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HEALTHY LIVING

Fun, on-the-go health hacks

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Make every bite count with whole-grain popcorn snacks

(Family Features) As many people start getting back into normal routines, they’re returning to familiar on-the-go lifestyles by heading back to work, traveling to new destinations and enjoying time with loved ones.

While you get out to explore and gather with family and friends again, remember you’ll need fuel for your adventures. According to a National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, most Americans fail to get enough whole grains each day, opting instead for mostly refined grains.

Foods like tasty whole-grain popcorn offer an easy health hack so you can make every bite count. Try getting in the habit of popping 9 cups of popcorn in the morning and dividing it into two containers. Season one container with salt and herbs, the other with a pinch of sugar and cinnamon so you can alternate between sweet and salty throughout the day. Bringing delicious options like these while on the go can help satisfy hunger pangs while adding the fiber your body needs.

Because mouthwatering whole-grain popcorn is versatile and 3 cups is equal to one serving of whole grains, it’s a simple yet flavorful option for meeting dietary recommendations. It can be a breeze to add it to snacks like Blueberry and Pomegranate Power Bars, Crunchy Popcorn Trail Mix or Sweet and Savory Curried Popcorn. You can even satisfy kids’ cravings with Grab and Go Pizza Popcorn, a six-ingredient recipe made in a matter of minutes.

Visit popcorn.org to find more nutritious snack ideas.

Sweet and Savory Curried Popcorn

Yield: 8 cups

  • 8          cups unsalted, unbuttered popped popcorn
  • 1/3       cup ghee (clarified butter) or coconut oil
  • 2          tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1          tablespoon honey
  • 1          teaspoon curry powder
  • 1/2       teaspoon cumin
  • 2          teaspoons flaked sea salt
  1. Place popcorn in large mixing bowl.
  2. In saucepan over medium heat, melt ghee, brown sugar, honey, curry powder and cumin; stir until dissolved. Bring to light boil; remove from heat.
  3. Toss ghee mixture and salt with popcorn; transfer to serving bowl.

Crunchy Popcorn Trail Mix

Yield: 9 cups

  • 5          cups popped popcorn
  • 3          cups whole-grain oat cereal
  • 1/3       cup raisins
  • 1/3       cup peanuts or other nuts
  • 1/3       cup sunflower seeds
  • 1/4       cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine
  • 6          tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2          tablespoons light corn syrup
  1. In large, microwavable bowl, stir popcorn, cereal, raisins, nuts and seeds; set aside.
  2. In small saucepan, heat butter, brown sugar and corn syrup until boiling; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour over popcorn mixture, stirring to coat evenly.
  3. Microwave 3-4 minutes, stirring and scraping bowl after each minute.
  4. Spread onto greased cookie sheet; cool. Break into pieces and store in airtight container.

Blueberry and Pomegranate Power Bars

Yield: 12 bars

  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 8          cups popped popcorn
  • 1 1/2    cups old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1          cup dried blueberries
  • 1/2       cup pomegranate seeds
  • 1/2       cup whole natural almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped
  • 2/3       cup honey
  • 2/3       cup light brown sugar
  • 2          tablespoons butter or margarine
  • 6          ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
  1. Line 13-by-9-inch pan with foil; spray with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. In large bowl, combine popcorn, oats, blueberries, pomegranate seeds and almonds.
  3. In small saucepan over low heat, boil honey, brown sugar and butter 2 minutes. Pour over popcorn mixture and mix thoroughly.
  4. Using damp hands, press mixture firmly into prepared pan. Refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours. Cut into 12 bars.
  5. Dip bottoms of bars into melted chocolate. Place on wax paper-lined pan; refrigerate until ready to serve. Store in tight covered container in refrigerator.

Grab and Go Pizza Popcorn

Yield: 6 quarts

  • 6          quarts popped popcorn
  • olive oil cooking spray
  • 1          cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2          teaspoons garlic salt
  • 2          teaspoons paprika
  • 1          tablespoon Italian seasoning
  1. Place popcorn in large, sealable plastic container or 2 1/2-gallon plastic sealable bag.
  2. Spray popcorn lightly with olive oil cooking spray.
  3. Sprinkle cheese, garlic salt, paprika and Italian seasoning over popcorn and shake to distribute evenly.
  4. To serve, scoop popcorn into reusable plastic cups.


SOURCE:
Popcorn Board

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HEALTHY LIVING

A lesson in kindness, inclusion and how kids eat differently

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(Feature Impact) The school year brings new classmates, routines and opportunities for children to learn about people whose experiences may be different from their own. They could include friends who use a wheelchair, carry an inhaler or even receive nutrition through a feeding tube.

Watch this video to learn more

https://youtube.com/watch?v=p9srvT963jE%3Fsi%3DFgjL9HX00c698jNa%26controls%3D0

For families who rely on tube feeding, it is an essential part of daily life but is often understood only by those who experience it. That limited awareness can leave children who are tube fed and their families feeling isolated or unseen, according to Gerard Minor, a pediatric gastroenterology and hepatology specialist.

Parents can use everyday questions as opportunities to help children understand there are many ways people receive nourishment. Teachers, classmates, caregivers and communities can also help make tube feeding part of the everyday conversation around childhood rather than something that separates children from it.

“Helping children understand those differences early can encourage curiosity, kindness and inclusion,” Minor said.

To help bring greater awareness, understanding and representation to children and families who experience tube feeding every day, Compleat, a leader in tube feeding formulas, launched “What Is Better Than How,” featuring “Sesame Street’s” Elmo and his signature warmth and curiosity. The original song celebrates the many ways people eat. Some people eat with a fork, some use a spoon and some use a tube, reinforcing a simple message: What matters is not how you eat. What matters is that you are nourished, loved and included.

To hear the song, create a personalized version and learn more about the campaign, visit Compleat.com/WhatIsBetterThanHow.

SOURCE:

Nestle Compleat

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HEALTHY LIVING

Dry eye: An overlooked perimenopause, menopause symptom

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(Feature Impact) Dry eye is one of the most overlooked symptoms of perimenopause, the phase of fluctuating hormones leading up to a woman’s final period, and menopause, the point in a woman’s life when she’s gone a year without a period.

In fact, 79% of women1 recognize hot flashes as a symptom of menopause, but only 14% recognize dry eye as a menopause-related symptom, according to the 2026 Bausch + Lomb (Peri)Menopausal Survey. What’s more, 78% of women1 were surprised to learn that dry eye is a symptom of perimenopause or menopause.

“Dry eye is still widely overlooked as a symptom of menopause, and many women think it’s just a minor nuisance, but the truth is it can significantly affect your daily life,” said Neda Gioia, OD, CNS, IFMCP, FOWNS, founder, Integrative Vision. “Early symptoms are often misunderstood or self-treated but it’s very important for women who experience symptoms to see an eye doctor and get an accurate diagnosis and treatment.”

During perimenopause and menopause, declining hormone levels can impact tear production, tear quality and tear evaporation, contributing to dry eye symptoms including redness, fluctuating vision and a gritty or tired feeling in the eyes, all of which can impact day-to-day comfort and quality of life. If left untreated, dry eyes may worsen over time, potentially impacting eye health and vision. Among peri-, menopausal and post-menopausal women who experienced dry eye, 80% said the symptom came as a surprise.

Respondents reported their dry eye symptoms caused difficulty reading (58%), difficulty using screens (53%), difficulty driving (26%) and reduced productivity (17%), underscoring the often-overlooked impact dry eyes can have on everyday life.1

However, there are a variety of products and treatment approaches available to help manage dry eye symptoms. For example, Bausch + Lomb offers a range of options designed to address the main causes of dry eye.

A doctor-recommended, clinically proven once-daily soft gel supplement that targets the key root causes of dry eyes, Blink NutriTears supports healthy tear production and provides lasting, continuous relief.* § As part of a comprehensive approach to dry eye management, the supplement can be used with Blink Triple Care Preservative Free Lubricant Eye Drops, which are designed to directly address tear evaporation, one of the leading causes of dry eye, and provide instant and long-lasting symptom relief.

An eye care professional can help determine the approach that’s right for each individual. To learn more about dry eye and products to help combat it, visit JustBlink.com.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

12026 Bausch & Lomb (Peri)Menopause Survey via Suzy, n=402; Women ages 30–80+ who are perimenopausal, menopausal, or post-menopausal
§Based on a clinical study

SOURCE:

Bausch + Lomn

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HEALTHY LIVING

Life insurance is on the to-do list right after cleaning out the garage!

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(Sheeka Sanahori) Being an adult comes with a never-ending list of responsibilities: Cook dinner. Scrub the bathroom. File taxes. The tasks grow even longer when sharing a household with a partner, building a family, or taking care of others. No matter how you define “adulting,” getting life insurance tends to be one part of the to-do list that keeps getting set on a procrastination loop.

New survey data backs that up: there are plenty of other tasks adults would rather focus on first.

The Adulting Task Americans Keep Avoiding

According to the 2026 Life Happens Life Insurance Survey, a financial literacy nonprofit organization, 39% of U.S. adults would rather clean out their email inbox than figure out their life insurance needs. Another 31% would rather clean out the garage or basement. One in five U.S. adults would be willing to sit on hold with customer service for three hours before life insurance planning. Even though many adults have it somewhere on their list, nearly half (46%) say they’ll either deal with it later or not at all.

They Know It Matters

Nearly a third of adults have already figured out a life insurance plan, and they feel good about their decision. Others are feeling more conflicted: 14% have a policy, but they’re not sure if they have enough. Another 12% say they either don’t know where to start or they think it’ll be too expensive.

It’s no wonder people are putting it off: Navigating a new-to-them form of financial planning can come with a lot of complicated emotions. Four in 10 feel either overwhelmed, anxious, or some combination of both. Sixteen percent of U.S. adults feel guilty for putting it off, but when the outcome is more procrastination, that feeling lingers.

Why Later Keeps Winning

If you’ve ever faced an important decision without having enough information to make an informed choice, you know how stressful it can be. While the generations have different takes on making major decisions with a gut feeling or “pure vibes,” most of the time, people want to feel like they’re making an informed choice. Forty-five percent of U.S. adults say cost concerns, confusion or procrastination are the main reasons they have delayed or would delay looking into life insurance. For more than one in five, the plan is to seriously look at it when they feel more financially stable. For 12%, they say they’ll do it when they’re older.

Men tend to feel more confident about their life insurance decisions to date; 53% of men vs. 41% of women feel confident their family would be financially protected.

The First Step Feels Bigger Than It Is

Learning more about life insurance, how it’s priced and how it works could help get many consumers out of their procrastination loop. A quarter of people say they’d make a decision if they learned it was easier to get than they previously thought. Thirty percent would make the purchase if they learned it was more affordable than they believed it to be. Others need an experienced professional to talk to or an online calculator tool to give them guidance.

Methodology: Life Happens commissioned Atomik Research to conduct an online survey of 2,000 adults, including 700 Gen Z respondents, 700 millennials, and 600 Gen X respondents throughout the United States. The margin of error for the overall sample is +/- 2 percentage points and +/- 4 percentage points for each generational sample, with a confidence level of 95 percent. Fieldwork took place between July 14 and July 20, 2026. Atomik Research, part of 4media group, is a creative market research agency.

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock (couple using computer)

   

SOURCE:

Life Happens

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