Here Come the Holidays
The holidays are here – Chanukah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa. Lots of family get-togethers, lots of fellowship and fun, and usually lots of food. Family dinners, parties, family breakfasts, more parties. Is there any way to avoid gaining five or ten unwanted pounds during the extended holiday season? Thanksgiving through early January can be a pretty long time. In order to maintain that healthy weight range you’ve worked hard to achieve, it’s important to keep following the good habits that got you there.
Let the Flu Go Around You
Since mid-Fall TV commercials have been trumpeting the horrors of the “flu season”. “It is never too soon to begin fighting this year’s bug” they blare. Public health announcements urge us to get our “yearly flu shot”, as if this is something we’ve got permanently scheduled in our Blackberries. All the leading over-the-counter pain medications offer special seasonal “flu” mixtures, and their ads deluge daytime and prime-time broadcasting.
Diabetes and Obesity
Like Scylla and Charybdis, the twin sea monsters of Greek mythology, diabetes and obesity are the twin medical monsters confronting America’s children. Diabetes and obesity have even been featured as the story line in a recent episode of Law & Order, a show well-known for focusing on issues that matter.
Your Children-Are You Protecting Them?
The growing awareness of safe driving and state safety laws have alerted the general public and parents to the importance of using car seats for their small children whenever and wherever they are driving. Most states require the use of car seats for children under the age of 4 and weighing less than 40 pounds. However, these safety rules aimed at protecting children may cause serious neck and spinal injuries and can even be deadly if the child car seats are used incorrectly.
Tips for Smart Stretching
1. Why stretch? Stretching lengthens muscles and improves flexibility.1,2 Also, stretching the big leg muscles – the hamstrings, calves, and quads – simultaneously loosens and lengthens the muscles of your lower back. So, when you stretch, you’re helping your back!