Julie Deardorff

I'm one of those women who likes reading men's health and fitness magazines. Though they all promise bodies and sex lives that most of us will never have, I'm drawn to the funny, self-deprecating tone, the functional workout tips and the emphasis on...

My friend Kendra recently conducted a short but nerve-wracking experiment with her two boys, ages 7 and 9. “Go out and play,” she told them. “Don’t come in until dinner time.” One of her boys wasn’t sure what to do....

According to one lab that tests for "toxic food syndrome," eating green peppers may cause bloating or lethargy. Lemons might trigger headaches. Other common foods like corn, soy, egg whites, whey and chicken "may act like a poison in your body," the...

Partners with soda This is in response to Tribune reporter Julie Deardorff's "Play areas turn to battle zones; Critics pounce on soda-makers' efforts to fund recreation sites" (News, Feb. 5). The article touches on the ever-growing health problems in...

Armed with a prescription and some patience, consumers can save hundreds of dollars — and maybe some time — by buying eyeglasses online. For most, the major concerns are cosmetic ones. But an important risk is often overlooked: the quality...

The new listing of 45 common treatments patients and doctors should question is part of a growing movement that challenges routine care. Next up: The upcoming Avoiding Avoidable Care summit, to be held on April 25 in Boston, will bring together more than...

Should you get a cardiac stress test as part of your annual checkup? A chest X-ray before outpatient surgery? A CT scan or antibiotics for chronic sinusitis? In most cases, no. But patients get these commonly used tests and procedures — and many...

Being healthy isn't just about running marathons and eating vegetables. Exercise and a healthy diet can be a little more tricky. I used to think I was healthy because I ran marathons and was a longtime vegetarian. Then one day, the man I was dating...

Tara Lawton says she quit going to her health club in part because she sensed she didn't fit in. People always seemed to be staring at — and silently judging — her 280-pound body. Then Lawton stumbled on the Facebook page for Downsize...

Diabetes can affect how your body uses blood glucose, commonly called blood sugar. Glucose is the brain's main source of fuel and provides critical energy for the cells. If you have diabetes, it means that eating too many carbohydrates can spike blood...

Finding the right medical expert can be one of the most frustrating aspects of health care. Osteopathic physicians are medical doctors (M.D.s), for example, but not all M.D.s are osteopathic physicians. Meanwhile, all dietitians are nutritionists, but not...

On the day LA Fitness completed its takeover of 171 Bally Total Fitness locations, the phones at the company’s corporate headquarters in Irvine, Calif., went on the fritz, Stuart Goldman reported in Club Industry. Apparently, the windstorms that...