Inspired by cultures around the Mediterranean Sea, the Mediterranean diet emphasizes whole, minimally processed, seasonal foods. It is rich in fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, legumes, and olive oil with moderate amounts of red wine and smaller portions of dairy, poultry, and seafood. Considered more of a lifestyle than a diet, a key element is sharing and enjoying food with family and friends, encouraging social exchange and communication.

I had a small crisis at my home a few days before Christmas. In the midst of cookie baking and after 17 years of faithful service, my oven stopped working. I finished baking the cookies at my daughter’s home, but the big celebration was at my house. Although it was the least of my concerns among all the holiday dishes I now had to figure out how to cook, what my family was most worried about was how I would make the bread.

Food culture—the practices, attitudes, beliefs, and networks surrounding the growing, production, distribution, and eating of food—links individuals around the world and the meaningful stories behind their favorite dishes. Your heritage may connect you to recipes that trace back generations, and the important meaning behind those meals is often rooted in tradition, celebration, and sustaining your physical and mental well-being.

The physical and emotional side effects of cancer treatments can force patients to make undesired lifestyle changes. After treatment ends, their friends and family may expect them to resume their former roles and activities, yet long-term effects can leave patients discouraged. When compared with healthy peers, cancer survivors experience higher levels of pain, depression, and anxiety, which can decrease their motivation to make healthy choices. Culture, coping style, and socioeconomic status may further compound the issue.

People have practiced meditation for centuries, possibly thousands of years. Although meditation can take many forms, all are generally backed by the idea of connecting your mind to your body, which can calm you and enhance your personal well-being.

Praising her vision and leadership as a world-renowned surgical oncologist, cancer researcher, and educator, on May 15, 2023, the White House announced President Joe Biden’s nomination of Monica Bertagnolli, MD, as the next National Institutes of Health director.

Caffeine is an integral part of daily life for many. Food and beverage manufacturers are capitalizing on our consumption beyond daily cups of coffee, putting the stimulant in everyday foods like donuts and bottled beverages, including water. However, too much caffeine may affect our health, leading the Caffeine Awareness Alliance to designate March as National Caffeine Awareness Month. You’re in good company if you use caffeine as a regular way to start your day, but here are some strategies if you want to cut back.

Schoolhouse Rock! celebrated its 50th anniversary in January 2023. The Saturday morning cartoons debuted in 1973 and brought school lessons on a variety of subjects, including government and democracy, to children through catchy yet educational lyrics and beats. 

Bringing awareness to the importance of mental health care in times of crisis, Admiral Rachel Levine, MD, assistant secretary for health for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, traveled to Colorado Springs, CO, to meet with survivors of the November 2022 nightclub shooting and host a crisis mental health roundtable with healthcare providers in December 2022.

The United States commemorated Anthony Fauci’s, MD, retirement from government service during a tribute ceremony held at the National Institutes of Health’s campus in Maryland in December 2022. Fauci served more than 50 years in government and 38 years as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

The nursing profession both rewards and challenges me: Like many of you, I give so much of myself, but sometimes I’m running on reserve. Over the years, I have been asked how I keep it together and stay calm. As I reflected on such questions, I realized that I unconsciously practice mindfulness throughout my day.

The National Institute of Nursing Research established its updated research framework to support its 2022–2026 strategic plan and mission of leading “nursing research to solve pressing health challenges and inform practice and policy-optimizing health and advancing health equity.” The framework focuses on and encourages research that “informs practice and policy and improves health and quality of life for all people, their families and communities, and the society in which they live.”

Continuing the fight toward health equity, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Office of Minority Health released a report in November 2022 on current progress and future actions to improve health equity data collection.

Regular use of aspirin after an advanced colorectal cancer diagnosis may extend survival by as much as 14 months for patients with a healthy body mass index score prediagnosis compared to those with obese BMIs, researchers reported in JAMA Network Open.

Under the Inflation Reduction Act, patients will pay lower premiums for the Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D prescription drug plans during the 2023 coverage year, the Biden-Harris administration announced in September 2022. People with Medicare prescription drug coverage will also receive better and more affordable benefits, including a $35 cost-sharing limit on covered insulin product and coverage for adult vaccines recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

The U.S. Senate confirmed the appointment of Arati Prabhakar, PhD, as director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and chief advisor to the president for science and technology in September 2022, making her the first woman and person of color confirmed to lead OSTP.

The holiday season is an opportunity to unwind, practice well-being, give thanks, and—this month in particular—acknowledge your gratitude for people, circumstances, items, and other things you value and appreciate in your life. Whether you’re celebrating in person or virtually, coming together and spending time with your loved ones is both exciting and overwhelming. Indulge a little, but support and prioritize well-being for both yourself and your loved ones with healthy renditions of your favorite or traditional holiday side dishes.

Making history as the single largest Navigator organization funding award provided to date, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, invested $98.9 million in grant funding to 59 Navigator organizations in August 2022 to help consumers navigate enrollment and make health coverage more accessible.

Anthony Fauci, MD, reflected on his career in government and gave insight into what he’s doing next in a statement released in August 2022 addressing his departure from his positions as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), chief of the NIAID Laboratory of Immunoregulation, and chief medical advisor to President Joe Biden. Fauci served as NIAID director for 38 years and held a career spanning more than 50 years in government service.

As monkeypox continues to spread, the Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus urged the Biden-Harris Administration in August 2022 to request funding from U.S. Congress to combat the virus.

The Children’s Health Insurance Program helped drop the percentage of uninsured children from 15% to 3.7% since its authorization by Congress in 1997, according to data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released in celebration of CHIP’s 25th anniversary in August 2022.

One hundred twenty years ago, the U.S. Congress initiated the country’s first steps “to regulate the sale of virus, serum, toxin, and analogous products,” passing the 1902 Biologics Control Act to codify, oversee, and regulate a burgeoning field. By 1906, the legislation expanded to the Food and Drug Act, which formally established the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Patterns of sugars at the surface of immune cells can affect a person’s vulnerability to HIV infection, according to results from a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. The findings suggested it may be possible to locate infected immune cells with the last vestiges of HIV by reading sugar profiles on the surface, Lawrence Tabak, DDS, PhD, NIH acting director, said in a July 2022 blog post.

Both a patient’s cancer and their subsequent treatment plan can affect their bodies, including pelvic health and sexual functioning. A pelvic health physical therapist can help combat—or even prevent—those issues as a member of the interprofessional cancer care team.

Patients with lung, pancreatic, breast, brain, urinary tract, or uterine cancers may be more likely to develop new-onset type 2 diabetes after their cancer diagnosis, according to research findings published in Diabetes Care, and those who went on to develop type 2 diabetes experienced poorer overall health outcomes.

Survivors need support to resume a high-quality, healthy “new normal” life after they complete their treatment. The services of a cancer survivorship clinic or program may help them manage the physical and emotional implications involved with ongoing care.

A person’s zip code often matters more than their genetic code when it comes to their health. Where we live and work, how connected we are in our community, and how much support we have are core social determinants of health that also significantly affect cancer health outcomes.

With broad backgrounds in oncology genetics, immunology, and disparities, President Joe Biden’s three July 2022 appointments to the Cancer Cabinet will help guide the United States on opportunities to reduce cancer’s barriers and burden for underserved populations.

Monica Bertagnolli, MD, will serve as the next—and first woman—director of the National Cancer Institute. President Joe Biden announced his intent to make the appointment in August 2022.

In May 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began tracking cases of monkeypox in the United States, a disease caused by infection with the monkeypox virus. As of August 2022, 48 U.S states have reported at least some level of monkeypox diagnoses, and the World Health Organization declared the virus a global public health emergency.

E-cigarette marketing application reviews won’t conclude until June 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said in a status report in May 2022, sparking frustration among healthcare advocates.

We’ve made incredible progress against tobacco’s reign over youth, but the battle is far from over. Tobacco use is responsible for the death of nearly half a million Americans and more than 8 million people worldwide each year.

Reinforcing the public perception of nursing as the most trusted profession, President Joe Biden awarded Sandra Lindsay, DHSc, MS, MBA, RN, CCRN-K, NE-BC, a critical care nurse, a Presidential Medal of Freedom in July 2022 for her work in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under its authority to regulate vaping and e-cigarettes, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ordered JUUL Labs Inc. to stop selling and remove all of its current products from the market after the company’s applications failed to provide sufficient evidence about the products’ toxicologic profiles.

In a clarion call for action seven years ago, President Barack Obama unveiled the Cancer Moonshot during his last State of the Union address. In that speech, Obama recalled, “Last year, Vice President Joe Biden said that with a new moonshot, America can cure cancer. Tonight, I’m announcing a new national effort to get it done. And I’m putting Joe in charge of Mission Control.”

As part of ongoing efforts to protect adolescents from tobacco, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) launched an education campaign to prevent e-cigarette use and vaping among America Indian and Alaska Native youth in June 2022.

The well-established connection between climate change and health is back in the spotlight, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS’s) Office of Climate Change and Health Equity launched a new observational initiative in May to identify strategies to protect the public.

The Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act (PCHETA), an ONS health policy priority that supports both patients and the profession, returned to the U.S. Senate floor in May 2022. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) reintroduced the bill to improve and sustain the workforce and the well-being of patients and their families with life-threatening illnesses.  

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed two product standards in April 2022 aimed at banning flavored tobacco and menthol products. According to FDA, the proposed product standard would “reduce the appeal of cigarettes, particularly to youth and young adults, and thereby decrease the likelihood that nonusers who would otherwise experiment with menthol cigarettes would progress to regular smoking.” 

Known as the nation’s doctor, the U.S. surgeon general provides scientific information and oversees the U.S. Public Health Service’s Commissioned Corps: more than 6,000 professionals who promote health across the United States. Vivek Murthy, MD, MBA, who served as surgeon general under President Barack Obama, once again assumed his post as the nation’s doctor in March 2021 and said he will prioritize addressing the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and opioid epidemic during his second tenure. Murthy was appointed during his transition as the chair of the COVID-19 advisory board.

The average age at which cigarette users start to smoke regularly has risen. Although the figures dropped from 45% of adults smoking cigarettes in the 1960s to 14% today, and teen smoking declined to 2.4% by 2019, results of a recent study show an upward trend of underage tobacco use in young adults.  

The evidence is clear: Nicotine is an addictive substance. Even current smokers acknowledge its power, and addiction information is required in advertisements and product promotions. Despite tobacco’s known issues, people still smoke at alarming rates. With vaping, e-cigarettes, and flavored tobacco being introduced to younger and younger consumers, youth smoking is on the rise for the first time in decades.

The youth vaping epidemic has dominated headlines since the U.S. surgeon general elevated the issue to the nation’s spotlight. In a 2019 survey of junior high and high school students, the National Institute on Drug Addiction (NIDA)—an arm of National Institutes of Health—found that the rate of e-cigarette use had doubled since 2017.

Washington, DC, and the larger federal government are filled with dedicated professionals who toil quietly, often anonymously, in support of programs, initiatives, and agency work in service of the American public. Such is true for the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) lesser-known leaders like Admiral Brett Giroir, MD, assistant secretary for health, who reflected on his time at HHS as he helped guide the department’s efforts in public health.

ONS, like so many membership organizations with dedicated healthcare interests, oils the gears that move the public policy machine forward. Each shift represents another opportunity for success. One such tactic is working in coalitions, and ONS is a vital member of health advocacy groups in Washington, DC, usually as the only nursing society at the table.

An uproarious guffaw, uncontainable giggle, or a hearty hoot often has a ripple effect, turning a quiet room into a cacophony of sounds collectively identified as laughter. Humor is generally considered a subjective experience. Laughter, however, can be spontaneous or consciously produced by going through the motions (fake it till you make it). Either way, the overall benefits associated with laughter make it a virtually priceless self-care strategy.

Recently, immigration policies have come front and center in the news. The issue of separating children from their parents at the border was elevated to a public health issue, as the American Academy of Pediatrics—among other healthcare organizations—decried the Trump administration’s policies, noting the potential for irreparable harm to children. ONS was one of the many provider groups that sent formal letters to the Department of Homeland Security, encouraging change to immigration policies that separate children from their parents.

Eating a balanced diet, drinking plenty of water, and following an enjoyable exercise routine are all part of physical self-care. Along with caring for the physical self, emotional and spiritual self-care also play a significant role in living a healthy and satisfying life. Like physical health, emotional well-being has various components. This article describes how to tune into your inner compass and develop the skill of learning how to set healthy limits by using your yes’s and no’s wisely.