Treva Lind

Millions of Americans will host or attend Super Bowl parties this Sunday. Munchies abound on tables typically for more than four hours. Spoiler alert: Food poisoning is all too common, the USDA says.

Six years ago, Spokane speech pathologist Susan Esco quit coloring her hair and cut it short to grow back naturally to avoid chemicals. More recently, she’s supporting other women who ditch the dye with #DYEFree2BME and Silver Sisters.

A Spokane-based study found that a healthy body’s biological clock plays a role in protecting the heart against the toxicity of radiation treatment in mice.

Some RV enthusiasts prefer to hit the road in a refurbished vintage trailer. They’re cute, simple and nostalgic. Other travelers seek out higher-end, technology-loaded motorcoaches. Many consumers choose something in between. At area RV shows this week and next, a range of options will be on display. They include a retrofitted 1959 Aloha trailer for sale at the Jan. 23-26 Inland Northwest RV Show & Sale. Alongside some $450,000-plus models with more amenities than home, it’s a glimpse into how far RVs have come in 60 years.

We have our hands all over our smartphones. This time of year especially, it’s good practice to wash hands often with soap and wipe down those phones. Avoid spreading germs during cold and flu season, says the Spokane Regional Health District.

Doggone those resolutions. Well, actually, you should consider your dogs. In a recent survey, Washington ranked third in states where canine owners said they made plans for their pets to be healthier in 2020.

Empire Concussion and Trauma Recovery recently opened at two clinic sites in Spokane, said Maile Mohsenian, an occupational therapist who also operates Empire Pediatric Therapy. Mohsenian said the clinic has long treated concussion in children, but she saw a gap for such care among adults.

Help your kids create simple thank you cards for receiving holiday gifts to send messages of caring and relationships, etiquette experts say. It brightens the recipient’s day. Here are ideas to encourage kids’ creativity.

Essential oils are touted as helping with sleep, alertness, relaxation and other benefits, but are they always safe? While they’re often benign for many users, some people report allergic reactions or breathing problems – potentially an asthma concern.

U.S. residents older than age 50 are at risk for shingles because the body’s immune system weakens with age, but a number of younger people can get the condition, as well. Here’s what to consider.

Washington State University Health Sciences Spokane researchers have found that sleep-onset insomniacs who skip a whole night’s sleep become twice as impaired doing reaction-timed tasks than normal sleepers who pull an all-nighter.

While family members often span the miles to visit at holidays, close encounters with relatives from afar can pose a quandary for parents. Should you tell your children to hug and kiss people they’ve met maybe once?

For her daughter with Angelman syndrome, Spokane’s Shari Blum researched possible benefits of hemp extracts and organic terpenes in plants. She found a combination that she says helped her daughter improve motor function, communication and sleep.

Mission43 is in Idaho – the 43rd state – yet the initiative of the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Family Foundation will stretch across borders to help post 9/11-era military members and their families transition to civilian life. Its support focuses on education, employment, purpose and connection.

Images of Spokane’s past beckon Mike Forster, an artist drawn back to creativity through a lens. It was difficult for Forster to do any art after the death of his wife in 2017, but he recently began Vintage Spokane Photos, taking images of old homes and icons with unusual angles and lighting.

Beyond Thanksgiving, a year-round habit of feeling grateful boosts your well-being, and it helps you to feel happier, too. Local researchers who study such benefits say it’s the consistent, outward-focused gratitude that’s shown to improve mental health – and physical well-being, as well.

A Gonzaga University class, “Judo and Self-Defense,” has drawn a record number of female students with 10 women in a class of 15. Many women said they took the class to feel safer walking on campus at night or for travel abroad.

A Spokane Valley Fire Employees Scholarship recipient in 2013, Alexis Skjelbred became a Spokane nurse a few years later. She’d once abandoned that dream after high school academic struggles. A cardiac nurse now, she’s had the chance to personally thank some of those firefighters.

A new initiative is spotlighting the high rate of Spokane County domestic violence, a trend that’s also increased the workload for processing protection orders. About a year ago, the Spokane County Clerk’s Office launched a program to speed up the sending of legal protection order details to law enforcement, with two workers entering information electronically as documents are approved.

River City Kitchen, a new commercial kitchen, opened a few weeks ago inside the Spokane Intermodal Center. Owner Clay Cerna will offer rentable space as an incubator for food and beverage entrepreneurs to create products for the region’s restaurants and farmers markets.

Do you really know your family health history, or are you guessing when the doctor asks? With the upcoming holidays, take a moment to ask relatives about past conditions – from diabetes and cancer to heart issues. Write it down, tell your physician, and act on what you can do to reduce risk factors.

With medical concerns about “sitting disease,” standup desks or adjustable sit-stand stations are increasingly popular for desk workers. While it gives employees chances to change positions, there are mixed results in studies on actual health benefits. Local experts say it is the movement that counts.

Mariah Hanley, who grew up in Spokane Valley, learned early that her chances to lead a long life were slim because of cystic fibrosis, a progressive and frequently fatal genetic disease of the body’s mucus glands. But a few months ago, a doctor told Hanley, now 26, that she should start planning for retirement. A new breakthrough drug is changing the dialogue for CF patients.