Remember how your mother always nagged you to stand up tall? While she was probably trying to help you look slimmer and more confident (both big perks of perfect posture), straightening up also offers concrete health benefits for your whole body. "Good posture is as important to your health as eating right, exercising, and getting enough sleep," says Thomas Konicki, D.C., a chiropractic orthopedist in Dayton, OH. "It means less wear and tear on joints, less fatigue, and even less neck and back pain." Contact for complete article

Here's something men everywhere will love: Ditching your PJ's can be surprisingly good for your sexual health, experts say. If you’re sleeping with a partner, the skin-to-skin touching can soothe you, increase intimacy and even lessen stress, say mind-body experts. Contact for complete article

“Sunny Daze,”  Better Homes and Gardens, July 2008

Do you know the truth about sun protection?  We shed light on common myths.

Sunscreen works right away.

The facts: If you put sunscreen on after plopping down poolside, you’re too late.  Sunscreen needs time to bind to skin; it’s not effective until roughly 20 minutes after application.

The news: Common outdoor activities like walking the dog or driving may seem harmless, but any time spent outside unprotected has cumulative, harmful effects, cautions Dr. Henry W. Lim, chairman of the dermatology department at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.

The bottom line: For everyday incidental exposure, an SPF 15 is fine.  If you’re sitting out or playing in the sun, use at least an SPF 30. Contact for complete article

"The Power of Breakfast," Oxygen, special nutrition issue, Fall 2007

We know that breakfast is good for us - it jump-starts our metabolism and gives us energy for all the physical and mental tasks of the day. So why do as many as 30 percent of us still skip it?

We conjure up all sorts of reasons for omitting this important meal: not enough time, too much bother, not hungry, need to snooze longer, want to lose weight or just can't find anything good to eat. Enough with the excuses. It's time to become a breakfast convert and tap into the power of the morning meal. Here are the amazing things it can do for you. Contact for complete article

"Do You Really Need It?," Oxygen, special nutrition issue, Fall 2007

Nutritional supplements promise everything from shiny hair to protection from heart attacks. But do you really need more bottles in your medicine cabinet, and are these pills safe? While some women are convinced they benefit from these products, you might end up flushing nutrients your body doesn't absorb down the toilet, or you could have an allergic reaction or harmful interaction with other medications. Contact for complete article

"Get Your Peak On," American Fitness, March/April 2007

Tennis professional Ivi Kerrigan of Austin, Texas, put on her running shoes one Sunday in August and took to the marathon trail. Only this time she didn't run a flat, straight course, she ran straight up a mountain in the Pikes Peak portion of the Triple Crown Running series.

Though Kerrigan is an amateur marathoner who covers 26 miles in just over three hours, Pikes Peak in Colorado was a new venue for her. This ultra endurance event climbs 13 miles - from 6,295 feet to the summit at 14,100 feet, a vertical gain of more than 7,700 feet - and back down again. As difficult as that seems, this 36-year-old mother of two proudly says, "Until near the very end, it was really easy." Contact for complete article

"Have a cramp in your style?," The Erickson Tribune, May 2007

Cramps can occur in any muscle of the body to persons in any age group, although they tend to occur more from middle age on. In fact, 70% of adults over age 50 experience cramps during the night.

Leg cramps are the most prevalent, and about four in ten people who have these have at least three per week, reports a study. Skeletal muscle cramps are common among physically active individuals, whether they are weekend warriors or train consistently. Exercise-associated cramps can be temporarily debilitating, so prevention is important.

"Get a Checkup in Your Living Room," Heart-Healthy Living, Summer 2007

If you have difficulty getting in to see your doctor, you may soon be able to substitute your laptop or cell phone for an in-person visit. With the click of a button, a portable device built by University of Florida engineer Jenshan Lin sends real-time information to your doctor. Using miniaturized Doppler radar, the device can monitor breathing and heart rate.

Here’s how it works: High frequency radar waves bounce off your chest, scanning breathing and heartbeat movements. With an inexpensive embedded chip, PDAs or iPods could become transmitters of an image similar to an EKG—an easy way to keep your doctor updated. The device connects to a laptop that reads data and powers the module. The laptop displays the detected heartbeat and respiration. Lin expects the device to be manufactured soon and to sell for less than $100. Contact for complete article

The baby growing inside of you may be gaining weight, which is good for the baby but often not so good for your back.

"When you're pregnant, you gain weight so fast, it's hard to adjust," says Doreen Moser, D.O., an obstetrician/gynecologist on the medical staff at Regional Medical Center. The rapid weight gain and relaxed ligaments can lead to pain in either the upper or lower back.

Massage can help alleviate this physical distress. It's a wonderful way to relax, increase your energy and relieve discomfort during pregnancy. A massage therapist's caring touch can ease tense muscles, and help you become aware of your body in positive ways. Contact for complete article

 Let's face it: Playing doctor as kids exposed the most exciting distinctions between boys and girls. But new research has uncovered some less obvious differences between the sexes - specifically, our responses to drugs. Men and women have variations in every organ of the body, says Marianne Legato, M.D., director of Columbia University's Partnership for Gender-Specific Medicine. For starters, our livers produce different versions of enzymes (the chemicals that break down medication), which affects the way we process drugs. We've compiled some crucial drug data to help you avoid getting treated like one of the boys. Contact for complete article

Wansink has spent his career studying what consumers don't notice: the size of a package; the shape of a glass; the words on a menu or label; our proximity to food; and other invisible influences that determine how much we really eat. Check out how your eating habits stack up...  Contact for complete article

2. Your brother canceled on the playoff game after you plunked down a C-note for tickets. You turn on the TV and reach for:
a) a pint of Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey
b) a bowl of chips and salsa
c) a handful of trail mix
d) any leftovers from the fridge  Contact for complete article

If “fat” has become a dirty word in your nutritional arsenal, you should know that all fats are not the same. Some may be harmful, but others are helpful—even necessary—for proper functioning of our bodies. 

You might think twice about that T-bone, warns Linda Massey, PhD, a professor of human nutrition at Washington State University in Spokane. No, not because of your heart and the potential for all that fat clogging up your arteries. Rather, it's because of your kidneys. Or kidney stones, to be more exact. According to Massey, increased dietary protein could promote your risk of getting painful stones, small, rock-hard accumulations of mineral salts and other substances that form within the kidney. In fact, historically, kidney stones occur more often during periods of affluence because people tend to eat more meat.  Contact for complete article

While options like cryosurgery, laser therapy, electrosurgery, topical chemotherapy and conventional surgery have been standard practice in dermatology for many years, these procedures often involve guesswork because they rely solely on what the surgeon can see.  Contact for complete article

last updated on: July 18, 2008 by Brandi Crouch