The number of positive flu tests and hospitalizations in the United States is at its highest in more than a decade, indicating that this flu season may be the worst in years.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported at least 880,000 cases of flu-like illness during the 2022-23 flu season.
According to CDC data, clinical laboratories recorded more than 9,100 positive tests during the first three weeks of the season.
This is the most tests recorded this early in a season since the 2009-2010 swine flu outbreak in the country. According to an ABC News analysis of federal health agency data, more than 21,000 positive tests were recorded that season.
Tag: wellness
Independent lab discovered ‘troubling’ levels of cancer-causing chemical in more types of dry shampoo products
According to a new report from Valisure, an independent laboratory, high levels of benzene, a cancer-causing chemical, have been detected in more brands and batches of dry shampoo products.
Certain aerosol dry shampoos, including some Dove, Nexxus, Suave, TIGI, and TRESemmé products, were voluntarily recalled last month due to the potential presence of benzene.
The lab then sent a citizen petition to the US Food and Drug Administration on Monday, stating that 70% of samples tested showed “quantifiable” levels of benzene in 148 batches from 34 different brands of dry shampoo products.
Science-backed wellness trends from the previous decade that will continue into the 2020s
For a variety of reasons, how we care for our bodies, minds, and health evolves over time. While some of these changes are forgotten (thank goodness for low-fat everything and shake weights), others gain attention because there is science behind them, and we are better off for adopting them.
Here are a few wellness trends that became popular in the 2010s that experts predict will continue into the 2020s.
The Double-Sided Nature of Mental Health TikTok
TikTok does an exceptional job of bringing people together. During the early days of the pandemic, conversations surrounding mental health reached the forefront of our collective consciousness, creating space on the popular platform for people with mental illnesses to seek assistance and community. But on an app that is specially designed to suck you down bottomless rabbit holes fueled by endless scrolling, it can be easy to get caught up in a web of false information and dubious advice. While I’m personally of the belief that mental health TikTok serves as a refuge for many, it can be quite dangerous for others–especially for the young and easily impressionable.
Student Athletes: Balancing Physical and Mental Wellness
In honor of World Mental Health Day having been this week, it seemed fitting to address the topic of mental health. Athletes have to deal with lots of pressure on them to perform well, and this kind of stress has been known to cause higher levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. So take that and add to it, the pressures that come from maintaining good grades, the challenges of becoming financially independent, and all of the changes and new experiences that come from taking on a new school environment and overall chapter of life, and you wind up with the perfect recipe for emotional turmoil.
Dance: Good for the Body, Good for the Soul
Dance is something that I have always admired. From my childhood, I watched dancers in my town’s annual christmas parade in all their sequined spandex glory. In middle school my best friend was a dancer, and I was always impressed by the things she would show me. By high school I had landed a spot in an art school as a member of the vocal department, but despite being a member of the choir, I always admired the dance department. They gave the best performances at our monthly recitals. I finally tried pursuing dance during my sophomore year of high school in the form of an after-school tap-class, but then that infamous pandemic struck and quickly put a stop to that. Thus squashing my plans of being in a flashy recital myself.
5 Ways to Detox from Microplastics
Microplastics are extremely small particles of plastic that are the byproducts of plastic products. They can come from any plastic, so things like your phone case, your water bottle, and that ballpoint pen you sometimes chew on, they’re all sources of microplastics.
The Benefits of Journaling and How to Make it a Routine
And no, I’m not only referring to the “dear diary” type of journaling. Unless that’s your jam, then by all means, go right ahead. The practice of journaling can include anything from a food journal, a fitness journal, a gratitude journal, a ‘mind dump’ journal, a memory journal, or even a simple to-do list.
Strength Training vs. HIIT – Which is Best for YOU?
When beginning a fitness routine, one of the most practical steps is deciphering the type of exercise that will maximize results for your body. While many will try to sell you their favorite exercise style, it is essential to honor your body and recognize that everyone’s experience will be slightly different.
How to do a ‘Think Week’ and the Many Benefits
Boredom and relaxation breed creativity and fresh ideas. In a society laden with a hustle mentality, nearly everyone could benefit from having a ‘think week.’ Coined by the co-founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates, a ‘think week’ is exactly what it sounds like: a week to do nothing except think and read.
The Value of Having a Daily Step Goal
Are you working out consistently but not seeing desired results? Let me rephrase this. Are you working out consistently but sitting at a desk for 8 hours a day and then on the couch for 3? If this hits a nerve, it may be time to create a personal daily step goal.
Sleep is the Most Essential Tool in the Wellness Toolbox
As someone who frequents the 5 AM shift, this is more of a personal lecture. However, it’s a lecture that I wholeheartedly believe. I may be a hypocrite, but at least I’m self-aware, right? We all know that sleep is important. Point blank. But do we emphasize just how important it is in modern-day hustle culture? No. Go-getters everywhere brag about how they can “run just fine off of 5 hours of sleep.” It’s me, I said that. I absolutely cannot run “just fine” off minimal sleep, I just tell myself that while yawning through my teeth.
