the years from movies and the media.

WELLNESS--A few weeks ago, some friends and I planned to meet up for drinks. One person was cagey about what time she was available to hang out that evening, and another said nothing at all — and then didn’t join. 

WELLNESS--What makes California the very picture of healthy living? It’s neither sunshine nor silicone implants.

Our health secret is actually immigration.

While the President and others falsely blame immigrants for being sources of disease (including smallpox, which was eradicated in 1980), Californians have long known that immigrants make us healthier. (Photo above: Joe Weider, one of the famous brothers who immigrated from Canada and got Americans interested in bodybuilding, stands next to the future governor of California.)