The Johnson Center for Health

Through February, which is American Heart Month, every Wednesday, we'll be sharing our favorite good news stories from the week. When you're overwhelmed with negativity, it's easy to spiral into stress and anxiety. Studies have suggested stress triggers inflammation, which is directly linked to heart disease. Staying positive is one way to continue to support your heart health. It can be hard to find a bright side right now, given how the global pandemic and continual lockd

February 22nd marked the day America’s Covid-19 death toll reached 500,000 people. In January, Covid-19 passed heart disease, cancer, and other ailments to become the leading cause of death for Americans. The only hope America has to end the deaths of Americans from Covid-19 is herd immunity. Herd immunity has become a buzzword through the months of the pandemic, thrown around on every morning talk show or article about Covid-19. But what does herd immunity really mean? And h

Millions of years ago, when food was often scarce and famines were regular, it was beneficial for our ancestors to be able to eat more and better store energy. One gene, in particular, FTO, developed a variant that was especially masterful at making sure humans were eating more than their fill when they had the chance. Today, in Western society, there is no need to prepare our bodies for a famine that will never come. But unfortunately, some people still have the FTO gene var

Through February, which is American Heart Month, every Wednesday, we'll be sharing our favorite good news stories from the week. When you're overwhelmed with negativity, it's easy to spiral into stress and anxiety. Studies have suggested stress triggers inflammation, which is directly linked to heart disease. Staying positive is one way to continue to support your heart health. It can be hard to find a bright side right now, given how the global pandemic and continual lockdow

Think about what you’ve eaten over the last week? It’s probably been heavy in processed foods and hidden seed oils; while light in fresh seafood. It is likely that your diet, like most Westerners, entails much higher amounts of omega-6 than omega-3. Too much omega-6 can raise your blood pressure, lead to blood clots, and cause chronic inflammation. While omega-6 and omega-3's are both essential polyunsaturated fatty acids, they have very different effects on our bodies. Howev

From the first case of Covid-19 in early December of 2020 in Wuhan, China, to the first case in America on January 21, 2020, people all around the world have had to make major adjustments to their daily lives. 71% of American workers are working from home. We have seen skyrocketing levels of anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts. 88 million people around the world have been pushed into extreme poverty in the greatest global recession since 1990. Unfortunately, it is unli

This Valentine’s Day, you shouldn’t have to feel guilty about enjoying all those sweet chocolate treats! We’ve gathered a list of our favorite healthy chocolate that you can easily find at most grocery stores. But first, what’s so special about chocolate? And why do we feel so good after eating it? Researchers have performed numerous studies on chocolate, in an attempt to discover how and why chocolate has positive effects on our mood. The research has pointed to three consti

Heart disease is the number one killer of men and women in the United States. A person has a heart attack in the US every 43 seconds. And while you’re probably familiar with some of the signs of heart attacks, it’s likely you don’t know the full range of symptoms. Knowing all the symptoms of a heart attack is vital, the more time passes without treatment to restore blood flow to the heart, the more severe the damage. Moreover, researchers have estimated that as many as 200,00

Through February, which is American Heart Month, every Wednesday, we'll be sharing our favorite good news stories from the week. When you're overwhelmed with negativity, it's easy to spiral into stress and anxiety. Studies have suggested stress triggers inflammation, which is directly linked to heart disease. Staying positive is one way to continue to support your heart health. It can be hard to find a bright side right now, given how the global pandemic and continual lockdow

Through the continued coronavirus pandemic, the importance of having sufficient levels of Vitamin D should be at the forefront of our minds. Studies have linked vitamin D deficiencies with higher severity of respiratory infections when compared to people with an optimal level. Vitamin D deficiency has even been associated with a fourfold risk of death from Covid-19. With such drastic consequences in response to lower Vitamin D levels, we should all make sure our levels are su