A better heart may be as easy as a walk in the park. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? But that is precisely what the American Heart Association wants to get across with its "Simple 7" guidelines for good cardiovascular health."Simple 7" Guidelines for Good Cardiovascular Health Get activeControl cholesterolEat betterManage blood pressureLose weightReduce blood sugarStop smoking 1. Get active Aerobic exercise is a crucial factor in managing your cardiovascular risk. It aids in lowering blood…

At least 65 million Americans have high blood pressure. High blood pressure increases the workload of the heart and kidneys, increasing the risk of heart attack, heart failure, stroke and kidney disease. High blood pressure is the biggest risk factor for stroke. It is up to you to take control! By making lifestyle changes, taking medications and working with your health care team, you can control your high blood pressure to help prevent future problems. Important note: These are general…

8 Tips to Successfully Manage Your Weight 1. Cut down on portions Portion your meals in a calorie-conscious manner. One quarter of your plate should comprise a palm-size portion of lean protein, such as salmon or chicken breast; another quarter should comprise a fist-size portion of unrefined grain, such as brown rice; and one-half of your plate should be filled with a variety of colorful vegetables. If you are still hungry after eating your meal, try waiting about 20 minutes to allow your…

If you have salsa, kidney and navy beans, and chicken, then what could be better than a chicken chili? Serve with reduced-fat cheese, avocado and onions.

Reduce Your Risk Factors Following these nutritional strategies can help you reduce or even eliminate some risk factors, such as reducing total and LDL-cholesterol; lowering blood pressure, blood sugars and triglycerides; and reducing body weight. While most dietary plans tell you what you can’t eat (usually your favorite foods!), the most powerful nutrition strategies help you focus on what you can and should eat. In fact, research has shown that adding certain foods to your diet is just as…

Download a blank food diary page Meal or Snack Foods and Beverages Consumed Amount Preparation Method Fat Used * Today’s Good Points: * What I Can Improve: Breakfast (7:00 am) Oatmeal ½ cup cooked Microwave None Skim milk 8 ounces Slivered almonds 2 Tbsp Apple 1 medium …

Exercise is an important part of improving and maintaining normal, comfortable back function. It is important to exercise regularly so that you can maintain your fitness level. What are the different types of exercise? Exercise can be divided into three basic groups: Strengthening— using repeated muscle contractions until the muscle becomes tired Stretching or flexibility— slow, sustained lengthening of the muscle Aerobic— steady exercise using large muscle…

Cytologic screening (Papanicolaou or Pap smears) represents one of the most successful screening efforts of modern medicine. The morbidity and mortality secondary to cervical cancer has substantially decreased in adequately screened populations. Patients, however, need to understand that Pap smears are intended to be a screening, not a diagnostic, test. For any screening test there is an inherent false negative rate, which is approximately 10 to 20 percent for Pap smears. Despite the false…

Determining A Proper Serving Size In a portion-distorted world, here are some tips on how you can determine a proper serving size Most of us would like to think that we have a good handle on portion control. But in our country – where “super-size it” seems to be our cultural motto, obesity is running rampant, and diabetes rates continue to rise – most of us could stand to learn a few things about portion control. While it may seem disheartening at first to learn that a serving of porterhouse…

Soup! The best comfort food around on a cold winter day or night. This minestrone-style soup is hearty, healthy and satisfying, loaded with veggies and pasta, and makes a delicious one-pot meal.

This recipe is from Holly Clegg's Too Hot in the Kitchen: Secrets To Sizzle At Any Age cookbook.

Your heart is too small to continue to carry painful experiences in it, all because you refuse to forgive! You should be tired of allowing people you haven’t forgiven to take up space in your mind. It is probably more than past the time for you to let it go, let them go, forgive, and live! You will find freedom, relief, as well as inner and outer peace when you give yourself permission to forgive. Forgiving as a Process Moving to a point of forgiving a friend or loved one for an atrocity…

There will always be times in your personal and professional life when you have to say "no" to someone's request. The challenge is how to do it without alienating them. In fact, would it be possible to say "no" and actually have the person walk away appreciating you? I believe it truly is. How Not to Say No I was in a small electronics store the other day and watched a woman try to return an item. She started out fairly pleasant, but no matter what she said, the store manager was curt, short…

Did you ever have the kind of day that made you wonder where all the nice people went? It was as if there was not a single nice person left in the world. Vendors were cranky, your coworkers were grumpy, even your best friend was a little testy. What happened? Was it something in the water? Were the stars lined up wrong? While there are times when we all get a little crabby, I do believe there is something we can do to bring out the "nice" in people. My Experience Let me share a story with…

You're committed to doing the best work you can. You're smart and hardworking and want to excel. But as you move ahead and make progress, you begin to detect a little resentment coming from your coworkers. At first you try to ignore it, then you start to get angry and frustrated. You're tempted to confront it head- on, but aren't sure if that's the right move or not. What's the right strategy? While there are no hard and fast rules, and every situation may be different, the following four…

All of us have been on the receiving end of someone else's anger. Through those miserable experiences, we have all learned one important thing: joining them in their anger and firing back verbal assaults didn't solve the problem. In fact, it might have made it worse. If we want to effectively deal with the problem in such a way that resolves the issue and maintains the relationship, there are certain key strategies and behaviors which you can employ. Listen First Assume that they have a…

Think of three words to describe yourself. What are they? These answers have a direct impact on the way you lead your life. Your self-image is directly related to your self-esteem and can actually become how you are viewed by yourself and others. You are a person with vast, unlimited potential. Until you believe that to be the truth, you will continue to deny yourself free access to your own wisdom and magnificence. Make Your Self-Esteem Soar Following is a list of seven ways to help you…

Relationships are complicated, multifaceted and an absolutely necessary part of life. They can be the source of our greatest joy and some of our deepest sorrow. There is absolutely nothing in life that we can achieve or accomplish without other people and it's our relationships that connect us to them. So, it stands to reason -- the better relationships we have, the better outcomes we will get. There are two myths in our culture that seem to influence our thinking, our behaviors and certainly,…

A positive attitude is very important for successful weight loss and weight management. To lose weight permanently, you must make a commitment to gradually adopt a healthier way of life. You can control your weight. To lose weight, you must eat fewer calories or burn up more calories than you need. The best way to lose weight is to do both. Following a very low calorie diet can leave you feeling deprived and can increase the temptation to binge. Often, very low calorie diets make you lose…

Stress is defined as "any stimulus, such as fear or pain, that disturbs or interferes with the normal physiological equilibrium of an organism." Put simply, stress is our response to daily life. The right amount of stress can be a positive force. It helps us do our best work and keeps us alert, energetic, focused, and engaged in the world around us. However, too much stress can leave us anxious, depressed, and uncomfortable. Everyday life continually presents us with stressful situations.…

This easy, tasty recipe gives a wonderful blend of sweet and salt to sweet potato wedges. Fantastic prosciutto is wrapped around sweet potato wedges and baked until it’s crispy and mouth-watering. Mix with basil leaves to create a popular new treat. Add a kick to traditional potato wedges with this innovative flavor combination!