Like many nutrition decisions, seeking out a prenatal vitamin is one of these overwhelming decisions. Interestingly, more and more people are looking into taking a prenatal vitamin when they aren’t pregnant—but is that a safe option? And are there any truly significant health benefits that can come from taking a prenatal vitamin if you aren’t expecting? Prenatal vitamins were originally designed to meet the unique needs of women who are planning to become or are already pregnant....

It’s no wonder that Bondaroff naturally got into beauty after she stepped away from the fashion scene. After getting a facial like she always has and realizing her love for the energy of skin care and helping people feel well, she went to school to study skin and esthetics. In this journey, she finally felt aligned with her purpose. Bondaroff grew up in the wellness world—surrounded by vegan food, naturopathic doctors, and a major focus on health and well-being; not always a norm in Brooklyn, New York....

Instead, one powerful method is adopting a whole-person approach that integrates the full complexity of an individual (mind, body, lifestyle, stress management behaviors, and beyond). Enter: functional nutrition. “With an emphasis on personalized food and lifestyle approaches to wellness and disease management, functional nutrition focuses on the patient (not just on their disease or condition) while taking a holistic approach to optimizing an individual’s health based on their unique needs,” says registered dietitian Jess Cording, M....

The green burial movement seeks to change that through a more ecological, intentional, and community-minded approach to death and dying. Here’s what green burial scholars and practitioners have to say about the method’s benefits, logistics, and potential to redefine death care. This burial alternative has a lower environmental impact, and it allows the body to quite literally return to the earth. It also tends to be more affordable than conventional burials....

That said, don’t negate the power of acupuncture: Studies have demonstrated that our bodies have biomechanical responses to the procedure. “Connective tissue subtly wraps around the needle—it’s called ’needle grasp1,’ and this is what we acupuncturists feel as ‘de chi,’ which we translate to ’the chi arriving at the needle.’ It feels like a very subtle tug of a fish on a line. That feeling is how I know I’ve hit the right spot and that your body is responding to the needle the way I want it to,” says Altneu....

People can be passive-aggressive in marriages and relationships, and it’s also sometimes seen in friendships or even professional settings. But this lack of communication can ruin relationships if it endures. Even without prior experiences that would promote passive-aggression, a partner might lean on passive-aggressive behavior if they perceive it’s unsafe to express negative emotions in their marriage. Some partners even believe it’s a safe way to get what they want without sparking confrontation, while others aren’t even aware that their behavior is passive-aggressive....

“Sleep follows the rise and fall of the human body core temperature cycle,” explains Breus. When your core temperature hits its peak, a quarter to half a degree Celsius drop signals the brain to tell the pineal gland (a pea-shaped gland in the brain that regulates some hormonal activity) to produce melatonin, which Breus says, is “the key that starts the engine for sleep.” Parasympathetic tone increases, while sympathetic tone decreases, all while a cascade of hormones, neurotransmitters, and amino acids also produce the melatonin needed to fall asleep, Breus says, adding that a simultaneous accumulation of adenosine, a natural compound that relaxes blood flow and heartbeat, also contributes to the body’s sudden wash of sleepiness....