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Take a Deep Breath

person demonstrating relaxation technique

Take a Deep Breath

Relaxation techniques can help you feel calm, manage stress, and ease the effects of stress on your body.

When you feel stress, your body responds by releasing hormones that increase your blood pressure and raise your heart rate. This is called the stress response.

Relaxation techniques can help your body relax and lower your blood pressure and heart rate. This is called a relaxation response.

Deep breathing is one exercise that can help you to relax. It’s one of the simplest ways to relax and you can do it almost anywhere.

  • Sit still or lie down and place one hand on your stomach. Put your other hand over your heart.
  • Inhale slowly until you feel your stomach rise.
  • Hold your breath for a moment.
  • Exhale slowly, feeling your stomach fall.

There are many other types of relaxation techniques including meditation, biofeedback, progressive relaxation, yoga, and tai chi. Try several and see what works for you.

Evaluating Health Information You Find Online

Have you ever been researching a health topic and wondered if the information you found on a website is reliable or even fake? Keep these tips in mind:

  • Consider where the information came from, .gov, .edu, and .org sites are good places to start.
  • What’s the purpose of the site?
  • Who pays for the site?
  • How is the information selected and reviewed to make sure it’s accurate?
  • How does the website use your personal information?

Learn more on how to evaluate the health information you see online.

What is Hepatitis?

Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver. The liver is a vital organ that processes nutrients, filters the blood, and fights infections. When the liver is inflamed or damaged, its function can be affected. Heavy alcohol use, toxins, some medications, and certain medical conditions can cause hepatitis. However, hepatitis is often caused by a virus. In the United States, the most common types of viral hepatitis are hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C.

Hepatitis B and hepatitis C infections can be treated and hepatitis C can be cured in most cases. There are vaccines to prevent hepatitis A and B.

Chicken Mole

Mole is a traditional sauce used in Mexican cuisine. This version of Chicken Mole uses peanut butter to make a creamy, nutty base. Easy and delicious!