Health & Wellness

Bonn – September 15, 2026 -- The "WDR 2 Weihnachtswunder" charity campaign is returning for its fifth year, with the aid alliance Aktion Deutschland Hilft and German radio station WDR 2 launching a donation drive to fight world hunger.

Nearly 50 projects will receive funding this year, the most since the campaign began

Donations collected through the campaign will support close to 50 projects run by Aktion Deutschland Hilft's partner organizations, providing everything from emergency food and clean water to longer-term support for agriculture and livelihoods. Local partners on the ground assess needs, identify vulnerable people, and implement the projects.

NEW YORK – September 15, 2026 -- Expert Consumers has named NELL its top pick in a new review of the best mattresses for back pain, citing the brand's high-density pocket-coil system and zoned construction.

A king-size NELL mattress packs in thousands of coils

A king-size NELL Mattress contains 4,704 individually wrapped pocket coils, compared with roughly 500 to 1,000 coils in a typical mattress, according to brand materials cited in the review. Each coil compresses independently, which Expert Consumers says allows for more localized pressure distribution across the shoulders, hips, waist, and legs, along with reduced motion transfer and stable support beneath thinner comfort layers.

Houston – September 15, 2026 -- Clyde and Denia Smith are opening beem® Energy Corridor, a private wellness studio at 1560 Eldridge Pkwy #148, set to welcome its first guests in mid-September.

The studio offers private suites with infrared sauna, red light therapy, and chromotherapy, designed for individual sessions rather than shared spaces. Ahead of the opening, the Smiths are offering Founding Member rates along with two complimentary first sessions.

The Smiths built the studio around their own health journeys

Denia is a breast cancer survivor, and Clyde has dealt with sports injuries and chronic pain. Those experiences shaped their focus on proactive recovery and rest.

"Opening beem® isn't just a business launch for us – it's deeply personal," said Clyde. "We wanted to create a place where people can step away from the demands of everyday life, take care of themselves, and leave feeling genuinely restored."

BALTIMORE – – September 15, 2026 -- MedStar Health has performed its first endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG), a non-surgical procedure that shrinks the stomach without incisions, offering a new weight-loss option for patients who don't want or don't qualify for traditional bariatric surgery.

Christopher You, MD, a board-certified general and bariatric surgeon at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center, performed the procedure on Aug. 21. The patient went home the same day.

The 90-minute procedure reshapes the stomach through the mouth

While the patient is under mild sedation, Dr. You inserts a flexible tube with a tiny camera through the mouth and into the stomach. Using special sutures, he reduces the stomach's size into a smaller, tube-like pouch. No part of the stomach is removed, and there are no external cuts or scars.

San Francisco – September 15, 2026 -- Licensed marriage and family therapist Manami Yamamoto has announced a new book, 'Truly Be Well: Nurturing True Wellness from Within,' currently in development, built around a framework she calls Inner Nurturing.

The global wellness industry has crossed $6.8 trillion, yet stress and disconnection persist

Yamamoto points to that gap as the reason she developed her framework. She argues that most wellness products and mental health campaigns focus on symptom relief rather than building lasting inner capacity.

Roseburg, Ore. – September 15, 2026 -- Two cannabis compounds with nearly identical names, THC-A and THC, produce completely different experiences depending on whether heat has touched them, according to a HelloNation feature citing Shellie Grammer, Cannabis Expert and CEO of Cougar Cannabis in Roseburg, Oregon.

THC-A, or tetrahydrocannabinolic acid, is the compound found naturally in raw cannabis. On its own, it produces no psychoactive effects. Only when heated through a process called decarboxylation does THC-A convert into THC, the active compound responsible for cannabis's mind-altering effects.

Heat, not strength, decides whether cannabis intoxicates

The distinction is about activation rather than potency, the article notes. Raw or cold-processed cannabis retains THC-A and delivers no high, while smoking, vaping, or cooking cannabis converts it to THC almost instantly.

Social Circle, Ga. – September 15, 2026 -- Medicare hospice benefits cover nurses, aides, chaplains, and comfort medications for terminally ill patients, but families may still face out-of-pocket costs for inpatient room and board or private-duty caregivers, according to a new HelloNation article featuring insights from Hospice Care Expert Tammy Honeycutt of Abbey Hospice.

Eligibility requires a physician's certification of six months or less to live

Medicare hospice coverage generally becomes available once a physician certifies that a patient has a life expectancy of six months or less, assuming the illness follows its usual course. Once approved, the benefit includes visits from nurses, hospice aides, social workers, chaplains, and trained volunteers who manage pain, provide emotional support, and assist caregivers with daily tasks.

California – September 15, 2026 -- Renue Blue has released results from a four-week consumer perception study on its Moisturizing Body Cream, with 94% of participants reporting more hydrated and smoother-feeling skin by the study's end.

The research, conducted by contract research organization Citruslabs, tracked women between the ages of 30 and 65 who had at least one visible sign of skin aging on their body. The product targets dryness, rough texture, loss of firmness, and fine lines on areas beyond the face, including arms, hands, and legs.

Nearly all participants reported smoother, healthier-looking skin

By Week 4, 94% of participants agreed their skin felt smoother to the touch, and 91% said their skin looked healthier overall. Eighty-nine percent reported an improvement in the appearance of fine lines, while 83% said their skin felt firmer and 81% reported their skin felt more elastic and less loose or sagging.

Secaucus, N.J. – September 15, 2026 -- Apple Health app users in the United States will soon be able to buy and receive results from Quest Diagnostics blood tests directly within the app on iPhone and iPad, Quest Diagnostics announced.

The panel covers more than 50 biomarkers for $119

The tailored Quest laboratory panel includes over 50 biomarkers designed to assess cardiometabolic health and organ function. It also includes biometric readings such as blood pressure, height, weight, and waist and hip circumferences. Users can purchase the panel and schedule a blood draw and biometric readings at one of Quest's roughly 2,000 patient service centers across the U.S. for $119. The feature will not be available in all U.S. states.

Taylor, Mich. – September 15, 2026 -- ADHD symptoms in women often intensify or change after age 40, according to a HelloNation article featuring insights from Life Coach Expert Germaine Swanson of G Swanson ADHD & Life Coach in Taylor, Michigan.

Hormonal shifts disrupt focus and mood during midlife

Estrogen, which plays a role in dopamine regulation, begins to fluctuate during perimenopause and menopause. The article explains that these hormonal changes make it harder for women with ADHD to manage mood, focus, and energy, often producing a noticeable shift in attention and emotional regulation.