Your Shape Matters

These days a lot of people use the body mass index to determine if they're at a healthy weight or not. I know some people who think if their BMI falls in the normal range, they must be in good health. That's just not the case. The BMI works all right as a general guide, but it falls short in a lot of ways.

One reason the BMI shouldn't be your definitive measure of health is that is doesn't consider where you carry your body fat. Being overweight isn't good for you, but where you carry your extra pounds can tell you something about your risk of disease.

Some people carry extra weight in their legs and hips. Others carry it around their belly.

If you fall into that second group, you need to be extra careful. You're at higher risk for heart disease and diabetes. Not only that, but new research published in Stroke also shows that having a big waist size contributes to your risk of stroke as well—men with a waist measuring 40 inches around or greater were four times as likely to suffer a stroke than those with smaller waists.

If you're overweight and the pounds seem to accumulate around your waist, it's time to take serious action. Your health is at risk.

First, begin supporting your heart and circulatory system with a supplement that contains coenzyme Q10 (vital for cellular energy in your muscles, especially your heart), vitamin E (a powerful antioxidant that benefits your heart), omega-3 essential fatty acids (proven to improve heart and circulatory health), and hawthorn (a great blood pressure modulator).

Next, take some time to review your diet. Look for ways to cut down on your portions and to increase the amount of vegetables you eat. Pay careful attention to your sources of protein. Protein is vitally important to your body, but you want to pick protein that is lean and high quality. Choose lean cuts of naturally-raised chicken and beef.

Finally, put together a good workout routine. This doesn’t have to be strenuous (although strenuous exercise can help reduce your appetite), but it does need to get you moving. Start off slow… maybe walk a mile after dinner each night. And then slowly build up your workouts so they continue to challenge you.

You can take immediate steps to protect your heart health and improve your fitness. Doing so will help you shed those unwanted pounds around your waist and will help to protect your from deadly diseases, too.

Stay well and Happy New Year!

Danny Wallace

Start Your New Year's Resolutions Early

It's the day after Christmas and the perfect time to set some healthy New Year's resolutions.

For me the day after Christmas has always been a reflective day. The presents are unwrapped. The family is still gathered together, but the day is less hectic. We eat leftovers and play games and enjoy sharing memories from the past year.

It's also a good time to get yourself back on track when it comes to your health-related goals.

Here are some goals I recommend…

Eat More Produce: Fruits and vegetables are a great source of micronutrients. Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables gives your body a broad cross section of antioxidants, flavonoids, and polyphenols that help keep your immune system strong and your cells healthy.

Eat More Fiber: A healthy intake of fiber—25 to 30 grams a day—will improve your digestion and that means better nutrition, a healthier immune system, and more energy. Fiber intake also reduces your risk of diabetes and heart disease. Fruits and vegetables happen to be an excellent source of fiber. So are beans, nuts, and seeds.

Take a Omega-3 Supplement: The imbalance between omega-3s and omega-6s in the average American diet increases the inflammation in your system, contributes to reduced feelings of well-being, and increases your risk of heart disease. By supplementing with omega-3s you can restore your body's balance and improve your health.

Get Enough Sleep: Getting the right amount of sleep for your body will help you to maintain a healthy body weight and will improve your immune system.

Make Your Workout Fun: There's no way around it. Exercise is important, but that doesn't mean that exercise has to be something you dread. Look for ways to make your workouts more fun. Try a new class. Schedule a bike ride with a friend. Do workouts you enjoy. That will help you keep your routine fresh and improve your follow through.

Follow these five recommendations, and you can make 2009 your healthiest year ever.

Cheers!
Heather Robwell

Super-Charge Your Immune System and Stay Healthy the Whole Winter Through

Have you ever known someone who never seems to get sick? The cold and flu season comes and everyone around them is sniffling and sneezing and miserable and they just breeze on through without even the smallest of coughs.

It's maddening, isn't it? Unless you're that person. The truth is, it's possible for you to be that person… if you just take good care of your immune system.

The secrets behind a super-charged immune system aren't groundbreaking. In fact, they're so simple it might surprise you. Here's what you need to do to make sure your immune system is at its best.

First, whatever workout routine you're doing, you need to add two things. At least once a week, do a shorter workout that's really vigorous. The high intensity exercise triggers white blood cell production and those white blood cells will help protect you from illness. Second, make one workout a week a de-stressing workout. Whether it's yoga, tai chi, or a fun dance workout, find something that calms you.

Second, make sure you get enough sleep every night. When you're sleeping, your body takes the opportunity to make repairs that will keep you healthy. If you skimp on the sleep, your immune system suffers.

Third, be more social. People involved in a range of social activities seem to have tougher immune systems. Scientists aren't sure why, but if you get out and socialize, you're less likely to develop a cold even when exposed to the virus.

Finally, wash your hands often. The most common way viruses get passed from one person to another is through the hands, whether directly or indirectly. Someone sneezes into their hand and then touches a doorknob and then you touch that doorknob and now you've got a cold virus riding around on your hand. Frequent hand washing helps prevent this kind of virus transfer.

Being sick is now fun, but with a few simple steps you can charge up your immune system and cut down on your exposure to the viruses that make so many people miserable during the winter months.

Stay well,
Meghan Krohn

Prostate Drug Fails to Relieve Prostatitis

News released this week reports that a common drug for prostatitis doesn't actually work. The drug Alfuzosin failed to perform better than placebo at relieving the symptoms of a chronically inflamed prostate.

When your prostate becomes inflamed, it can make your life miserable. It can lead to chronic pain and discomfort, difficulties urinating, even sexual problems.

Many men in this situation turn to their doctors. And that's good. An inflamed prostate is something your doctor should know about, and of course, you want to rule out prostate cancer. When it comes to treatment, though, prescription drugs might not be your best option.

There are natural supplements that can help to relieve inflammation and reduce the symptoms of your prostatitis.

Quercetin: This nutrient has been getting a lot of attention lately for its heart-healthy benefits. But quercetin doesn't just benefit your heart. It reduces inflammation throughout your body and can help to relieve your prostate problems. In one study, two thirds of the patients taking quercetin saw significant improvement in their prostatitis symptoms. (Urology 1999)

Zinc: This common mineral may also reduce your prostatitis symptoms. Zinc has long been known to benefit the prostate and in one study researchers found that plasma zinc concentrations are lower in men with prostatitis. (Zhonghua Nan Ke Xue 2008)

Prostatitis is not something you should ignore. It can decrease your quality of life and make you suffer from constant pain and urination problems. If you have the symptoms of prostatitis, you should talk to your doctor. Also, try these two supplements to see if they make a difference for you.

Stay well,
Heather Robwell

Video Games to Sharpen Your Mind

Have you ever heard that video games are a waste of time? I certainly have. But it turns out that might not be true. There is mounting evidence that some types of video games can actually make your mind stronger.

In a recent study appearing in Psychology and Aging, researchers found that when older adults play strategic video games, they make their memories work better and they improve their reasoning skills.

In this study adults age 69 or over with no history of playing video games were assigned into one of two groups. In one group, the participants played a strategic video game that involved a lot of planning and resource management. Participants in the second group didn't play video games at all.

Each participant took a mental skills test at the beginning of the study and again at the end. Those in the video game group showed improvement in their memory, reasoning ability, and in the ability to switch from one task to another. Those who didn't play video games did not show the same improvements.

To me, this study makes sense. There have been a number of studies over recent years that demonstrate the importance of challenging your mental abilities. While some video games are certainly mindless entertainment, there are many options that are very engaging and intellectually stimulating.

If you're looking for a way to increase your own mental sharpness, investing in a strategic video game isn't a bad way to go.

Stay well,
Danny Wallace

Five Foods to Keep You Young

What if you could freeze time and keep the body you have now forever? Even better, what if you could roll back the clock ten years and keep that body forever? While eternal youth isn't possible, you can do a number of things that will help to preserve your health and vitality as you get older.

When it comes to staying youthful, healthy, and active the foods you eat play a huge role. Foods the reduce inflammation, that deliver a rich variety of micronutrients, and that contain potent antioxidants can help you slow down the aging process in your cells… and that means more energy, better health, and even a better a appearance.

Here are five powerful age-fighting foods to get your started.

Olive Oil: Your heart is like your body's engine. If you want to be at your best, you have to take good care of your heart. Monounsaturated oils help to keep your heart cells healthy. Plus olive oil contains important antioxidants that can benefit cells throughout your body.

Fish: The omega-3 fatty acids in fish reduce inflammation, promote good brain health, and can even put you in a better mood. Fish also contains lean protein that your body uses to make repairs.

Berries: Brightly colored berries are loaded with micronutrients that promote good health and reduce damage to cells from environmental factors like pollution. Berries are also rich in fiber, which promotes healthy digestion and a better uptake of nutrients.

Red Wine: While red wine is not for everyone, a glass a day can provide an array of benefits. Compounds in red wine reduce inflammation, promote healthy cells, and will even help to lower your blood pressure.

Chocolate: What could be sweeter than knowing that a bit of dark chocolate gives your health a boost? Dark chocolate contains numerous antioxidants. And it contains flavonoids that promote healthy circulation, a healthy heart, and a healthy brain.


Staying fit and healthy as you get older is a good goal. It will mean you get more enjoyment out of life and that you'll spend less time fighting with disease. These five foods can help you slow down the aging process so that you can live longer and better.

Stay well,
Heather Robwell

Feeling Happy? Pay it Forward

You've heard the phrase "pay it forward." The idea is that when something good happens to you, you do a good turn for someone else. When it comes to happiness, it turns out that you pay it forward whether you realize it or not.

In a fascinating study published in the British Medical Journal, researchers found that your happiness has a direct affect on the happiness of those closest to you. When you're happy, you boost the chances of your friends being happy by 25%. Where things get really neat is that you also boost the chance of their friends—people you've never met—being happy by 10%. And you boost the chances of those people's friends being happy by 5%.

You have to admit that's pretty cool.

So what does this mean to you?

Well, if you're a happy person, give yourself a pat on the back. You're making the world a more enjoyable place for a lot of people, even people you've never met or even thought about.

If you find that you're struggling with your happiness right now, it might be time to reassess who you spend your time with. If the people you're closest to are negative and discouraging, that's taking a toll on your enjoyment of life. I'm not recommending that you cut those people out of your life, but I do recommend that you find some happier people and start spending some more time with them.

To expand your circle of happy friends you might join a club or begin attending a church or join a sports organization. People participate in these activities because they enjoy them… and that means chances are that they'll be feeling happy while you're around them. As this study show, their happiness may rub off on you and help you enjoy your life more.

Stay well,
Meghan Krohn

Traffic Hurts Your Heart

There are few things I dislike more than traffic. I hate sitting in stop-and-go freeway traffic moving about five miles an hour. I hate taking an hour to get somewhere that should only take fifteen minutes. I hate the waste of time. I hate it when other drivers are rude.

There are a lot of reasons to hate traffic. It turns out that health reasons are among them.

A study recently published in Circulation shows that traffic emissions contribute to heart disease. It's particularly bad if you live near high traffic areas. People living within with 50 meters of a major thoroughfare are 63 percent more likely to develop heart disease than people who live over 200 meters away.

So what can you do to cut down your exposure to car emissions?

Well, if you're considering a move right now, you can limit your search to places that are distance from major traffic areas.

If you're not planning to move and you already live close to traffic, it's a good idea to use a good air filter in your home. Also, check on the air quality rating each day. It's typically published in your local paper or on a local news station's website. If the air quality is bad, choose indoor activities that day as much as possible.

When it comes to air quality and heart disease, your best defense is a strong immune system. That means exercising regularly, eating well, taking a good multivitamin, and getting an annual check up with your doctor.

Air quality has a real affect on your heart health. Unfortunately, it's one of the more difficult risk factors to control. You can counter the effects of poor air quality by making a real commitment to the positive health choices you can control.

Stay well,
Danny Wallace

Dry, Itchy Skin Driving You Crazy

It's wintertime and the cold weather can take a real toll on your skin. Between the dry air and the tendency to take longer, hotter showers, your skin can dry out. That can lead to flaking, itching, and chapping, none of which are fun or attractive.

Fortunately, you can easily take better care of your skin during the winter. Just follow a few simple steps.

First, stay hydrated. The dry air tends to suck the moisture out of your skin. Your body has to replenish it and to do that it needs water. So make sure you're drinking enough water each day.

Second to the dry air, long hot showers are most often the cause of dry skin. You can counter this by turning down the heat a bit and taking shorter showers.

There are plenty of body creams and lotions that can help restore moisture to your skin and protect it from drying out. My favorite is all natural aloe vera gel. It's doesn't feel oily or heavy and it doesn’t have a strong fragrance so it's good for men or women. Aloe vera promotes healing in the skin and reduces inflammation.

One of my least favorite things about the dry, winter air is that my nose dries out, too. I've found that running a humidifier at night helps keep my skin from getting overly dry and makes breathing more comfortable, too.

Finally, invest in a good skin care regimen—one that will cleanse, exfoliate, and moisturize your skin.

Just a little extra care can keep your skin looking its best—and you feeling your best—all winter long.

Stay well,
Meghan Krohn