It’s normal for kids to get stomach aches, but some kids have bad stomach pain all the time. 

If your child has abdominal pain, cramping, gas, bloating, diarrhea or constipation, you may be wondering if your child has inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), but do you know the difference?

While many of the symptoms are similar, IBD and IBS are very different. IBS can cause pain, but there is no inflammation of the intestine and it doesn’t lead to serious disease, as with IBD. 

It’s important to not diagnose either of these conditions yourself. If your child has these symptoms, you should take your child to a pediatrician, who can then refer your child to a pediatric gastroenterologist, if necessary.

When you hear the word “endure,” what do you think? 

Undergoing hardships and persevering may come to mind. Or to some, it could be a cross-country trip, especially if by train, bus or car, and for a fun added challenge, add kids and remove WiFi. 

Now, how about a cross-country trip by bike? Two wheels under human power exposed to all the elements and conditions. 

For six people on the Road to Victories cycling team –- Marty Perlmutter, Darrell Rose, Michael Morales, Mike Grant, Robert Goodheart, and Chuck Wakefield –- this adventure is real.

The busy holiday travel season is upon us, bringing millions of Americans to the roads and skies, along with delays, flat tires and other travel snags.

Indeed, traveling can be stressful -- and particularly so for children with a complex medical condition like epilepsy. 

But, the good news is that taking a few precautions beforehand can help smooth the process for these young jet-setters.

Here are five must do’s when traveling with a child who has epilepsy.

The good news? Women can--and should--continue to enjoy tuna sandwiches during pregnancy. Decades of research show the benefits of omega-3s on developing brains when pregnant and breastfeeding women regularly consume a variety of seafood. 

The bad news? Many women are confused about how much seafood is safe to eat when they’re expecting or breastfeeding, or even how much seafood is safe to feed their toddlers and infants starting solids.

The fact is that omega-3 fatty acids—along with other nutrients like calcium, vitamin D, protein and iron—found in seafood are vital during pregnancy, breastfeeding and early childhood, and because of this, the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that expectant and breastfeeding moms and young children consume at least two weekly servings of seafood. 

Unfortunately, pregnant women in the U.S. consume less than one-quarter (only about 1.9 ounces) of the recommended amount of seafood each week.

Here are five things to keep in mind when considering seafood during these critical development periods.

There are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to strokes, especially silent strokes. 

Many people think strokes only happen to older people, that they happen in the heart, and that there is no prevention or treatment. Despite “stroke awareness” on the basic risk factors and symptoms, the reality for many Americans is that occurrences of strokes continue to climb. 

According to research, approximately 12 million strokes occur every year, and 11 million of those are silent strokes. This means 11 million people are having strokes and most likely don’t even know it!

Eighty percent of strokes are actually preventable, but it’s the silent strokes we really need to be more aware of in terms of preventing damage to the brain, which can ultimately lead to debilitating diseases like dementia.

Have you ever had stomach cramps, headache, nausea and flushing after a meal and wondered, "Is it something I ate?"

Sensitivities or reactions to food are increasingly common. They can be challenging to deal with, because they can cause a wide range of physical and emotional symptoms that are often difficult to pinpoint. 

The two main types of food reactions are allergies and intolerances. Food allergies involve an immune system reaction to a particular food or component of food, such as the protein in peanuts, eggs or dairy. The immune system reacts inappropriately when faced with the food allergen and mounts a reaction, which can range from minor rash or hives to life threatening anaphylaxis.

Overloaded on bad news? You're not alone. 

When we tune in to see what's going on, all we see is suffering from natural disasters, shootings, terror attacks, reports about economic uncertainty and a divided political climate, plus celebrity deaths and just mean people being mean.

Drug addiction is a huge problem in our society. But, is it really our job to "save" the addict?

I don’t necessarily think the conversation should focus on whether or not it’s a choice, or whether or not society is co-dependent, but rather what we can agree on.

We may not be able to save every person who struggles with substance abuse, but we can at least do what we can to lessen availability and move in a healthier direction.

All symptoms of the body from thin, dull hair, and sallow skin, to acne breakouts, body aches and sluggish energy all point to the gut. 

Gut health is incredibly important making mindful eating an essential part of longevity and anti-aging.

It's common for women to alter their appearance when faced with a significant life challenge. 

When we are tested we transform. When we shift our mindset, and transform on the inside, it’s only natural that we want the outside to change as well. 

It’s as if we shed old skin like a butterfly ready to take new flight soaring to new heights. 

Read on for some common life challenges and the typical beauty treatments sought for each.

It amazes me how many men I meet who don’t know much about their prostate. It seems the only men who do are those who have a problem with it.

Many people also don’t know how to spell it – many spell it “prostrate” – which is a physical position, not the gland found in men. Then let’s say you’re good at spelling and know what it does, you might not know where it is located. 

Don’t be upset or embarrassed if you fall into any of these groups. You are in the minority if you know any of the information above. 

September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month and a great time to educate ourselves on how to maintain a healthy prostate.

Plastic has become a huge problem not only for our environment but also for our health. A recent study released shows that billions of people are drinking tap water contaminated with plastic and that the United States is as at the highest contamination rate at 94 percent! 

The plastic problem is becoming an issue we can no longer ignore and was one that I was faced head on with my own family.

The morning that was going to change the direction of my work life started like any other morning in our house -- the rush to get the kids ready to go to school. I wanted to refill the kids’ water bottles when I realized there were no bottles! This wasn’t the first time this had happened. It happened every few days, so I told them, "Hey guys, you have to bring the bottles back because there's no way you're going to take a new bottle to school every day and just throw it into the garbage bin. So much plastic waste… just doesn't work."

The kids left for school and I went out jogging, but that day, as I was running, that conversation, just like many others along similar lines, made the connection in my mind. I thought to myself, there must be a different way, a better way…