Getting A Handle On Headaches

Painless insight into the various types of headache coming to a skull near you.

Inside your head sits one of your most important body parts. Your head is also a center of potentially debilitating pain. What kind of headache are you dealing with? What is the best way to treat it? Use this chart to get a handle on your headaches.

Acute Headache

Symptoms: The most common type of headache, acute headaches cause pain the head that is usually short-lived and mild in intensity.

Causes: Causes of acute headaches are wide-ranging. A few include illness, infection, and skipping meals.

Treatment: Many acute headaches can be taken care of with over-the-counter pain medication, eating, drinking water, or waiting it out.

Prevention: Recognize triggers that cause you to suffer an acute headache and avoid them.

Cluster Headache

Symptoms: A group of extremely painful headaches that occur multiple times in a single day on a regular basis over a period of weeks or months without warning, cluster headaches typically affect only one side of the head behind the eye or near the eye. They usually last 30 to 45 minutes at a time, though the pain can stick around for a few hours and cause the sufferer to not be able to sit still.

Causes: It is unclear what causes cluster headaches, but most people who suffer from cluster headaches regularly smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol.

Treatment: Treating cluster headaches requires prescription pain medication

Prevention: Since it is unclear what causes cluster headaches, it is impossible to create a foolproof prevention plan. However, not smoking or drinking alcohol excessively will reduce your chance of a cluster headache.

Migraine Headache

Symptoms: Occasionally moderate, often severe, migraine pain can last a few hours or a few days. In some instances, the sufferer also experiences abdominal pain; loss of appetite; nausea or vomiting; blurred vision; dizziness; and extreme sensitivity to light, noise, or odors. They can come a few times a month or only one or two times a year.

Causes: It's unclear exactly what causes migraines. What is known is that they have to do with changes in the brain, inherited brain abnormalities, and the contraction of blood vessels in the brain.

Treatment: Typical treatment for migraines includes a strong prescription medication and lifestyle changes to reduce your likelihood of future migraines

Prevention: Though you cannot always keep migraines at bay, you can reduce your likelihood of a migraine by reducing the stresses in your life, getting an appropriate amount of sleep (not too much or too little), avoiding caffeine and alcohol, and not missing meals.

Every head has its own headache.
— Arab Proverb

Sinus Headache

Symptoms: Causing a deep, constant pain in the cheekbones, bridge of the nose, or forehead, sinus headaches usually grow worse when you move your head quickly and are usually experienced with other symptoms of a sinus infection, such as facial swelling, nasal discharge, fever, and feelings that your ears are full of fluid.

Causes: One of the sinus cavities (located in the cheekbones, bridge of the nose, and forehead) becomes infected, causing inflammation that prevents mucous from flowing past the sinuses.

Treatment: In order to overcome a sinus headache, you will need to beat your sinus infection using antibiotics. You may also find symptomatic relief by using over-the-counter antihistamines and pain medication.

Prevention: Avoiding sinus headaches requires you to avoid sinus infections. To do that, wash your hands regularly, stay away from people with cold symptoms, drink plenty of water, eat a healthy diet full of fruits and vegetables, and don't smoke.

Tension Headache

Symptoms: The muscles located between your head and neck seem to contract for hours or even days at a time, causing a continuous, pulling pain that is focused in the temples, forehead, or back of the head or neck.

Causes: Stress; fatigue; psychological problems; arthritis; bad posture; abnormalities in the neck muscles, bones, or discs; grief; or depression can all bring on tension headaches.

Treatment: Beat tension headaches by taking medications to reduce inflammation and pain or relax the neck muscles. You should also work with your physician to determine the underlying cause of the headache and receive appropriate care for that condition.

Prevention: Regular use of pain or other medication can help prevent tension headaches, as can stress reduction techniques and improved posture.

Healthiest Ice Creams

Yes, this will soon become your favorite topic for discussion.

Nothing beats the cold, creamy deliciousness of ice cream. It can turn a dark, cloudy day into a bright and cheery afternoon. Make the dullest of events something to be cherished. Turn enemies into fast friends. So why does it have such a bad rap?

After all, studies have shown the mental benefits of ice cream. It tastes good and makes you feel even better. Shouldn't that be enough of a reason to look past the unhealthy and unnecessary calories? No. Fortunately, there are some ice cream choices you can eat without breaking your calorie promises day after day. Is your sweet tooth salivating yet? Read on to find out what ice creams are the healthiest.

In the Bowl

For ice cream purists, the only kind of ice cream worth eating is found in the bottom of a big bowl. Fortunately, there are a handful of bowl-friendly ice creams that won't push your waistline beyond your belt too fast. The secret is to make sure you don't eat too much during a single sitting.

A couple of the best are Edy's slow-churned strawberry and Breyers double-churned cookies and cream light ice cream. Both have the magnificent flavor and texture you seek from ice cream, and neither is too high in fat or calories. Go for a serving of this at the next birthday party you attend and you'll be licking every low-fat drop from your lips without feeling guilty in the least!

I doubt whether the world holds for anyone a more soul-stirring surprise than the first adventure with ice cream. - Heywood C. Broun

In Your Hand

When you need portable ice cream, nothing will do but a fudge bar. With a Skinny Cow fudge bar, you'll get a meager 100 calories and 1 gram of fat. There is also a vanilla bar coated with fudge from Healthy Choice that has even fewer calories. Not bad for something that tastes so naughty.

In the unlikely event that cold chocolate doesn't sound quite right, you can always go for a snow cone. Since they're mostly made of ice, snow cones are consistently low in calories and fat. On days when you're feeling particularly creative, make your own homemade popsicles using real fruit juice for a tasty treat with practically no calories or fat grams.

Anti-Cream

If you're in the mood for something a little bit different from your typical milk-based ice cream fare, it may be time to turn to sorbet or other non-milky cold delights. One of the best when it comes to good health is Häagen Dazs Brazilian açai berry sorbet. High on flavor and vitamin C and low in calories and fat, açai berry sorbet is a great addition to any hot day.

Prefer the flavor of ice cream but not the fat content? Either pick some healthy choices from the "In the Bowl” section or go with low-fat frozen yogurt. Most yogurts attempt to be lower in fat and calories than their ice cream counterparts, and Stonyfield does it better than most - and they do it organically!

Now that you know you can have your ice cream and eat it too, figure out what flavor you want and prepare for a wonderful after-meal extravagance!

On Your Own

Want to pick out some healthy ice cream on your own? Here are some helpful tips that will ensure you indulge in the healthiest ice cream possible. A half cup of the healthiest ice cream has no more than...

...120 calories...
...15 grams of sugar...
...10 milligrams of cholesterol...
...4 grams of fat or 3 grams of saturated fat.

Going Green (and Blue, Red, and Orange) Every Day

A few reasons why you should build your daily diet around salad.

Eating a healthy diet is no easy task. With health nuts and health professionals coming up with new regulations and recommendations nearly every day, it can be tiring to try to keep up with the latest advice. Well, here is some advice that will pass the test of time: eat more salads. According to health professionals, you should begin eating a salad every day in addition to an apple if you want to keep the doctor away. Here's why you should make a point to add some green, leafy goodness to your meals.

They're Easy

You need a quick snack, a great side dish to complement your meal, or a light and tasty dinner. Where do you turn? Salad! Available in various sizes and shapes at practically every restaurant (including quite a few fast-food restaurants), salads give you a healthy base to your meal. And if you're staying home for a home-cooked meal, a salad is an easy addition to your routine.

Not into cutting up lettuce? Don't think that gets you out of your salad obligation, because it doesn't. In an effort to increase convenience and reduce excuses for not eating salads, there are now a number of pre-made salads that are bagged up and ready to be eaten at home. All you have to do is grab a bag of salad at the store. When you get home, simply open the bag, pour the salad on your plate, add a little salad dressing, and enjoy!

"The embarrassing thing is that the salad is out-grossing my films". — Paul Newman

They're Tasty

Gone are the days of boring lettuce-only salads. Today's palates demand much more than a little bit of iceberg lettuce and some everyday salad dressing. Modern salad eaters demand different textures, flavors, and colors, and the salad world has blossomed as a result.

When it comes to a great salad, the only limits to how far you can take a salad are your imagination and taste buds. Give your salad an instant flavor boost by adding feta cheese, blueberries, nuts, strawberries, pickles, croutons, carrots, mandarin oranges, and spinach. Take it to the next level by adding grilled chicken and some light raspberry vinaigrette and you may never eat anything but salad again.

They're Healthy

Once you add in all your favorite fruits and vegetables, your salad becomes one of the healthiest items on the table. Not only are you eating something low in fat, cholesterol, and calories, but you're also getting plenty of fruits and vegetables at the same time. As long as your chicken pieces are lean, you'll get the added benefit of an instant boost of protein without any of the negatives associated with fatty meats.

Filled with fiber, good fats (not saturated or trans-fats), and vitamins and minerals, a well-made salad isn't a good idea. It's a great idea, and an easy way to improve your health each day. Salad tastes great, is easy to make, is healthy, and helps fill you up before digging into those not-so-healthy calories. Now that you know why salads are so great for you, start building your diet around this wonderful dish!

Dressing It Up

Like cream cheese icing on a low-fat cake, the wrong salad dressing can ruin an otherwise wonderful salad. Choosing a flavor is up to your taste buds, but picking a healthy choice that will complement your healthy choice of salad is up to you.

When you're ready to pick up some new salad dressing, there is one guideline that will help you pick out a dressing worthy of your healthy masterpiece: go with vinegar. Dressings made with vinegar are typically light and healthy, and according to research out of Japan, vinegar may help you get rid of fat and defend your body from obesity. And you thought vinegar-based dressings only tasted good!

Coffee & Diabetes

What, if any, connection is there, and is it a cause for celebration or sorrow?

A Protective Cup

In 2004 and late 2006, some very exciting research hit the coffee bean pipeline, as researchers explained that an individual's risk for developing type 2 diabetes is dramatically reduced if the individual drinks coffee. One of the studies claimed coffee consumption offered a 30 percent reduction in diabetes risk, while the other put the reduced risk at closer to 60 percent.

As an added perk, the reduced risk for diabetes didn't just hold true for those in tip-top shape. Research shows that individuals with other risk factors for diabetes curb their chance of getting diabetes by indulging in a daily cup or two of coffee. Oddly enough, the reduced risk of diabetes associated with coffee stands up whether the individual is currently a coffee drinker or has given up the habit in the past.

Almost all my middle-aged and elderly acquaintances, including me, feel about 25, unless we haven't had our coffee, in which case we feel 107.
- Martha Beck

Danger in Hand

As beneficial as coffee may be in warding off diabetes, it may not be as useful to those already living with diabetes. It may actually be harmful. Additional research is still needed to determine whether or not coffee should be consumed by individuals with diabetes, but initial research seems to say no.

The danger is not so much in the coffee beans or the flavor, but rather the caffeine. Studies have shown that increased caffeine intake seems to increase blood sugar levels, which can be dangerous for individuals with diabetes. At the same time, it is unclear whether decaffeinated coffee is a safe and even beneficial drink for those with diabetes, as it contains useful nutrients that can improve anyone's health.

Weighing the Drink

Since coffee seems to reap incredible protection against diabetes even for people with other diabetes risk factors, drinking it frequently may be just what you need to keep yourself from following a family tradition of becoming diabetic. However, if you currently have diabetes, you will need to check with your physician before drinking coffee, whether it is caffeinated or not.

If coffee really is this important in the world of diabetes, who knows what benefits its proper use could reap? Experts estimate that diabetes prevalence will increase by an amazing 65 percent in less than 20 years, but if coffee and smart coffee drinkers have anything to do with it, that may not come true.

Proven Prevention

Want to fight off diabetes, but don't want to indulge in a couple of cups of coffee every day? No problem! A number of other foods and drinks will help you cut down your risk for diabetes, and none of them come with coffee breath.

Foods and drinks that will help you avoid diabetes include the following:

• Marinate foods in the refrigerator rather than the counter or outdoors.
• whole-grain cereals and breads
• bananas, grapes, apples, oranges, and other fruits
• low-fat yogurt
• cheese
• lean beef, poultry, and fish
• water

In addition to eating right, avoiding diabetes requires you to stay in good shape by getting regular physical activity. A good goal if you're just getting started is 30 minutes of exercise three or four times a day. As you grow stronger, try to work out more frequently and for longer periods to build up an even stronger resistance against diabetes.

How to Choose the Right Workout Shoe

You rely on your athletic shoe to prevent injuries, protect your feet and prevent your back from aching if you are performing a high-impact sport. When deciding on the right athletic shoe to buy, you should keep in mind both form and function--meaning you should purchase a shoe that is a good fit and is made for the activity you most perform.

Step 1

Identify the activity you will most perform in your athletic shoes--for example, running, walking, trail running, hiking or tennis. While the various types of shoes may look the same, they all differ from one another in several ways. For example, a running shoe is designed to be lightweight and provide the most support where runners most need it: in the heels and balls of the feet. If you perform a variety of activities, from aerobics to walking to other activities, a cross-training shoe may best support each activity.

Step 2

Try on shoes at the same time of day you typically work out, if possible. This may not be feasible if you are an early morning exerciser; but if you work out in the evening, trying on shoes then will allow you to adjust for the swelling that typically occurs over the day.

Step 3

Use your foot shape to determine what structural features you need in a shoe. For example, if you lack arch in your foot, you should purchase a shoe that emphasizes arch support. If you have a high arch, you will need a very well-cushioned shoe, as a foot with a high arch tends to be more rigid than a flatter foot.

Step 4

Buy shoes that really fit. Your toes should be able to wiggle slightly, and there should be at least a half-inch of space between the end of the shoe and the top of the toes. The back should cup the foot and ankle but not rub against or flop away from the ankle.

Step 5

Try on shoes with the socks that you actually wear while exercising. Although many sporting goods stores offer one-time-use socks, you should ensure your socks and shoes together will provide a compatible fit.

-Livestrong

Organize Your Life: Personal Goal Setting

10 Strategies For Goal Setting

Whether you want to break one bad habit or restructure your entire life, the act of personal goal setting is one of the most effective ways to help you define and achieve your vision for yourself. If you don't have a clear idea of where you're going, getting there is going to be difficult, if not impossible. Use the following strategies to give yourself the best chance at success.

1. Limit Your Number of Goals
Identify what areas of your life need the most attention, then whittle the list down to something manageable. Choose a goal that will bring you the most satisfaction and will improve your quality of life the most at this point and time. Make a list of future goals and promise yourself you will tackle the other goals after you've achieved the goal you have chosen as your number one priority.

2. Examine Your Motivation
You need to be emotionally invested in your personal goal if you hope to make significant progress. Ask yourself why you want to make this change. Is it because someone else is pressuring you, or do you really want to achieve this goal? How will achieving this goal enhance your quality of life? How will you feel when you reach your goal? Write down your answers and post them someplace where you can see them daily.

3. Promise Yourself 30 Days
Commit to working on your personal goal for at least 30 days. It takes 30 days to establish a new habit or change a bad habit, so you will need to commit to focusing on your personal goal for at least that long. Promise to celebrate at the end of the 30 days-regardless of the results-just for sticking with the plan for that long.

4. Be Realistic
Realistic goal setting is more challenging than it sounds. You probably tend to either become overzealous about a goal, expecting too much of yourself, or you shoot too low, not expecting enough out of yourself. To figure out what is a reasonable personal goal for you, examine your past efforts in the area of desired change.

Determine what caused you to fail or find limited success, and build off your past experiences. Now use that information to break your main goal into realistic, achievable mini goals. For example, you can break the goal of exercising more into several mini goals. Your first mini goal might be to walk for 30 minutes each day for that first week.

Your second mini goal might be to increase that walking time to 40 minutes a day the second week. By the third week, you might decide to commit to jogging for one minute, then walking for two minutes for the entire 40 minutes of exercise. By setting goals that do not increase drastically in difficulty, you'll be much more likely to meet your goals.

5. Make Use of Goal Setting Tools
You'll need to get your goals down in writing, so find a goal setting strategy or tool that best suits your personality. You can utilize online goal setting and accountability tools, join a support group and use materials provided within the group, develop your own system or buy a calendar or desktop system. For a good description of several methods of goal setting strategies and tools, check out www.zenhabits.net, a blog written by Leo Babauta, the author of e-book "Zen to Done."

6. Rely on Goal Setting Checklists for Accountability
Accountability checklists can come in many forms. You may want a simple note card on which you can check out your achievements such as drinking eight glasses of water. You may want to use a journal so you can write out your feelings or struggles when you fail or achieve a daily goal such as smoking or eating unhealthy foods.

Perhaps you need to use a tiny notebook or a notepad on your PDA to record your daily spending habits so you and reduce your debt. Investigate the possible checklists, then commit to a system and record your daily progress. Be merciful to yourself when you fail, and celebrate when you succeed. Expect yourself to have set backs, but refuse to give up on your goal.

7. Find Tangible Ways to Measure Your Progress
Chart your progress on your computer, a wall chart, calendar or PDA and evaluate your plan weekly. If you are a visual person, print out a chart that shows exactly how you are doing. If you are socially motivated, enlist a friend to share in your daily successes and disappointments.

8. Plan for Additional Goals
Most likely you have more than one personal goal you want to achieve. Schedule out a tentative plan for the other goals you have, sketching for yourself an imaginary new you after you have tackled and achieved your goals. Dream about how much you will enjoy having more time or money or more serenity or a healthier body. As you sketch out your other goals, notice how some of your goals interact or cross over one another. Let this exercise inspire you.

9. Educate Yourself Regarding Your Personal Goals
Read books, blog posts and articles about the goal you are trying to achieve. Look for opportunities to hear from experts or people who have achieved your goal already. Fill your mind with these people's stories and advice, and let the information saturate your world. If you wish to get more organized, become an expert on what organized people do to stay that way. If you wish to climb Mount Everest, read about famous mountain climbers. Fill yourself with practical knowledge.

10. Resolve to Succeed
If you are not experiencing much progress, re-evaluate the initial plan and revise. Celebrate your month-long efforts, then start again. Commit to another 30 days with a new plan if you were unsuccessful in the first 30 days.

By: Rachel Mork

Gluten Free The Way To Be?

A gluten-free diet is a way of life for the person with celiac disease, a digestive disorder due to severe gluten sensitivity. No one needs to tell someone with the disease to stay off gluten, the protein component in many grains.

However those suffering with joint pain, brain fog, loss of balance or other neurologic and auto-immune disorders may also benefit from a similar diet as some studies have linked these and other illnesses to gluten consumption.

One out of every 133 healthy adults in the United States has celiac disease and the accompanying digestive problems if they eat anything containing gluten, according to the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Program.

Genetic inheritance, infections and liver function can influence this type of sensitivity.

According to the recent medical literature, people with the following conditions may benefit considerably from a gluten-free diet:

- Rheumatoid arthritis

- Multiple sclerosis

- Parkinson’s disease

- Neuromyelitis (inflammation of the nervous system)

- Peripheral neuropathies

- Seizures

- Autism

- Ataxia (loss of balance)

- Late-onset Friedreich ataxia

- Down’s syndrome

- Cognitive problems (brain fog)

- Osteoporosis

- Type 2 and Type 1 diabetes

- Anemia

Gluten-Free Diet

A gluten-free diet means completely avoiding foods that contain wheat (duram, triticale, kamut), oats, rye, spelt and barley. Foods and products made from these grains are not allowed and a person with celiac disease, as well as other diseases, should avoid most grain, pasta, cereal, beer or many processed foods.

Despite these restrictions, people with celiac disease can include in their diet a variety of foods designed to aid people with this condition. You can now buy gluten-free bread, pasta and even gluten-free beers are available in larger supermarkets and health stories. Naturally, fresh fruits and vegetables are all gluten-free.

Futher dietary options include potato, rice, soy, amaranth, quinoa, buckwheat, or bean flour instead of wheat flour, reports the National Institute of Health (NIH).

Currently, wheat and grain growers have an incentive to increase the amount of gluten in their products because grain with a higher protein content brings a higher market price. At the same time, more and more companies are looking at how to best market gluten-free products and the taste and quality of their gluten-free foods is improving.

Integrative Manual Therapy (IMT) For Gluten Sensitivity

In addition to dietary changes, people with gluten-related symptoms can look to Integrative Manual Therapy (IMT) for help with shifting physical pain and loss of function. IMT practitioners are seeing evidence of what could potentially be called a gluten-sensitivity epidemic. Physical indicators of a problem digesting and processing gluten include, positive myofascial mapping. This is an IMT diagnostic procedure assessing the connective tissue at the ileocecal valve and cecum, the first part of the large intestine near the right hip.

There is also evidence of the presence of allergy related circadian rhythms in the large intestine, according to Sharon Weiselfish-Giammatteo, a PhD Physical Therapist and the developer of Integrative Manual Therapy. She has written a self-care book entitled "Elimination Diet - A New Health Care Tool." .

Other indicators of gluten sensitivity are deficiencies in zinc, manganese and chlorophyll. There is often skeletal muscle and smooth muscle weakness seen in neurologic and autoimmune disorders linked with the large intestine and gluten. Considerable evidence in the medical literature links nutritional deficiencies, gluten sensitivity and other disease processes.

The Swedish Epidemic

Gluten sensitivity affects people with a diverse genetic make up differently. From a 2005 study, A. Ivarsson noted "Sweden has experienced an epidemic of symptomatic celiac disease that has no likeness anywhere else in the world. This is quite unique for a disease that is genetically dependent, immune-mediated and chronic." The article - published in a journal primarily read by gastroenterologists or doctors specializing in digestive function (Best Pract Res Clin Gastroenterol) - continued, "half of the epidemic was explained by an increase in the proportion of infants introduced to gluten in comparatively large amounts after breast-feeding had been ended. Moreover, children born during summer had an increased risk for celiac disease, possibly as they were mostly introduced to dietary gluten during winter when infections are more common."

The Range of Diseases Associated with Gluten

According to Living Without (Woodward 2007), a magazine for people with celiac disease, the following conditions are commonly associated with gluten consumption: iron-deficiency anemia, diarrhea, failure to thrive, abdominal distention.

Less common features include: short stature, delayed puberty, gastrointestinal features, recurrent abdominal pain, osteoporosis, vitamin K deficiency, athropathy (joint dysfunction), polyneuropathy (various kinds of nerve dysfunctions), ataxia (loss of balance), epilepsy (seizures), infertility, recurrent abortions, anxiety, depression, and alopecia (hair loss). Conditions associated with gluten allergies include: dermatitis herpetiformis, IgA deficiency, Type I diabetes, autoimmune thyroid disease, Sjogren's syndrome, microscopic colitis, rheumatoid arthritis, Down's syndrome, and IgA nephropathy.

The Living Without article, "All in your head" lists the following as conditions possibly associated with gluten: congenital heart disease, recurrent pericarditis (inflammation of the sack around the heart), lung disease, inflammatory bowel disease, autoimmune hepatitis (liver disease), primary biliary cirrhosis (gallbladder dysfunction), Addison's disease (kidney and adrenal dysfunction), systemic lupus erythematosus (an autoimmune disease), vasculitis (inflammation of the blood vessels), polymyositis (inflammation of the muscles), Myasthenia gravis (another autoimmune disease) and schizophrenia.

Research is showing that many people with these conditions do better, have less symptoms and faster recovery if they are on a gluten-free diet. Improved digestive health can also accelerate healing simply by ensuring that more nutrients are available to areas that have been damaged.

-Kimberly Burnham

Eat Healthy and Save Money

That's right - eating well doesn't have to break your bank.

These days, it seems everyone is looking for ways to cut back on spending and find the best deals. This means lowering your monthly utility bills and not buying that new luxury vehicle. And it also means watching your dimes during your weekly trip to the grocery store. How can we save money on our food but still eat a healthy, well-balanced diet? Read on and you will find key ways to reduce your grocery bill without going hungry. All it takes is a little research and a plan.

First: The first step is to make a plan. Determine what you would like to eat for an entire week. Then, examine your cabinets and refrigerator for what you currently have and make a list of what you still need before you head to the store. Once in the store, don't veer off to meet your sudden cravings. Instead, stick to your list, without making any exceptions. When you have meal options already in your kitchen, you will be less likely to eat out or to stop for quick, more expensive foods to fix.

Second: A second way to eat healthy on a tight budget is to watch for sales. Many grocery stores offer buy-one-get-one-free deals or other great discounts. It is helpful if you know how much items normally cost before you jump on a sale that might not really be that great of a deal. But if something truly is on sale, you may want to stock up on items you know you can use in the future.

Third: Another way to save on groceries is to cut coupons. Sure, this may seem like an inconvenience that's not worth your time, but if you invest a little of your time, you can save a lot of money. For the best coupons, find out if your grocery store accepts multiple coupons for a single item, such as the store coupon, a manufacturer's coupon, or even a competitor's coupon. Frequenting grocery stores that accept any coupon you have makes it much easier to save. To find coupons, check your local newspaper or magazines. But don't think that's the only place to find deals. Many companies offer online coupons that can be printed off and used at will.

When you go to the grocery store, you find that the cheapest calories are the ones that are going to make you the fattest.
- Amanda Zimmerman

Fourth: A sure way to eat healthy on the cheap is to shop along the edges of your grocery store. If you notice, it is in the center aisles where the majority of your more expensive, packaged foods are located. You can find fresh meats in the deli, whole grain bread from the bakery, milk products in the dairy section, and fresh, in-season fruits and vegetables in the produce section, which are all on the outskirts of any grocery store.

Fifth: Another way to save money on groceries is to buy the store brand. For many food products, you will not be able to taste the difference between more expensive brands and the cheaper store brand. In fact, you may find yourself preferring the flavor of the cheaper alternative and you may be surprised to find out how healthy the store brands often are.

Sixth: If you have the time, it definitely pays to prepare your own food instead of buying pre-made meals or snacks available at the grocery store. When you make your own meals, you know what ingredients you are putting into each food (and your body), and you can be sure they are good for you. Good places to begin making your own food are popcorn (Why not pop it on the stove?) or homemade cookies or muffins (Have the kids lend a hand). Before long, you'll be enjoying homemade meals every day, and your pocketbook will thank you.

Finally: Eating a healthy diet does not have to be expensive. All it takes is a plan and a little extra time. So be smart at the grocery store, stick to your list, use coupons, look for deals, prepare your own food, and take heart knowing that your body and your bank account are healthy.

Make Your Own Hummus Dip

This hummus is a family recipe passed down from many generations. Eat with warm pita bread.

Categories: Low Carb, Lunch, Low Calorie, Low Sodium, Dinner, Low Fat, Low Cholesterol, Dairy-Free, Vegetarian

Here's What You Need

• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 (19 ounce) can garbanzo beans, half the liquid reserved
• 4 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic
• black pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. In a blender, chop the garlic.

2. Pour garbanzo beans into blender, reserving about a tablespoon for garnish.
3. Place lemon juice, tahini, chopped garlic and salt in blender.
4. Blend until creamy and well mixed.
5. Transfer the mixture to a medium serving bowl.
6. Sprinkle with pepper and pour olive oil over the top.
7. Garnish with reserved garbanzo beans.

Nutrition Facts

Servings: 20, Calories: 54, Fat: 2.5g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Sodium: 199mg,Carbohydrate: 6.8g, Protein: 1.6g

Working Out Outside

A handful of ways you can get a good workout in the great outdoors.

As the sun breaks over the horizon, and a gentle light falls over the landscape, you're faced with another beautiful day. Suddenly, you're hit with the same urge you had as a college student. You want to skip your workout and play all day. Why not skip your way to an energizing workout outside, along the very hills and valleys you're admiring?

Read on to find out a few things to consider in order to get a great exercise using the terrain surrounding you.

Alternate Terrain

One of the biggest perks of working out outside is that doing so forces you to move on a lot of different types of terrain. This benefit is particularly strong if you're going to go walking or running. During an outdoor run, you'll be going from a sidewalk to grass to the street and then up and down staircases. This varied terrain mimics what you'll experience during real life, making it easier to navigate your way from point A to point B with minimal difficulty.

If you happen to be near a beach, working out in the sand not only puts you on an alternate terrain, but offers a fabulous workout that cannot be replicated on any other surface. Of course, while on the sand and other outdoor terrain, exercising caution and proper technique will ensure you don't wind up suffering injury.

Air Out There

In addition to a change in terrain, exercising outside allows you to breathe air that will bring different threats your way than may be found inside. As a result, you should be particularly attentive to any health issues that may indicate an allergy. In the event you begin sneezing or suffering headaches, a runny nose, itchy eyes, or allergic swelling, you may need a little help.

With a quick trip to an allergist, you can learn what you're allergic to in your outdoor exercise environment and you can receive appropriate medication to help you battle against the allergies. However, if you feel your allergies are too strong to deal with or would prefer to not depend on a physician for your ability to work out outside, you may have to stick to your indoor routine.

Drink in the Sun (and Water)

One of the benefits of working out beyond the confines of a gymnasium is the ability to get some vitamin D and a great tan in the process. Unfortunately, the sun is also one of the dangers of taking your workout into the outdoors. The most obvious sun-related danger is the threat of sunburns. By wearing sunscreen and sunglasses and reapplying if you're outside for longer than an hour or so,

Also, since you'll be sweating more when you're outside, keeping hydrated is more difficult and important. Before beginning your outdoor workout, be sure to drink plenty of water. You should also keep a bottle of water on hand to drink from on a regular basis. With proper hydration and a good outdoor workout, you can have the skin color and muscle definition you want, all while breathing that fresh outdoor air.

How to Get It Done

Exercising outside is more than walking, running, or lifting weights at muscle beach. There are actually quite a lot of ways you can get some exercise without driving to the gym, including the following:

• riding a bicycle
• playing tag with your children
• trail running
• playing on an outdoor soccer team
• walking on a trail that includes exercise stations and using the stations
• gardening
• rock climbing
• backpacking

How Fit Are You??

Exactly how fit are you? It's an intriguing question. Many people over and under estimate their own fitness. Often, the fitter people get, the more critical they are of their own fitness. The ways of measuring your fitness is almost as varied as the ways you can get fit. So how do we find out how fit we are?

Measuring your fitness is important for a few reasons. Knowing your current fitness level will enable you to make clear goals for your workout program. You'll be able to measure your fitness after some time, and see how far you've progressed. This will help to maintain your motivation. Finally, it's important to know your fitness level so that you can choose the most appropriate exercise and strength training for your body.

There are four primary components of fitness that you can measure. The first is aerobic fitness. This is your endurance level, and it is dependent upon your age, gender, and improves with proper training. Aerobic fitness is directly related to the proportion of your bodyweight that is free of fat. Your level of aerobic fitness implies a level of health, and thus is a very important measurement.

Aerobic movement requires the delivery of oxygen to the muscles. Oxygen is delivered to the muscles via your bloodstream. Therefore, each heartbeat you have is an indicator of the amount of blood traveling through your bloodstream. So one way to measure your aerobic fitness is to take your heart rate, or pulse. Record your resting pulse rate, and then go for a one-mile brisk walk. Take your pulse again once you've immediately finished the mile, and record how long it took you to walk. As you gain aerobic fitness, your heart rate should lower. So should the time it takes you to walk the mile! The average resting heart rate for an adult is 60 to 100 beats per minute (bpm). Truly fit individuals can have a resting heart rate of 40bpm!

The second measurement is muscular fitness. This relates to your strength, and the endurance of that strength. Your muscular fitness can show how susceptible you are to injury. It also relates to your bone mass. A very simple way of testing your muscular fitness is with push-ups. You can time yourself, and see how many you do in that timeframe. Or, you can just complete as many push-ups as possible before fatigue sets in.

The third measurement is flexibility. This is your body's ability to move joints and muscles through a full range of motion. It can also relate to your balance and coordination levels. A tight muscle can prevent normal movement. The most common way to measure your flexibility is via the dreaded sit and reach test. With this test, you'll need a measuring tape. Place the measuring tape along the floor. With your feet at zero, and the tape stretching away from you, sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you. Try to touch your feet or stretch as far past your feet as possible. Have a friend check how far you went on the measuring tape. If you can't reach your toes, you'll have a negative number. If you stretch past your feet, you'll have a positive number. Obviously, the more flexible your legs, hips, and lower back are, the further you will be able to reach in this test. One problem, though, is that your flexibility in each joint is independent of your other joints. Therefore, you may have very flexible shoulder joints, but terribly tight hamstrings.

The fourth measurement is your body composition. This tends to relate to the amount of fat on your body, and where that fat is located. The location of fat at specific sites (in particular, the waist area) places you at higher risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes. A simple way of measuring your body composition is via your body mass index (BMI). This is your body weight (in kilograms) divided by the square of your height (in meters). For example, if your weight is 61 kilograms, and your height is 1.69 meters, then your BMI calculation would be 61(1.69 x 1.69).

That's a BMI of 21.36. There are also charts that allow you to look up your BMI based on your height and weight. The range for a normal BMI is 18.5 – 25. You will fall into the overweight range if your BMI is anywhere between 25 – 30. Obese is anything greater than 30. Underweight is anything under 18.5.

Another important body composition test is to measure your waist. Anything larger than 40 inches for men, and 35 inches for women increases your health risks. This is particularly important to take notice of if your BMI is larger than 25.

So how fit are you? But more importantly, how fit do you intend to be? Set your goals, work your program, and watch as those numbers go down, down, down.