Why exercise?

Exercising is the single most important thing that you can do to keep yourself healthy and to delay the aging process. Keeping physically fit may add up to two to three years to an individual’s life span.

The benefits of exercise go far beyond improving cardiovascular fitness and pulmonary function. Exercise helps to:

Control blood pressure Protect against diabetes Ward off depression, anxiety, and insomnia Enhance balance and strength

Your cosmetic surgery is over. You’ve been healing for a week or so and by now, you might even have your stitches out. Now it’s time to get back to normal. But what about your appearance? Although the cosmetic surgery or procedure will improve your look in the long term, you still have to get past the initial trauma to your body – things like incision scars, bruising, discoloration, or swelling. It takes time, but that doesn’t mean you have to hide in your house while it all goes away. It

The citrus and ginger-soy sauce dressing turn cucumbers, tomatoes and avocados into a splendid salad. Serve this on a warm summer’s day to add the perfect flavor to your next gathering.

What is facial aging and what causes it?

Facial aging refers to how the appearance of your face changes with age. Facial aging occurs mainly as the result of skin changes and changes in the deeper soft tissues of the face. Factors that influence external skin changes include natural aging, skin type, sun exposure, facial movement, and routine skin care. Facial fat deeper within the face thins with normal aging and, as gravity pulls on the face, the underlying soft tissues droop.

What is a colonoscopy?

A colonoscopy is an outpatient procedure in which the inside of the large intestine (colon and rectum) is examined. A colonoscopy is commonly used to evaluate gastrointestinal symptoms, such as rectal and intestinal bleeding, abdominal pain, or changes in bowel habits. Colonoscopies are also performed in individuals without symptoms to check for colorectal polyps or cancer. A screening colonoscopy is recommended for anyone 45 years of age and older, and for

Enjoy these snacks under 200 calories between meals. Snacking is encouraged and will help you avoid excessive hunger and overeating at meal times.

Please keep in mind that these snacks should be included in your daily caloric allotment. Therefore, make sure you account for snacks by adjusting mealtime calories, if necessary.

Dairy or Dairy Alternative

8 oz nonfat fruited* or plain yogurt* 8 oz nonfat yogurt* with ½ cup mixed berries 8 oz nonfat yogurt* with

Leftover cooked chicken turns magically into another easy Southern favorite. This spicy dish can put a kick in your step. Serve over rice. Make your jambalaya spicier with pre-cooked chicken breasts straight from the freezer.

This recipe is featured in Holly Clegg's Too Hot in the Kitchen: Secrets to Sizzle at Any Age.

The most common cause of hair loss in both men and women is genetic. In fact, heredity accounts for 95 percent of all the cases of alopecia (baldness) in this country. The remaining five percent of the cases can be due to a number of things including diet, stress, illness, and/or medications.

Specific factors that can cause hair loss:

Medications, vitamins, or minerals: medications used to treat high blood pressure, heart problems, depression or gout;

Cardiac Risk Factors

Cardiac risk factors are certain conditions that increase a person’s risk for cardiovascular disease. It is important to know:

Some risk factors, called " nonmodifiable risk factors," cannot be changed. Some cardiac risk factors, called " modifiable risk factors," can be modified, controlled or treated. The more risk factors you have, the greater your chance of developing cardiovascular disease. Higher levels

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

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:

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

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

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

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

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

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