A new method for performing a “virtual” colonoscopy was shown to accurately detect larger precancerous polyps—and was a better experience for patients.

Baking cookies often leads to a predicament – one is never enough! Luckily, if you make any of our cookie recipes, indulging a little won’t cause a problem. Read on for 10 deliciously healthy cookie recipes. View Slideshow ›

Whether you ran too hard, tried out your first TRX class, or woke up feeling unusually achy after a gym session, muscle soreness after working out is commonplace. While sore muscles are a sign that you’re challenging your body, they can also put a damper on fitness goals. Here are seven ways to treat and prevent everyday soreness associated with working out. Massage : If you’re looking to relax and pamper your sore muscles, treat yourself to a massage. Besides relieving overworked muscles, a massage boosts the body’s immunity system . If you went big this week and your muscles are feeling tighter than usual, skip the aromatherapy for a trigger-point or sports massage instead. It will feel a little more intense, but it’s worth the payoff. Foam Roller : Can’t afford a massage? Go for the second best thing, and grab yourself a foam roller. The quick process of rolling out your body breaks up knots in muscles and is especially beneficial for trigger points like IT bands or shin-splint pain. Even better is that foam rolling helps to decrease future muscle pain and injury by keeping the body flexible and loose. Get started with these five stretches to do on a foam roller . Active rest : Sometimes the best thing you can do for an overworked body is to give it a break - a rest day now will prevent a more serious (and sidelining) sports injury later. But that doesn’t mean you have to lay in bed all day! Light to moderate activity helps the body recover by bringing oxygen and nutrients to damaged muscles. Just make sure to lay off the part of your body that is feeling the stress. Check out these active ways to take care of your body on a rest day . Learn four more ways to treat sore muscles after the break!

Having a standing spa appointment may sound indulgent, but in reality it can be just as important as any other healthy habit in your wellness routine. Why should you invest your time in a massage? Not only are massages good for your muscles, especially after a long week of arduous workouts, but getting a massage also helps the rest of your body and your mind. Getting a massage helps you relax, relieve tension, and de-stress, and it also helps boost your immune system by increasing white blood cell counts . When you don’t have the time, energy, or money for an hours-long trip to the spa, you can take a break for your own. Learn some techniques that will help you relax (check out our video on simple massage techniques here ) or relieve workout-sore muscles with a few minutes with a massage stick or foam roller. If all else fails, relax with some music , since research has shown that taking a break and listening to your favorite music has been shown to give your the same stress-relieving benefits as a massage.

Raising children brings financial challenge for many families, but especially for parents of children with autism. And the magnitude of that burden is a lot bigger than you may think. A new study in the journal Pediatrics finds that overall earnings in families with children with autism are 28% ($17,763) less compared to families whose children do not have health limitations, and 21% ($10,416) less compared to families with children with other health limitations. The dichotomy is striking in the mothers' income: Mothers of children with an autism spectrum disorder tend to earn 35% less than mothers who have children with different health limitations – in fact, $7189 less – on average. Compared to mothers of children who do not have health limitations, those with autistic children earn 56% less, which translates to an average difference of $14,755. There was no average difference in fathers' incomes, however. Families in which a child has an autism spectrum disorder are 9% less likely to have both parents working than other families. About 1 in 110 children in the United States has an autism spectrum disorder. Autism is a developmental condition characterized by difficulties in social interaction, language and behavior; symptoms usually start before age 3. There is no cure for autism, and behavioral interventions are quite costly. But experts say earlier treatment is better. A person with autism costs an average of $3.2 million to society over his or her lifetime, according to a 2007 study . Adult care and lost productivity are the biggest sources of that amount. Researchers wanted to look at the cost from a different angle: The effect on family earnings. Using a large nationally representative survey, researchers identified 261 children with autism spectrum disorders. They also included 2,921 children with another health limitation and 64,349 children without a health limitation. The income discrepancy among families with a child with autism is likely due to mothers leaving the workforce and taking lower-paying jobs, said study co-author David Mandell. These mothers aren't just staying at home to take care of their children with autism, says Mandell, associate director of the Center for Mental Health Policy and Services Research at the University of Pennsylvania.  They're on the phone arguing with their insurance company about getting services, going to multiple meetings about school, and shuttling kids from provider after provider. "It’s not that caring for a child with autism is more difficult per se than caring for a child with cerebral palsy, for example, or intellectual disability," said Mandell, associate director of the Center for Autism Research at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. "But the service system for kids with autism is not as well defined. There’s not as much appropriate treatment available for these kids." Mandell and colleagues thought that fathers' income might be higher in families with children with autism, to compensate for the mothers' loss of income. But they found no average difference compared to other families in the study. "There’s a big cost of not providing care to children with autism. That cost is going to manifest in different ways," Mandell said. "One of the things that’s going to happen is: It’s going to create an economic hit for society as a whole in another domain." The study results are no surprise to Peter Bell, executive vice president for Programs and Services at Autism Speaks . Bell was not involved in the study. Bell's 19-year-old son has autism. When the family got his diagnosis in 1996, Bell and his wife created a home program for their son with six to seven therapists coming in every day, providing one-on-one behavioral treatment. "Literally it was like running a small business ourselves," he said. Many children with autism additionally have to travel to speech and occupational therapy sessions. "It does require at least one person to almost be dedicating their full time effort, which is again, what is coming out of this study," Bell said. Sometimes parents of children with autism can return to the workforce, depending on the needs of the child. Some go to work for Autism Speaks, Bell said. In other cases it's not possible. Bell's wife left the workforce in order to help her son with autism, and has never returned. There's also the issue of insurance. As the study notes, "private health care insurance companies frequently severely limit or do not cover autism-specific therapies." There are some 26 states that have mandates requiring coverage for autism treatment, but only about half the people in those states are in insurance plans subject to the mandates, Mandell said. But there is a provision in the federal health care reform legislation, taking effect in 2014, that will require state insurance exchanges to include behavioral health treatments as one of the essential benefits. Autism speaks offers this 100-day toolkit for families of a child with newly diagnosed autism. There are some limitations to the Pediatrics study. First off, the children with autism represented a small fraction of the total considered. Also, it is an observational study, and it does not show that autism causes this income discrepancy. But to Bell, it is a confirmation of what he has been seeing in the community for more than a decade. "This should be another reminder to the federal government and state government that autism is a significant public health challenge," Bell said of the study. "It is an emergency." Filed under: Autism Tagged: Elizabeth Landau – CNN.com Health Writer/Producer

Cool down with this avocado smoothie recipe from FitSugar reader Gabriela Une Vie Saine . Gabriela posted it in the FitSugar Healthy Recipe community group . Head over to Une Vie Saine to learn how to make this smoothie. Don’t forget to post your own recipes in our Healthy Recipe group ! Yours may be featured on our homepage.

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Even if the pain is severe, episodes of back pain – and pain from ongoing back conditions – can be somewhat relieved with some first aid methods you can do at home. read more

Memorial Day is just over a week away, and with that brings good friends and good food! I’m sure some of you will be attending a few barbecues, and aside from the hamburgers and hot dogs, there are always some sweet treats to enjoy too. Wondering what dessert has more calories? Let’s test your knowledge to find out! Source: Flickr User freakapotimus Take the quiz

March truly does comes in like a lion and for those blustery days you need to cover up. Spring workout fashion is all about creating versatile layers with a hoodie or jacket. Here are a few pieces to keep you cozy to and from your workouts.