The No Sugar Diet

On Monday morning, I was chatting with some of the other moms on the soccer field. Our kindergarten kids participate in pee wee soccer two mornings a week. One mom started telling me that with the exception of natural sugar found in fruit and vegetables, she completely gave up sugar six months earlier. As someone who loves to bake and never met a sweet thing I didn’t like, I was both impressed and shocked. I know I need to cut down on my own sugar consumption. While obesity isn’t a problem for me right now, there are so many other … Continue reading →

McDonald’s Changes Its Menu

A friend of mine is on a diet. The doctor says his health is great, so maybe it is just a preventative thing, but he’s on the glycemic index diet. So, he’s watching carbs and calories. I’ve decided to try to lose the 30 pounds I’ve packed back on before it’s too late. After all, I turn 50 next year and I know that the older you are, the harder it is to lose weight. McDonald’s has no doubt played a part in my weight gain. Oh sure, Ronald McDonald didn’t hold me down and force the Big Macs down … Continue reading →

Solar Eclipse: Don’t Look Directly at the Sun

Many of you lucky people are gearing up to experience the first solar eclipse of the century. On Sunday, a partial solar eclipse is expected to block out most of the sun sometime between 5:16 and 7:40 pm. Pretty much the entire country (USA) will experience the solar eclipse, with the exception of the eastern seaboard, where I live. Many national parks are setting up to make safe and easy viewing possible. With a solar eclipse, it is very important that you look carefully, and take precautions. Viewing a solar eclipse directly can seriously damage your eyes. Permanently. The best … Continue reading →

Do Toning Shoes Really Work?

Pull on some shoes, step outside for a walk and burn lots of extra calories. At least, these are the promises of toning shoes, foot ware that promises to tone up your lower body with no extra effort. The idea behind toning shoes is the principal that if the shoe is unstable, it will force your muscles to work differently in order to keep your balance. This extra work is supposed to firm your muscles and burn up more calories. The concept is nothing new, believe it or not. Does any one remember Dr. Scholl’s sandals? Theses wooden sandals featured … Continue reading →

Want to Get Skinny? Eat Chocolate

I knew it all along. Those of use who eat chocolate tend to be skinnier. No one would believe me, but her you go, some evidence. Well, at least some support for my theory. Researchers have found that eating chocolate may in fact keep you slim. People who eat chocolate frequently tend to have a lower Body Mass Index (BMI) than people who eat chocolate only infrequently. (Who are these people who only eat it infrequently? Perhaps we should sign them up for a study that examine’s their mental health. Just kidding of course.) The average person eats chocolate twice … Continue reading →

Ways to Stay Active

Prior to my current job, I was a freelance writer. That required a lot of research and typing, which required a lot of sitting. Now, I am a web designer. That requires a lot of coding and photo manipulation, which requires a lot of sitting. I think about how they say people on airplanes should get up and walk around because sitting for so long isn’t good for you. A study recently found that too much sitting can increase your risks of breast and colon cancer, thus taking years off your life. How can you stay active, even if your … Continue reading →

When Should My Child Visit the Orthodontist?

Back when young, many years ago, a child would only visit the orthodontist when he or she was a teenager. At that point, much of the growing was done, and correcting misaligned teeth could involve a lot of pain an effort, including tooth removal and years of braces. Thankfully, technology and techniques in orthodonture have improved greatly since then. There is now an emphasis on a more gentle approach that works with your child’s natural anatomy to make needed corrections. There are devices now that can ease your child’s jaw into a more normal position as he or she grows. … Continue reading →

Newly Discovered Sources of Antioxidants

We all know that blueberries are a great source of antioxidants, but it may surprise you to know that there are several other foods that have been newly discovered to also contain antioxidants. You may find them easier to incorporate them into your daily diet. What are antioxidants? Antioxidants are compounds that have the power to destroy free-radicals, things that tend to destroy cells leading to premature aging, illness, even cancer. The more antioxidants in your diet, the better. Here are some of the food that has been newly discovered to contain powerful antioxidants. Popcorn Pop your popcorn at home … Continue reading →

The Science Behind the Ice Cream Headache

Do you know why you get a brain freeze if you eat ice cream too fast? The reason behind the phenomena is pretty interesting. You can also reduce or eliminate the ice cream headache within moments, if you know the trick. Your body has many different systems in place that are there to keep you healthy and alive. Sometimes, we experience common but interesting things with our bodies that we can’t quite understand. But rest assured, there is usually a reason behind it. You take a big bite of ice cream or suck down an ice cold drink to quickly … Continue reading →

How to Worry Less

We seem to be wired to worry. And the older we get, sometimes, the more we tend to worry. Common worries range from family and friends, to work and money, to the state of the economy and the country. There is a good reason behind all of this worrying. Our earlier ancestor’s survived because they worried. They figured out the worse case scenarios and how to get around them, so if bad times did occur, the worriers tended to survive. Today in our modern world, worry doesn’t carry as much benefit. In fact, it can negatively affect our health and … Continue reading →