Health + Wellness

There are many complicated implications of climate change, but one consequence that has been indisputably measured is the depletion of the ozone layer: the part of the atmosphere that protects us from cosmic radiation. You can argue about what exactly caused it, but not that it has happened. The depletion of the ozone layer has multiple effects on your health, primarily negative. Since exposure to sunlight causes damage to human tissue, less ozone layer leads to a higher incidence of skin and eye conditions, including skin cancer and eye lesions such as cataracts. Of course, there are numerous other consequences...

The sun emits radiation—in the form of electromagnetic rays—which reaches you here on earth. While the visible part of this spectrum lights up your world, other parts of the spectrum including ultraviolet B (UVB) and ultraviolet A (UVA) have varying effects. UVB rays cause you to tan and burn, and also stimulate the production of Vitamin D. UVA rays are longer in wavelength than UVB and penetrate deeper into your skin; while not burning you or tanning you, UVA may just be responsible for a greater share of the blame in the aging of your skin than UVB. Since there...

Polypodium leucotomos (PL) is a tropical fern plant native to Central America and parts of South America. It grows in the rain forest and has a long history of use as an herbal medicine ingested for a variety of ailments by the indigenous people of Honduras. The Mayans even drank it as a tea. Historically, ferns have been used for medicinal purposes since ancient Europe. Commercial extracts of Polypodium leucotomos have been available since at least the 1970s. Polypodium leucotomos is actually the common name for the herb known as Phlebodium aureum. Other names for PL include: calaguala (in Mexico...

Cold winter weather can be harsh to your skin. Cold air, wind, and low humidity outdoors dry your skin out. Similarly, warm and dry air indoors steals moisture from your skin. Without the proper care, dry skin can lead to redness, itchiness, chapping, and cracking, and even other skin conditions such as eczema and acne. But with the proper skin care (from both the inside and outside), you can counteract these effects and keep your skin looking healthy and youthful. Here are some tips to keep your skin looking its best in the winter. Many of them apply year-round. It...

Calories and Activity Have you ever wondering how many calories you are burning while exercising, playing sports, or working? The following charts show the estimated length of time it would take to burn 100 calories for different activities and exercises. Calories expended are estimates based on the weight of the individual performing the exercise. These numbers can be used for both women and men, but of course will vary by intensity and differences between individuals. Because 1 pound of body fat can provide approximately 3500 calories, you would need to perform any one of these exercises for the allotted time...