Clean eating is in essence a diet — just a way of eating. But it is also a way of living that lends itself to improving one's health and well-being.

Clean eating involves a few key principles that align with basic principles of healthy eating:

• Eat more real foods. Sound familiar? One of the tenets of the Mayo Clinic Diet is eating more real foods and fewer processed or refined foods. Convenience food is OK, sometimes even necessary, just make sure that what's in that can or package is the real thing with few other ingredients.
• Eat for nourishment. Eat regular, balanced meals and healthy snacks that are nourishing and not too rushed. Eat at home more often and prepare food in healthy ways. Pack food to eat away from home when on the road, at work or at activities. When you do eat out, choose wisely.
• Eat more plant-based foods. Ramp up on plants by eating more plant-based proteins, such as beans, lentils and peas, and high-protein whole grains, like quinoa, barley and buckwheat.
• Clean up your act. Adopt a cleaner lifestyle by getting plenty of physical activity during the day, getting enough sleep at night and managing stress in healthy ways. Connect with people you enjoy — talk, laugh, share a meal, go for a walk, or play a game.

In certain situations, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allows companies to provide their experimental drugs to people outside of clinical trials. This is referred to as compassionate use. But getting access to not-yet-approved drugs through a compassionate use request can be a long and challenging process.

If you're interested in trying an experimental treatment, talk to your doctor about your options. For you to receive an experimental drug through the compassionate use program, your doctor must contact the drug company and then submit an application to the FDA. For the FDA to consider your request, you must meet certain criteria:

• Your disease is serious or immediately life-threatening.
• No treatment is available or you haven't been helped by approved treatments for your disease.
• You aren't eligible for clinical trials of the experimental drug.
• Your doctor agrees that you have no other options and the experimental treatment may help you.
• Your doctor feels the benefit justifies the potential risks of the treatment.
• The company that makes the drug agrees to provide it to you.

To find out more about the rules regarding compassionate use, visit the FDA website and search for "access to investigational drugs."

Another way to get access to experimental treatments is through expanded access studies. In these studies, experimental drugs in the later stages of clinical trials are offered to people who don't qualify for the clinical trials. To find out if a drug is available this way, contact the drug's manufacturer. Or go to ClinicalTrials.gov and search for "expanded access studies."

As you consider whether to try to obtain an experimental treatment, it's important to keep a few things in mind:

• You aren't guaranteed to benefit. Experimental drugs haven't been approved by the FDA, and their efficacy may not yet be proved.
• The risks of the drug may be unknown. Experimental drugs may not have been fully tested, so the range of side effects may be unknown.
• Some companies don't give access to experimental drugs. Drug companies aren't required to comply with your request for an experimental drug. The company you ask could refuse your request.
• Your doctor may not agree with your request. Your doctor might be unwilling to pursue your request if he or she thinks an experimental drug is dangerous or ineffective for your condition. You can ask for a second opinion from another doctor or seek advice from groups that advocate for people with your disease.
• You may pay out of pocket for experimental treatment. The drug company may charge you for the experimental drug. Also, your insurance company is unlikely to pay associated costs of your treatment, such as fees for your doctor to administer the experimental drug and monitor side effects.
• Getting an answer may take time. Unless your situation is an emergency, the review process may take some time. Because each compassionate use application is decided on a case-by-case basis, there is no set timeline and no one can predict how long you'll wait for an answer.

Hot yoga is a vigorous form of yoga performed in a very warm and humid studio. There are many different types of hot yoga classes. During the Bikram form of hot yoga, the room is heated to approximately 105 F (40 C) and has a humidity of 40 percent.

Bikram yoga is a 90-minute program that consists of a series of different standing and stretching postures. The postures require lengthy, forceful and sustained contractions of all major muscle groups. The demanding nature of the poses and the heat are designed to raise your heart rate and exercise your muscles.

Researchers continue to study the pros and cons of hot yoga, including its effects on body fat and heart health.

Hot yoga is not for everyone. The intensity of the workout and the hot temperatures have the potential to cause heat-related illness. Be sure you check with your doctor before trying hot yoga, especially if you have any health concerns or if you are pregnant.

It's probably best to skip hot yoga if you have:

• Heart disease
• Problems with dehydration
• Heat intolerance
• A history of a heat-related illness (such as heatstroke)

If you have no health concerns and you want to try a hot yoga class, be sure to drink plenty of water before, during and after your workout. Stop if you feel dizzy, lightheaded or sick in any way.

Heart age is a way to understand your risk of a heart attack or stroke. Your heart age is calculated based on your risk factors for heart disease, such as age, blood pressure and cholesterol, as well as diet, physical activity and smoking. A younger heart age means a lower risk of heart disease.

A free online tool that calculates your heart age was adapted from the Framingham Heart Study (FHS) and is available on the FHS website. To calculate your heart age, you'll need to know your body mass index (BMI) or your cholesterol levels.

If you're like most Americans, your heart age is older than your actual age. But you can lower your heart age by adopting a healthier lifestyle. To start, concentrate on making just one or two changes.

You can also help lower your heart disease risk factors by:

• Quitting smoking if you're a smoker
• Getting at least 150 minutes of physical activity a week
• Eating heart-healthy foods, including vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds, legumes, whole grains, and lean protein, especially fish
• Limiting salt in your diet
• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Lowering your blood pressure
• Improving your cholesterol
• Managing your blood sugar if you have diabetes

MERS-CoV refers to a viral respiratory illness — Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) — that's caused by a coronavirus (CoV), the same family of viruses that can cause the common cold.

MERS-CoV was first reported in Saudi Arabia. Since then, it's been reported in other countries in the Middle East and in Africa, Europe, Asia and the United States. Most cases outside of the Middle East have been reported by people who recently traveled there.

MERS-CoV ranges from mild to severe. Some people experience no symptoms or symptoms similar to those of a mild upper respiratory infection.

But many people have fever and cough that progress to pneumonia. Sometimes people experience digestive system signs and symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. The kidneys and the lining around the heart also can be affected.

MERS-CoV can lead to respiratory or kidney failure and is sometimes fatal. You're most at risk of serious illness if you're an older adult or if you have a weakened immune system or a chronic disease, such as diabetes or lung disease.

Treatment for MERS-CoV focuses on relieving symptoms and includes rest, fluids, pain relievers and, in severe cases, oxygen therapy.

What can you do?

Unlike influenza or the common cold, MERS-CoV doesn't seem to spread readily among people in communities. Instead, MERS-CoV has spread mostly among people who are in close contact, such as people living with or providing direct care for an infected person.

There's currently no vaccine to prevent MERS-CoV. However, as with any virus, you can reduce your risk of infection by using good health and hygiene practices:

• Vigorously wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw used tissues in the trash immediately, and then wash your hands carefully.
• Disinfect frequently touched surfaces, such as doorknobs.
• Avoid touching your face, mouth and nose with unwashed hands.
• Don't share cups, utensils or other items with sick people.

Is it OK to travel?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization are closely monitoring the virus. They're currently not recommending changing your plans if you're traveling to the Middle East or other places where the virus has been reported.

If you've traveled to the Arabian Peninsula or a neighboring country and you develop a fever and symptoms of MERS-CoV within 14 days of returning, see your doctor and discuss your recent travel.

Reflexology is the application of pressure to areas on the feet (or the hands). Reflexology is generally relaxing and may help alleviate stress.

The theory behind reflexology is that areas of the foot correspond to organs and systems of the body. Pressure applied to the foot is believed to bring relaxation and healing to the corresponding area of the body.

Reflexologists use foot charts to guide them as they apply pressure to specific areas. Reflexology is sometimes combined with other hands-on therapies and may be offered by chiropractors and physical therapists, among others.

Several studies indicate that reflexology may reduce pain and psychological symptoms, such as stress and anxiety, and enhance relaxation and sleep. Given that reflexology is also low risk, it can be a reasonable option if you're seeking relaxation and stress relief.

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is an eye disorder caused by abnormal blood vessel growth in the light sensitive part of the eyes (retina) of premature infants.

ROP generally affects infants born before week 31 of pregnancy and weighing 2.75 pounds (about 1,250 grams) or less at birth. In most cases, ROP resolves without treatment, causing no damage. Advanced ROP, however, can cause permanent vision problems or blindness.

In ROP, blood vessels swell and overgrow in the light-sensitive layer of nerves in the retina at the back of the eye. When the condition is advanced, the abnormal retinal vessels extend into the jellylike substance (vitreous) that fills the center of the eye. Bleeding from these vessels may scar the retina and stress its attachment to the back of the eye, causing partial or complete retinal detachment and potential blindness.

Treatments

How ROP is treated depends on its severity. Some of the treatments have side effects of their own. Newer research has shown promise in treating advanced cases of ROP with a combination of traditional therapy and drugs.

• Laser therapy. The standard treatment for advanced ROP, laser therapy burns away the area around the edge of the retina, which has no normal blood vessels. This procedure typically saves sight in the main part of the visual field, but at the cost of side (peripheral) vision. Laser surgery also requires general anesthesia, which may be risky for preterm infants.
• Cryotherapy. This was the first treatment for ROP. Cryotherapy uses an instrument to freeze a specific part of the eye that extends beyond the edges of the retina. It is used rarely now because outcomes from laser therapy are generally better. As with laser therapy, the treatment destroys some peripheral vision and must be done under general anesthesia.

• Medications. Research on anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) drugs to treat ROP is ongoing. Anti-VEGF drugs work by blocking the overgrowth of blood vessels in the retina. The medication is injected into the eye while the infant is under a brief general anesthesia. Although no drugs have received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval to treat ROP specifically, some medications approved for other uses are being explored as alternatives to laser therapy, or to be used in conjunction with it.

  Bevacizumab (Avastin) has FDA approval for treating colon cancer, but is also widely used to curb the overgrowth of retinal blood vessels in two serious adult eye diseases, wet macular degeneration and advanced diabetic retinopathy. The drug has shown some promise in treating ROP in initial research and may be an option for preterm infants at highest risk of vision loss. Other FDA-approved drugs for eye injections, such as ranibizumab (Lucentis), aflibercept (Eylea) and pegaptanib (Macugen), also are being used and studied as ROP treatments.

Combination treatment

Studies have shown that anti-VEGF drugs may improve outcomes when used in conjunction with laser therapy.

More research is needed into the timing of anti-VEGF drugs for a preterm infant, the optimal dose of the medication and how long its effects last. Doctors don't yet know the long-term impact of using these drugs in preterm infants. Some concern exists that the drugs might slow down the formation of normal blood vessels in other parts of a baby's body.

The Asian longhorned tick is originally from Asia. Its bites can potentially cause people and animals to become very ill. It usually lives in several Asian countries, such as eastern China, Japan, the Russian Far East and Korea. It didn't used to be found in the United States but was introduced sometime in the past. It was first reported in the U.S. in 2017 and has now been reported in several states. It's been found on people and various animals.

To date, the tick hasn't been found to cause disease in people or animals in the U.S. But it can potentially spread germs that cause serious human diseases. For example, in China and Japan, it's responsible for spreading germs such as the severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus, a cause of a human hemorrhagic fever, and Rickettsia japonica, a cause of Japanese spotted fever.

An unusual feature of the Asian longhorned ticks is that the females may reproduce and lay eggs without mating with a male tick. They can then develop very large infestations on animals.

You can prevent all types of tick bites by:

• Using insect repellents containing DEET
• Wearing clothing treated with 0.5% permethrin
• Staying on trails when hiking
• Checking your clothing and body for ticks after being outdoors
• Showering after spending time outdoors
• Removing ticks as soon as possible
• Drying clothes on high heat for 10 minutes after wearing them outdoors

You can prevent tick bites in pets by checking your pets after they come inside and removing ticks right away. You can also protect pets and livestock from tick bites by using tick prevention products. Regularly mowing grass and weeds also can prevent tick bites in livestock.

The Zika virus is a virus that is transmitted by mosquitoes. Most people infected with the Zika virus have no signs or symptoms, while others may report mild fever, rash and joint pain. Other signs and symptoms may include headache, red eyes (conjunctivitis) and a general feeling of discomfort. Signs and symptoms of Zika usually begin two to seven days after being bitten by an infected mosquito.

The Zika virus has been linked to miscarriage. The Zika virus can cause microcephaly, a potentially fatal congenital brain condition, in newborn infants if the mother contracts the virus during her pregnancy. It can also cause congenital Zika syndrome, which includes many birth defects, such as severe microcephaly with a partly collapsed skull, and brain and eye damage. The Zika virus may also cause other neurological disorders such as Guillain-Barre syndrome.

No vaccine exists to prevent the Zika virus, and there's no effective antiviral treatment. Treatment is aimed at relieving symptoms with rest, fluids and medications — such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) — to relieve joint pain and fever.

Where is it found?

The Zika virus was first identified in the Zika Forest in Uganda in 1947. Outbreaks have since been reported in southeastern and southern Asia, the Pacific Islands and the Americas.

The Zika virus is transmitted mainly by the aedes species mosquito, which can be found throughout the world. For this reason, it's likely that outbreaks will continue to spread to new countries.

How concerned should I be?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all pregnant women avoid traveling to areas where there is an outbreak of the Zika virus. The virus may cause severe complications in newborn infants if the mother becomes infected with the Zika virus during her pregnancy.

If you're traveling to an area with known outbreaks of the Zika virus, take precautions. Preventive measures are focused on protection from infected mosquitoes. Use insect repellent containing DEET or picaridin, wear long sleeves and pants treated with permethrin, and stay indoors or in screened-in places when possible.

Most people recover fully, with symptoms resolving in about a week.

When should I see a doctor?

See your doctor if you think you or a family member may have the Zika virus, especially if you have recently traveled to an area where there's an ongoing outbreak. The CDC has blood tests to look for the Zika virus or similar viruses such as dengue or chikungunya viruses, which are spread by the same type of mosquitoes.

You may want to talk to your doctor if there's a possibility you could become pregnant and either you or your partner plan to travel to areas where Zika occurs. Your doctor may suggest that you use condoms or avoid sexual contact for up to a few months after travel.

Wheatgrass is a nutrient-rich type of young grass in the wheat family. It's sold as a dietary supplement in tablet, capsule, powder and liquid forms.

Wheatgrass is often used for juicing or added to smoothies. Wheatgrass provides a concentrated amount of nutrients, including iron, calcium, magnesium, amino acids, chlorophyll, and vitamins A, C and E.

Wheatgrass fans say that its rich nutrient content boosts immunity, kills harmful bacteria in the digestive system, and rids the body of wastes. However, there are no significant research studies to support these claims.

Some proponents tout wheatgrass as a treatment for cancer and chemotherapy side effects, anemia, diabetes, infections, ulcerative colitis, and joint pain, among other health concerns. However, there are few research studies about wheatgrass, so it's difficult to assess such health claims.

Wheatgrass is generally considered safe. It may cause nausea, anorexia and constipation. However, if you are allergic to wheat or grass, or have celiac disease or gluten intolerance, check with your doctor before using wheatgrass.

Wheatgrass is usually grown in soil or water and consumed raw, which means it could be contaminated with bacteria or mold. If you're pregnant or breast-feeding, don't use wheatgrass.

Wheatgrass isn't a miracle cure and shouldn't replace regular medical care or a healthy diet that includes plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. But used sensibly and in moderation, wheatgrass may add interest to your diet.