You may have already heard about the health benefits of apple cider vinegar.  Some of its uses include treatment for weight loss, leg cramps and pain, upset stomach, sore throats,  sinus problems, high blood pressure, cholesterol redand fight infection.  While there is insufficient scientific evidence to substantiate all of the claims made about apple cider […]

Fifty-eight percent of American adults own smartphones. If you spend more than two hours a day hunched over your phone, you might succumb to “tech neck”.  Tech neck is a condition that occurs when you spend too much time with your head tilted forward to read texts or other content on your smartphone.  At a15 […]

The word inflammation is derived from a Latin word meaning “to kindle” or “to ignite”.  Inflammation is part of your immune system,  the body’s attempt at self-protection, and is designed to remove harmful stimuli and begin the healing process.  There are two kinds of inflammation, acute and chronic.  Acute inflammation starts rapidly and quickly becomes […]

I recently read some interesting and troubling statistics on cycling.  Did you know that 75% of cycling related fatalities were due to the fact that the cyclist had no helmet?  That being said, many cyclists who wear a helmet, and many who are experienced cyclists, have been involved in accidents in Colorado. Despite the growing […]

I hear, read and see lots of material on health and well-being.  Sometimes the information is thorough and accurate.  Sometimes the information is correct, but some facts are omitted. Here are a few things I still hear after many years in the fitness business. BMI is not a valid health measure.  Body Mass Index, or […]

Recently, the American College of Sports Medicine released their 2016 Fitness Index, a scientific snapshot of the state of health and fitness by metropolitan area. The report looks at the 50 largest metropolitan areas in the United States, as defined by census data. Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) were chosen as the unit of measurement because […]

Ever heard of the glycemic index?  It refers to a carbohydrate’s ability to raise blood sugar to a particular level within a given period of time. Some starchy foods have a high glycemic index that may cause high blood sugar levels after meals. Most non-starchy vegetables, fruits, and legumes have a low glycemic index. The […]

The Environmental Working Group (EWG), a nonprofit environmental research and advocacy organization has disclosed that, when grown conventionally, strawberries are contaminated with more types of pesticides and in higher concentrations than any other produce tested by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Food and Drug Administration. EWG analyzed test results of more than 35,000 samples […]

There have been studies conducted to determine if happy people live longer.  In a study from the UK, one of the longest-running studies on aging,  older people who said they were happy, were less likely to die over a five-year period. And the happier they were, the longer they lived. The study results showed that older […]

When I was young, my mother went to the beauty salon to get a wash and set every week.  In between salon visits, my mother did not wash her hair.  These days, Americans seem to be almost obsessed with being clean, showering one or more times per day and washing their hair daily or almost […]