• This article lists and highlights the top health blogs in the U.S., emphasizing their diverse expertise and topics.
• Each blog is noted for its unique focus areas, like diet, exercise, mental wellness, or scientific medicine.
• The blogs provide valuable information, tips, and personal experiences to help readers improve their health and wellness.
• This list serves as a guide for readers looking for reputable health information online.

From plant-based nutrition to mental health and fitness, the best health bloggers in the U.S. for 2026 are leading the conversation on how to live longer, eat better, and stay balanced.

There are many of the best blogs featuring commentary from professionals and laypersons alike on various health strategies and aspects of health, whether it be medical, physical, mental, or all of the above. We evaluated each health blog based on credibility, consistency, professional expertise, reader engagement, and diversity of health perspectives — from clinical evidence to everyday wellness.

Categories of Health Blogs

1. Food Politics

 Food Politics is a health blog devoted primarily to providing commentary and analysis on developments in the realm of food regulation and health policy on local, state, and federal levels.
Why We Love It: Marion Nestle’s sharp, evidence-driven writing helps readers understand how government, corporations, and consumers all shape what ends up on our plates. An essential read for anyone who cares about the intersection of food, health, and public policy.

2. Breaking Muscle

Breaking Muscle is a collaborative blog sharing knowledge gained through experience and empirical research. The main goal of the magazine is to promote programs that strengthen both body and mind. Breaking Muscle offers readers a variety of programs designed to benefit a wide range of readers including powerlifting, Olympic lifting, yoga, functional fitness, and mind/body modalities.
Why We Love It: Breaking Muscle blends serious training science with real-world fitness motivation. Its contributors include coaches, athletes, and wellness professionals who write from hands-on experience. The site’s approachable tone, evidence-based workouts, and inclusive community make it a go-to resource for anyone looking to improve strength, performance, and overall health without gimmicks.

3. Dr. Frank Lipman 

Dr. Frank Lipman’s Blog focuses on healthy living and provides tips and strategies to improve both mental health and physical health. From diet suggestions and resources to creating a place in your life for meditation and reflection, Dr. Lipman takes a comprehensive approach to personal health.
Why We Love It: Dr. Lipman brings decades of integrative medicine expertise to practical, everyday wellness. His approach blends functional medicine with nutrition, mindfulness, and lifestyle science. Readers love his clear, holistic advice for restoring energy, improving sleep, and achieving balance without relying on quick fixes or fad diets.

4. Mark Bittman

Mark Bittman’s Blog is one of the health blogs, covering a range of food health-related topics from sharing scrumptious and healthy recipes to providing readers with tips on turning their lawns into gardens that can become a source of fresh and healthy produce.

Why We Love It: Mark Bittman makes healthy eating simple, accessible, and deeply connected to real food. His writing bridges the gap between culinary creativity and public health, inspiring readers to cook more, waste less, and understand where their food comes from. With his warm, no-nonsense style, Bittman empowers home cooks to make everyday meals both nourishing and meaningful.

5. Mark’s Daily Apple

Mark’s Daily Apple is all about empowering its readers to take full charge of and responsibility for their own health. One of the best blogs is dedicated to providing everyday people with research and resources that will enable them to make practical, healthy decisions that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.
Why We Love It: Mark’s Daily Apple makes the science of primal health approachable and motivating. Mark Sisson’s blend of evolutionary wisdom and modern practicality helps readers ditch diet dogma, embrace strength and balance, and build sustainable habits for lifelong vitality. It’s inspiring, science-based, and refreshingly realistic about what healthy living looks like in the real world.

6. Shots

Shots is NPR’s collaborative health blog featuring the insights of contributors from all walks of life and aspects of the health industry. The blog covers health news across the board including physical, mental, nutritional, and medical health.
Why We Love It: Shots stands out for its credible, balanced storytelling and depth of coverage. It translates complex medical news into clear, engaging narratives that help readers stay informed without feeling overwhelmed. Whether it’s emerging public health research or real-world patient stories, Shots keeps readers connected to the heart of what’s happening in healthcare today.

7. Well

Well is the health blog of the New York Times. The blog addresses a wide array of health-related subjects, from sharing gluten-free recipes to stressing the importance of wearing a helmet in appropriate circumstances.

Why We Love It: Well is the go-to resource for readers who want actionable tips grounded in science. Whether that’s improving sleep, eating better, or managing stress. Each article feels like advice from a knowledgeable friend who also happens to have a team of medical experts on speed dial.

8. Precision Nutrition

The blog Precision Nutrition makes research-driven nutrition coaching accessible to everyday people. Precision Nutrition’s team consists of highly qualified collaborators, each of whom has at least a graduate degree in their field.
Why We Love It: Precision Nutrition stands out for its evidence-based, compassionate approach to wellness. It’s not about quick fixes. It’s about understanding how food, movement, and mindset work together. We love how it empowers readers to make informed, realistic changes that fit their lifestyle, backed by credible research and real-world coaching wisdom

9. Eating Bird Food

Eating Bird Food is a popular healthy living and nutrition blog founded by Brittany Mullins, a certified health coach and recipe developer. It features simple, wholesome recipes, balanced meal plans, and approachable wellness tips focused on real food and sustainable habits. The blog’s mission is to help readers eat better without dieting. It emphasizes nourishing ingredients, mindful eating, and accessible healthy cooking for everyday life.

Why We Love It: Eating Bird Food makes healthy living feel doable—not restrictive. We love Brittany’s down-to-earth approach, creative yet accessible recipes, and her focus on nourishing your body without dieting. Every post feels like encouragement from a friend who believes wellness should be joyful, flavorful, and realistic.

10. Dr. Casey Means

Dr. Casey Means is a Stanford-trained physician, metabolic health expert, and co-founder of Levels Health, a company focused on continuous glucose monitoring and metabolic fitness. She advocates for root-cause medicine, emphasizing how lifestyle, nutrition, and data-driven tools can prevent chronic disease and improve overall well-being. Through her writing and public speaking, Dr. Means bridges functional medicine, technology, and preventive healthcare to make metabolic health accessible to everyone.

Why We Love It: Dr. Means bridges the gap between science and everyday wellness. We love how she simplifies complex topics like glucose regulation and metabolic health, making them actionable for everyone. Her holistic, prevention-first mindset inspires readers to see health not just as the absence of illness—but as a foundation for energy, longevity, and purpose.

11. Strength Running

Strength Running is an in-depth blog about running. While most fitness sites address some of the basic, generic strategies for successful running, Strength Running pushes these to the side and devotes itself to developing and researching methods designed to help people achieve long-term success in their running.
Why We Love It: Strength Running goes beyond the miles—it’s about sustainable success. We love Jason’s practical, coach-informed approach that emphasizes injury prevention, consistency, and mental resilience. Every article feels like guidance from an experienced teammate who wants you to run stronger, not just faster.

12. 101 Cookbooks

101 Cookbooks is the blog of Heidi Swanson, a cookbook collector who realized she had dozens of cookbooks but was still cooking the same recipes over and over. This blog chronicles her journey through her cookbooks as she branches out, trying new recipes and adding healthy variety to her life and the lives of others.
Why We Love It: 101 Cookbooks feels like a warm, sunlit kitchen filled with creativity. We love Heidi’s stunning photography, approachable recipes, and thoughtful storytelling that turns everyday cooking into an art form. It’s perfect for anyone who believes healthy food should be as beautiful and comforting as it is good for you.

13. Gluten-Free Goddess

Gluten-Free Goddess is an increasingly relevant blog devoted to helping gluten-allergic people, and those cutting gluten out of their diet for other health reasons, find healthy, tasty alternatives to one of the most commonly used ingredients in our culture.
Why We Love It: Gluten-Free Goddess proves that gluten-free can still mean delicious, indulgent, and creative. We love Karina’s compassionate voice, her focus on inclusive cooking, and her knack for turning dietary restrictions into culinary inspiration. Every dish feels like comfort food made with heart.

14. Lunchbox Bunch

Lunchbox Bunch is a vegan blog featuring healthy vegan recipes. The blog stresses that you don’t have to be vegan in order to take advantage of the recipes on this blog, which can benefit the health of all people.
Why We Love It: Lunchbox Bunch radiates joy and creativity. We love Kathy’s upbeat, inclusive approach to veganism. Her recipes are playful yet nourishing, and her enthusiasm makes plant-based living feel both fun and accessible, even for non-vegans looking to eat more greens.

15. My New Roots

My New Roots is one of the health blogs devoted to the use of whole foods in creating delicious and healthy meals. The author is a Certified Nutritional Practitioner, Registered Nutritional Consultant Practitioner, and Registered Orthomolecular Health Practitioner.
Why We Love It: My New Roots feels like equal parts cookbook, art gallery, and wellness guide. We love Sarah’s serene, science-meets-soul approach to food. her recipes are nourishing, inventive, and deeply connected to nature, reminding us that eating well is both a pleasure and a practice.

16. Nom Nom Paleo

Nom Nom Paleo is one of the best blogs devoted to providing its readers with resources and methods for the adoption of the paleo diet, which stresses eating a diet mirroring that of humans living before 10,000 BCE and the advent of modern agriculture.
Why We Love It: Nom Nom Paleo makes eating clean exciting—not restrictive. We love Michelle’s humor, culinary creativity, and no-nonsense approach to paleo cooking that proves healthy food can be crave-worthy, colorful, and full of personality.

17. Fit Bottomed Girls

Fit Bottomed Girls is a women’s fitness blog that posts content focusing on healthy fitness routines for women whose goal is to be healthy. The blog works on honesty, openness, and attainable goals.
Why We Love It: Fit Bottomed Girls keeps wellness refreshingly honest and relatable. We love its uplifting message that fitness isn’t about perfection or punishment. It’s about confidence, joy, and feeling good in your own skin.

18. Deliciously Organic

Deliciously Organic is one of the best health blogs focusing on the health benefits of eating organic foods. Author Carrie Vitt shares her experience of converting to organic foods, how it solved some major health issues, and her struggles with the change in lifestyle, particularly her journey of discovering how to cook with organic foods to achieve the same levels of taste and appeal as non-organic foods.
Why We Love It: Deliciously Organic shows that healthy eating can be both nourishing and indulgent. We love Carrie’s heartfelt storytelling, beautifully simple recipes, and her inspiring proof that going organic can truly transform your health—and your kitchen.

19. Science-Based Medicine

Science-Based Medicine is a blog devoted to disseminating news and information gathered from the science-based medical community and making it accessible to the everyday person. From busting common myths to featuring research that few in the media understand, the blog covers some of the most important aspects of science-based medicine.
Why We Love It: Science-Based Medicine keeps readers grounded in facts in an era of health misinformation. We love its rigorous, no-nonsense approach to medical science and its commitment to helping readers make informed, research-backed health decisions.

20. The Healthy Maven

The Healthy Maven, created by Davida Lederle, is a wellness and lifestyle blog that blends holistic health, balanced nutrition, and mindful living. The platform offers healthy recipes, fitness insights, and personal growth content aimed at helping readers cultivate sustainable well-being without restriction or perfectionism. Known for its relatable tone and real-world approach, The Healthy Maven inspires readers to live healthier, happier, and more intentional lives.

Why We Love It: The Healthy Maven feels like a conversation with a wise, supportive friend. We love its honest, down-to-earth approach to wellness that celebrates progress over perfection and inspires readers to live healthfully without the pressure.

With the rise of telehealth, chronic stress, and burnout, readers are seeking credible voices who blend science and real-life wellness tips. These 20 bloggers stand out for their expertise, authenticity, and innovation.

How do Health Bloggers Help People?

Health blogs provide readers with an outlet to ask questions and get answers from professionals or other people who have had similar experiences. They also serve as an educational resource for people who are looking to learn more about a particular health topic or to stay informed about the latest developments in health and medicine. Additionally, health blogs provide information on a variety of health-related topics.

• Improve mental health with a healthier lifestyle
• healthy recipes for healthy eating
• wellness tips in women’s health
• medical news about healthy living, natural living, health challenges, natural health
• fitness tips for weight loss and a healthier life
• best mental health practices for healthy living
• showing how eating healthy with real food leads to a healthy life
• nutritious recipes for weight loss, health, and wellness
• weight loss for healthier lives
• health and fitness for weight loss
• how healthy habits help heart health

Do Health Bloggers Inspire Healthy Living?

Yes, health blogs can be a great source of inspiration for healthy living. Many health blogs provide advice, tips, and recipes that can help you stay on track with your health goals. They can also provide motivation and support to those trying to make healthy lifestyle changes. Health blogs can also provide information about new trends in healthy living, such as plant-based diets and fitness trends.

Related:

• Best Master’s in Nutrition Programs
• Best Online Master’s in Nutrition Programs
• Fastest Online Master’s in Nutrition Programs
• Most Affordable Online Master’s in Nutrition Programs

The post Top Health Influencers in the United States 2026 appeared first on The Best Health Degrees.

This resource guide aims to provide readers with a list of thirty high-quality resources that are accessible whether you are a medical professional or not.

General Health Guide

• Harvard Health Publications is responsible for printing Harvard journals, and magazines, and creating web content to disseminate practical health information and research.
• World Health Organization publishes a wide range of journals, newsletters, and magazines addressing major global health issues. The subjects range from practical application and travel safety to in-depth research and statistics.
• The National Institutes of Health website provides readers with important information on every aspect of health. The NIH is the foremost organization responsible for helping to fund research projects.
• Centers for Disease Control is responsible for controlling the outbreak of infectious disease and other public health risks. The website contains useful information for staying healthy. The CDC is one of the leading research organizations for public health related risks.
• Prevention Magazine focuses on general health. Additionally, it is one of the oldest, best-known health magazines available today. The magazine runs articles covering everything from healthy recipes to staying healthy as you age.
• The Mayo Clinic website is one of the best general health resources available. It offers everything from a symptom checker to access to some of the leading treatment research for many of the nation’s deadliest diseases.

Fitness Resources

• Livestrong Fitness is a sub-section of the Livestrong organization which promotes a healthy, well-rounded lifestyle. The website offers insights into how the average person finds time to be fit and healthy.
• Runner’s World is a website all about running, the go-to form of cardiovascular exercise for many. There is a science behind running that includes strategies for long term success which includes running under the right conditions, how to maintain consistency, and choosing the right equipment for the style of running you prefer. This website covers it all.
• Men’s Fitness features articles that cover nearly every aspect of a man’s life. From the effect of physical health on the sex life to strength training routines, cardio routines, proper eating, and also equipment reviews.
• Shape is all about helping women be healthy and feel good about themselves. The magazine focuses on more than just fitness routines. However, is still the primary subject matter in the magazine, and most, if not all articles deal with various issues from a fitness perspective.
• Ace Fitness features web tools geared toward helping you create a personalized fitness routine. Now, just having a routine doesn’t necessarily make you more likely to stick to it, but they also provide an easy way to look up Ace certified trainers in your location.

Nutrition Resources

• Nutrition.gov features content consisting of everything the government believes you need to know about nutrition. The website offers readers diet guidelines, recipe suggestions, shopping advice, and also research.
• Eat Right, offers strategies for getting those reluctant eaters to eat healthy foods. The advice on the website spans all age brackets from both children to the elderly.
• Harvard Nutrition is a website of the Harvard School of Public Health. However, the website features material on a wide range of nutrition issues. The articles are based on in depth research, but are written to be accessible to a broad audience.
• Senior Journal is a valuable and rare resource that covers the myriad of unique health issues faced by senior citizens with a particular focus on nutrition. Senior Journal is a great resource for the elderly, their loved ones, and also caretakers.
• Guy Gourmet is the nutrition section of the Men’s Health magazine website. The site deals with nutrition from a man’s perspective and features articles on creating healthy foods that still taste good and satisfy the nutrition needs of men.
• Women’s Health Nutrition is the nutrition portion of Women’s Health magazine and approaches the subject with an understanding of the unique health needs of women.

Mental Health and Happiness Resources

• Psychology Today is an important mental health publication, devoted to bridging the gap between scientific research, academically oriented journals, and the average person. The magazine features useful tips for improving mental health, publishes longer form articles on pressing mental health issues, and shares advice and research with a broad audience.
• Scientific American-Mind takes a scientific approach to mental health and happiness. The magazine deeply examines mental health trends and the effect of modern innovations in technology and the sciences on mental health. It also delves into the innermost workings of the mind.
• Psychologies is a UK based publication devoted to exploring the impact of every day decisions and circumstances on mental health. The magazine offers insights into everything from combating depression to building confidence in your personal life and the workplace.
• Find Treatment is a government service from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, part of the Department of Health and Human Services. Find Treatment is a tool for locating mental health services in your region.
• Delivering Happiness isn’t your average corporation. The goal of this organization is to advance the cause of happiness around the world. The founder of Delivering Happiness proves that companies devoted to helping their employees achieve happiness will be more successful on all fronts.
• Mental Health America is the premier advocacy organization for mental health policy. The organization also researches the impact of mental health trends and educates the world about the impact of mental health on society and culture.

Medical Health Resources

• Discover Magazine has a portion of their website devoted to health and medicine. The articles featured are focused on everything from fighting cancer to preventing outbreaks. The website takes many complex issues of health and medicine and communicates what can be done about them on an accessible level, making the magazine a quality resource for professionals and laypersons alike.
• Science Daily features news and articles on some of the most prevalent medical issues, advancements and innovations of our time.
• Medscape is a medical news website that categorizes its past articles according to what medical issues they address. It makes it easy to look up information on a wide variety of medical matters.
• WebMD is famous for helping people identify what kinds of illnesses go with which symptoms. The site is not intended to be used for self-diagnosis. But it helps people determine whether or not a doctor visit is warranted. This site also features articles on various issues in the medical field.
• Health Central approaches medical issues from many different angles. From educating people on little-known symptoms of well-known illnesses and medical events to highlighting some of the best preventative measures available to those seeking to stave off specific health issues, Health Central has a plethora of medical information available.
• Medline Plus is a website of the National Institutes of Health and is devoted to educating people on major medical issues in accessible language. The website is easily laid out so that users may look specifically for information on things that affect seniors, children, men, women, or all of the above.

Related:

• 5 Great Jobs for a Respiratory Therapist
• 5 Important Mental Health Jobs
• 5 Jobs With a Master’s in Public Health Degree
• 5 Jobs With a Health Science Degree
• 5 Jobs for Healthcare Informatics Graduates
• 5 Healthcare Jobs in High Demand
• 5 Great Careers in Nutrition
• 5 Top Careers in Biomedical Engineering
• 5 Top Medical Careers in Pediatrics

The post Resource Guide for Health Professionals appeared first on The Best Health Degrees.

So you’re looking to raise a happy healthy child.  Welcome to the club.  All parents want this. This is our fundamental goal as parents.  But isn’t it normal for children to be kind of germy and sick?  To have allergies and to need antibiotics regularly?  Afterall, their innate immune systems are just forming so it should be normal for a child to catch coughs, colds and flu. Right? 

Not to set off any panic alarms but it isn’t actually natural for a child to be sick all the time.  Sure. Kids get sick and sometimes kids get very sick.  But ultimately what you want to see is a happy healthy child who fights off colds easily and for the most part is functioning at full speed.  This is the sign of a healthy child.  

If this is the goal how do you get there? If the goal is happy healthy children who are well most of the time, what can we do differently to ensure that this is the case?  We’re going to go over some of the fundamentals for a healthy child.  If you’d prefer fewer doctor’s visits and more time spent at the playground then stick around.  We’ve got a lot to share. 

Pop Quiz! 

Maybe you didn’t think we would be starting with a pop quiz for you.  We understand that you want the answers to healthier happier children.  The fact is that no two children are alike.  So, even though we are going to give some generalized recommendations for healthy children we still think it is important for you to answer the following questions for your own children.  Grab a sheet of paper or open a word processing document and jot down some notes. 

1.  How good is your child’s nutrition? 

1. Great.  
2. Pretty good but we have some areas for improvement.
3. Not great. We get some vegetables in but after a lot of coaxing 
4. Poor.  My child is the pickiest eater on the planet 

2.  What is your child’s lifestyle and stress levels? 

1. Fine.  S/he plays outside a lot and has a nice balance between school work and fun.  
2. Busy.  I have noticed s/he comes home with a mountain of homework and I’m pretty sure they eliminated their second recess
3. Not great.  I suspect my child may be getting bullied at school or something else could be going on. 
4. Poor. We are considering therapy as there is clearly something bothering him/her. 

3.  Does your child have tummy troubles? 

1. Very rarely
2. Occasionally
3. Regularly
4. We’re in chronic tummy trouble mode all the time. 

4. How often does your child get exercise or outdoor play time? 

1. Every day for about three hours 
2. I think our child probably gets outside for 90 minutes or 2 hours a day
3. We have to coax our kiddo out and then it’s for an hour or less 
4. Our child doesn’t get outside very much. 

Take some time now to write down any other areas in your child’s life that you believe need some improvement.  

Did this help? We think that focusing on areas that are most crucial first is a good strategy for raising happy healthy children. Trying to do it all at once and change it all at once can be overwhelming and often doesn’t encourage lasting change. 

Most children need improvement to their nutrition. But how much improvement is optimal?  

Next we are going to take a look at good nutrition for children.  Good nutrition is the cornerstone for a happy healthy life for children, teens, and adults.  The good news is that kids who eat well tend to eat well throughout their lives.  So if you are looking to make changes in nutrition then great!  Think of this as your opportunity to set your child up for good outcomes now and throughout their entire life. 

Great Nutrition For Kids 

It’s okay to have a picky eater.  That’s normal.  Remember many of the healthy foods that we now like to eat we acquired a taste for.  

A general rule for great nutrition for children is to make sure that your children eat an entire rainbow of foods every single day.  

Some of us acquired a taste for healthy foods later in life while other of us can’t remember a time when we didn’t eat fruits and vegetables.

One of the best ways to encourage children to eat healthy foods is to model it.  So, the first thing to do is to include more vegetables and fruits in your own diet.  Even if your child won’t eat every bite of their broccoli over time they will learn that this is how they eat (by example) and before long your child will be more willing to consume healthy fruits and vegetables.  

Take a look at some of the healthiest whole foods for kids. 

A Rainbow of Whole Delicious Foods

Red:  

• Apples 
• Apple Sauce 
• Cherries 
• Radishes 
• Kidney Beans 
• Pomegranate 
• Strawberries 
• Raspberries 
• Sweet Red Bell Pepper 
• Tomato 

Orange: 

• Apricots 
• Cantaloupe 
• Butternut Squash
• Carrots 
• Grapefruit 
• Mango
• Nectarine 
• Sweet Potato
• Orange 
• Winter Squash

Yellow: 

• Corn
• Corn on the Cob
• Yellow Bell Pepper
• Kale 
• Spinach
• Succotash

Green:  

• Asparagus 
• Avocado
• Bean Sprouts 
• Bell Pepper 
• Broccoli 
• Brussel Sprouts 
• Cabbage 
• Celery
• Chard 
• Cucumbers
• Green Beans 
• Green Peas
• Greens of all kinds (collard, mustard, dandelion, turnip, beet) 
• Lettuce 
• Olives 
• Spinach 
• Snow Peas 
• Watercress 

Blue/ Purple: 

• Blackberries 
• Blueberries
• Carrots 
• Dates
• Eggplant
• Grapes 
• Purple Kale 
• Plums 
• Potatoes Purple 
• Raisins 
• Purple or Black Rice 

Tan: 

• Bean Dips
• Garlic 
• Hummus
• Legumes 
• Nuts Onions
• Refried Beans
• Shallots 
• Tahini 

*Source Functional Medicine Tool Kit 

As you can see there are lots of foods to choose from.  So choose one from each color and build from there.  If your child already eats celery, apples, and grapes then great.  Add some new foods in and try pairing them with foods they already enjoy.  Will they try a cherry tomato with their celery one day? Does a bit of hummus help to get the carrots down a bit easier? A little bit of peanut butter may help your child enjoy celery. Ants on a log is a classic recipe that incorporates three of the colors in just one snack. Introduce the same foods again and again until they reliably eat them then build from there. It’s a good approach to increasing food for children. 

Foods to Avoid

Unfortunately food marketing targets children in a number of unhelpful ways.  Of course the most unhealthy foods are the target for ads and placement like sugary cereals, candy, and 

soda. If only healthy foods were widely promoted.  Well if that were the case we would have far fewer kids with health problems in America.  Still there are a few foods that sap your child’s immune system and should be completely avoided.  

• Sugar
• Artificial Sugar
• Juice
• Soda
• Artificial Ingredients 
• High Fructose Corn Syrup

High fructose corn syrup is not actually a food, it’s a substance that has been extracted from corn stalks and is not something that our bodies are designed to digest.  The substance bypasses the GI tract and goes straight into our bloodstream and immediately creates a sugar rush. This triggers the production of fats in the liver. High fructose corn syrup compromises ATP and can contribute to leaky gut. Leaky gut can lead to a whole host of conditions including autoimmune conditions. Avoid High Fructose Corn Syrup (AKA HFCS, Corn Syrup)! 

All of these energy dense foods cause weight gain and do not contribute to your child’s nutritional needs.

Sugary drinks are the largest source of added sugar.  80% of American kids drink about 20 or more ounces of sugar drinks each day. This is 17 teaspoons of sugar in just one drink! 

Most fruit juices have just as much sugar as soda.  Fruit juice actually deters children from eating their regular foods and as a result is associated with stunted growth. 

About 4,000 kids are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes each year. It is essential to limit or eliminate sugar from a diet. There are always opportunities for children to eat sugar- birthday parties at school, birthday parties out of school, vending machines, snack time with a friend, and the list goes on and on.  Cutting sugar may seem tricky but may be the single most impactful thing that you do to change your child’s well being for the better. 

Sugar can cut immune function in half.  If you want a healthy kid consider kicking the sugar. 

Gut Wellness 

A healthy gut is important for extracting the vitamins that we need from our food.  There’s new evidence regularly linking the well being of our gut to our mental well being including developmental disorders like autism.  As much as 90% of all serotonin is produced in the gut- a strong link between gut wellness and depression.  

Our gut provides protection against harmful bacteria and a healthy gut is associated with lower instances of allergies, asthma, diabetes, autoimmune disease and obesity. 

Tips for Healthy Gut Wellness 

Learn to Chew.  Chewing is the first act of digesting! Remember that our intestines don’t have teeth.  Teaching children to chew foods slowly is an important habit that will likely stay with them for life.  This is another behavior that is reinforced through modeling.  Most of us need to learn to slow down our eating.  What a great opportunity to relearn and practice this skill with our kids. 

• Chewing releases optimal digestive enzymes in the mouth.  
• It helps to make nutrients available to us.

Eat Probiotic Rich Foods:

• Sauerkraut
• Full-fat plain yogurt
• Tempeh
• Miso
• Kimchi
• Kefir 

Get Enough Fiber: Good fiber feeds good gut flora. 

If your child’s tummy troubles were your primary concern. This may be where to start with their well-being.  

According to Aviva Romm and many other doctors who focus on gut wellness,  follow the four Rs to help determine what is causing the problems in your child’s gut and to help heal your child’s gut lining.

Remove: food triggers

Replace: digestive enzymes

Reinoculate: with probiotics or probiotic rich foods

Repair: use supplements like L-glutamine to help repair the gut lining. 

Toxins 

We are only going to touch on toxins briefly, but understand that toxins exist almost everywhere including in foods themselves and in the packaging that foods come in. Look for the clean 15 and the dirty dozen to help you determine which foods must be organic. As of 2020, the following foods have made it to the dirty dozen list and therefore must be purchased organic to safely consume: 

• Apples 
• Celery 
• Strawberries
• Peaches
• Spinach
• Nectarines 
• Grapes
• Sweet Bell Peppers 
• Potatoes 
• Blueberries
• Lettuce
• Kale/Collard Greens

As you can see a number of the foods on the dirty dozen list are children’s favorites! Certainly consider spending a few extra dollars on these foods for your kids and for your entire family. It may just save on doctor’s visits! 

Toxins are also found in cleaning products, other packaging, bathroom products, furniture and more.  If you are interested in fortifying your kid’s immunity and yours consider going green on all cleaning and bathroom products. 

Exercise and Movement

Remember earlier in the pop quiz we talked about stress?  It is important to investigate stress at school.  Always take a proactive role in school stressors to help prevent from detrimental bullying.  Getting involved in the parent teacher conferences are a great way to have a relationship and to get your voice heard at your kid’s school.

However sometimes a low mood or higher levels of stress are the direct result of not enough play time.  

We all know that in many situations recess is in danger.  This isn’t good and may contribute to the increasing numbers of diagnosed mental health disorders in kids- a disconcerting fact to be sure.  

Experts recommend about three hours of unstructured outdoor play time.  

Playing in the yard is the best way for kids to of course get their playtime but not everyone has access to a yard which is where things can get tricky.  

Many children come home to a babysitter who is asked to prioritize homework. We think homework can be done effectively after some outdoor time and in fact there is research to back that after a period of movement our brains are much more ready and able to grow and learn. Exercise increased brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) which is how we learn anyway.  

Whoever your child is with after school encourages a lengthy period of time outside.  Start with one hour and then call the child in to complete homework.  After that is over send the child outside again for more playtime while dinner is being prepared.  

You or your babysitter could take homework to a nearby park or playground and complete homework in a nearby cafe after the first hour of play.  You may find that homework time is less of a struggle and more fun and your child gets their much-needed outdoor time to boot. It’s definitely a win-win. 

Consider signing your child up for an after-school recreational activity that includes plenty of outdoor movement such as a team sport.  Time spent playing in nature is invaluable.  Children who problem solve in nature tend to have fewer mental health problems and better focus. 

What Happens if My Kids Get Sick? 

Have a Pediatrician that you love- knowing and loving your pediatrician goes a long way. Find a pediatrician you love and form a good relationship with them. Remember that a doctor is a person so having a positive relationship with your doctor can help you to advocate for you child’s needs down the road. 

Do I  Need to Call the Doctor? 

You have the best knowledge on how your child is feeling.  If your child is sick but you aren’t sure if you need to call the doctor consider the following signs: 

• Lethargic 
• Not eating enough or taking in enough fluids 
• Pee is dark or an off color
• Symptoms are getting worse and not improving. 
• Fever over 103 and continues without any breaks lasting for 2 or 3 days
• Cognitive change 
• Difficulty breathing or strange sounds with breathing 
• Pain 
• Frequent Vomiting and Diarrhea 
• And Others 

If your child is able to play, eating and drinking and peeing normally and their condition is improving are all signs that your child is healing well.  It is always important to monitor your child and to continue to see improvement in their energy levels and appetite. If those energy levels take a dive and they are not able to keep in fluids, call the doctor. If your instincts tell you that something is wrong then you should call your doctor or consider the ER if this is outside of their normal office hours. 

If your child is just sick with a cold but showing improvement, continue to encourage good rest, healthy eating and even some time outside in the sun even if you just take a blanket and a couple of books out to read in the sun. The sunshine can help with the general malaise that accompanies feeling sick.  

Does My Child Need Antibiotics? 

The Get Smart criteria offered by the Center for Disease Control offers some of the criteria for when to treat a common illness with antibiotics.

Click on the link above for more in-depth guidelines but for a brief overview of a few common conditions take a look. 

Common Cold Problematic Signs (these are for an adult): 

• Difficulty Breathing or Fast Breathing 
• Dehydration 
• Fever that lasts longer than 4 days 
• Condition lasts longer than 10 days and there is no improvement 
• Fever with the Cold that Improves then Comes Back
• Worsening of Conditions 

Ear Infection Problematic Signs: 

• 
  High Fever
• Pus or Discharge Coming From the Ear 
• Hearing Loss
• Symptoms that last more than 2-3 days 

Influenza Emergency Signs for Children:

• Fast Breathing or Trouble Breathing 
• Bluish Lips or Face
• Ribs Pulling in With Each Breath 
• Chest Pain
• Severe Muscle Pain (Child Refuses to Walk) 
• Dehydration
• Not Alert or Active When Awake 
• Seizures 
• Fever Above 104
• In Children Less than 12 weeks any fever
• Fever or Cough that  Improve but then Return 
• Worsening of Chronic Medical Conditions 

All of the above information has been taken directly from the Center for Disease Control. 

As you can see a number of the above symptoms are alarming but are much more rare than what generally happens with the flu.  If your child has a fever that improves after a couple of days and your child is able to hold down fluids and foods then it is highly likely that they are going to be able to fight off the bacterial infection without the use of antibiotics. 

Knowing when to administer antibiotics is going to help your child recover from illnesses down the road and to help prevent antibiotic resistance. Probiotics help the gut to recover after a course of antibiotics. 

Think Counter-Culturally 

Thinking and acting counter-culturally can be difficult as we are social creatures and tend to do what others around us are doing.  Is everyone at the party eating excessive sugar and snacking throughout?  That raises the chances that you will too.  It’s normal to run into these types of temptations.  Resisting them can feel tricky at first but with practice will get easier over time. 

At first you may find some of these practices are a little outside of what is considered “normal”  but remember that childhood diseases have skyrocketed including type 2 diabetes. Do you really want to engage in a culture that is “normal” if these normal practices encourage the growth of chronic and yet preventable disease? 

Unfortunately the culture in America just isn’t healthy but there is a grassroots movement for healthy living that grows every year.  Join the movement!

Find a support group of like-minded parents in your community and befriend them. It’s always a good idea to have extra support especially where raising a  child is concerned. 

You may find it easier than you had initially imagined.  If there isn’t a support group, invite friends over to encourage them to take the plunge into a healthy lifestyle.  You may be surprised to learn how many parents have the same exact health concerns as you but are struggling to think and act counter-culturally when the social pressures are on.  You may also be surprised to find that this community is far larger than you had originally imagined. Seek extra support online if you are struggling to find support in your immediate community.  

Other healthy practices to consider: 

Engage your child in your activities.  Invite them to cook, garden, and clean with you using healthy cleaning products. 

Limit screen time.  Screen time saps focus and also encourages sedentary behavior potentially limiting important outdoors time. 

Limit your own screen time.  Remember that children learn these types of behaviors when they see their parents doing them. 

Sign your child up for extracurricular activities 

Consider camping or other outdoor activities that encourage and build resilience 

Engage in mindfulness and yoga to help your child regulate their emotions 

Look for alternative schools like Waldorf and Montessori that incorporate a lot of movement and healthy levels of play in their curriculum. 

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The post Intro Course: Raising A Healthy Child appeared first on The Best Health Degrees.

• TED talks offer insights into the latest medical research and treatment strategies for various diseases.
• Talks include topics like medical imaging, robotics, and the effects of UV light on heart health.
• Speakers share personal stories and innovative approaches to healthcare challenges.
• Highlighted talks include Alanna Shaikh on preparing for Alzheimer’s and David Agus on new cancer treatment strategies.

In these intriguing TED talks, you will find a compendium of the latest research and treatment strategies for some of our oldest diseases as well as some of our newest conditions. From breakthroughs in medical imaging and robotics to the impact of the sun’s UV light on our hearts, these talks promise to be fascinating and illuminating as experts from across the scientific disciplines demonstrate and discuss the problems we face and the potential to revolutionize patient care.

Listening to health care TED Talks can provide a wealth of knowledge about topics such as the future of healthcare, trends in medical research, technology in healthcare, and innovative ideas in healthcare. They can provide insight into issues that affect everyone, from healthcare workers to patients and their families.

They can also showcase inspiring stories of people who have been successful in improving health outcomes. Additionally, they are inspirational, motivating, and provide helpful advice that can be applied in your own life.

1. Alanna Shaikh: How I’m Preparing to Get Alzheimer’s

Global health leader Alanna Sheik gives a moving account of her father’s daily battle with Alzheimer’s disease and details both her methods of prevention and the latest research on living with dementia. She then also discusses how she is preparing to meet the disease should she fall victim to it.

2. Anders Ynnerman: Visualizing The Medical Data Explosion

In this talk, Anders Ynnerman, a scientific visualization expert, delivers advanced information on the latest technological breakthroughs in the field of medical imaging. The challenges of data collection and interpretation are also explored as new ways to gain even deeper knowledge of patient injuries and diagnostics.

3. Aditi Shankardass: A Second Opinion on Developmental Disorders

Aditi Shankardass discusses the inherent difficulties in studying mental disorders by behavioral observation alone. Together with a team of Harvard researchers, she developed and spearheaded an effort that focused on using EEG medical imaging technology to see what was going on inside the brains of children previously diagnosed with some type of mental disorder.

4. David Agus: A New Strategy in the War on Cancer

Oncologist David Angus discusses why the death rate for cancer has been the same for 50 years, and his revolutionary new approach to treating it. Using a new type of diagnostic procedure, an atypical diet and better cellular identification, he outlines a new strategy to fight the disease.

5. Atul Gawande: How Do We Heal Medicine?

Surgeon Atul Gawande discusses the prohibitive costs of healthcare, why it has exploded, how far medical science has come in treatments, and why the best care is not necessarily the most expensive.

6. Catherine Mohr: Surgery’s Past, Present and Robotic Future

Surgeon Catherine Mohr discusses the history of surgical science and catapults the audience into the future of the craft where nimble robotic arms are performing some of the most complicated surgery procedures in medicine. In this talk she demonstrates these robotics which may prove a bit uncomfortable for the squeamish.

7. Bonnie Bassler: How Bacteria “Talk”

Bonnie Bassler discusses her discovery of the chemical language bacteria use to communicate with one another. By studying a marine bacterium called Vibrio Fischeri, she observed their use of bioluminescence in groups and concluded some of the greater implications of bacterial communication.

8. Daniel Kraft Invents a Better Way to Harvest Bone Marrow

Daniel Kraft has invented a new method of harvesting bone marrow called Marrow Minor. In this talk, he demonstrates his new device and explains how it is a lot less painful than traditional methods, and how harvesting the stem cells found within marrow can potential aid in the fight against many genetic diseases.

9. Hadyn Parry: Re-engineering Mosquitoes to Fight Disease

In this talk, Hadyn Perry explores the widespread disease-causing phenomena of the mosquito and also proposes the idea of sterilizing male mosquitoes and releasing them into the wild in an effort to control the spread of diseases such as Malaria and Dengue Fever.

10. Richard Weller: Could the Sun be Good for Your Heart?

Dermatologist Richard Weller discusses the benefits of UV light, heretofore unknown in medical science. Besides Vitamin D, studies suggest that sunlight can help our bodies release a chemical transmitter called nitric oxide and greatly benefit our cardiovascular systems.

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The post 10 Top TED Talks For Health Care Professionals appeared first on The Best Health Degrees.

• Merck Manual – Professional Edition: Provides comprehensive disease and treatment info; no internet needed for access.
• Stat ICD-9 Coder: Offers a searchable database of over 14,000 medical codes, ideal for medical coders and practitioners.
• Pocket Body: An educational app with detailed anatomical layers; useful for medical students and patient education.
• Epic Canto: Links with Epic’s Electronic Health Record, allowing healthcare providers access to patient records and schedules.
• Medibabble Translator: Facilitates communication with non-English speaking patients through translated medical questions and instructions.

The top ipad apps for health professionals can help medical doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers work more effectively.

We all know how useful iPads can be for personal use, but what about in the doctor’s office? With the ease-of-use and variety of apps available, healthcare professionals are increasingly using the iPad for patient care.

Below are the ten top apps used in the medical field by medical and healthcare professionals.

1. The Merck Manual – Professional Edition

Merck Manual app includes all the text of the print edition. No internet connection is required for use. The Professional Edition lists thousands of diseases and treatments and includes references for patient evaluation and clinical approaches.

Bonus features include quick email of topics and complete history of everything reviewed.

The Merck Manual – Professional Edition

2. Stat ICD-9 Coder

Stat ICD-9 Coder

The Stat ICD-9 Coder app is great for medical coders and independent practitioners. The app has a keyword search function that includes over 14,000 codes and descriptions.

No subscription service is required after downloading the app. Quick retrieval and specific descriptions and diagnoses make this one of the best coding apps available for the iPad.

3. Pocket Body

Pocket Body

This preeminent medical education app has nine layers and several possible views, including cranial and plantar. This is an excellent app for medical students, informing patients and continuing education for medical professionals.

All content is included in the app so no internet connection is required for full functionality.

4. Epic Canto

The Epic Canto app works with Epic’s Electronic Health Record. For organizations with this service, the iPad app provides access to records. Access includes clinic schedules and patient information such as health summaries and test results. This app only works with the Electronic Health Record so check with administration for availability before downloading.

Epic Canto

5. Nimble EMR

Another electronic records app, Nimble EMR provides comprehensive patient information for medical staff including patient scheduling, charts, ability to order and review lab results, and electronic prescriptions and refills. This app does require WiFi access.

6. Mediquations Medical Calculator

Mediquations is a powerful medical calculator app. For a small fee, access is available on all Apple devices. The app includes 230 formulas and scores and easily switches between US and SI units. Easily store favorite equations and print or email results. This app also displays multiple results for each query.

7. Medigram

Medigram is a collaboration and communication tool. This HIPAA compliant app allows sensitive text and image sharing among colleagues. Every message is sent over SSL and encrypted to ensure security of patient information. Automatically review previous conversations and instantly know when messages have been received.

8. Nursing Central

Nursing Central

This award winning nursing app includes a database of over 5,000 drugs, 60,000 dictionary entries, comprehensive information on lab and diagnostic tests, as well as descriptions of diseases and disorders. Also included is access to Medline journals and abstracts and exam prep tools. This app requires a paid subscription but downloads, updates and website access are included.

9. Mobile MIM

A powerful medical imaging app, Mobile MIM allows viewing, fusion and display of medical images. Capabilities include ultrasound, X-ray, CT, MRI, SPECT and PET. Review contours, DVH and isodose curves. 3D depth-shaded images and MIP movies as well as secure data transfer make this an excellent healthcare app.

Mobile MIM

10. Medibabble Translator

This medical translator tool makes it easy to communicate with foreign language patients. The free app includes thousands of recordings of translated medical questions and instructions. High-quality audio and a physical exam feature are easy to use during patient consultations. No internet access is required for use.

Medibabble Translator

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The post 10 Top iPad Apps for Health Professionals appeared first on The Best Health Degrees.

1. ICD9 Consult

This app contains the entire ICD9 medical billing code index, fully updated. With ICD9 Consult, health professionals can instantly access any medical code that a situation calls for, without the need for thumbing through a bulky, cumbersome printed handbook.

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2. Medical Spanish

A rapidly growing Spanish-speaking population requires health professionals to have a firm grasp on Spanish medical phrases. This app can search for any phrase needed and has a conjugation function to ensure correct word use. The Medical Spanish app even has audio functionality to let the user hear a phrase as it is supposed to be spoken.

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3. Rx-Writer

Writing prescriptions by hand can become time-consuming. Rx-Writer instantly sends a prescription through a secure connection to a fax machine in any pharmacy. The app can also store up to 250 patient entries, allowing the user to simply click on the appropriate file and order a prescription refill in an instant.

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4. ARUP Consult

Health professionals must retain a vast amount of knowledge to make accurate diagnoses. ARUP Consult stores over 300 topics regarding diseases and clinical topics. The app developers issue regular and comprehensive updates to keep the app up to date.

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5. MediMath Medical Calculator

Health professionals frequently have to compute complex math problems. For example, they must calculate amounts in both standard and metric configurations for injections or dosages. MediMath Medical Calculator provides 139 individual calculators and scoring devices to make on-the-spot calculations more accurate and easier to accomplish.

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6. First Consult

First Consult is an app that stores a large repository of accurate clinical data on the user’s iPhone. This lets health professionals search for the medical information they need at the point of care when they don’t have access to a WiFi hotspot or a data connection.

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7. ECGsource

This app was developed by the designers of the largest electrocardiogram information database on the Internet. It provides a searchable index of all of this information, as well as diagnostic criteria. It even provides high-resolution images and video tutorials to familiarize users with proper ECG use.

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8. Monster Anatomy HD – Lower Limb

This app provides high-definition, 3D images of lower limb structure and anatomy that can be viewed from three anatomical planes. It can display over 500 labels to identify different lower limb structures and has a dedicated view mode for bones, joints, muscles, blood vessels, and nerves.

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9. Paramedic Protocol Provider

This app is designed with paramedics in mind. It provides offline access to over 300 field treatment procedures so that paramedics can quickly and accurately select the appropriate course of action when responding to an emergency call.

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10. MedPage Today Mobile

MedPage Today delivers the latest news in medical developments like treatments, medications and clinical data to the user’s iPhone. It updates over 30 different topics daily and brings coverage of over 60 medical conferences straight to the user’s iPhone each year.

Related:

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• iPad Apps for Health Professionals

The post 10 Top iPhone Apps for Health Professionals appeared first on The Best Health Degrees.