Caring for children and family can often be more than a full time job. It pays to be organized. But are you as organized about your own healthcare needs. The number one killer of women today is heart disease and few women know their risks. Do you know the signs of a heart attack in men or women? Symptoms vary but having baseline EKG at your well visit will help pick up on abnormalities early-and maybe save your life. Only 30% of women survive their first heart attack. Often there…

As warm weather approaches, some are struggling with allergies. If you and your family are “blessed” with environmental allergies (alleries to things like pollen and mold), then you are likely dreading this time of year. Praying for rain (to clean the air) may be one of your strategies.  And seeing there has been little rain, it is time for  a new strategy. First and formost, do you know what you are allergic to? If not, basic allergy testing could be extremely helpful in determining the culprit of your symptoms. Then you…

Ask young children what they want to be when “they grow up,” and you may be pleasantly surprised by their responses. Childhood is filled with wonderful, almost magical, looks at the real world. To all of us adults who may be a little more reality focused, we laugh and think longingly of our own dreams. If you think back to your feelings about growing up, you may have also had very high hopes. Wasn’t that a great feeling? Where did that joy go? Well, dreaming up these marvelous carreer paths never has…

Photo by healingdream at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Our lifestyles are killing us. From the day we are born to the day we leave this world, a lot of us seem to be making the wrong choices. Why? Could it be that we think good health is not that important? Or could it be that we are not thinking so clearly given our poor diets, lack of exercise and electronic lifestyle?

Consider this: When was the last time you walked anywhere? If you live in a city, you may have walked to work. But if you are like most people,…

  When you asked for something, does it go something like this? “Please, hand me the [fill in the blank].” And do you reply with “thank you” when your request is approved? It seems pretty basic but, these days, I rarely hear it. Remember when you were a child and you always felt you had to be nicer to the child who was nicer to you? We tend to gravitate toward those who respect, acknowledge and care about us. Why? Because it feels comforting and nice. Can we be nice in return? Yes, most of us…

Photo by Michele Mieklejohn

As we see from everything that is happening in New York City after Superstorm Sandy, getting back to “normal” after a storm is difficult. However, if you have children, it is vital for you to give them a sense of normalcy while preparing them for changes.

For your kids, schools may be closed and power may take days to return, but remind them that the situation is temporary and will get better.

If your kids are healthy and it’s safe to be outside, give them tasks that allow them…

Recent incidents in our area have raised interest in the topic of crimes committed by children, toward children. Statistics on child crimes are tracked and the numbers are low, but the startling fact is that both violent and non-violent crimes are committed by children, who are 12 to 20 years of age. “Luring” is the act of persuading, by an adult or child/teen to another child/teen, maybe under the illusion of friendship or gifts. Do your children know how to handle this, or even what luring is? Have you ever been a victim?

Many…

We all find moments that are worth celebrating. My favorite memory of this year’s London Olympics actually occurred seconds after the 400 meter semifinal had ended. The winner of the race Kirani James in a show of respect approached Oscar Pistorius who had finished 8^th and requested to exchange their official uniform name tags.

You might be wondering why so much attention was given to an athlete who didn’t win a medal? Oscar is a double amputee and uses prosthetic legs to race against some of the world’s fastest runners. His journey to…

Summer vacation is the best time to spend more time with your kids if you can manage it. I try to always plan something special as a family during our vacation — time to visit extended family, a special trip or a learning event like a museum.

This summer after camp wrapped up, I decided I was going to spend special time teaching my boys how to cook. After all, someday they will be on their own and actually will need to eat.

In our house, cooking is always preceded with a…

Last Monday morning I quietly sat at my new desk waiting for the tech room staff to issue my new laptop and cell phone. The stillness of the morning was quite a contrast to my final week in Queens spent saying goodbye to my seniors and coworkers while trying to wrap up loose ends.

After picking up the new computer and phone I proceeded to make appointments with my new group of seniors. I’ve been looking forward to this moment since I decided to transfer to the new Westchester branch of VNSNY CHOICE.

I’ve always believed in the…