“While you don’t have to give up foods derived from animals completely, our study does suggest that eating a larger proportion of plant-based foods and a smaller proportion of animal-based foods may help reduce your risk of having a heart attack, stroke or other type of cardiovascular disease,” said lead researcher, Casey M. Rebholz, Ph.D., assistant professor of epidemiology at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland.

Although some outdoor workers are required to perform their labors during certain hours, if you’re off duty, the American Heart Association (AHA) advises you to avoid being out of doors in the early afternoon (from noon to 3 p.m.) because that’s when the sun is usually at its strongest, putting you at higher risk for heat-related illnesses.

The University of Kentucky (UK) is being honored for implementing a voucher program that reduces UK employees’ cost of buying organic produce and encourages healthy eating. The school has just received an HR Innovation Award from the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources a community-supported agriculture (CSA) program that provides participants with vouchers toward shares of weekly produce from a participating local organic farm of their choice.

A billionaire and a famous actor both experienced the same health emergency recently – one that surprised many people, given their relatively young ages. One survived, one did not. The two high profile incidents involving Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert and actor Luke Perry have drawn renewed attention to the danger of strokes, which strike about 700,000 Americans a year, according to WebMD.

People can reduce their risk of dementia by getting regular exercise, not smoking, avoiding harmful use of alcohol, controlling their weight, eating a healthy diet, and maintaining healthy blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels, according to new guidelines issued by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Placing healthier options in more prominent positions on grocery store shelves and packaging food in smaller serving sizes are among the improvements in the U.S. food system that would make it easier for consumers to choose healthy foods – and to get heathier. That’s according to a science advisory from the American Heart Association (AHA), which says that change that needs to occur at multiple levels- the food industry, agricultural industry, public health and medicine, policy, and among communities, worksites, schools, and families.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Heart Association (AHA) have put together a list of public health measures they say will reduce kids’ consumption of sugary drinks – a habit strongly linked to obesity, diabetes, heart disease and tooth decay. The recommendations in a joint policy statement issued by the two organizations, “Public Policies to Reduce Sugary Drink Consumption in Children and Adolescents,” include excise taxes, limits on marketing to children, and financial incentives for purchasing healthier beverages.

Could air pollution be making us fat? A new USC study suggests that exposure to traffic pollution during childhood makes adolescents 34 percent more likely to eat foods high in unhealthy trans fats — regardless of household income, parent education level or proximity to fast-food restaurants. The findings on air pollution and obesity in teens appear in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

February is Cancer Prevention Month and the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) is using the opportunity to help Americans separate the myths from facts about cancer risk. The good news: approximately 40 percent of all cancer cases can be prevented. According to AICR, the most important ways to reduce your cancer risk (after not smoking) are: eating a healthy diet, being more active each day and maintaining a healthy weight.

Health-related factors have a significant impact on the foods people buy. With the seemingly overwhelming number of products on shelves, a new survey offers insights into which information on food labels is most influential — and on how additional information might lead to healthier dietary choices.