Writer Diagnosed with ALS Taps Out Book with Thumb
Photo courtesy the Spencer-Wendel family(NEW YORK) — Susan Spencer-Wendel only Googled ALS once. And then never again.Instead of focusing on the debilitating disease with which she was diagnosed in the summer of 2011 at the age of 45, the former…
Film Highlights Hepatitis Research on Kids with Disabilities
iStockphoto/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Willowbrook, a film that highlights hepatitis research on disabled children during the 1960s, is being screened in New York this weekend as part of ReelAbilities, a festival that features disabilities in film.&…
Diabulimia: The Dangerous Way Diabetics Drop Pounds
Courtesy of Erin Williams(NEW YORK) — At age 14, Erin Williams was tired of medicine. Williams was diagnosed as a type 1 diabetic at age 11, and after three years of enduring a never-ending regimen of insulin shots and strict diet restrictions, …
Stars Open Up About Postpartum Depression
VALERIE MACON/AFP/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — Vanessa Lachey welcomed a baby boy, Camden, with husband Nick Lachey last September, and now the TV personality admits that she dealt with postpartum depression after his birth.In a new blog entry on her webs…
SXSW: Google’s Talking Shoe Motivates You to Move
Joanna Stern/ABC News(AUSTIN, Texas) — Google introduced their talking sneakers invention at SXSW this year.Aman Govil, the lead of the advertising arts team, and his colleagues at Google took a few pairs of Adidas sneakers and crammed in a small comp…
CDC Warns of New Deadly Virus, No US Cases Yet
Hemera/Thinkstock
(ATLANTA) — Health officials are warning of a new virus that has sickened at least 14 people worldwide, with eight fatalities, though no cases have been reported in the United States yet.
The novel coronavirus virus, known as hCoV-E…
New Chewing Gum Offers Caffeine Boost
Wrigley’s(NEW YORK) — Starting next month, a new gum from Wrigley will offer more than something to chew on. One piece of Alert Energy Caffeine Gum packs 40 milligrams of caffeine, about as much as a half of a cup of coffee or a whole dark choco…
Vanessa Lachey Struggled with ‘Baby Blues’
Steve Granitz/WireImage(LOS ANGELES) — New mom Vanessa Lachey couldn’t wait to hold her newborn boy in her arms after giving birth, but says her feelings of pure joy and happiness morphed into debilitating “baby blues.”Lachey, the ho…
Bumble Bee, Chicken of the Sea Expand Tuna Recall
Bumble Bee Foods(WASHINGTON) — Tuna giants Bumble Bee Foods and Chicken of the Sea have expanded recalls of their flaky fish because of a possible packaging problem.Both companies issued voluntary recalls of some 5-ounce cans of Chunk White Albacore a…
‘Parisian Diet’: Key to Being Skinny Is Savoring Food, Author Says
Brand X Pictures/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Despite their love affair with creamy cheese, full-bodied wine and soft pastries, French women, on average, are skinnier than American women.Obesity rates in France are about three times lower than in the U.S., …
Study Finds Brisk Walking to Be Helpful in Recovery After a Stroke
Comstock/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — Heading outside for a brisk walk can improve your quality of life. According to a new study released Thursday, stroke victims could have a lot to gain from walking for exercise. For the study, published in the jo…
Students at Texas High School Plan ‘No Makeup’ Day
iStockphoto/Thinkstock(DALLAS) — Teens at Plano Senior High School in Texas are trying to redefine beauty, rallying students to wear no makeup Friday — an initiative they’re calling “Operation Beautiful.”“I just really began t…
Twin Girls from Gaza Get Chance to Walk Thanks to Prosthetics
ABC News(LOS ANGELES) — For many parents, seeing their child walk for the first time is a memorable experience, but for Itaf Shallouf, seeing her daughters’ first steps seemed like a miracle. Her twin girls were born without functional legs.Shal…
Mom to Kraft: Take Yellow Dye Out of Mac and Cheese
Courtesy Vani Hari and Lisa Leake(NEW YORK) — Lisa Leake’s children used to love the taste of Kraft’s Mac & Cheese, the bright orange pasta that comes in the signature blue box. But she began to worry about the additives — yellow dye 5 and …
Subscription Services Look to Automate Tampon Delivery to Women
HelloFlo | Juniper(NEW YORK) — It’s a routine women know all too well. At that time of the month, it’s off to the drugstore to buy a box of tampons, and perhaps some Advil or Midol as well. The next month, the cycle repeats.We order food, …
Crickets in an Energy Bar?
Pat Crowley(SALT LAKE CITY) — A small Salt Lake City food company called Chapul has a new line of energy bars that are raising eyebrows for their unique ingredients. Their Thai Bar has coconut, ginger, lime — and crickets.A chart in a video on …
New York City Will Warn About Earphone Volume
iStockphoto/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is going from the volume of soda containers to the volume of New Yorkers’ earphones. The Mayor known for taking on trans fats, salt and the size of soft drinks has a new public h…
To Prevent Colon Cancer, Get Your Butt to the Doctor
Ryan McVay/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Colorectal cancer — cancer of the colon or rectum — is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Yet, it’s one of the m…
Diagnosed with Breast Cancer? Get Second Opinion, Experts Say
ABC News(NEW YORK) — Mammograms are not something most women look forward to, but just like the 37 million other women who get a routine mammogram each year, Judy Valencia of Saginaw, Mich., has been vigilant about her check-ups.”My sister had breast …
Texas Man’s 300 Pound Weight Loss Success Story
Image credit: Courtesy Brian Beck(NEW YORK) — Brian Beck, of Plano, Texas, tipped the scales at 487 pounds, and has been on the heavier side of the scale for most of his life.Even as a baby, his doctor put him on skim milk because he was gaining weigh…