Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Maria Branyas Morera was the world's oldest person when she died at the age of 117.</li><li>She attributed her longevity to her genes and luck, but also some lifestyle factors.</li></ul>The world's oldest person has died at the age of 117 with a clean bill of health. Maria Branyas Morera's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/precision-medicine-doctor-longevity-tips-live-longer-2024-3">tips for longevity</a> included avoiding toxic people while having strong family ties.Branyas, who lived in the Spanish city of Olot, was healthy apart from experiencing hearing loss and some mobility issues, and had a sharp memory even in her later years, Spanish news site ABC <a target="_blank" href="https://www.abc.es/sociedad/ciencia-busca-genes-maria-116-anos-secreto-20231022010809-nt.html?ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.abc.es%2Fsociedad%2Fciencia-busca-genes-maria-116-anos-secreto-20231022010809-nt.html">reported</a> in 2023.Despite her age, she was active on X, and <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/MariaBranyas112/status/1601512822563041280">posted</a> in December 2022 that she thought how long a person lived was down to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/longevity-lifestyle-changes-live-longer-healthy-habits-genes-study-2024-5">luck and genetics</a>.She had a point — some people are <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lifestyle-choices-live-100-lifespan-expert-longevity-2024-5">genetically predisposed to a longer life</a>. But lifestyle factors can also impact how long people live.Thanks to a greater awareness of healthy behaviors, as well as medical advances and public health initiatives, more people are surviving past 65, according to a 2020 report by the US Census Bureau. The Pew Research Center estimates that the number of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tips-for-living-to-100-from-centenarians-worlds-oldest-people-2024">centenarians</a> in the US will triple in the next 30 years.Here are some of the factors Branyas thought helped her reach triple figures.<h2 id="a46f932a-05e5-4e43-ac05-10140d2a4470">Avoiding toxic people</h2>Branyas said that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/worlds-oldest-woman-cut-out-toxic-people-for-long-life-2023-1">staying "away from toxic people</a>" helped her live so long, Business Insider previously reported.She may be correct — one 2020 study published in Health Psychology found that people who were <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/being-in-a-controlling-relationship-can-affect-your-health-lifespan-2020-6">criticized by their partner had a higher chance of dying</a> early, especially older adults.<div type="image" title="Fabrizio Villatoro with María Branyas Morera, the world's oldest person" height="1000" width="1500" msid="112689105" hostid="261" sizebytes="73696"></div><h2 id="f90a0c8c-b5ff-4154-ae26-5f8bb3c2899f">Having 'strong' family ties</h2>"Strong, rich, and caring family ties act as a mattress that cushions loneliness," Branyas posted on X earlier this year, adding that she was "lucky" in this regard.Having contact with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/visit-family-friends-social-interaction-help-live-longer-study-2023-11">loved ones is linked to living longer</a>, according to a 2023 study. It found that older people who were socially isolated from living alone, not having family and friends visit often, or not doing group activities, were up to 77% more likely to die early.<h2 id="ca4e4dc7-4121-49c2-a584-007a4fdfa49b">Being positive and having no regrets</h2>Branyas posted on X in December 2022 that she had no worries and no regrets, but was very positive.Similarly, two centenarian experts working for LongeviQuest, an organization that validates the ages of the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/surprising-centenarian-longevity-tips-met-superagers-2023-11">world's oldest people</a>, previously told BI that many of the supercentenarians they met didn't worry about things outside their control.And a 2023 study by researchers at the Complutense University of Madrid found that looking for the positives in life was a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/longevity-aging-recommendations-centenarians-have-in-common-study-2023-11">common trait among centenarians</a>.<h2 id="ba1e631b-2f8b-455e-a560-beb21d1fdcbb">Avoiding excess</h2>In another post on X from 2022, Branyas said she never followed a diet, but has "always eaten little."Yumi Yamamoto, a centenarian expert at LongeviQuest whose <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/aging-secrets-longevity-advice-japan-supercentenarian-2023-12">great-grandmother lived to the age of 116</a>, previously told BI the Japanese supercentenarians she had met ate a balanced diet and didn't eat or drink to excess.<h2 id="e5de9b28-800a-4e3b-a7f0-f45d28cbb9f4">Eating yogurt every day</h2>Yogurt has an "infinite number of positive properties for the body," Branyas posted on X in December 2022. She ate a pot of natural yogurt every day.A 2020 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that there were no consistent links between yogurt and a lower risk of dying. But dietitians often <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ways-gut-health-dietitian-sneaks-fermented-foods-into-her-diet-2024-6">recommend eating yogurt</a> for its high protein content, and one 2022 <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8812230/">study</a> published in BMC Microbiology found that yogurt can increase gut microbe diversity, which is great for gut health.

The world's oldest person just died at 117 with a clean bill of health. Here are her 5 longevity tips.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Katie Coleman is a patient advocate and nonprofit founder of the Chromophobe and Oncocytic Tumor Alliance.</li><li>This is an adapted excerpt from her memoir "Too Young for Cancer."</li></ul>Who's going to deliver the crushing <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-mom-survived-cancer-couldnt-return-job-have-more-kids-2024-10">cancer diagnosis</a> to the newlyweds in room five? I imagine this had to have been one of the conversations occurring on the other side of the door as Brian and I waited for the results of my final scan. The two of us sat in silence, unaware that soon our new vows would be tested while behind-the-scenes calls were being made, referrals placed, and handoffs prepared.We'd arrived at 11 p.m., and as the clock rounded past 4 a.m., Brian and I were both beginning to doze off. We were awakened by a new doctor who appeared in the doorway. As he pulled up a stool next to the bed, he introduced himself as Dr. Morgan. I took notice of the beaded bracelet he wore on his wrist as he rested his hand gently on the bed, took a deep breath, and softened his gaze to break the news. "The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stanley-cups-contain-lead-drinkers-safe-ct-scan-2024-3">CT scan</a> we sent you for came back. We've found a large mass on your right kidney and a couple of lesions in your liver. We don't know for sure, but we think it's likely renal cell carcinoma, a type of kidney cancer."My vision tunneled in as my <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/good-resting-heart-rate-how-to-know-improve-longevity-fitness-2024-3">heart rate</a>, quickly escalating, began setting off alarms behind me. For years, I had kept asking doctors if we could rule out cancer in my pursuit of vague symptoms. I'd been terrified of this moment, and the catastrophic worrying had led me to imagine the delivery of this news probably 100 times before. But now that it was actually happening, it was nothing like I'd imagined it would be. Despite my racing heart, why did I feel so calm? Brian squeezed my hand as I looked over my shoulder and watched him break into tears. That felt like the appropriate response here.I shifted my gaze back to Dr. Morgan and asked in a calm and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-identify-and-help-stop-tone-policing-in-workplace-2020-8">steady tone</a> that surprised even me, "Is it terminal?"I felt the emotion in his response. "We don't know. We'll need to run more tests and gather additional information, but we've already reached out to Huntsman Cancer Institute and have placed a referral to get you in as soon as possible. We may not have all the answers yet, but you have a whole <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/longevity-secrets-doctor-worked-2024-10">team of doctors</a> already working behind the scenes to figure this out."<h2 id="430157a8-7a0c-44e7-9ba5-aa18ba0b2a86">I was relieved to finally know what was happening with my health</h2>Suddenly, I recognized the emotion that was washing over me. This wasn't grief. It was a relief. It felt like I finally had an answer to why I'd been feeling off, and it wasn't all in my head. I wasn't surprised to hear something was wrong because I had known something was wrong; I just hadn't gotten anyone to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-get-people-to-take-you-seriously-2018-5">take me seriously</a>. But now we had undeniable proof, and for the first time, I was sitting across from a doctor who believed me and seemed to care genuinely. I knew this wouldn't be an easy road, but at least I no longer had to travel it alone.As I thought about the appointments and memories that had led to this moment, the emotions finally caught up with me as I remembered the several doctors who had told me I was <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-reduce-cancer-risk-lower-chances-catch-early-signs-2024-2">too young for cancer</a>. The words looped in my head as I tried to make sense of it all before they found their way out without context."But other doctors told me I was too young for cancer." My voice broke, and the grief crashed over me as I finally began processing the news. My <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tim-spector-scientist-stroke-lower-blood-pressure-without-cutting-salt-2024-10">blood pressure</a>, now climbing, set off more alarms as I looked at the monitor, concerned. Dr. Morgan reminded me I had just received some pretty distressing news. "That's a normal response; don't worry about those for now," he reassured me.I focused again on the words circling in my head. "How could this happen? They told me I was too young for cancer," I said aloud again as my voice trailed off in disbelief. Dr. Morgan explained that we don't always know what causes cancer, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/health/sex-relationships/how-to-apologize">empathetically apologized</a> for the road that had led me here, and shared that this was personal for him, as his mom had battled with cancer as well. From the hint of sorrow in his voice, it sounded as if she might no longer be here. I wondered if this would be how people were going to talk about me one day, too.As he stood up to leave, I thanked him for answering my questions and being patient with me. I knew he likely had a busy ER to attend to. But he had brought a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kava-beverages-mitra-9-leilo-taste-test-2023-7">calming presence</a> into the room and never once made us feel rushed, which I truly appreciated. I was grateful that it was he who delivered the news to me that day.<h2 id="5b7fe2a5-1969-4180-abee-25b099ec5562">I worried my diagnosis would change the life I envisioned with my husband</h2>After he left the room, I turned to Brian and instantly apologized as we both began crying uncontrollably. I felt guilty like I was robbing him of his future and the life we had planned together. He told me to stop; he wasn't going anywhere, and neither was I. I squeezed his hand as the door opened, and the nurse started to walk back in before being stopped and pulled back by the doctor to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/relationship-tip-need-space-while-living-together-decompress-2024-5">give us some space</a>.A <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/social-worker-quit-to-become-life-coach-positive-psychology-business-2024-8">social worker</a> would be in soon to chat and help us process the news. My mind raced while we waited for her to arrive, and I asked Brian to look up the survival rates for kidney cancer. He pulled up a search on his phone and stared silently at it for a while. I wasn't sure I wanted to find out what those rates were, but I also knew there was no way I was getting through the night without knowing. "It sounds like stage one is often cured with surgery, a survival rate of 93 percent." Wow, OK, those sounded like good odds, but what did stage one mean? Time to Google the definition.Stage one: The cancer has not spread, is only in the kidney, and isn't larger than seven centimeters.Hmm, OK, the doctor had mentioned the tumor on my kidney was 12 centimeters and that it had spread to my liver, so that disqualified me from that. What was the next stage?Stage two: The cancer has not spread and is only in the kidney but is larger than seven centimeters.Since mine was 12 centimeters, it seemed like it could fit in that category if those spots in my liver weren't actually tumors. What were the survival rates for that?The next stat was for regional spread, which the article described as the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-mom-survived-cancer-couldnt-return-job-have-more-kids-2024-10">cancer spreading</a> from outside the kidney to nearby structures or lymph nodes. It didn't say anything about stage two, but from the description, we wondered if nearby structures could mean the liver. Neither of us was medically trained; it felt like we needed a definition for these definitions. Brian read off the survival rate for regional spread: 71%. Still not great, but not terrible. I could be part of that 71%. Not knowing if I fell into this category or not, he continued.Stage three: The cancer may be any size, but it has spread to nearby sites outside the kidney.This sounded a bit more like it matched the regional description. So maybe I was <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/man-chest-pain-ignore-pancreatic-cancer-treatment-symptoms-2023-7">stage three</a>? We were still thoroughly confused by what "nearby" meant, so I asked what the final stage was.Stage four: The cancer has spread away from the kidney to distant sites or organs. The most common locations kidney cancer spreads or metastasizes to include distant lymph nodes, the lungs, bones, liver, and brain.We had our answer. The liver was considered a distant organ. My stomach sank. Could I really be stage four? Afraid of the answer, I asked what the odds were for stage four. In a soft, defeated tone, Brian replied, "8%."*My <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dogs-cry-if-theyre-happy-to-see-you-research-says-2022-8">eyes welled up with tears</a>. Crushed, I muttered out a response. "That's not zero . . ." I looked down toward my feet at the end of the bed and repeated softly back to myself, "8% isn't zero." I looked back over at Brain, tears pouring down my face. "I'm going to beat this, I'm going to fight; 8% isn't zero. It's not impossible. Even if there's only a 1% chance I can make it, I can beat it," I insisted.His tears matched mine as they fell from his eyes, trailing into his beard. "Yes, you will."Excerpted from Too Young for Cancer by Katie Coleman. Copyright 2024 and Katie Coleman. Published by Alcove Press.

Doctors told me I wasn't old enough for cancer. When I finally got a diagnosis, it was Stage 4.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>RFK Jr. says under President Trump, he'll advise US water systems to remove fluoride.</li><li>The federal government is not in charge of the US water supply. It's a local thing.</li></ul><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/rfk-jr">Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</a>, the man widely expected to become a health leader in President-elect Donald Trump's White House, has promised to lobby to remove fluoride from the American water supply.Nearly 63% of the US population has fluoridated water flowing through their taps, according to the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/fluoridation/php/statistics/2022-water-fluoridation-statistics.html">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a> (CDC).US health experts describe fluoridated water — a voluntary practice for local water districts — as one of modern medicine's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm4850bx.htm">greatest public health achievements</a>, up there with the recognition that smoking is bad for you.Meanwhile, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/robert-f-kennedy-jr-views-vaccines-autism-testing-debunked-2023-7">Kennedy</a>, a former environmental lawyer who was instrumental in the fight to clean up the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.riverkeeper.org/blogs/honoring-our-foundation-in-science/">Hudson River in New York</a>, says there's no need to fluoridate drinking water anymore since most toothpaste contains fluoride. He's not alone. An important debate over fluoride is gaining fresh steam among scientists and legal experts. Some recent studies suggest more research is still needed on safe fluoride levels for kids. Plus, a federal ruling in California this year questioned the US government's recommended dose.While many medical professionals — chiefly dentists — support some level of fluoridation, there is growing agreement that we still aren't sure how much fluoride is too much.<h2 id="73e9cfea-f185-4392-8a29-deb966cdc1f8">120 years ago, fluoride was the mystery culprit behind brown teeth in Colorado</h2><div type="image" title="woman with brown teeth" height="2752" width="1912" msid="115231235" hostid="261" sizebytes="398436"></div>The reason most Americans have fluoride in their drinking water stretches back more than a century to a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/health-info/fluoride/the-story-of-fluoridation">mysterious outbreak</a> scattered across the Midwest and western US.In the early 1900s, dentists started noticing that children in specific towns, including Colorado Springs, Colorado; Oakley, Idaho; and Bauxite, Arkansas, were developing hard, chocolate-colored teeth.It took more than 20 years, but eventually, researchers discovered that these unusual brown stains were caused by high amounts of naturally occurring fluoride in the drinking water in certain areas of the country.They also found that the fluoride — a mineral compound found in rocks and dirt — was strengthening teeth. It was hardening tooth enamel and helping to repair some early-stage tooth decay.By 1945, scientists had learned enough about fluoride to harness the technique to prevent cavities for the masses. They proposed microdosing the mineral into the public water supply to give kids just enough fluoride to protect their teeth and help heal dental decay without giving them so much that their teeth would go brown.The experiment worked.In 1945, Grand Rapids, Michigan, was the first city to purposefully fluoridate its water. In the first 10 years of the program, the rate of cavities in kids decreased by more than <a target="_blank" href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1551218/?page=1">60%</a>. Thus, the idea of fluoridated water as a boon for public health was born.<h2 id="ffc42276-b971-4331-bd76-9f4c2877d29f">US water districts decide their own fluoride levels</h2><div type="image" title="tap water" height="4000" width="6000" msid="115231232" hostid="261" sizebytes="655952"></div>Kennedy has <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/RobertKennedyJr/status/1852812012478398923">said</a> he'd aim to convince local authorities nationwide to remove any added fluoride from taps."I think fluoride is on its way out," Kennedy <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nbcnews.com/video/rfk-jr-talks-health-care-agenda-following-trump-win-223717957893">told NBC</a> News the day after the election, adding: "I'm not going to compel anybody to take it out, but I'm going to advise the water districts. I'm going to give them good information about the science, and I think fluoride will disappear."The federal government does not control water supplies in the US. That task is up to states and local water systems.The US Environmental Protection Agency does mandate a limit for fluoride in tap water: four milligrams per liter. That limit is meant to prevent crippling health issues caused by excess fluoride intake, like a bone-weakening disease called skeletal fluorosis.<h2 id="e730cbbb-f6d0-4962-9881-0475436e9095">The US lowered fluoride levels in drinking water in 2015</h2><div type="image" title="crest toothpaste vintage ad w nina simone and daughter" height="4416" width="3531" msid="115231221" hostid="261" sizebytes="896112"></div>The amount of fluoride added to a water supply varies not only by city and county but also by the individual water system supplying a given neighborhood.For many years, the federal recommendation fluctuated based on location. In warmer climates — where it was assumed that kids consumed more water to stay cool — officials recommended 0.7 milligrams of fluoride per liter. Colder areas were advised to add 1.2 milligrams per liter.After reviewing evidence in 2015, the US Public Health Service decided that the discrepancy wasn't needed. The recommendation for fluoridation is now set at 0.7 milligrams per liter nationwide.Most major cities in the US hover around the 0.7 figure. Some places naturally have elevated levels of fluoride in their water due to geological factors. In Lordsburg, New Mexico, for example, water samples collected earlier this year had concentrations of fluoride between <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://cityoflordsburg.com/fluoride-mcl-notice-2024/">5.2 and 6.4 milligrams</a> per liter. Authorities there advise that children under 9 years old shouldn't drink tap water.<h2 id="c03fabfb-6a1d-488a-8229-718ca0e2727d">Places with fluoride-free water generally have worse dental health</h2><div type="image" title="toothbrush with paste" height="3209" width="4813" msid="115231228" hostid="261" sizebytes="238252"></div>Proponents of ditching fluoride often point to the many European countries that do not fluoridate their water. Those countries are not 100% fluoride-free, though: unlike people in the US, many Europeans consume fluoridated salt.Hawaii is the only US state without any fluoride in municipal taps; fluoridated water is only available there on military bases. A <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://health.hawaii.gov/about/files/2013/06/Hawaii-Smiles-Report.pdf">2015 report</a> from Hawaii's health department said the state also has the highest prevalence of tooth decay among 3rd graders in the US."It's obvious; you can see it in the quality of their enamel," Anthony Kim, dental director at the Waimanalo Health Clinic, told the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.civilbeat.org/2020/02/why-hawaii-continues-to-keep-fluoride-out-of-its-drinking-water/">Honolulu Civil Beat in 2020</a>. "Sadly, especially among the kids."Researchers in Canada see the same phenomenon. The rate of cavities detected in Alberta spiked after the city went fluoride-free in 2011, according to a <a target="_blank" href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.17269/s41997-024-00858-w">February 2024 study</a>. Calgary did the same and saw <a target="_blank" href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9542152/">similar tooth issues</a> in kids. The city now plans to re-fluoridate its water supply, but cost issues and global supply chain problems post-pandemic have <a target="_blank" href="https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/calgary-s-plan-to-reintroduce-fluoride-into-drinking-water-pushed-back-to-2025-1.6845098">created delays</a>.The military supports fluoridation. In 2016, the <a target="_blank" href="https://ilikemyteeth.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/DoD-Fluoridation-Memo-March-2013.pdf">US Department of Defense</a> said dental decay was a "significant" reason military personnel were classified as non-deployable. As such, fluoridated water is now mandated on any military base with more than 3,300 people.Rumors have circulated that drinking fluoridated water can lead to bone cancer (osteosarcoma), but long-term studies from both <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://academic.oup.com/ije/article/43/1/224/736028">the UK</a> and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1877782111001822">US</a> haven't found any credible evidence of higher rates in areas where people drink fluoridated water.<h2 id="726f1d49-c5ff-447d-b2cc-6cf2412f9906">Is there any truth to claims of IQ issues?</h2><div type="image" title="anti fluoride protesters" height="2574" width="3594" msid="115231239" hostid="261" sizebytes="497810"></div>On November 2, Kennedy said on X that fluoride is an "industrial waste" that is linked to "IQ loss."He linked to a ruling from a federal judge in California in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cand.uscourts.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/17-cv-2162-Food-_-Water-Watch-Inc.-et-al.-v.-EPA-et-al-Opinion.pdf">October.</a> The judge, appointed by former President Obama, said that while he could not "conclude with certainty" that fluoridated water could reduce the IQ of children, there is evidence that it can be "hazardous at dosages that are far too close to fluoride levels in the drinking water of the United States."His ruling came weeks after a headline-grabbing paper in which a group of independent scientists reviewed existing evidence on fluoridation for the <a target="_blank" href="https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/sites/default/files/2024-08/fluoride_final_508.pdf">US National Toxicology Program</a>. Their review concluded that some studies of fluoride consumption have found links between higher fluoride water levels and lower IQs in kids.There are a couple of big caveats to keep in mind. First, those studies were conducted in other countries, including Canada, China, India, Iran, Pakistan, and Mexico, not the US.Second, the association with lower IQs was only apparent when children were drinking water loaded with fluoride, at more than 1.5 milligrams per liter. That's double what's recommended in the US and 50% more fluoride than what was first used in Grand Rapids in 1945."More studies are needed to fully understand the potential for lower fluoride exposure to affect children's IQ," the experts said.Those new studies are starting to trickle out. Fluoride and aluminum researcher Ashley Malin, an assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Florida, recently found <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38767917/">a potential link</a> between a woman's fluoride levels during pregnancy and neurobehavioral problems in her toddler three years later."At this point, I would advise that pregnant women reduce their fluoride intake," Malin told Business Insider.Malin brushes her teeth without fluoride, drinks filtered water (using a reverse osmosis water purifier or buying bottled water), and says that the most fluoride she consumes is probably from the black chai tea she occasionally drinks.<h2 id="5b5f129c-cdf6-4dba-a89c-6887474b296d">Settling on the right dose</h2><div type="image" title="retro photo of kid brushing teeth" height="3000" width="2487" msid="115231240" hostid="261" sizebytes="496682"></div>It's hard to tease out <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cochrane.org/CD010856/ORAL_does-adding-fluoride-water-supplies-prevent-tooth-decay">exactly how beneficial fluoridated water is</a> for preventing cavities, in part because fluoridating water isn't the only way that tooth care has improved dramatically since the 1940s. (The level of fluoride in many toothpastes is much higher than what's in the water.)The California ruling last month didn't get prescriptive about what the EPA should do about all this uncertainty. It only recommended some kind of "regulatory action" on fluoride."It should be noted that this finding does not conclude with certainty that fluoridated water is injurious to public health," the verdict read.A federal judge wants the EPA to better answer now whether 0.7 milligrams per liter of fluoride is safe enough.The EPA has said in the past that reviewing their fluoride numbers is a "low priority" item for the agency. Public health experts and dentists generally agree that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/news-events/nidcr-news/2024/big-hopes-little-teeth">fluoridated tap water</a> is a safe, effortless, and equitable way to ensure people get enough fluoride to prevent most childhood cavities.However, scientists haven't quite settled on the optimal fluoride level in tap water to maintain healthy teeth yet.

A brief history of America's love affair with fluoridated water — and why it's now up for debate

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Melissa Eppard is a 46-year-old who was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer when she was 36.</li><li>The diagnosis, double mastectomy, chemo, and loss of confidence negatively impacted her sex life.</li></ul>This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Melissa Eppard, cofounder of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://upstatemary.com/pages/our-story">Upstate Mary</a>. It has been edited for length and clarity.In 2014, when I was 36, my 3-year-old son was crawling over me and accidentally kicked me in the chest. It really hurt, and that's when I discovered a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/breast-cancer-signs-symptoms-lump-nipple-discharge-pain-2022-9">lump on my left breast</a>.At this point, I was between jobs and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-healthcare-and-insurance-work-around-the-world-2017-7">didn't have healthcare</a>. I went through the process of applying for healthcare under the Affordable Health Care Act, but it took six months for me to eventually get my diagnosis of stage one triple negative ductal invasive carcinoma with a hereditary BRCA 1 mutation.<h2 id="6a45d618-cfb4-4e15-9afc-5eaf2425e8c2">Cancer affected my sex life</h2>I was at my new job when my doctor called to tell me the news. I remember being shocked. I crumpled to the floor and just sat on the carpet crying. All I could think about was the worst-case scenarios. I thought about all the people I knew who had <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/more-young-women-getting-breast-cancer-two-potential-reasons-2024-10">died from breast cancer</a>. Would I see my son grow up? How would my husband raise him on his own?That <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/health/mental-health/vicarious-trauma">initial trauma</a> of learning I had cancer dominated my life. I was so scared and stressed all the time. Sex was definitely not on the table.When it came time for my <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/double-mastectomy-lessons-from-surgery-healing-time-2024-2">double mastectomy</a>, I opted for reconstruction after they removed my breasts and assured me the implants would be safe. Also, at the time, the options offered were only about how I would recreate breast mounds.I felt a deep grief every time I looked down at <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/breast-cancer-survivors-racing-to-get-surgery-before-insurance-change-2023-3">my chest after the reconstruction</a>. It was a reminder of this trauma. I didn't feel sexy at all.<h2 id="7c0a08c5-3f1c-4821-93d8-2e28cc5db129">We cuddled and didn't talk about cancer at night</h2>Immediately after the surgery, I started a round of IVF to freeze my eggs as I was told I would lose my fertility going through chemotherapy. As long as I had a uterus, even if my ovaries were removed, I could carry a baby, or someone could be a surrogate for us.When chemotherapy started, I lost all my hair and my period. I felt incredibly weak, nauseous, and tired.Even though I often didn't want to be intimate with my husband, I knew if you don't use it, you lose it. I knew how important intimacy, not just sex, was for our relationship. So many couples don't make it through a cancer diagnosis and treatment.We started gently, just with a little cuddling. We set a rule about not talking about cancer late into the evening – I needed to shut off that conversation so I wasn't triggered.I rarely felt sexy during these months, which had a huge impact on my confidence during sex. While lovemaking didn't stop during chemotherapy, it was definitely less vigorous and less often. Our sex life was hanging on by a thread.<h2 id="b51fbb04-172b-4a87-8569-5faa127458de">I had to become intentional about feeling like myself again</h2>Two years after my mastectomy, I decided to get a beautiful tattoo over my implants. I went from feeling disfigured to rare and exotic. There was no one in the world like me. During intimacy, I could look down at myself and not feel horrified or get lost in the trauma all over again.My <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/breast-implants-made-me-sick-i-had-them-removed-2022-5">breast implants were increasingly giving me pain</a>, so I went back to my original breast surgeon and asked him if he could remove the implants and do an aesthetic flat closure in place of the implants. He turned to my husband to ask how he would feel about it and told me he would only perform the surgery for someone with body dysmorphia.I dissociated, in shock, that he wouldn't consider my pain and discomfort. I found another doctor who did the surgery for me. I was surprised at how much freedom and comfort I felt being flat-chested.For years, my desire and sex life had been like a stalled car. But now, I feel like my engine is revving. I would never compare my sex life pre-cancer to now. It would rob me of the joy of where I am now. I have worked too hard to get here and won't get stuck grieving what intimacy used to look like.I'm still here, and my marriage is strong. And I'm so grateful.

I was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer at 36. Ten years later, I'm still learning to be confident in my body.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Taking a quick jog or bike ride instead of sitting all day may reduce blood pressure, research suggests.</li><li>A few minutes of vigorous exercise each day can help stave off disease and improve longevity.</li></ul>Replacing a few minutes of sitting each day with a quick run or bike ride can reduce blood pressure and help stave off heart disease, a new study suggests.Researchers from University College London and the University of Sydney analyzed activity tracker data from previous studies, which included 14,761 volunteers from the UK, Australia, Denmark, Finland, and the Netherlands.On average, study participants spent <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/i-tried-being-more-active-at-work-was-less-productive-2024-8">10 hours a day sitting or otherwise being sedentary</a> and about 16 minutes a day doing exercises like cycling.Using their own model to estimate how different activities impact blood pressure, they concluded that small changes could do a long way.Swapping out five minutes of sedentary time per day with physical activity like biking or taking the stairs led to a decrease in blood pressure, they found.Adding more activity helped to lower blood pressure even more: 10 to 20 minutes of exercise daily reduced blood pressure enough to lower heart disease risk by about 10%, according to the researchers' estimates.The findings, published November 6 in the American Heart Association journal <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.124.069820">Circulation</a>, suggest that short bursts of higher-intensity exercise may be most effective at lowering blood pressure."For those who don't do a lot of exercise, walking did still have some positive benefits for blood pressure," Jo Blodgett, first author of the study and research fellow at University College London, said in a press release. "But if you want to change your blood pressure, putting more demand on the cardiovascular system through exercise will have the greatest effect."<h2 id="1e68deb1-3bef-4e40-959e-de1d2cb07297">A few minutes of high-intensity exercise may help you live longer</h2>It's not news that <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/exercise-in-short-bursts-could-boost-cardio-health-study-suggests-2021-8">getting your heart rate up</a> can pay dividends for your health. Previous research shows <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/study-hiit-short-workouts-boost-fitness-longevity-stroke-survival-2024-8">quick workouts</a> can improve overall fitness and help prevent early death.The latest study helps us better understand how exercise might be used most effectively to help people reduce the risk of serious health conditions, and what a meaningful daily dose might look like.High blood pressure, or <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/health/treatments/hypertension">hypertension</a>, is a major risk factor for heart attack and stroke. It affects nearly a third of Americans, many of whom don't realize they have it.If you're short on time, a quick run or bike ride at a higher heart rate could give you the most bang for your buck in terms of health benefits."The finding that doing as little as five extra minutes of exercise or vigorous incidental activities per day could be associated with measurably lower blood pressure readings emphasizes how powerful short bouts of higher intensity movement could be for blood pressure management," Emmanuel Stamatakis, joint senior author of the study and professor at the University of Sydney, said in a press release.The researchers also noted that the growing popularity of wearables can be a great resources for people to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-zone-2-cardio-exercise-training-benefits-2023-10">use data such as their heart rate to exercise more effectively.</a><h2 id="9d0bbc92-424e-4e7f-9c13-d423a7fac1df">Walking and tai chi can also protect your heart health</h2>While short, intense workouts may be efficient, there's still good reason to find time for gentler exercise in your routine.If you're not ready to go for a run, walking can help prevent heart disease, and an extra <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-five-hundred-extra-steps-per-day-live-longer-2023-9">500 to 1000 steps per day</a> can lower your risk.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tai-chi-lower-blood-pressure-more-than-cardio-study-2024-2">Tai chi</a> has also been found to lower blood pressure as effectively as cardio. Evidence suggests the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tai-chi-master-shares-simple-morning-exercise-to-boost-energy-2024-5">slow, meditative movement</a> is beneficial in part because it helps to reduce stress, another factor in maintaining a healthy blood pressure.Whichever exercise you choose, an <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tips-easy-simple-boost-longevity-live-longer-healthier-habits-2024">extra few minutes of movement in your daily routine</a> can add up to major benefits over time.

5 minutes of exercise can help lower your blood pressure, new research suggests

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Naomi Whitehead, 114, is the oldest living person in the US.</li><li>She shared some of the lifestyle choices that she thinks have helped her live so long.</li></ul>At 114 years old, Naomi Whitehead is older than the zipper, tanks — and all other Americans.Born in Georgia on 26 September, 1910, Whitehead became the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/oldest-living-american-elizabeth-francis-lifestyle-longevity-tips-secrets-2024-2">oldest living person in the US</a> after the previous record holder, Elizabeth Francis, died last month at the age of 115.Whitehead never <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/changes-researchers-made-from-centenarian-longevity-advice-2023-11">expected to live so long</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncnewsonline.com/news/lifestyles/113-birthdays-supercentenarian-born-in-1910-still-enjoys-life/article_0c08d9b8-f058-51b0-9223-a282053610dd.html">telling</a> New Castle News in 2023: "I'll live as long as the Lord lets me."<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tips-for-living-to-100-from-centenarians-worlds-oldest-people-2024-6">Living past 100</a> is unusual: as of January this year, centenarians made up 0.03% of the US population, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of US Census Bureau data. But average life expectancies are growing, alongside interest in how our lifestyles can help us live longer. Biohackers such as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tech-millionaire-live-forever-25k-gene-therapy-bryan-johnson-2023-12">Bryan Johnson</a> spend hundreds of thousands of dollars trying to live as long as Whitehead.Whitehead believed it was the simple things in life that kept her healthy. (Genetics probably have probably played a sizable role, too).With a little help from one of her 12 grandchildren, Dan Whitehead, she shared some <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/essential-healthy-habits-for-your-twenties-thirties-longevity-advice-2023-12">lifestyle factors</a> that may have helped her reach her 114.<div type="image" title="Naomi Whitehead shooting a water pistol, with a staff member from her senior living community behind her." height="4000" width="6000" msid="114982141" hostid="261" sizebytes="790500"></div><h2 id="60b1d2ab-5a78-4b83-8591-29e2b3c39fc7">Working hard</h2>In an <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNCisAvMtck">interview</a> with Jack Gordon, a YouTuber, Whitehead said that her biggest piece of advice is to "work hard." Whitehead worked on a farm for years, plowing fields and picking cotton and tobacco, so she was constantly moving.This advice echoes that of other centenarians that Business Insider has reported on: William, a 101-year-old based in Toronto, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/longevity-secrets-doctor-worked-2024-10">attributed his longevity</a> to having had many different jobs and retiring at 85.A 2023 study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that people who were <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/daily-exercise-prevent-death-sitting-all-day-2023-10">sedentary throughout the day</a> were more likely to die earlier than those who exercised every day.<h2 id="90337919-2170-4ac8-8848-9a2cedd37240">Religion</h2><div type="image" title="Naomi Whitehead in a wheelchair, wearing a gray top and purple skirt at her senior living community." height="1800" width="2400" msid="114982145" hostid="261" sizebytes="146098"></div>"She's a Godly woman," her grandson said. "She is truly blessed.''Being religious is another trait that supercentenarians share. Research suggests that it can provide a sense of purpose and a community — two things linked to longevity.A 2016 study on 74,534 female nurses in the US aged between 30 to 55 found those who attended a religious service more than once a week were 33% less likely to die early than women who attended none. The researchers based at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health suggested that this could partly be because of the social support and optimism the community can provide.<h2 id="9719b812-490e-443a-bd3f-cce7e1b5e499">Never drinking or smoking</h2>Whitehead said she had never smoked a cigarette or drank alcohol — two things that are associated with a longer life. The World Health Organization says that no level of alcohol consumption is safe for health, and a 2021 study published in the European Journal of Public Health found that light to moderate drinking, defined as less than one alcoholic drink per day, was the cause of 13.3% of 3,723,600 alcohol-related cancers in Europe in 2017.Likewise, smoking tobacco causes eight million deaths worldwide annually, the WHO reported last year. On average, people who have never smoked live about 10 years longer than those who do, according to the American Cancer Society.

A 114-year-old woman is now the oldest living American. She says 3 things have helped her live so long.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>"Beverly Hills, 90210" star Shannen Doherty died Saturday at age 53.</li><li>Her publicist told BI she "lost her battle" with cancer after 9 years, including some in remission.</li></ul>"Beverly Hills, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/shannen-doherty-dead-90210-star">90210" star Shannen Doherty</a> had, in recent years, become an outspoken voice for cancer awareness and treatment, speaking openly about her diagnosis and plans for after her death.As recently as April, she said on her podcast that she felt hopeful about possible medical treatments that could "prolong" her life.But she also said she'd taken some time in recent months to "take stock of my life and shift my priorities" by <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/shannen-doherty-90210-declutter-downsize-breast-cancer-mom-2024-4">downsizing</a>, decluttering, and spending more time with her mom, "just in case."On Saturday, Doherty died "surrounded by her loved ones," according to her publicist."It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passing of actress Shannen Doherty. On Saturday, July 13, she lost her battle with cancer after many years of fighting the disease," Leslie Sloane said in a statement to Business Insider.Doherty was first diagnosed with an invasive form of breast cancer in 2015. She went into remission in 2017, but in 2019, she was rediagnosed with metastatic stage 4 breast cancer, the most advanced form of the disease.By 2023, Doherty shared on her podcast that her cancer had spread into her bones, but she said she was "not done living yet."And Doherty always wondered what might've happened if her cancer had initially been diagnosed a little bit earlier.<h2 id="3758acf3-8bed-4a88-a8a4-cd6693512ae6">Doherty said she didn't go to the doctor for a year before her diagnosis</h2><div type="image" title="Shannen Doherty posing with her dog Bowie." height="2202" width="3303" msid="111763633" hostid="261"></div>In 2015, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://affiliate.insider.com?h=db75c9bfbd28aca6a67ba25a749f0695edf6034c37fbacde3e790f9469c61c97&amp;postID=66954dbc20eaab25bc14dec9&amp;postSlug=shannen-doherty-cancer-lawsuit-management-firm-health-insurance-2024-7&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.scribd.com%2Fdocument%2F275197945%2FDoherty-v-Tanner">Doherty sued</a> her former accounting firm, Tanner Mainstain Glynn and Johnson, alleging that it didn't pay her health insurance premium to the Screen Actors Guild in late 2013, and her health coverage in 2014 lapsed as a result.(The company denied Doherty's allegation, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/inside-shannen-doherty-breast-cancer-lawsuit/story?id=33202707">telling</a> ABC News at the time that "the claim that Tanner Mainstain caused her to be uninsured, prevented her from seeking medical care, or somehow contributed to her cancer is patently false.")By the time Doherty received her cancer diagnosis in early 2015, she had "invasive breast cancer metastatic to at least one lymph node," according to her lawsuit. "Had she been insured and able to visit her doctor, the cancer could potentially have been stopped, thus obviating the need for the future treatment (including mastectomy and chemotherapy)."The matter was never settled in court though, because Doherty reached a confidential settlement with the now-acquired accounting firm in 2016, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/shannen-doherty-settles-lawsuit-against-ex-manager-w435709/">according to</a> US Weekly.<h2 id="b265a840-8808-4360-bede-c7cae06a7e02">Would an earlier mammogram have helped?</h2>Many women with breast cancer display no symptoms until later stages of the disease, which is why the American Cancer Society recommends yearly mammograms to every <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/breast-cancer/screening-tests-and-early-detection/american-cancer-society-recommendations-for-the-early-detection-of-breast-cancer.html">woman over age 40</a> and even earlier screenings for patients at high risk, like those with a family history of breast cancer, or certain genetic mutations.Given that Doherty turned 44 in 2015, it's likely that her doctor would have recommended some kind of breast cancer screening that year, but it's impossible to know exactly how Doherty's diagnosis might've played out if she had visited the doctor earlier.When breast cancer is detected early, the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/early-detection-of-breast-cancer/">survival rate is near 100%</a>, but no statistic can ever perfectly predict what will happen to an individual patient.Doherty recently told her best friend that when she died, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/shannen-doherty-funeral-cremation-death-arrangements-ashes-mixed-dog-dad-2024-7">she wanted to be cremated</a> and have her ashes mixed with her dog and her dad.

Shannen Doherty once said in a lawsuit that her cancer could have been stopped if she'd had health insurance

<ul class="summary-list"><li>When Ceinwen Giles was diagnosed with cancer at 34, it changed her life.</li><li>She didn't know anyone her age with cancer, so she started organizing coffee meetups to find them.</li></ul>This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Ceinwen Giles, 48, co-CEO of Shine Cancer Support, who lives in London. The following has been edited for length and clarity.Weeks after giving birth to my first child at 34, I was diagnosed with stage four cancer.I felt quite unwell during my pregnancy but never suspected it was anything other than normal. Even when I was hospitalized with swollen legs and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/health/treatments/hypertension">high blood pressure</a>, I still didn't think anything was really wrong.Over that hospital stay, I had terrible chest pain and got sicker and sicker. I ended up giving birth to my daughter six weeks prematurely via emergency<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/my-kids-born-c-section-powerful-way-to-give-birth-2024-9"> c-section</a>. My tiny daughter and I stayed in hospital for another three weeks, but my health just kept getting worse.We managed to get home, but soon after, I was hospitalized again with terrible back pain. I couldn't eat and had no energy. The doctors still thought it was pregnancy complications. It took them another three weeks to diagnose me with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-non-hodgkin-lymphoma-jane-fonda-cancer-diagnosis-2022-9">non-Hodgkin lymphoma</a>, a type of blood cancer, on February 4, 2010.I had wanted to know what was wrong with me because I was so unwell, nobody knew why, and that was an awful feeling. But then to be told I had cancer was just completely shocking. I had no idea that that was even a possibility. I was really scared that I might die.I had a six-week-old baby, and I had been looking forward to spending my maternity leave with her. I remember just thinking, "I don't know what to do," because my husband only had two weeks of paternity leave. Luckily, his employer was very understanding, and we had lots of support from friends and family.By the time I was diagnosed, the cancer had spread all over my body and I was told I had a 40% chance of survival. They said my best option was to stay in the hospital on a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/scientists-test-low-carb-for-breast-cancer-treatment-chemotherapy-2024-9">clinical trial</a> for six months and do a high-dose chemotherapy. So that was what I did, and thankfully, I'm still here 14 years later.<div type="image" title="Ceinwen Giles stands on a stage speaking into a microphone." height="3294" width="4941" msid="114776453" hostid="261" sizebytes="1060908"></div><h2 id="32577f9a-fd9f-432a-afae-72d5e67f5886">Treatment left a permanent mark</h2>I don't think that there was any part of my life that wasn't affected by cancer. It's not just the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boomer-retirement-social-security-insurance-cancer-diagnosis-2024-7">diagnosis</a>. It's a lot of the things around it that are really difficult.I spent my maternity leave getting chemotherapy, worried I was going to die. I was the first of any of my friends to have a significant illness. They were shocked. A lot of them were great and really stepped up, but some people don't know how to deal with it. They don't want to talk about it.About six weeks after I finished treatment, I had a scan, and the doctors said they couldn't see any evidence of disease. Obviously, that was good news, but I still had a high risk of relapse, which left me hypervigilant and anxious. Plus, the treatment left permanent marks on my health and body.I had always wanted to have three children, but chemo affects your fertility, and I was told before I started treatment that I wouldn't be able to have more children.Before I got ill, I was an international development consultant, and I often worked in West Africa with communities affected by conflict or disease. I had planned to start my own business as a freelance consultant, but chemo left me with immune deficiencies that made it unsafe for me to travel to some developing countries.I remember asking my hematologist, "Can I go to Sierra Leone?" And he was like, "Absolutely not." So I could no longer do my job in the same way. I went back to work in the office three days a week because I was still recovering, and that had a financial impact.I could no longer exercise as much as I used to, and I couldn't relate to my peers anymore. I had to rebuild everything from scratch.<h2 id="2e58c3c9-ae19-45ab-af75-931187d3b01e">I didn't know anyone my age with cancer</h2><div type="image" title="A selife of wwo woman smiling at the camera." height="3088" width="2316" msid="114776454" hostid="261" sizebytes="504380"></div>I felt very lonely because I couldn't find anyone my age with cancer. I felt like I was the only person that this had happened to, and that there weren't any resources for coping at a younger age.Luckily, someone told me about a woman they knew called Emma Willis who lived on the other side of the country. She was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was 29 and was organizing coffees for younger adults with cancer.I emailed her and we arranged to meet when she was next coming up to London. We had a great chat, and soon I started arranging meetups of my own.We ran a survey about the issues young people with cancer face, something I used to do at my old job, and a few hundred people filled it in. We found that fertility, work, friendship, and mental health were consistent issues.We put on a workshop to find out what people thought of the survey results and we couldn't get the attendees to leave because they were having such a good time.That's when we thought, "We're onto something here," and we grew from there. We registered as a charity called Shine in 2012, and it's now a full-time job for both of us.We've got about 17 support groups around the country, all run by volunteers who have had cancer themselves, a conference in October, and a camping trip in August.We always say it's a community you wouldn't want to join, but if you've got to, it's better that there's a community to support you.

I survived stage 4 cancer as a new mom, but couldn't return to my job or have more kids. But I found a new, fulfilling career. 

<ul class="summary-list"><li>This post originally appeared in the Insider Today newsletter.</li></ul>Welcome back to our Saturday edition! One man found a simple way to lose 145 pounds — eating less and moving more. Sounds familiar, right? <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/yo-yo-dieter-kept-weight-down-small-portions-more-movement-2024-10">Find out how he kept it off</a>.On the agenda:<ul><li>Testosterone injections are <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/young-men-testosterone-therapy-masculine-ideal-2024-10">young men's newest obsession</a>.</li><li>Scammers are using AI to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/scammers-use-ai-deed-fraud-title-theft-to-steal-homes-2024-10">steal homes from under owners' noses</a>.</li><li>A luxury vacation planner shares <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/secrets-for-traveling-like-rich-from-luxury-travel-planner">how to travel like the wealthy</a>.</li><li>A Michelin star might just <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/restaurants-awards-michelin-star-new-york-city-dining-rent-costs-2024-10">kill your favorite restaurant</a>.</li></ul>But first: If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.If this was forwarded to you, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/subscription/newsletter/insider-today-sunday-edition">sign up here</a>. Download Insider's app <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.insider.com/app">here.</a><h3 id="2d2d81c1-e984-4ab1-b11e-26ada0d3da0b">This week's dispatch</h3><div type="image" title="Sabrina Ionescu smiling and holding her arms out as confetti falls during the New York Liberty's victory parade in New York City." height="3299" width="4949" msid="114623019" hostid="261" sizebytes="683924"></div><h2 id="d7055cb8-03eb-4d75-adcc-b919b46032aa">The New York Liberty's investment paid off</h2>New York City's Financial District was turned into an outdoor party on Thursday as the city celebrated the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-york-liberty-wnba-championship-parade-photos-2024-10">Liberty's championship win</a> over the Minnesota Lynx in the WNBA finals.Although it's the first time the team has won a championship in its history, it's not the only record-making moment they've had this season.In June, it was reported that the New York Liberty had the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.si.com/wnba/here-what-every-wnba-franchise-worth">third-highest value in the league</a> ($130 million), and brought in the most revenue last year ($18 million). The Liberty was also the league's first team to eclipse <a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/clark-fever-liberty-429f20ebcf27bd0d6c0e7534bf69b64f">$2 million in ticket revenue </a>for a single game in May.It likely doesn't come as a surprise to the team's billionaire co-owners Clara Wu Tsai and her husband Joseph Tsai, who bought the team in 2019 <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/07/sport/wnba-clara-wu-tsai-new-york-liberty-spt-intl/index.html">for an undisclosed amount</a>. Wu Tsai made a series of key investments that have paid off."The first thing we wanted to do was to bring the team back to Barclays Center so they could have a bigger stage," she said after the team's win. "This is what can happen when you invest in women."After building out a state-of-the-art locker room, Wu Tsai focused on filling out an all-star bench. She credits getting Breanna Stewart, a two-time WNBA champion and one-time league MVP at the time, to sign on as being a turning point for her team's roster.Now with a championship under the team's belt, Wu Tsai said her new challenge will be maintaining popularity for the Liberty while also keeping the games accessible.One fan told Business Insider at the parade that next year's season ticket prices are more than double, but she still plans to support the team. "As long as that money goes back to the players, I'm OK with that," Brooklyn resident Gris Osses said, "because they deserve it."<h2 id="cc30e20d-acf4-4a4e-ad8f-02c3a04a9dbb">Low T? No problem.</h2>Once taboo, tracking testosterone levels has suddenly become a point of pride for some men. Young men are increasingly turning to testosterone-replacement therapy to, in their view, optimize their bodies.Testosterone is prescribed to treat a set of vague symptoms for men hoping to feel "better," though it's not exactly clear what it does or who needs it. And while low T does have genuine health impacts, it's not common — nor is it an inevitability awaiting all men as they age.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/young-men-testosterone-therapy-masculine-ideal-2024-10">Inside the testosterone boom</a>.<h2 id="f3efdf5d-fcfc-4813-9e6c-8e3b9040c25d">Great, a new reason to fear AI</h2><div type="image" title="An eerie empty house with a desk in the middle of the room and a computer on top." height="2800" width="4200" msid="114623022" hostid="261" sizebytes="391280"></div>Seller impersonation fraud — when someone fakes the identities of property owners to sell their properties — is fairly common. New AI tech is only emboldening some scammers in their attempts at deed theft.From Elvis Presley's Graceland to more modest homes, fights over who really owns houses and land are playing out across the country.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/scammers-use-ai-deed-fraud-title-theft-to-steal-homes-2024-10">How AI-powered deed fraud works</a>.<h2 id="4e812ecf-a060-401e-9848-be206a63cddb">How the other half travels</h2><div type="image" title="luxury travel planner collage with Vatican, gifts, and money" height="1000" width="2000" msid="114623027" hostid="261" sizebytes="151624"></div>Leila Najafi has been curating trips for wealthy and elite clients for more than a decade. From family vacations to honeymoons, she's arranged holidays for some of the world's most discerning travelers.As a luxury travel advisor, she's learned a few secrets about how the rich spend their vacations. They're not interested in tourist-dense areas, but they do want local experiences that aren't available to the public.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/secrets-for-traveling-like-rich-from-luxury-travel-planner">Five lessons from a high-end travel agent</a>.Also read:<ul><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/summer-travel-vacation-now-fall-autumn-instead-2024-10">For some wealthy travelers, fall is the new summer</a></li></ul><h2 id="483172dd-9e06-415f-8357-1bdb6f813f7b">The poisoned chalice</h2><div type="image" title="Server holding tray of food being knocked off by Michelin star" height="1500" width="2000" msid="114623021" hostid="261" sizebytes="366712"></div>While you might cherish that hidden gem restaurant down the street, it likely doesn't see its "hidden gem" status as being particularly ideal. The industry is notoriously tough, so receiving a big award — think Michelin stars — is typically good news.Except, success can sometimes come back to bite the business. Getting good is one thing. Getting big is another, and not every operation is up to the task. In fact, one researcher found that restaurants given a Michelin star were more likely to shutter.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/restaurants-awards-michelin-star-new-york-city-dining-rent-costs-2024-10">When big wins become big problems</a>.<h2 id="5fef756b-4b6b-4037-8f33-9635854b9d8b">What we're watching this weekend</h2><div type="image" title="A TV with still feautiring Josh Hartnett and Ariel Donoghue staring in a scene from the movie &quot;Trap&quot;" height="1500" width="2000" msid="114623025" hostid="261" sizebytes="275026"></div><ul><li>"Trap": This year's buzzy M. Night Shyamalan thriller, starring Josh Hartnett as a dad whose concert outing with his teenage daughter takes a dark turn, is now streaming on Max.</li><li>"Beauty in Black": Tyler Perry's latest Netflix project is an eight-episode series about a stripper who finds herself embroiled with the dysfunctional (and extremely rich) family behind a cosmetics empire.</li><li>"Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band": This Hulu/Disney+ doc gives an inside look at how the legendary band headed by the 75-year-old rocker prepared for their live performances as they set out on their first tour since 2017.</li></ul><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-shows-movies-streaming-netflix-max-hulu-october-25-24">See the full list</a>.<div type="image" title="A red shopping bag surrounded by $100 bills." height="1500" width="2000" msid="114623023" hostid="261" sizebytes="244828"></div><h2 id="a09a70ef-5e7e-4bf4-80b2-3731f70bdc6e">Deals we love</h2><ul><li>Luxury jewelry without luxury prices: Jewelry doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. By skipping the heritage brand names and unnecessary overhead, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/style/best-place-to-buy-affordable-fine-jewelry">these fine jewelry brands</a> keep prices low for shoppers.</li><li>Swifties, it's not too late. Time is running out to see Taylor Swift's Eras Tour live. Her last US show is scheduled for November 3, after which she'll only perform for a few more weeks in Canada. Here's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/streaming/how-to-buy-taylor-swift-tour-tickets-concert-prices-compared">how to get tickets to her sold-out concerts</a>.</li><li>20% off linens we love: Brooklinen is synonymous with luxurious textiles that elevate any room. They aren't cheap, though, so its <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/deals/brooklinen-friends-and-family-sale-2024-10">Friends and Family sale</a> is a great way to save on everything from sheets to bath mats.</li></ul><h2 id="3a2e4b99-8063-4f80-8653-d1ec4a2af89a">More of this week's top reads:</h2><ul><li>Standing desks <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/standing-desk-study-health-risks-sitting-2024-10">may not be that good for you</a>.</li><li>Eva Longoria invested <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/eva-longoria-producer-john-wick-2024-10">$6 million of her own money to save "John Wick."</a></li><li>Why one Fortune 500 worker <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/quit-job-brat-summer-charli-xcx-work-unhappy-2024-10">quit his job to have a "Brat summer."</a></li><li>Celeb children's books</li><li>China's luxury spending slump is about <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/whats-behind-china-luxury-goods-slowdown-economy-changing-consumer-tastes-2024-10">more than its struggling economy</a>.</li><li>Meet TikTok's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-european-kid-louis-fake-rich-aris-yeager-profile-storytime-2024-10">favorite fake rich kid</a>.</li><li>Step inside Rolls Royce's new "Private Office" <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rolls-royce-nyc-private-office-custom-ultra-expensive-cars-2024-10">for customizing cars</a>.</li><li>Spend a night at Blind Tiger, a historic <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/blind-tiger-portland-maine-review-victorian-historic-hotel-2024-9">boutique hotel in Portland, Maine</a>.</li><li>The NFL's $1,000 jackets are a sign of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nfl-partnership-luxury-fashion-brand-pricey-women-team-jackets-2024-10">fashion's newfound love affair with sports</a>.</li><li>A "free range" parent <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/free-range-parenting-mom-lets-kids-fly-alone-2024-10">allowed her 15-year-old to fly solo to France</a>.</li></ul>The Insider Today team: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/dan-defrancesco">Dan DeFrancesco</a>, deputy editor and anchor, in New York City. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/jordan-parker-erb">Jordan Parker Erb</a>, editor, in New York. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/lisa-ryan">Lisa Ryan</a>, executive editor, in New York. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/amanda-yen">Amanda Yen</a>, fellow, in New York. Grace Lett, editor, in Chicago.

Insider Today: Young men's new obsession

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A multi-state E. coli outbreak has been linked to McDonald's Quarter Pounder burgers.</li><li>49 people across 10 states have fallen ill, and one person has died.</li></ul><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mcdonalds-quarter-pounder-ecoli-outbreak-why-important-sales-2024-10">McDonald's Quarter Pounder burgers</a> have been linked to 49 cases of E. coli infections and one death in an outbreak spanning 10 states. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said anyone who has developed severe E. coli symptoms after eating a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mcdonalds-e-coli-outbreak-tied-quarter-pounders-2024-10">Quarter Pounder</a> should call their healthcare provider.The last case of E. coli linked to the outbreak was recorded on October 11, according to the Food and Drug Administration. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/health/diet-nutrition/signs-of-food-poisoning">Symptoms of an E. coli infection</a> usually present three to four days after someone swallows the bacteria, the CDC said.According to the CDC, symptoms of a severe E. coli infection include:<ul><li>Bloody diarrhea, or diarrhea for more than 3 days that is not improving</li><li>A fever higher than 102°F</li><li>Vomiting and being unable to keep liquids down</li><li>Severe stomach cramps</li><li>Signs of dehydration including: feeling dizzy when standing, a dry mouth and throat, and not peeing much</li></ul>Most people with typical E. coli symptoms recover within five to seven days without medical treatment, the CDC said, but some people might develop serious kidney problems and need to be hospitalized.<h2 id="fe771385-f027-45ae-907c-9f213d05dca3">10 people have been hospitalized after eating Quarter Pounders</h2>As of Tuesday, the outbreak was linked to 10 hospitalizations, with most illnesses occurring in Colorado and Nebraska, the CDC said.Public health officials are investigating which ingredient could be causing the outbreak, but early information from the FDA suggests the slivered onions or beef patties used for Quarter Pounders are the likely source of contamination.Cesar Piña, McDonald's chief supply chain officer for North America, said in a statement on its website on Tuesday that an initial investigation suggested the illnesses may be linked to slivered onions, which were sourced by a single supplier that serves three distribution centers.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mcdonalds-expensive-prices-too-high-fast-food-restaurant-falling-sales-2024-7">McDonald's</a> has stopped using both the beef patties and slivered onions used specifically for the Quarter Pounder. It has also temporarily pulled the burger from its menus in Colorado, Kansas, Utah, and Wyoming, as well as portions of surrounding states such as Nebraska and Oklahoma. The FDA said on Tuesday that diced onions and other types of beef patties used in McDonald's restaurants are not affected by the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/health/what-bacteria-causes-food-poisoning">E. coli outbreak</a>.<a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/mcd-stock?_gl=1*1f1j3x0*_ga*MTA0NDI4Mzk2My4xNzA4NDI2MTU3*_ga_E21CV80ZCZ*MTcyOTY3NDY4Ny4yMTYuMC4xNzI5Njc0Njg3LjAuMC4w">McDonald's stock price</a> dropped by more than 9% as news of the outbreak spread. John A. Gordon, a chain restaurant analyst, told Business Insider on Tuesday that sales of the Quarter Pounder could be negatively affected.McDonald's did not immediately respond to an out-of-hours request for comment from Business Insider.Have you experienced symptoms of E. coli after eating at McDonald's? Contact reporter Serafina Kenny: <a target="_blank" href="mailto:skenny@businessinsider.com">skenny@businessinsider.com</a>.

What to do if you ate a McDonald's Quarter Pounder and feel ill

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A new study found hundreds of unique viruses called bacteriophage on toothbrushes and shower heads.</li><li>Phage target bacteria, not humans, and could be a useful tool against disease.</li></ul>The next big breakthrough in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/disease-prevention-ideas-us-could-learn-from-uk-israel-canada-2022-12">disease-fighting innovation</a> could be no further away than your bathroom.A recent study found hundreds of viruses on samples from toothbrushes and shower heads, including many that have never been seen before, let alone examined.But this specific kind of viruses, known as bacteriophage, aren't concerning for human health because they target and infect bacteria, not us, according to Erica Hartmann, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Northwestern University who led the study."It's still a big deal; it's just not scary. It's actually really exciting," Hartmann told Business Insider.Understanding how these infectious particles work could be a valuable step in protecting us from <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/health/conditions-symptoms/what-is-the-difference-between-bacteria-and-virus">harmful pathogens and bacteria</a>, including those that cause tuberculosis and other serious diseases."The more we know about what's in shower heads and what's on toothbrushes with regard to viruses and microbes, the more we can advance in understanding how we get sick and even devise new tools to fight those pathogens," Miryam Wahrman, a professor of Biology at William Paterson University of New Jersey who was not involved with the study, told Business Insider.<h2 id="cfd924b0-3be2-4e3b-8329-12a9c8ebdb95">Unexplored ecosystems are living on your household items</h2>Researchers from Northwestern University were inspired to investigate toothbrushes because of a previous study investigating whether <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-show-droplets-aerosols-emerge-when-flush-toilet-2022-12">flushing the toilet could release aerosols</a> that might contaminate a toothbrush left out on the countertop.The good news is that the study, nicknamed "Operation Pottymouth," found no evidence of poop-related germs on toothbrushes."Overwhelmingly, we find that microbes on your toothbrush come from your mouth," Hartmann said.The research team decided to put all those used toothbrushes to good use and took a closer look at what's hanging out there.In a previous study, they also analyzed samples taken from <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/home/how-to-clean-shower-head">shower heads</a> to offer even more insight into our bathrooms' microscopic occupants.The researchers weren't surprised to find that these household items were home to many germs because of their warm, moist environments.But they were blown away by how many different kinds of viruses were present. There was so much diversity that there was almost no overlap between the samples, meaning each toothbrush and shower head was host to its own unique microscopic world.The findings were published October 9 in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiomes/articles/10.3389/frmbi.2024.1396560/full">Frontiers in Microbiomes</a>."I'd encourage people to look at things they see every day and think of these as places where we could be making exciting discoveries for new biotechnology," Hartmann said.<h2 id="a5e9a1f5-fb1b-4af8-9e10-a9a211c4ecf9">Phages could be the new frontier in disease-fighting biotech</h2>There's no reason to be grossed out by the tiny inhabitants sharing our homes."I don't think there's any need to change behavior or enhance cleaning. These are not viruses that are going to infect you, these are viruses that are potentially cool," Hartmann said.It's a common misconception to think of all germs and microorganisms as potential threats, but plenty of microbes are neutral, beneficial, and sometimes <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/foods-better-than-probiotics-for-gut-health-2023-8">necessary for human health</a>.Bacteria and viruses have sparked groundbreaking innovations in science, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/longevity-stem-cell-biotech-reverse-aging-cellular-reprogamming-2024-9">biotechnology</a>, and healthcare that we benefit from every day, such as penicillin and DNA research."Microbes are everywhere all the time, and the vast majority of them won't make you sick," Hartmann said. "If we approach with wonder and curiosity instead of fear, we can work with microbes instead of against them."Phage are exciting because they specialize in attacking and replicating inside bacteria, including bacterial pathogens. These pathogens make us sick and can become resistant to our current protective strategies, like <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/health/treatments/how-long-does-it-take-for-antibiotics-to-work">antibiotics</a>."The enemy of our enemy is our friend. They are potentially a very helpful tool for us," Wahrman said.Researchers have known about the existence of phage for more than a century, but antibiotics have gotten most of our attention. Now that some pathogens have outsmarted antibiotics, phage are a wide-open frontier for innovation.In the future, phage might be a rich source of biotech innovations like <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ampliphi-phage-therapy-treatment-bacterial-infections-2017-10">phage therapy,</a> in the same way pharmaceuticals have developed medicines from plants or animals. Rather than scouring remote reaches of the planet, these discoveries could come from digging deeper into what surrounds us every day."There are a lot of things waiting to be discovered just under our noses or on our toothbrushes," Hartmann said.

Your toothbrush is home to hundreds of new viruses. They could be the future of biotech.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Missy Jenkins Smith was shot at the age of 15 in the school shooting at Heath High School.</li><li>She is now 42 and is paralyzed from the chest down.</li></ul>This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Missy Jenkins Smith. It has been edited for length and clarity.It was a cold morning on December 1st when I got to school after nearly a week off <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/history-of-thanksgiving-2017-11">celebrating Thanksgiving</a>. Before the day started, a group of us gathered in the lobby of the school to pray. I was particularly nervous about an exam I had to take in the first period.As students filtered into the lobby, I recognized everyone. It was a small school, and I knew everyone's first name. Even the boy <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mom-sends-her-kids-school-worryingthey-could-be-in-shooting-2023-2">who would very soon shoot me</a>, Michael.As we said "Amen," I heard what I thought were firecrackers. Maybe it was a prank, I thought. My friend Nicole fell to the floor. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/takeoff-killing-woman-shot-in-head-calls-incident-scary-movie-2023-1">Had she just been shot in the head</a>? I couldn't understand what was happening. I felt in a state of shock, trying to make sense of what I was seeing.Guns weren't even on my radar. It was a completely safe school — some would say <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/safest-college-campuses-in-america-2016-1">the safest school</a> of all the high schools in our area.As I was trying to figure out what was going on, my entire body went numb as I heard a spray of that same sound. It must not have been firecrackers. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jd-vance-doesnt-like-school-shootings-are-fact-of-life-2024-9">It must have been a gun</a>. There was a ringing sound inside my ears, and I dropped to the floor. The impact of the fall didn't even hurt.<h2 id="9638557f-ac8c-46de-9a98-5b672573ec51">I was shot</h2>My twin sister, Mandy, was right there with me, crawled to me, and said there had been a gun. She said Michael had been the shooter.I knew Michael well enough to consider him a friend. We were <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/marching-band-we-cheer-for-everyone-do-that-in-life-2023-2">in band together</a>. I was a sophomore, and he was a freshman.I learned later that Michael had dropped the gun, and when he did, the prayer group leader asked him what he was doing. He couldn't give an answer. He put down the gun and asked the prayer leader to shoot him, which he wouldn't do. Eventually, one of the staff took Michael to his office.Later, Michael would go on to say he had been bullied and had voices in his head that told him to go on a rampage. He had used guns in a friend's garage.<h2 id="8460f011-b6df-46d8-8c60-bc40c314e5c5">I couldn't move</h2>Lying on the ground, unable to move, I was still in shock. Mandy said to me: "Be strong. Don't die."My algebra teacher came over to me and told me I wasn't going to die. I told her I was paralyzed, but she told me I wasn't, but I'm sure she knew I was and was just trying to keep me from going into further shock.I was being told to keep my eyes open, but eventually, I couldn't help close them.When I woke, next to me, I could see my friend Jessica, who had been shot too. A teacher was holding her, saying over and over that Jessica wasn't going to make it.Jessica later died, as did Nicole and Kayce.I was taken to the hospital, where I would stay for much longer than the others who were injured in the shooting.<h2 id="ccec00f8-2a63-492f-9cf6-6a1c380f5f0a">I felt lonely</h2>Lying flat on my back, I felt lonely at times. Everyone had returned to school, but I was alone for hours each day. I just wanted to go home.News organizations came to the hospital to ask me what happened, and I remember it feeling like therapy.When I finally returned to school, it was like what had happened had been part of a movie. Although I wasn't diagnosed with PTSD, I know I had it. The sound of gunfire has always taken me back to that lobby. Our school offered students group counseling to work through the impact of the shooting, where we learned to cope with what had happened to us.I was asked to speak to a group of students about what had happened. It was the first time I realized that speaking about it was a form of healing. I would go on to speak about the shooting for years to come.Becoming paralyzed on that day could have led to a lifetime of anger and resentment. But on the day I was shot, I forgave Michael, making a choice to be happy. I couldn't control what happened to me on that December day in 1997. But I could control my response to it. I talked to myself rather than listened to my emotions.All my life, I've never been an angry person. Anger is exhausting for more. If I were to let what happened to me — to dwell on it and let it control me — I wouldn't be a happy person. By choosing to forgive Michael, I chose happiness. I chose to forgive him for myself. It doesn't mean that I'm always positive; I'm not. But it has given me back control over my own mindset, rather than being controlled by my anger at Michael.Decades later, I'm starting to experience the frustration of my disability. My two children sometimes take care of me more than I take care of them. I have a lot of physical health issues from years of being in a wheelchair. I feel the aggravation, and then I choose to move on and remind myself that things could be worse.

You Searched For "health news" and got 12 results

The world's oldest person just died at 117 with a clean bill of health. Here are her 5 longevity tips.

Serafina Kenny

Doctors told me I wasn't old enough for cancer. When I finally got a diagnosis, it was Stage 4.

Katie Coleman

A brief history of America's love affair with fluoridated water — and why it's now up for debate

Hilary Brueck

I was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer at 36. Ten years later, I'm still learning to be confident in my body.

Lauren Crosby Medlicott

5 minutes of exercise can help lower your blood pressure, new research suggests

Gabby Landsverk

A 114-year-old woman is now the oldest living American. She says 3 things have helped her live so long.

Serafina Kenny

Shannen Doherty once said in a lawsuit that her cancer could have been stopped if she'd had health insurance

Hilary Brueck

I survived stage 4 cancer as a new mom, but couldn't return to my job or have more kids. But I found a new, fulfilling career.

Kim Schewitz

Insider Today: Young men's new obsession

Joi-Marie McKenzie

What to do if you ate a McDonald's Quarter Pounder and feel ill

Serafina Kenny

Your toothbrush is home to hundreds of new viruses. They could be the future of biotech.

Gabby Landsverk

I was paralyzed from the chest down by a school shooter at 15. I chose to forgive him.

Lauren Crosby Medlicott

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides