The TV celebrity and Trump nominee has pledged to divest from most of his financial interests. But they touch nearly every corner of health care, from insurance to blood pressure cuffs and vitamins, leading experts and lawmakers to doubt he could make impartial decisions.

The frozen supplemental drinks have been linked to an outbreak of listeria that has killed at least 11 people and hospitalized 37.

Texas reported 90 cases this week, while New Mexico reported nine. A majority of the cases have been in a Texas county where vaccination rates have lagged behind the rest of the state.

From claiming Ukraine was responsible for the war to incorrect numbers about aid received from the US and Europe, Donald Trump made a number of inaccurate statements while praising the progress made in US-Russia talks in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The Guardian has had a look at his claims

• Factchecking Donald Trump’s claims about the war in Ukraine

Continue reading...

Move over Wim Hof, it’s not just cold showers that are good for us. There are times when only a long, hot drench hits the spot

Hot or cold, long or short? Getting your showering right can leave you feeling not just fresh and clean but reaping health benefits too. Showering is often an unsung part of our daily routine, but something as simple as adjusting the heat of the water can be an effective way to boost wellbeing by, for example, easing muscle soreness, clearing congestion and helping us sleep better.

Neuroscientist Dr Rachel Taylor says: “You might have heard that a quick, cold shower a few times a week can reduce inflammation in the body, lower stress levels and improve concentration, but turning up the heat every once in a while can reap different benefits, anything from promoting muscle relaxation to helping with skin blemishes.”

Continue reading...

Ancient Egyptians prized them, long-suffering medieval patients were less keen. The popularity of showers may have ebbed and flowed through the ages – but now they’re here to stay

Whether our ancestors stood under waterfalls or poured jugfuls of water over their heads, the pleasure of taking a refreshing shower is something humans have delighted in for thousands of years. Evidence of waterfall ablutions has long been washed downstream but history throws up many tantalising insights into how we progressed from public bathing to the sophisticated showers of today.

Incredible as it seems, it’s only in the past 50 years that many people in the UK have been able to shower at home, yet wealthy ancient Egyptians were enjoying that luxury thousands of years ago. Excavations of palaces around the Nile have uncovered the remains of shower rooms where a bather could stand on a slab of stone with a drain while they, or a servant, poured water over their head.

The showering evolution: from left, an early catalogue; 1930s; 1960s; and 1970s. Photographs: Getty Images, Advertising Archives, Mira Showers, Alamy

The showering evolution: from left, an early catalogue; 1930s; 1960s; and 1970s. Photographs: Getty Images, Advertising Archives, Mira Showers, Alamy

Continue reading...