Health

Sometimes laughter really might be the best medicine

Melanin Bee curves her spine like a stretching cat as she lets out a maniacal, forced laugh. The quick-fire pattern of manufactured giggles —”oh, hoo hoo hoo, eeh, ha ha ha”— soon ripples into genuine laughter, and she giddily kicks her feet. She’s practicing what she calls ...

The power of connection: Tips for finding comfort during the holiday season

It’s the most wonderful time of the year... Have you heard that refrain from an old Andy Williams song? Many of us look forward to celebrating the holidays with our friends and loved ones, but that’s not the case for everyone. When the world feels like it’s full of joy and ...

Federal cutbacks leave Kansans with fewer options to make health care decisions

TOPEKA — The federal government cut 90% of funding for a program that helps people enroll in Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act marketplace, leaving Kansans with fewer options for help understanding their health care options. The Navigator program paid for experts throughout the state to ...

Most people could use more fiber, but experts warn against ‘fibermaxxing’

U.S. consumers who have had their fill of finding protein added to everything from cereal to ice cream are about to meet the next big food fad: fiber. Americans have been boosting their protein intake for years; even Pop-Tarts and Starbucks are selling protein-enhanced products. But the ...

Vaccine advisers say not all babies need a hepatitis B shot at birth

NEW YORK — A federal vaccine advisory committee voted on Friday to end the longstanding recommendation that all U.S. babies get the hepatitis B vaccine on the day they’re born. A loud chorus of medical and public health leaders decried the actions of the panel, whose current members were ...