Eliza Barclay

New ideas about health, like physical culture and the paleo approach, appear at times of massive cultural change. Both movements look to the past for how to eat, exercise and live more naturally.

Turkey producers contend that they use antibiotics judiciously to help keep their flocks healthy.

Historians tell us that caffeine in coffee helped Western civilization "sober up" and get down to business. Now scientific research shows that at low doses, caffeine improves performance on mental tasks, especially in people who are already tired.

The Espresso, a San Diego newspaper for "cafe society," documents the local coffee shop scene with juicy vignettes in a gossip column. Publisher John Rippo says he's inspired by European periodicals written for the cafe intelligentsia.

A new analysis of government data finds that antibiotic-resistant bacteria that cause human illness were widespread in supermarket meat samples tested. The implications are significant: that the bacteria had become resistant to antibiotics back at the farm because farmers were overusing them.

The aftermath of office vending machine binges can be unpleasant, psychologically and physically. So we're glad to be sitting far from the vending machine in NPR's new building, where we'll be moving on Monday.

Believe it or not, there's a veritable subculture of otherwise healthy people who simply don't like eating real food. But liquid meal replacements may not be their best bet if they want an alternative.

The number of kids with dangerous levels of lead in their blood hasn't declined much in the past decade, as the government has remained focused on managing lead-based paint. Now researchers argue that more attention to contaminated soil is needed to prevent lead poisoning.

Manufacturers of water heaters agreed in 1988 to set all heaters at 120 degrees Fahrenheit to help reduce tap water burns. But burn rates haven't declined much, so a scientist wanted to find out why.

The most prestigious medical institutions now encourage patients to blog their experiences with serious illness through sites like CaringBridge and CarePages. Palliative care experts say these tools and social media may be helping us all become more open to talking about death.