Health tip # 57


Maintain a healthy weight; The weight that's right for you depends on many factors including your sex, height, age and heredity. Excess body fat increases your chances for high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, some types of cancer and other illnesses. But being too thin can increase your risk for osteoporosis, menstrual irregularities and other health problems. If you're constantly losing and regaining weight, a registered dietitian can help you develop sensible eating habits for successful weight management. Regular exercise is also important to maintaining a healthy weight.

Health tip # 43


Garlic, onions, spring onions and leeks all contain stuff that’s good for you. A study at the Child’s Health Institute in Cape Town found that eating raw garlic helped fight serious childhood infections. Heat destroys these properties, so eat yours raw, wash it down with fruit juice or, if you’re a sissy, have it in tablet form.

Health tip # 42

Learn to do stretching exercises when you wake up. It boosts circulation and digestion, and eases back pain.

Health tip # 41


Enjoy plenty of whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Surveys show most people don't eat enough of these foods. Do you eat 6-11 servings from the bread, rice, cereal and pasta group, 3 of which should be whole grains? Do you eat 2-4 servings of fruit and 3-5 servings of vegetables? If you don't enjoy some of these at first, give them another chance. Look through cookbooks for tasty ways to prepare unfamiliar foods.

Health tip # 40


If you're diabetic and preparing to head out for the holidays, take care to carefully pack your medications and supplies.

Health tip # 39


Lactose intolerant people may be primed to avoid milk, sparing themselves uncomfortable symptoms of bloating, gas or stomach cramps.

Women's Top 5 Health Concerns

Imagine living without illness to slow you down. While there are no lifetime guarantees, enough scientific research has been done to make long, healthy living a possibility.

To help women boost health, these are the five medical conditions that are of great concern to them: heart disease, breast cancer, osteoporosis, depression, and autoimmune diseases.

We looked at the risk factors for each disease and asked the experts what women could do to prevent such ailments and encourages women to take charge of their health. women need to work in partnership with their doctors by finding out their family medical history, educating themselves on health issues, and paying attention to their bodies.

You know what makes you feel good, you know when you don't feel well. Understanding your body is key..

Heart Disease

Heart disease is the leading killer of both men and women. In women, the condition is responsible for about 29% of deaths, reports the CDC.

Yet death in itself isn't the biggest problem for women with heart disease. The real trouble is in premature death and disability. There are far too many women dying of heart disease in their 60s, when no one expects to die because that's too young in this country. There are (also) women, who, for many years, are really ill with heart disease -- being out of breath, not being able to walk up one flight of stairs … because heart disease impairs their ability to get around."

Although more men die of heart disease than women, females tend to be under diagnosed, often to the point that it's too late to help them once the condition is discovered.

The symptoms for women are typical for women, and they are often missed by doctors and the patient themselves. We often think of symptoms … like chest pain. Some people may have that, but others may just have a little bit of jaw pain, shoulder ache, nausea, vomiting, or shortness of breath."

·        The risk factors for heart disease as:

·        Increasing age

·        Male sex (men typically develop heart disease at a younger age)

·        Heredity (including race). People with family history of the disease have greater risk. So do African-Americans, Mexican-Americans, Native Americans, Native Hawaiians, and some Asian-Americans.

·        Smoking

·        High blood cholesterol

·        High blood pressure

·        Physical inactivity

·        Obesity and overweight

·        Diabetes

The burden of heart disease in women is very great. The earlier folks adapt healthier behaviors, the lower their overall risk for heart disease or stroke outcomes."

Burke says people can reduce their risk of heart disease by modifying lifestyle to include a well-balanced diet and exercise