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 we flock from indoors to outdoors, we enjoy not only the change of scene but also the change in air. Spring cleaning was historically a way to purge your home of ‘bad bugs (viruses)’ and replace with healthy air. All should be good except if you suffer from allergies. Then those ‘Bad Bugs’ (pollen) will come in and reside in your home causing chaos. probably in the middle of the night. What are we to do? Stay in? NO! Fresh air is clarifying for your body and soul and we…

Spring has given us some warm, sunny weather. It is nice to have sunny days and more opportunities to be outside. Even if it is just laying on a park lawn, the fresh air helps rejuvenate after a long winter. Maybe hiking, biking, climbing, running and outdoor sports are on your weekend agenda. Getting active it is great. But take precautions, too. Now that we have had weather over 60/62 degrees for many days, the bugs will come. With the flies and mosquitos, there will also be ticks. Just walking through a…

From the day we are born, we age. It is inevitable. But did you know that the more sedentary you are, the less efficient all your organs become? And as we age, our ability to make up for this sedentary lifestyle decreases dramatically. As more children are diagnosed with what I refer to as ‘TOO MUCH Sitting Syndrome.’ From urinary incontinence, skin rashes on their laps from laptop computers, lack of normal sleep and chronic backpain and eyestrain, where will our children be at 30? 40? 50? Probably not well.…

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…

Remember when you were a teenager and you had some big test, activity or responsibility coming up, how you tried but just could not sleep? Does it still happen today? Our ability to adjust to stressful events is often also reflected in our children. Yes, does our son or daughter react as you did? How difficult it was for you then and how difficult it is to watch your child going through that anxiety now. What is a parent to do? First, a certian level of anxiety is normal and…

Those living with Rheumatoid Arthritis often have difficulty with daily activities and cooking is no exception. This chronic condition causes inflammation at the joints and surrounding tissues. This can affect your ability to use a cutting board, open jars, carry pots and stand for long periods of time.

But by using certain kitchen tools and modifying your kitchen environment, you can decrease the amount of stress placed on your joints. If you or a loved has Rheumatoid Arthritis, follow these tips to make cooking easier.

Use Adaptive Kitchen Tools

• Speed up and reduce prep work with a food processor
• Decrease…

The greatest impact on health can often be found in the mouth. Yes, the health of our teeth when they are first errupting (at a rapid rate in some young children) is when daily dental care should begin. Many pediatric dentists feel that as soon as teeth begin to show, the child should see a dentistm and “baby bottle tooth decay” should be discussed and prevented. Brushing, cleaning and overall oral hygiene should be a natural part of all children’s care. As they age, kids will become more independent and more efficient…

Image courtesy of Winnod/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Installing grab bars in the bathroom are a great way to improve the safety of the older adults in our lives. But there’s more to improving safety than just purchasing a pair of grab bars. Try these helpful tips to improve the safety of your loved one when they’re getting in and out of the tub.

Concentration Counts

• Getting in and out of the tub requires concentration
• Your loved one may need help in the bathroom if they have difficulty with attention or concentration

Practice Makes Perfect

• Practice using newly installed grab bars before…

Photo by Michele Mieklejohn

Responsibilties at any age are important. They teach us the value of taking something to completion. Yes, even your two year old can handle some responsibilities, such as putting clothes in the hamper and making the bed. It is a great way to instill routines that can make life easier later. But what if your child runs from responsibility, what then? I have a ten year old who seems to hide whenever his name is called! Granted, at times, he thinks it is funny, but is it? We have had…