A Healthier Michigan

Michigan Outdoors

Michigan Bucket List: Ice Climbing in the Upper Peninsula

If you are looking for an exciting outdoor activity and exercise to enjoy in the beautiful Michigan winter wonderland, you may want to look into ice climbing. Each winter, ice climbers both local to the Upper Peninsula and those that travel for the ice picking locations in the UP scale frozen surfaces that form in winter.

Community

Cancer Ribbon Colors and Meanings

Awareness ribbons for different types of cancer are popular in America to show support and solidarity with those dealing with the issue. The cancer ribbons cover a range of colors, each connected to one of the more than 100 types of cancers.

Michigan Outdoors

Michigan Bucket List: Lake Michigan Frozen Lighthouses

If you’re looking for a stunning wintertime spectacle, check out some of the frozen lighthouses on Lake Michigan this winter. Frozen lighthouses typically occur from November through January.

Health and Wellness

Are New Year’s Resolutions Bad?

Are there any benefits to making New Year’s resolutions, or do they set you up for disappointment and failure? Reframe your thinking around resolutions and new habits or lifestyle changes and you’ll likely see better results.

Health and Wellness

Low Impact Winter Sports to Try

Many winter sports, such as skiing and hockey, are high-impact or contact sports that may not appeal to many athletes. Here are some low-impact winter sports and exercises to include in your cold weather exercise plans.

Health and Wellness

How to Clear Distractions While Driving

Each year, thousands of traffic accidents are caused by distracted driving and as recently as 2022, distracted driving caused more than 3,000 deaths. Even so, more than 45% of drivers have admitted to texting or reading their phone while driving, and even more eat, talk on the phone or reach around their car while driving.

Health and Wellness

Creative Ways to Get Exercise in the Colder Months

Whether it’s because of colder weather, schedule changes, travel or holiday celebrations, it can be harder to stay active during the winter. Colder weather especially may leave you wanting to stay curled up and indoors rather than exercising. Here are some creative ideas to still get out and get enough physical exercise during the colder winter months.

Health and Wellness

Tips for an Alcohol-Free Holiday Season

More than half of Americans drink more during the holiday season. For some, this increased alcohol intake results in hangovers or even missed work. For others, it interferes with their health goals and can have negative effects on physical and mental health.

Home and Family

Toy Safety 101: Kid-Friendly Checklist

Are your child's toys safe? Each year, hundreds of thousands are hospitalized due to toy-related injuries.

Boy playing with building Blocks
Health and Wellness

Getting Through the Holidays Without Family

Most people who spend the holidays alone feel more lonely than usual and may struggle to enjoy the festive time of year. Here are some tips on how to get through the holidays alone or without family around.

Food and Recipes

Vegetarians Can Enjoy the Flavors of Thanksgiving Too

Thanksgiving may be a meat-centric celebration, but the seasonal flavors of this fall holiday lend themselves well to healthy, hearty and wholesome vegetarian – and gluten-free dishes. Ditch the tofurkey and plan a menu with comfort at the core.

Food and Nutrition

Thanksgiving Recipe Ideas for the Picky Eater in Your Family

When you have a picky eater in your family, this can cause stress leading up to and during the holiday meal. Here are some ideas and recipes that can help your picky eater join in on the Thanksgiving dinner.

Health and Wellness

Managing Thanksgiving Stress

While Americans report finding joy and excitement around traditional holidays, almost 9 in 10 also say they also experience stress leading up to and during holiday celebrations. While you can’t avoid all sources of stress, planning ahead and setting personal or social boundaries can help to manage or minimize stress.

Food and Nutrition

How to Reduce Sodium in Your Thanksgiving Dinner

The AHA and USDA both recommend a daily sodium intake of less than 2,300 mg, or about one teaspoon of salt, with an ideal limit of 1,500 mg a day for most adults, especially those with high blood pressure. However, many Americans get more than 2,000 mg of sodium in an average Thanksgiving dinner.

Health and Wellness

Health Benefits of Using a Sauna

Saunas are small, cozy rooms that are typically heated via wood or electric to reach a high temperature. The exact temperature depends on the individual sauna, but most will hover around 185 degrees. Saunas are set to a level that has people breaking out in a sweat within a minute or two of entering the room.

Health and Wellness

What to Eat Before a Run

Proper nutrition is a must especially when running or exercising, not only to keep a healthy diet, but also to get additional nutrients needed when exercising regularly. Here are some tips on foods to eat and foods to avoid leading up to and following a run.

Health and Wellness

Risk Factors for Premature Birth

Nearly 1 in 10 women who give birth experience premature or preterm birth, defined as any birth before the 37th week of pregnancy. There are a variety of inherent health factors, environmental factors and lifestyle factors that heighten the risk of premature birth.

Diet and Nutrition

Meal Planning for Kids with Type 1 Diabetes

When choosing meals for kids with type 1 diabetes, aim for a balanced mix of complex carbohydrates, proteins and fats. It’s also important to time meals and snacks in accordance with insulin doses.

Community

MI Bucket List: Native American Historical Sites to Visit in Michigan

Michigan has a long history with Native American communities and traditions. There are 12 federally recognized tribes of Indigenous peoples in Michigan. Many of the state’s natural wonders and historical sites have a history within the Native American cultures predating the state of Michigan.

Health and Wellness

What is Prediabetes?

Pre-diabetes refers to elevated blood sugar levels that aren’t high enough to be Type 2 diabetes. However, pre-diabetes can lead to the development of diabetes without lifestyle changes to lower blood sugar levels.

Health and Wellness

Do Humidifiers Help with Allergies?

Dry air and dust can wreak havoc on allergies, sinuses and skin. Dry air indoors is more common during the winter. Many people use humidifiers to keep their air more humid in the winter months, but do humidifiers help or exacerbate allergies? It depends on the specific allergens and triggers involved.

Health and Wellness

6 Tips to Become a Morning Person

Maybe you feel like you’re dragging your feet or a step behind in the morning, or just wish you were more productive or active when you first get up. Becoming a morning person can be a hard adjustment but can be made much easier by setting yourself up for success by getting good sleep and changing some habits.

Health and Wellness

How Your Gut Health Affects Your Mental Health

The mind-gut connection has been the target of increasing study in recent years. Not only has research shown the connection, but there’s been more awareness by people who battle depression and anxiety that they often have to deal with gastrointestinal conditions like irritable bowel syndrome, abdominal pain and stomach upset.

Health and Wellness

Why Do Some People Love Getting Scared?

Even if getting scared isn’t an enjoyable experience for you, you probably know someone who is a thrill-seeker or enjoys frights and scary movies, haunted houses or rollercoasters. What is it about getting scared that is fun or enjoyable for some people?

Things To Do

Michigan Bucket List: Michigan Cider Mills

As summer gives way to fall, it’s time for a visit to a cider mill to enjoy apple picking, apple cider and donuts.

Diet and Nutrition

Vegetarian Meal Prep Ideas

Making vegetarian choices throughout the week is much easier if you’ve been able to meal prep ahead of time. Here are some ideas for flavorful, healthy vegetarian meals and snacks that you can prepare, portion and store to eat later.

Health and Wellness

Benefits of Playing Youth Sports

As of 2020, more than 54% of school-aged children in the United States participated in youth sports. Youth sports are associated with higher levels of physical activity and improved physical and mental health. There are multiple benefits to participation in youth sports.

Diet and Nutrition

High Protein Breakfast Ideas without Meat

While meat does contain high levels of protein, it is also often high in saturated fat and cholesterol. There are many plant-based sources of protein that Americans don’t use at nearly the rate of meat consumption. Learn how to start your day off with a healthy high-protein breakfast without relying on meat.

Community

Beautiful Michigan: Top Picturesque Locations For Fall

Grabbing photos of fall foliage here in Michigan makes for a fantastic October activity. So, where are the best places in the state to capture the perfect fall images?

Lake Superior Chapel Beach in Autumn at Pictured Rocks
Health and Wellness

8 Tools to Manage ADHD

By current estimates, more than 7 million children and more than 8 million adults in the United States have ADHD. Here are 8 tools to better manage ADHD for both adults and children.

Health and Wellness

Digital Decluttering: Tips and Benefits

Decluttering our digital spaces can become almost as necessary as cleaning and decluttering living spaces and may even need to be done more often. Here are some helpful ways to start digital decluttering and some benefits you may see as a result.

Health and Wellness

Easy Ways to Introduce Yoga to Your Kids

Yoga is known for its health benefits, including increased flexibility, increased strength, improved sleep and the ability to help with chronic pain and inflammation. Many of these benefits apply to kids as well. Learn how to introduce yoga to kids with these tips and yoga poses.

Health and Wellness

Is Running Marathons Healthy for Your Heart?

Regular running and exercise are associated with better overall heart health and other health benefits. Americans who follow the American Heart Association guidelines of 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise a week have healthier hearts and avoid diseases at higher rates than those who don’t, and those who get 3-5 times that amount of exercise have the best health outcomes.

Health and Wellness

Which Foods Promote Gut Health?

Gut health is connected to all other areas of personal health, including physical and mental health. Maintaining a healthy gut biome is important to support your body and the way it functions. There are foods that promote gut health in the way they are broken down and absorbed in the digestive system.

Health and Wellness

What is Pebbling?

Pebbling refers to the practice of sending or leaving little day-brighteners or “pebbles” for others in your life. It has been described as a love language, an appreciation practice or a ritual form of communication for couples, friends and family. The term comes from the behavior of Gentoo penguins, who will present pebbles to other penguins they are bonding with, to use in nesting.

Health and Wellness

Add More Fiber to Your Diet with These High-Fiber Snack Ideas

The recommended amount of daily fiber is between 25 and 38 grams, but most Americans eat only 10-15 grams daily. A diet high in fiber can help reduce the risk of chronic diseases and help you to feel fuller for longer and more energized compared to refined carbohydrates.

Health and Wellness

Balance Exercises for Falls Prevention

The risk of falls and injuries from falls increases as we age due to loss of bone mass, muscle mass and balance. Balance exercises can lower the risk of falling as well as the risk of injuries. Here are some balance exercises that are helpful for balance training and preventing falls and related injuries.

Health and Wellness

How to Support a Family Member in Assisted Living

Having a family member in assisted living can be difficult for everyone involved. People who move into assisted living can struggle with a loss of independence, leaving their home or fears of fewer family visits. Family members of those in assisted living may feel guilt, helplessness and concern.

Health and Wellness

Signs and Risk Factors of Malnutrition

If there is an imbalance between the nutrients your body needs and the nutrients you are able to eat and absorb it can cause malnutrition. Undernutrition is most common condition associated with malnutrition but there can be other causes as well. Malnutrition includes undernutrition as well as overnutrition, or an imbalance of nutrients

Health and Wellness

Practicing Self-Care While Grieving

Taking care of yourself and being mindful of your mental and overall health can be especially difficult when you are grieving. Self-care is important during times of loss, even though it may be difficult. Here are some ideas and tips for taking care of yourself and being mindful of your personal mental health while you grieve.

Diet and Nutrition

Easy Ways to Fit In-Season Fruits and Veggies into Your Diet This Fall

You are probably aware that eating more fruits and veggies is good for your health. When it comes time to prepare a meal, it can be difficult to know the best way to include and serve the proper amount of fresh fruits and vegetables or to break long-standing habits tied to food.

Health and Wellness

5 Creative Ways to Support Someone with Cancer

It can be difficult to know how to respond when a friend or loved one is diagnosed with cancer. Emotional support and encouragement can be helpful to cancer patients, but often, cancer patients have logistical, physical and financial needs that you can help them with. Here are five creative ways to help someone with cancer.

Health and Wellness

Surprising Health Benefits of Labor Day

You may associate Labor Day with barbecues, fun and the end of summer, but Labor Day has long been tied to public health. The origins of Labor Day include movements for better workplace health protections and improved quality of life for workers. Here are some health benefits from Labor Day that may surprise you.

Health and Wellness

Is Activated Charcoal Healthy?

Activated charcoal has been showing up all over in recent years, from toothpaste to hamburger buns to supplements. The substance has a history of medical use as an antitoxin for ingested poisons, but more recently it’s become a social phenomenon for “detoxing.”

Kids and Parenting

Do Babies and Infants Need Sunglasses?

Putting sunglasses on a baby or infant is sure to be cute – but it’s also an important preventive choice to protect the child from sun damage. Learn when kids start to need sunglasses and how to pick out the right set of sunglasses for a baby or infant.

Kids and Parenting

How to Help Kids Prepare for the First Year of Middle School

The first year of middle school is full of new experiences and challenges. Parents and mentors have an important role in helping kids acclimate and succeed in middle school. Learn some approaches and tips for helping kids prepare for middle school.

Mental Health

How to Deal with End-of-Summer Anxiety

You may feel anxiety rising as summer nears its end and autumn and winter get nearer. This end-of-summer anxiety can be tied to a few causes. Learn how to recognize and deal with “August anxiety” or the back-to-school blues.

Home and Family

Benefits of Reading Aloud to Kids

Reading out loud to your kids is a great way to spend time together and has multiple educational and emotional benefits for both kids and adults. Time spent together with books and stories can help kids’ reading and comprehension skills, as well as be a centering and calming practice for everyone involved, especially when reading together is part of a routine.

Community

When and How to Watch Perseid Meteor Showers in Michigan

Every summer, the Perseid meteor showers grace the night skies above Michigan. Learn more about this celestial display and the best places and times to check them out in Michigan.

Health and Wellness

Tips to Unwind from the Workday Without Alcohol

Alcohol is involved in cultural and social norms, including after-work decompression and socialization, but there are many ways to wind down after work and “chill out” that don’t involve alcohol.

Community

5 Things to Do this Summer in Frankfort 

This picturesque lakeshore village sits at the foothills of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

Park Bench on the Bay
Health and Wellness

Everything You Should Have in Your Beach Bag

Going to the beach is not only fun, but a great way to spend time outside and connect to the natural sights and sounds of an inland lake or one of the Great Lakes. The best way to make sure your beach day is a success is to be prepared. We’ve compiled a list of must-haves to include in your beach bag.

Community

Best Hiking Trails in Northern Michigan

From Traverse City to Alpena and points in between, the northern half of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula is home to wonderful vacation destinations and plenty of natural beauty to explore. If you’re planning to be in the area, make a point to spend a day on foot, checking out some of the best hiking trails in Michigan.

Community

Hiking in Mid-Michigan: Where to Go

Do you think you have to go “up north” to get an authentic Michigan hiking experience? You will be surprised by the diversity of sites to explore in mid-Michigan. Whether you are looking for a riverfront experience, big rocks or an urban adventure, there is plenty to discover in the middle of the Mitten state.

Health and Wellness

The Science Behind the Perfect Workout Playlist

If you listen to music when you work out, you've got to read this post to design the perfect playlist to pump you up.

Community

Michigan Bucket List: Sunflower Festivals   

Check out some of the Michigan farms that are hosting sunflower festivals this summer and fall.

Michigan Outdoors

Take a Hike in Southeast Michigan

Whether you’re looking to escape to a natural setting or enjoy a quick hike on your lunch break, southeast Michigan has plenty of great trails to discover. Here are some ideas to get you going on your next hiking adventure.

Community

Best Disc Golf Courses in Michigan

Pack up some discs, grab some water and check out these popular disc golf courses across Michigan.

Man playing flying disc sport game in the city park
Michigan Outdoors

Michigan Bucket List: Nationally Designated Parks in MI

Michigan is known for its gorgeous water, woods, and natural beauty, as well as its role in the Great Lakes regional and national history. There are several National Parks and national-designated parks and trails in Michigan. We’ve listed them below with details for you to add to your summer itinerary or Michigan bucket list.

Health and Wellness

Tips to Successfully Set Screen Limits

Grabbing your phone or switching on the TV or YouTube is second nature for many people. When there is a lull in the day or a moment of silence, it can be easy to fill that space with social media, entertainment or news that are always available at our fingertips. It’s important to set screen time limits for yourself.

Community

Accessible Beaches in Michigan 

Access to beaches and waterfront spaces is improving across Michigan as state parks and city beaches become places that people of all abilities can navigate.

a handicapped man at the beach. electric wheelchair. with assistant on bicycle.
Prevention

What Even Is UV? Your Guide to the Potentially Harmful Ray

UVA, UVB, UVC: What do these all mean? Here’s how to the know difference and protect yourself from their damage.

UV Ray Guide
Community

Michigan Bucket List: Zoos to Visit

Michigan is home to many zoos, petting zoos, refuges, and specialty animal conservancies that are an exciting, fun and educational experience for the whole family. We’ve compiled some of the best zoos and conservatories from across the state.

Health and Wellness

5 Health Benefits of Volunteering at an Animal Rescue

The joy and affection that animals bring can cheer you up, calm you down, and keep your attention focused and in-the-moment. Not everyone can have a pet at home, and even if you do, you may find volunteering at a local animal rescue to be a rewarding experience. Learn five ways volunteering at an animal shelter can benefit your health.

Prevention

The One Thing You Aren’t Doing to Protect Your Skin From the Sun

While the sun can be healing, it can also be harmful. Make sure to protect your skin with sunscreen but remember skin protection from sunlight doesn’t stop there.

Mind

5 Lifestyle Choices to Reduce Your Stress

Adopting five new habits can help reduce your overall stress and have a positive impact on your life.

care-free woman in an open field
Health and Wellness

What is Social Wellness?

Social wellness, just like another area of personal health, requires care and attention. Your social health, just like physical or mental health, cannot be ignored until something is going wrong.

Health and Wellness

What is Self-Care & How Does it Benefit Health?

Self-care can help build and maintain mental health and resilience. Mental health is not something that can be ignored until something goes wrong. Just like any other area of your personal health, it needs to be maintained and checked up on.

Prevention

11 Tips to Keep Your Skin Sun Safe

Summer is here and the sun is shining. While you are enjoying the heat and daylight, you also have to protect your skin and body.

mom putting sunscreen on child at beach
Prevention

Buzz Off! How to Keep Mosquitos Far Away

You can protect yourself against West Nile and other mosquito-borne diseases by avoiding contact with mosquitos. Here are five tips to help you do just that.

Prevention

Keep Your Hair Healthy this Summer with These Tips

Damaged hair can say a lot about your health – keep your hair healthy in the hot summer with these diet tips and scalp treatments.

Health and Wellness

Tips to Prevent Shin Splints

Shin splints are a common and painful overuse injury or condition usually caused by running, tennis, pickleball, dancing, or other standing exercises for extended periods of time. With some preparation, there are self-treatment tips for preventing shin splints or minimizing the pain from shin splints.

Home and Family

Snack Swaps: Help Kids Eat Healthy All Summer

Lack of structure in the summer can lead to mindless snacking. Try these swaps to help kids eat right this summer.

Snail and Worm Snacks
Diet and Nutrition

Healthy Summer Dinner - Recipe Roundup

During the summer months, Michigan supplies many local produce options including hot-weather crops such as strawberries, cherries, beans, blackberries, squash, and more. Summer fruits and veggies can be included in dishes to add nutritional quality and flavor. Try one of these summer-inspired recipes to make the most of the season.

Home and Family

Adults aren’t the only ones who get stressed out

It’s tempting to romanticize childhood as a time where the biggest concerns are who to sit with in the cafeteria, what your summer plans are, and what to spend your allowance on. Reality during childhood can often be a lot different than the ideal.

Health Conditions

Did You Know: The Connection Between Vision Health and Diabetes

Diabetes can lead to conditions that affect your vision, such as glaucoma, cataracts and diabetic retinopathy. Equip yourself with the knowledge needed to prevent these conditions by reading these tips.

Community

How to Celebrate the Summer Solstice

Ready to mark the longest day of the year? Stick with us for tips on how to celebrate the summer solstice.

June summer sun solstice concept with silhouette of happy young woman's hands relaxing, meditating and holding sunset against warm golden hour sky on the beach with natural ocean or sea background
Food and Recipes

How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds (Plus Two Tasty Variations)

Don't sleep on homemade roasted pumpkin seeds this fall! Here is a basic recipe for this crispy, crunchy and delicious snack, plus two fun variations.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Prevention

The Needle-Hater’s Guide to Donating Blood

Does your fear of needles keep you from donating blood? Check out these ways to combat your fear and save lives in the process.

Fear of Needles?
Health and Wellness

Understanding Summer Seasonal Affective Disorder

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is often associated with the coming of winter and loss of daylight, but it can also be brought on in warmer months and is known as summer onset seasonal affective disorder.

Health and Wellness

Do Memory Exercises Work?

There are many products and games marketed as memory aids or mind-sharpening pastimes explicitly, especially for older Americans. Do these exercises really help with memory or have a noticeable effect?

Health and Wellness

Tips to Manage a Skin Breakout

Breakouts on the skin can be frustrating and uncomfortable. When a breakout happens, there are ways to manage the discomfort and the affected areas. There are also some products, behaviors, and foods to avoid for managing breakouts.

Community

Pride 2024 Events Throughout Michigan

Festivals, parades and family-friendly activities are all on tap as Pride events fill up the summer calendar across Michigan in 2024.

Girlfriends meeting at the LGBTQI pride
Health and Wellness

What is Summer Anxiety?

The causes for summer anxiety and depression are broad, but some common causes can be found including sleep issues, schedule changes, and even summer onset seasonal affective disorder.

Health and Wellness

Easy Ways to Reduce Indoor Allergens and Improve Air Quality

Allergens can easily find their way into your home and wreak havoc on your allergies or immune system. Learn how to identify how allergens are entering your home and some easy steps to take to avoid indoor allergens and improve the quality of the air inside.

Mental Health

Mental Health Exercises to Help Alleviate Stress

Avoiding stress can be a tall task with the demands of life and everything going on around you. There are lifestyle changes or habits that can help to alleviate routine stressors or triggers for stress or panic.

Community

5 Ways to Get Your Garden Ready to Plant in May 

Garden lovers, this is the season of so much anticipation. Major gardening activity typically waits until the soil warms up enough to plant the most common crops, and for us in Michigan, this usually means mid to late May

Child and mother gardening in vegetable garden in the backyard
Health and Wellness

Warning Signs to Look for in Children After a Concussion

When a child suffers a fall or a blow to the head, concussion is a concern. It’s important to know the signs of a concussion, warning signs that need immediate care, and what to do for a child who may be concussed.

Health and Wellness

The Benefits of Learning a Second Language

Learning another language will open new doors for you in your personal life, professional life, and social life. Learning a new language is a great way to focus on personal growth, stimulate your mind and your senses, and introduce you to new people and new possibilities.

Health and Wellness

Could your Laundry be Making your Allergies Worse?

Many triggers or allergies or allergens are found in the home or brought into the home from outside and continue to aggravate and trigger allergy symptoms in the supposed comfort of your own home. One of the most common culprits of allergens in the home is laundry and the laundry room.

Health and Wellness

What is Wild Swimming?

Wild swimming, or open-water swimming, refers to swimming in natural waters, open water, or generally swimming outside and in natural waters. Wild swimming and open-water swimming has become more popular in recent years, especially with Americans looking for a mental health boost, since it ties together exercise and connection with nature.

Health and Wellness

Why Is My Skin Breaking Out All of a Sudden?

Skin breaking out in acne or a rash can be scary, irritating and confusing especially if you are not sure what the cause is. Acne most commonly occurs during puberty, but up to 15% of adult women develop acne as well.

Health and Wellness

Skincare Routine Essentials for Chronic Skin Conditions

It is important to know about your skin, allergies or sensitivities, and skin type whether or not you have a chronic condition. Depending on the severity and extent of chronic skin conditions, certain products or medications may need to be added to a skincare routine.

Community

Guide to Michigan Memorial Day Parades

Do you have plans this Memorial Day Weekend? Stop by one of the many parades and celebrations happening all over Michigan. Find a Memorial Day celebration near you.

Father and son at parade holding an American flag
Health and Wellness

5 Tips for Surviving Allergy Season

While it’s exciting to head outside and enjoy nature, the change in season also means allergies. Here’s how to nip symptoms in the bud.

How to survive allergy season
Health and Wellness

Can You Have Pets with a Pet Allergy?

While no furry friend can truly be hypoallergenic, there are some dog breeds or types of pets are better choices for hopeful pet owners who have pet allergies. The cause of most pet allergies is not the pet itself, but the dust and dander that gets trapped in their fur, or allergens they carry inside on their fur.

Health and Wellness

Are Allergies Affecting My Skin?

When the body encounters allergens or foreign substances that trigger an immune response, it is known as an allergic reaction. The immune response that is triggered affects the skin, manifesting as irritation, redness, scaliness, hives, swelling, and more symptoms of an allergic reaction on the skin.

Health and Wellness

What are Awe Walks?

An awe walk is a hike or walk focused on enjoying and taking part in the natural world around you. To take part in awe walking, all that is needed is to focus on the world around you and awe-inspiring aspects of nature while you walk.

Home and Family

Ideas for a Healthy and Happy Mother’s Day

It’s time to get those Mother’s Day plans in order. Here are some food and activity-based ideas that the whole family is sure to enjoy.

A family of three jokes and has fun while baking in the kitchen.
Community

Michigan Spring Bucket List: Best Spots to See Holland’s Famous Tulips 

This West Michigan town is known for its spring tulip displays. Here are some insider tips on scenic spots to see them in full bloom.

Wooden Windmill in Holland Michigan
Health and Wellness

How to Deal with Social Anxiety

About 15 million Americans struggle with social anxiety disorder, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Learn how to overcome social anxiety.

Home and Family

Teacher Appreciation Week: Simple Acts to Show Appreciation

May 6 to May 10 is Teacher Appreciation Week this year. It is common to celebrate teachers during this week with events, gifts, and an outpouring of appreciation and respect for teachers and their work. Here are some examples of acts that students and parents can use to show their appreciation for teachers.

Health and Wellness

How Do Skin Allergy Tests Work?

Skin allergy tests can help care teams determine what allergies or sensitivities a patient may or may not have, based on the reactions and results to the test. There are three main types of skin allergy tests given: skin prick tests, intradermal skin tests, and patch tests.

Health and Wellness

How Do I Get My Kids to Eat Healthier Meals?

It can feel like a constant effort to keep your kids eating healthy meals. Kids can also be notoriously picky, for a variety of reasons. Read on for some ideas for creating healthy meals for your kids and tips on getting kids to eat healthier.

Health and Wellness

Benefits of Healing Gardens

It is common sense that being around nature, fresh air, and pleasant images or aromas from plants can be soothing. But are there actual healing benefits to healing gardens?

Community

Michigan Bucket List: Public Golf Courses 

Ready to break out your clubs? You’re not alone. Here are some popular public golf courses to check out across the state.

Arcadia
Physical Health

Does Ginger Beer Have Alcohol?

Most commercially available and mass marketed ginger beers are simply ginger drinks or fermented ginger drinks without alcohol. Ginger beers that contain alcohol are labeled as alcoholic ginger beers.

Health and Wellness

How Long Does It Take the Body to Recover from Drinking

The long-term effects of alcohol use do not go away as soon as you stop drinking or alter your drinking habits. Some noticeable changes and markers of recovery may show up as soon as days or weeks after beginning abstinence from alcohol.

Health and Wellness

How to Stop a Panic Attack

When a panic attack hits, one can feel out of control or in extreme danger. Anxiety over the panic attack or attempts to avoid or prevent an oncoming panic attack can add to the feelings of urgency and panic.

Health and Wellness

What is Silent Walking?

Silent walking is the idea of a focused, silent walk without listening to music, podcasts, conversation, or other activities often used during runs or walks. The goal of silent walking is to focus your mind and body on the walk, on the world around you, and to use the walk as a meditative experience.

Health and Wellness

Top 5 Reasons You Should Walk at Lunch

National Walk at Lunch Day is the perfect excuse to get outside after lunch and rack up some steps. Do it every day and the health benefits will rack up, too.

Two businesswomen walk, talk and drink coffee in the middle of a workday.
Home and Family

Immunization 101: The Vaccines Your Child Needs to Stay Healthy

Vaccines prevent more than 2.5 million deaths each year and protect not only those receiving the vaccine, but also everyone around them, particularly those with weakened immune systems, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Health and Wellness

Understanding Autism in Children

Autism affects the way a person communicates and interacts with others. It does not affect all people equally, rather there are varying degrees of severity.

World Autism Awareness day concept with puzzle or jigsaw pattern on heart with autistic child's hands supported by nursing family caregiver
Health and Wellness

How Gen Z Uses Karaoke as Exercise

Karaoke fits the bill when it comes to many of the preferences Gen Z has for exercise. Karaoke can be a great group workout or exercise, it is a social and communal activity, and it can easily be done at home, at work or in social settings.

Health and Wellness

Foods That Help with Stress Relief

What you eat can have a significant effect on your stress levels and risk of chronic stress. Proper nutrition is an important element to handling stress and anxiety. Learn more about foods that can help manage stress and anxiety.

Health and Wellness

Easy Ways to Reduce Exposure to Microplastics

Microplastics are a concern to the environment and for human health. Americans on average consume between 75,000 and 120,000 microplastic particles a year. Read on for some suggestions on how to reduce your microplastic exposures through some lifestyle and consumption changes.

Community

Michigan Spring Bucket List: Cherry Blossoms in Traverse City

Michigan has an abundance of beautiful spots spread out across both the Upper and Lower Peninsulas. In the springtime, try heading to a corner of Northern Michigan known as the Cherry Capital of the World.

Cherry Blossom in Traverse City in Michigan
Health and Wellness

Why Indoor Plants Are Good for Your Mental Health 

Ready to lower your blood pressure and feel more relaxed? Indoor plants might be a worthy investment. Let’s look at how they can make you feel better – and why.

Portrait of a young African American woman watering plants and enjoying
Health and Wellness

Is Coloring a Good Way for Adults to Relieve Stress?

Coloring has been found to be a therapeutic or meditative activity for many and can have multifold benefits, especially for adults with high levels of stress or anxiety.

Health and Wellness

What Are the Basics of Safe Sleep for Infants?

The primary dangers related to sleep for infants, and risk factors for sleep-related infant deaths, involve the positioning of the child while sleeping, the materials and environment the child sleeps in, temperature, respiratory inhibitors and choking hazards. There are a few basic standards or rules to go by when setting up a safe sleep environment for your baby.

Health and Wellness

What Are Exercise Snacks?

Exercise snacks are short periods of intense workouts, usually only two to minutes. The idea behind energy snacking is to have a few of these brief, intense workouts interspersed throughout your day.

Health and Wellness

When Should I Eat My Biggest Meal of the Day?

What you eat certainly is directly tied to your health and wellness, but so is the time of day you eat. This is true especially when it comes to timing the largest meal of your day. How food affects your body can depend on the time of day it’s digested.

Health and Wellness

Why Walking Isn’t Enough Exercise to Stay Fit While Aging

Adults 65 and older need at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week, such as walking, but also at least two sessions of strength training a week. Besides moderate exercise and strength training, balance training and exercises are also recommended routinely for older adults.

Food and Recipes

The Month-by-Month Guide for When to Eat Michigan Produce

Certain fruits and veggies are in-season in Michigan between March and September. Learn about each one and find out how long each growing season lasts.

Health and Wellness

Is Biological Age Real?

Yes, biological age is real, but understanding the term and what is meant in comparison to chronological age is important. It's impossible to stop or slow time; as the years go by, you chronologically age.

Health and Wellness

5 Ways Alcohol Can Affect Your Health and Fitness Progress

The use and overuse of alcohol limits and inhibits your overall level of health and fitness. Alcohol suppresses many of your body’s main functions to different extents and can affect your ability to recover from illness and injury.

A group of women sitting on a grass field after playing soccer, sharing bottled beers.
Community

6 Michigan Cities for a Fun, Low-Cost Spring Break Trip

An exciting spring break can be found right here in Michigan. Here are six destinations to get you started.

Butterflies at Frederik Meijer Gardens
Health and Wellness

What Color Noise is Best for Sleep

There is not one color of noise that has proven best for sleep. Rather, each color of noise has unique qualities and affects different listeners in various ways. To better understand how color noises can help you with sleep or other activities, it’s best to understand how color noises got their names.

Community

2024 Spring Festivals in Michigan

This spring, make sure you make time to get outside and play. And there’s nothing that says springtime fun like the bevy of Michigan festivals you can put on your calendar.

Blurred picture of a weekend festival
Health and Wellness

Does Running Destroy Your Knees?

For a long time, there has been sentiment among runners and doctors that long-distance running, especially long-term and regular running, would predispose runners to arthritis or joint issues as they age. However, there's evidencethat challenges this long-held belief.

Health and Wellness

How to Stay Healthy During Spring Break

Make the most of the wonderful weather by getting your body up and moving. Springtime outdoor workouts can reinvigorate you after a long cold winter. Make sure you are staying healthy and moving this spring.

Staying Healthy During Spring Break
Community

5 Signs of Spring in Michigan

Look out for these 5 telltale signs that spring has hit Michigan. Whether you've been waiting for the blooms, for baseball starting up, or to get some ice cream from a Michigan ice cream stand, make sure to enjoy spring while it is here.

A lady with short white hair is picking out flowers at an outdoor spring market.
Health and Wellness

How To Adjust Baby Sleep Hours for Daylight Savings

It will likely be easier to go through the time change with your baby if you take some steps ahead of time to prepare you both for Daylight Savings Time. These methods work to both “Spring Forward” and “Fall Back” for Daylight Savings Time if you adjust the sleep schedule in the right way each time.

A new mother is comforting her sleeping newborn on her shoulder.
Community

5 Ways to Celebrate International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day is set aside for us as a society to recognize and celebrate the contributions and achievements of women, including their social, political, economic, and cultural impacts. This day developed from a long tradition over the past two centuries of protests and celebrations by women laborers and women’s rights champions.

8 women together, smiling for a group picture.
Food and Recipes

8 Healthy Snacks for Pregnancy

These healthy pregnancy snacks incorporate many key nutrients and are also easy to prepare, transport and eat whether at home, work or on-the-go.

A pregnant woman preparing healthy snacks for her pregnancy.
Food and Recipes

Everything You Need to Know About White Strawberries 

White strawberries are sweeter than red ones and can even smell tropical. Here’s what you need to know about this cream-colored fruit.

Ripe White strawberries, pineberries
Food and Recipes

What to Know About the New Mayo Clinic Diet

A new diet and healthy lifestyle program being rolled out by the well-known Mayo Clinic is creating a buzz.

What to Know About the New Mayo Clinic Die
Health and Wellness

How Healthy Are Hot Tubs?

A good soak in a hot tub can make you feel better, but how healthy are they?

A couple in a hot tub
Community

Explore Black History Across Michigan

Visit some of these unique Michigan gems that tell the story of African-American contributions to our state’s cultural history.

Community

PPO vs. HMO: What is the Difference?

The right healthcare plan varies from family to family and person to person. As with any big decision, knowledge is power. Whether you receive insurance through your employer or you’re self-insured, you typically have a choice between the two most common types of managed care plans – health maintenance organizations (HMOs) or preferred provider organizations (PPOs).

Food and Recipes

Cheese You Can Eat if You’re Lactose Intolerant

If you're lactose intolerant but still crave cheese, there are several kinds that won't upset your stomach and can still satisfy your taste buds.

Health and Wellness

5 Ways to Get Moving with Meditation

Who says meditation has to be solitary, still and boring? Get active in your practice with these five moves. Meditation takes many forms, and these five can be a boon for your physical and mental health.

Health and Wellness

Melting Away Winter Health Myths

Not everything you hear about how the winter affects your health is true. As the dead of winter approaches, it's important to be as informed as possible.

Friends having a snowball fight
Health and Wellness

Winter Workout Safety

Adding snow and ice to a workout routine presents additional challenges and health risks. Before you step outside, keep these health and safety tips in mind.

Man running through the snow.
Community

10 Places to Walk Indoors During Michigan Winters

Michigan gets pretty cold during winter months, but it doesn’t mean you can stop exercising. Check out these 10 places to get your 10,000 steps in indoors.

Health and Wellness

Winterize Your Home for a Healthy Season Indoors

As you cozy up at home during the long winter months, take these simple precautions to keep the flu bug and other illnesses at bay.

Health and Wellness

Shovel Snow Safely: 12 Tips

You shouldn't dive right into snow shoveling without first taking your health into consideration, especially if you have preexisting conditions. These tips should help.

Health and Wellness

Improve Your Walking or Running Form in 3 Steps

Simple tweaks to your running or walking form can help you go farther while preserving the condition of your back, joints and other body parts.

An older couple jogs in the park.
Home and Family

How to Help Your Child Make Healthy Eating Choices at School

How can you help kids make healthy choices when they buy lunch? It’s important to educate children on nutrition and how to make healthy decisions on their own.

Home and Family

How to Have Difficult Conversations with Aging Parents

Are you caring for an aging parent? Here's how to approach difficult topics like caregiving and end of life planning.

Senior lady and caregiver talking together
Health and Wellness

Why Decluttering Makes Your Brain Happy and How to Start

Is your space running out of...space? Before you buy more organizational products, consider going the opposite direction and getting rid of some of the clutter. That can be easier said than done, so here are some tips.

Home and Family

The Stress-Free Way to Host a Huge Family Gathering

There's a lot to juggle when setting out to host a family gathering. Before you host yours, give these five tips a glance.

Community

Michigan Bucket List: Christmas Light Displays

One of the best Michigan winter activities is visiting one of the many extravagant Christmas light displays. Here are some of our favorites.

Home and Family

Healthy & Affordable Gifts to Give this Holiday Season

Stressed out over holiday gift-giving? Fear not: We’ve brainstormed healthy finds that fit all budgets and personalities.

Health and Wellness

Parents: The Flu Shot Is For You, Too

The more members of your family who receive the flu shot, the greater the effect the vaccine has on your household. Here's how you protecting yourself can actually help protect others.

Prevention

Are You Washing Your Hands the Right Way?

Germs are spread when you touch your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands, so it's important to wash them the right way. Especially during flu season.

Little boy showing off his handwashing technique
Health and Wellness

Fighting Breast Cancer With Food

Healthy eating cannot completely prevent every kind of disease and illness. However, a balanced diet featuring these five foods can help fight against breast cancer.

Health and Wellness

The Benefits of Starting Your Child’s Yoga Practice

While it’s often thought of as an adult wellness activity, kids can realize the same health benefits by discovering their inner “yogi.” Why not start them early?

Food and Recipes

The Secret to Cooking Delicious Eggs in the Microwave

Want a healthy start to your day but don’t have a lot of time? Check out these easy recipes for cooking eggs in a microwave for a protein-packed breakfast.

Community

Peak Times for Fall Color Across Michigan

The beautiful orange, red, and yellow leaves of fall are almost here! Find out when you should plan your color tour to make the most of the autumn splendor.

Amazing Autumn scenery, forests with lake, Fall colors, Aerial view.
Prevention

The Flu Shot: Still Your Best Bet

It’s easy to assume that if you didn’t get the flu shot last year and didn’t get sick, there’s no need to get one this year. But that's one of a few common misconceptions surrounding the flu shot. We address those here.

Food and Recipes

Microwave Do’s and Don’ts

The last thing you want to do after leaning on a microwave for its convenience is spend a half hour or more cleaning up the mess you made inside of it.

Community

Introducing Our New Look on A Healthier Michigan

Welcome to A Healthier Michigan! We’ve got a fresh new look and new design features that are ready to help everyone in Michigan get healthier – from the inside out.

Mind

How Breastfeeding Affects Mental Health

When facing problems with breastfeeding, women may experience feelings of depression or symptoms similar to post traumatic stress syndrome.

Prevention

Signs and Stages of Perimenopause and Menopause 

It is important for women to get enough information about perimenopause and menopause symptoms and side effects.

Older woman suffers from high temperature at home
Fitness

You Can Do It! The Easiest Way to Prepare for a 5K

This 5K training regimen is for beginners, experienced runners and everyone in between. Training starts two months before race day.

Runners racing a local 5K around a lake on a dirt path on a early summer evening.
Food and Recipes

4 Easy Ways for Seniors to Get a Nutrition Boost 

Easy ways to pack more nutrition into your meals and snacks.

Mind

5 Tips for Making Resolutions Stick

New Year’s Day is the most popular time to kick off resolutions, but most don’t last. Find out how you can make yours a success.

Funny portrait of a young black curvy woman during a training session
Prevention

Are Waist Trainers Dangerous? 

The search for a slimmer middle or svelter figure has people squeezing themselves into waist trainers, but are they dangerous?

girl in a corset and sports leggings, hands on hips
Prevention

Self-Care Tips During the Holidays

Setting aside time to do good things for yourself is the gift that keeps giving all season long.

Teenage girl packing Christmas gifts in a car after shopping. She wears a protective mask to protect from corona virus COVID-19.
Mind

How to Be Mentally Prepared for Winter 

It can be tough to embrace a season with snow, cold and ice. Here’s how to get mentally prepared for winter.

Three friends walking in snowshoes in forest, enjoying the winter and outdoors.
Prevention

Best Bedtime for Heart Health 

Not sleeping during the right time frame can adversely affect your heart, a new study shows. Here’s the best bedtime for heart health.

Man Snores At Night
Community

Be an Ally for People with Disabilities in the Winter 

Something as simple as entering a building can be downright dangerous for someone with a physical disability or other mobility issues.

disability in winter
Community

What to Have at Home for Winter Emergencies 

When the snow starts piling up, you need to know what to have at home for winter emergencies.

Emergency preparedness checklist and natural disaster supplies.
Prevention

What Your Acne Could Be Saying About Your Health 

Is it what you’re eating, or maybe the weather? Here’s what your acne breakout could be saying about your health.

Shot of a young woman squeezing a pimple on her face at home
Fitness

Are You Making These Five Post-Run Mistakes?

What you do after a run can be as important for your overall health as the miles you just ran. Here's how to avoid the most common post-workout mistakes.

Silhouette of young woman jogging on shore at sunrise.
Fitness

8 Steps to Becoming a Runner

Looking for an exercise that can benefit your mental and physical health? Here are eight steps to kick-start your running journey.

Portrait of a sporty young man exercising outdoors
Prevention

Get Fresher Indoor Air

In the summer, opening the windows to let the fresh air in helps improve indoor air quality, but here are some steps to help you breathe easy all year-long.

Candles Lit Inside a Home

A Healthier Michigan is sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, a nonprofit, independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.
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