Health Tips Line

The only gift my grandmother ever gave me was a pair of used underwear she picked up at a garage sale. I was 12. I’d love to tell you I’m exaggerating for comic effect, but that’s just the kind of lady she was: frugal, practical and oblivious to other people’s feelings. Sadly, my gift-related trauma doesn’t stop there. There was also the $20 spa gift card someone gave me as a “special treat.” As far as I could tell, nothing on that spa’s menu cost $20 (unless you count the cucumber water, and I’m betting that was extra), and I was too broke to cover the difference. So the card lived in my wallet like a tiny, laminated taunt until the spa went out of business, at which point I cried real tears over the $20 I had essentially set on fire. But the Incident, with a capital I , is the one that still makes my jaw clench. When my husband and I got married, we received a gift in a box that said it was an electric teakettle. We didn’t ne...

One weird part of getting older is that at some point, it starts to take a little more effort to get going in the morning —and not just because we could probably use stand to hit the snooze button one more time. Our morning movements might become a little slower, a little more deliberate and even a little louder. Yep, that’s your ankles, knuckles, knees and necks crackling like a campfire. Now, before you think I just called you ancient , some people just naturally have joints that crack as they move. My editor, for example, swears she was simply born that way and could never sneak up on her parents as a child, especially when walking down the stairs first thing in the morning.  So is this crackling OK, or is it a cause for concern? And why does it generally become more pronounced as we age? I spoke with Pamela Mehta, MD, a California-based orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine physician, to find out. Read on to learn the cause of those snaps, crackles and pops, as wel...

Rachel Brosnahan knows a thing or two about playing strong, outspoken women. After winning an Emmy and two Golden Globes for her role as the quick-witted Midge Maisel in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel , the actress traded stand-up comedy for superhero action, taking on the iconic role of Lois Lane in 2025’s Superman . And while she can certainly hold her own alongside the Man of Steel, Brosnahan has plenty of other things keeping her busy off-screen, especially with the holiday season right around the corner. In an exclusive interview with Reader’s Digest , Brosnahan gave us a peek into how she gets ready for the holidays, as well as the family traditions she looks forward to every year. She also revealed which of her famous on-screen characters she thinks would cause the most chaos at a holiday dinner party. (Spoiler alert: Midge Maisel would definitely keep things interesting.) But don’t worry, Superman fans: We didn’t forget about Lois Lane! Brosnahan also share...