Lia Tabackman

The average American consumes about 20 teaspoons of added sugar per day — a far cry from the recommended amount of six for women and nine for men. As an antidote to excessive sugar consumption, sugar detoxes have grown in popularity.To be clear, not all sugar is bad. In fact, it occurs naturally in many types of vegetables, fruits, grains, and dairy. But, health problems arise when most of our sugar comes from added sugars, like those in cookies, cakes, bread, plant-based milk, condiments, and m…

Cannabis has a growing list of medicinal uses and many enjoy occasionally using it for recreational purposes. However, it can be addictive, resulting in uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms when some stop using the substance.Withdrawal is more commonly associated with substances like opioids, nicotine, and alcohol, but experts say it also occurs with cannabis.“It’s usually seen in people who smoke on a regular basis, like every day, and it’s becoming more prevalent and more of a problem,” says Jose…

Ashwagandha, an herb used in traditional Indian medicine, is typically used to help the body manage and adjust to stress. Modern studies found it may also boost cognitive function and memory, increase muscle strength, and improve infertility in men.Rare but serious complications of using ashwagandha include liver injury, rapid heartbeat, and allergic reactions. However, common side effects are typically mild and resolve when you stop using the herb. Typical doses are between: Important: Ashwagan…

Before there were pharmaceuticals, herbal medicines were widely used to treat disease and maintain health. And tinctures were a common form of those herbal medicines back in the day.In fact, they’re “one of the oldest preparations of medicine known to man,” says Dr. Jeff Chen, the founder of the UCLA Cannabis Research Initiative and cofounder and CEO of Radicle Science.Today, tinctures are a popular method for consuming cannabis products — whether for medicinal purposes like pain relief or just…

Thinking of a tattoo? Here are the most and least painful spots to get inked

If you’re one of the 12% of Americans who use cannabis, there may come a time when you want to take a break. Maybe you need to pass a drug test for a new job, or maybe you just want to clear your head from being high. Whatever the reason — you’re headed towards a weed detox. A weed detox is when you stop using cannabis for an extended period of time in order to clear the substance and its by-products from your body, says Erik Smith, MD, a medical practitioner with cannabis health-tech platform…

CBD is one of more than 60 active compounds found in the cannabis plant. It’s used to treat childhood epilepsy, but is also being studied as a way to manage and treat conditions including anxiety, schizophrenia, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis.However, how much CBD you need for these conditions, or otherwise, is unclear. That’s because CBD is not regulated by the FDA and therefore lacks any official dosing guidelines. That said, preliminary research provides a basic underst…

Perhaps you’ve heard celebrities raving about the benefits of red light, or seen advertisements on Instagram for expensive red-light emitting devices. Red light therapy is a treatment that uses LED lights or lasers to expose the body to red light, the longest wavelength of visible light on the visible light spectrum. It’s sometimes referred to as RLT, photobiomodulation therapy, or low-level laser light therapy.Some research suggests that exposing yourself to red light for 5 to 20 minutes may in…

From joints and pipes to blunts and bongs, smoking is the most common way people consume cannabis. While getting high can be a therapeutic and fun recreational experience, you should know that like cigarette smoke, cannabis smoke contains irritating chemicals and tar associated with respiratory problems.Important: Cannabis use is illegal in some US states. Therefore, it’s important that you know the laws for your location before trying any of the smoking methods listed below. If you’re new to th…

Nearly one-fifth of young adults around the globe do not identify as heterosexual — but just because they’re not straight doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re gay, lesbian, or bisexual. Pansexual is a sexual orientation that describes people who are attracted to people regardless of their gender identity. Here’s more on what pansexuality is and common misconceptions about the label. The “pan” in pansexual is Greek for “all.” So, the term pansexual describes individuals whose romantic or sexual…