McLean‘s Hometown News Site

No one fails to react when public violence is flagrantly incited, which happened at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. As a political philosophy or a way of life, disorder doesn’t work. Violence might not be inevitable, but chaos is. But in the face of chaos, some facts remain constant and stable: Peace is a state of awareness. To advance the cause of peace, you must be at peace. External conflict reflects the inner conflicts of human nature. No dispute is ever settled unless both sides achieve a level of mutual satisfaction.

The New Year often serves as a wake-up call for people wanting to healthier after spending the holiday months indulging in some of their favorite foods. With that in mind, the U.S. News and World Report had an expert panel review more than 40 eating plans and then ranked the 20 best diets of 2021 to help people “lose weight and improve your overall health.” Here's the highlights of the top three.

Well, 2020 is finally done, and not a moment too soon. Three cheers for the New Year. We’re greeting January with hope and excitement—and new motivation to get in shape and stay healthy. If you’re like us, you’ve been enjoying plenty of comfort food over the past 10 months, and cracking jokes about gaining “the COVID 19.” Now’s the perfect time to get back to where you want to be: WW (formerly Weight Watchers) has a special offer: two free months of Weight Watchers Digital, featuring the new myWW+. It’s a personalized, holistic weight-loss program you can access on your phone or laptop.

There's no denying that 2020 has made us face some overwhelming challenges—and it's making us stressed out. According to a September report, The State Of Mental Health In America, the number of people looking for help with anxiety and depression has skyrocketed. Out of those who took the anxiety screen, over 8 in 10 people scored with moderate to severe symptoms of anxiety.

You're diligent about sticking to your nutrition and fitness routine, but do your weight-loss goals still seem far off? Instead of making more tweaks to your diet and workout regimen, consider taking a look at your medicine cabinet first. "Weight gain is a very common side effect for many standard medications," says Charlie Seltzer, M.D., C.S.C.S., who specializes in weight loss and exercise physiology. For many people, medications are an overlooked contributor to weight gain, he says. There are four major types that are commonly prescribed and tend to have this side effect:

The coronavirus pandemic has been with us for nearly a year already and is likely to be around at least until a vaccine is available for us all. Since we are in, as Dr. Anthony Fauci has said, a "hot zone right now, with so many infections around"—what can you do, to keep yourself safe? Read on for the four words that could save your life, and to ensure your health and the health of others.

You know this feeling: you're laying in bed scrolling on your phone and before you know it, it's already middle of the night and you don't have much time left for sleep. And even when you finally go to bed and put away your phone, it's not easy to calm your nerves and fall asleep. This is bad news for your health because sleep is crucial to a healthy and happy life. It's a time for our minds and bodies to rest, restore, and prepare for the day ahead. When you miss a good night's sleep you feel frustrated, sluggish, distracted, and outright grumpy the next day. But what happens when you are chronically sleep-deprived, and regularly missing the seven to nine hours of sleep recommended for a typical adult? The answer is a host of serious consequences for your body.

A new study published in Blood Advances this week suggests that individuals with Type O blood may be less likely to contract COVID-19 and less likely to experience severe outcomes if they do. The researchers used health registry data from Denmark to analyze the blood types of 473,000 individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 and compared it to the 2.2 million people in the overall population.

There’s no shortage of weight-loss plans out there. But how do you know which one’s right for you? A new study from the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine suggests it may come down to the personality traits that make you…well, you.

Scientists have reported the first known case of COVID-19 reinfection in the U.S. this week, nearly two months after the initial case of reinfection was identified in China. The news was delivered via a paper in the Lancet on Monday, detailing how a 25-year-old in Nevada tested positive for COVID-19 in April and then again in June, after testing negative twice.

You'll find no shortage of medical advice out there during the coronavirus. Separating myth from fact, the current from the outdated can be tricky. And what advice is truly essential, the most important to prioritize?

Two weeks after authorities in Los Angeles announced that trick-or-treating is “not recommended” this year due to COVID-19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a document detailing how individuals in regions where trick-or-treating has not been discouraged can do it safely.

Go into many businesses and offices these days, from doctor’s appointments to hair salons and restaurants, and there’s a good chance you’ll be asked to have your temperature taken by one of those no-contact infrared thermometers. But how effective are they at preventing the spread of COVID-19?