Recent Blog Posts

  How to Have Younger Looking Skin: 9 Key Natural Steps   George Orwell once said, "At 50, everyone has the face he deserves." By that time the signs of life -- food, sun, smiling, frowning -- will certainly have either taken their toll on, or offered their protection to, your skin. Or will they? As you age your skin does not shed dead cells as quickly, so using a natural exfoliator regularly is important. Well, your skin does age with you, a process known as the "internal aging process." In terms of your skin this means that as you get older you'll likely experience: Collagen production slowing (collagen contributes to skin's firmness) Elastin production decreasing (elastin contributes to skin's elasticity) Fat cells beginning to disappear (which can lead to sagging skin) Your skin losing its ability to retain moisture Frown lines and "crow's feet" appearing due to small muscle contractions Dead skin cells not being shed as quickly Slightly less turnover of new skin cells Understandably, most people are not thrilled with the results of all of these changes, [...]

  Anti-Aging Benefits of Strengthening Your Core   Do you run religiously on a treadmill for hours every week? Do you lift weights, too, and assume you’re covering all of your fitness basics? Well you’ve got a good start, but you’re missing out on a very important fitness staple that is a key to your health and longevity: building your core. Your body has 29 core muscles, located mostly in your back, abdomen, and pelvis, that work to give you a stable center of gravity. You use them on a daily basis for everything from swinging a tennis racket to bending over to tie your shoes. If not kept strong “the slightest strain” in bending … yes, even tying your shoes, can cause excruciating pain and problems. You likely have seen others with these problems due to not maintaining a healthy strong core. What exactly is your “core”? It’s a set of 29 muscles in your back, abdomen and pelvis, muscles that are essential to your ability to function on a daily basis. It’s because of your core muscles that [...]

  Research Shows You Can Worry Yourself Into Dementia and Even Alzheimer's   It's well known that an optimistic attitude is good for you -- mentally and physically. Optimists are healthier, happier and likely to live longer than people who are not so cheerful. Over time, negative emotions like worry and anxiety may increase your risk of cognitive impairment by 40 percent. Conversely, a new study by researchers from the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center at Chicago's Rush University has recently proven what commonsense would dictate: the opposite also holds true. People who are prone to "psychological distress" -- negative emotions like worry and anxiety -- are more likely to develop memory problems than those who adopt a more carefree existence, according to an analysis of two studies on aging that together included over 1,200 people. In fact, study participants who experienced negative emotions most often were 40 percent more likely to develop mild cognitive impairment than those who experienced the least negativity. Cognitive impairment involves mild memory or cognitive problems, and can be a stepping-stone to dementia and Alzheimer's disease. [...]

  How to Prevent and Treat Sunburn   It used to be that sunburns were as much a part of summer as picnics and pool parties. Today, we know that too much sun -- i.e. when your skin gets red and feels hot to the touch -- can, over time, result in dry, wrinkled skin, liver spots, and even skin cancer. Experts say 15-20 minutes of sunlight a day is an ideal amount for a light-skinned person to produce health-promoting vitamin D. Darker skinned people need a bit longer. At the very least, sunburn is painful and can lead to headache, fever and fatigue. Preventing sunburn is important to protect your skin and your future health -- and to really enjoy your summer. How Much Sun is Too Much? Getting some sun, experts now conclude, is indeed essential to health. Most importantly, safe sun exposure allows your body to produce vitamin D, which is often referred to as the "sunshine drug." "Enzymes in our skin make vitamin D when skin is exposed to sunlight," says Dr. Julia Knight, a researcher [...]

  Five Things to Beware of This Barbecue Season   By now you have likely brought your barbecue grill out from hibernation and have it fired up from the proverbial start of summer: Memorial Day. Over 75 percent of American households own a barbecue grill (and more than half of these households use the grill year-round). Their allure, no doubt, stems not only from their ability to cook up tasty hamburgers and steaks but also from their starring role at countless outdoor family gatherings. Millions of Americans look forward to summer barbecues, but many are now questioning whether the nostalgic taste makes up for the potential risks. Before you gear up for barbecue season this year, though, you should know that there are some, quite serious, risks involved. From the risk of burns to the creation of toxic compounds in your food, barbecue grills may not be as safe as they're cracked up to be. 1. Burns to Kids and Pets More than 6,000 fires and explosions every year are caused by barbecue grills, according to the National Fire Protection [...]

  90 Percent of Overweight Children Not Properly Diagnosed: What Does This Mean for Your Child?   Studies have shown that a full one-third of American children are overweight or obese. But a study by researchers at The MetroHealth System and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland found that just one-third of children who are overweight or obese are actually diagnosed. Only 10 percent of overweight children in a recent study received a proper diagnosis from their doctors. In the study, published in the journal Pediatrics, researchers reviewed body mass index (BMI) measurements for over 60,700 children between the ages of 2 and 18 (BMI is a standard used for measuring your weight to height ratio). The measurements showed that 19 percent of the children were overweight, 23 percent were obese and 8 percent were severely obese. However, while 76 percent of severely obese children and 54 percent of obese children were diagnosed, only 10 percent of overweight children received a proper diagnosis. “ … This is a bit of a wake-up call to pediatricians that as [...]