As Americans age, staying healthy and as independent as possible is a big goal. Whether you suffer from a chronic ailment or the usual aches and pains brought about by the stresses of everyday life, there are plenty of health and wellness options to consider this year.

Consider helpful tools and practices that will help you live more actively, comfortably and with additional peace of mind. Always check with your doctor before beginning a new health or fitness program.

* Massage: Aches and pains are, unfortunately, signs of getting older. A massage can help you feel much better and enable you to be more active.

* Personal trainer or gym membership: There are many forms of exercise to choose from no matter your ability level. Consider enrolling in a yoga class, stretching class or starting sessions with a personal trainer. Staying active is a great way to help you stay healthy and live more comfortably. If you do not want to spend the extra money for a gym membership consider a Weider home gym.

* Empower yourself: Anyone with a chronic lung disease such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), emphysema or asthma knows how limiting a chronic respiratory disease can be – especially when you’re worried about blood oxygen levels. But, staying active is important and monitoring blood oxygen saturation levels is made easy with a personal fingertip pulse oximeter such as Nonin Medical’s GO2.

The GO2’s accurate pulse oximetry technology is trusted by doctors worldwide and can help you better manage a condition like COPD. With reliable blood oxygen saturation readings, it can provide additional peace of mind during activities ranging from daily living to your supervised fitness program. A doctor can prescribe the GO2 during a patient visit.

* Eat healthy: Because so many medical conditions have diet restrictions, your diet may be somewhat limited. Try a new cookbook, ask your friends for recipe ideas or sign up for a cooking class, making sure that you stick with any diet restrictions you might have.

Make health and wellness a priority this year and reap the rewards of increased independence and peace of mind.

You’re not just imagining it – you really can feel winter’s chill in your bones, especially if you’re among the 45 million Americans who have arthritis. Coping with this often debilitating disease can be even more challenging when the weather turns cold, making joints feel even more stiff and painful.

In fact, rheumatoid arthritis that first appears in the winter or spring may be more severe than arthritis that emerges in summer and fall, according to a French study of arthritis patients. In addition to cold temperatures associated with winter, viruses – which are more prevalent during winter – may play a part in the increased severity of winter-onset arthritis, the study concluded.

But winter’s chill shouldn’t drive you indoors until the spring thaw. Just the opposite, says the Web site AthritisToday.org. Walking outside in the winter has many health benefits for arthritis sufferers, including burning calories and helping you feel positive and motivated, the site says. Plus, inactivity is often associated with an increase in pain.

So how can you stay active and manage your arthritis this winter? Here are a few tips:

Stay warm and dry. For those chilly rooms get a portable Coleman heater.

Dampness and cold exacerbate arthritis pain. Dress warmly and avoid dampness. If you live in an area with particularly damp weather, equip your home with a dehumidifier to take excess moisture out of the air.

When walking outside, wear warm, waterproof footgear and gloves. Layer your clothes for warmth and breathability, and choose fabrics that wick moisture away from your skin.

Stay active

“Use it or lose it” definitely applies to arthritis sufferers. Exercise can help keep joints moving, strengthen muscles connected to joints, preserve bone health, and improve your overall health and fitness, according to www.Arthritis.org, the Web site of the not-for-profit Arthritis Foundation.

If you are less active during winter, arthritis can cause even the smallest movement to be painful. Maintain your prescribed exercise regimen, under your doctor’s guidance, as much as possible during winter months. The movement will help fight off the stiffness that cold weather brings to your joints. Learn the 5 components of physical fitness.

Get help

See your doctor regularly throughout the winter and consider using aids that are designed to help ease arthritis pain in the colder months. For example, IMAK’s Arthritis Gloves provide mild compression and warmth to help relieve the increased joint pain and swelling associated with winter.

Designed by an orthopedic surgeon, the gloves can be worn indoors during daily activities and outdoors under your regular gloves. Made of cotton Lycra, the gloves have open fingertips that allow freedom to touch, feel and grip. Visit www.IMAKproducts.com to learn more.

Keep to your diet

Our diets tend to become “heavier” in colder weather as our bodies instinctively crave warmth-generating and fat-building fare to help us stay warmer. But it’s important to maintain a healthy diet throughout the winter. Controlling excess weight, which puts undue strain on already sore joints, is a key element of managing your arthritis. Also, talk to your doctor or a qualified nutritionist about what nutritional supplements might be helpful in minimizing your pain.

photo credit: PetitPlat by sk_

Busy schedules and holiday activities can keep you on the run, making it hard to eat healthy at this time of year. There are times when you miss a meal and over-indulge at a later hour, but with a little snack preparation, you can stay on schedule and on track with healthful eating habits.

Tips include:

Start your day with breakfast.
Eat a healthy breakfast every morning to get your day started off right. Toast with fruit jams, yogurt, oatmeal, a vegetable omelet or whole grain cereal all are fantastic healthy options to get your day started on a good note.

Snack responsibly.
Keep a variety of healthy snacks on hand that aren’t too large in portion but are easy to grab throughout the day. Try crackers that are made with real, but simple ingredients, such as Back to Nature’s Seed and Herb Crackers. Available in three flavors – Poppy Thyme, Sesame Tarragon and Sunflower Basil – these crackers contain no artificial preservatives, no artificial flavors or colors and contain no cholesterol or trans fat. If you’re feeling creative, pair any variety of these crackers with a low fat spread or cheese.

Carry on-the-go snacks.
Travel with a light and healthy snack that you can fit into your purse. A bag of nuts, handful of granola, a snack bar or even an apple can help you keep those hunger cravings at bay while you’re shopping, picking your children up after school or running errands around town.

Maintain a meal schedule.
Try to eat at the same time every day. This can be difficult to control with multiple family schedules, but by eating meals at a consistent time every day, your body won’t send you hunger pains from a delayed meal.

Share your healthy habits.
Serve healthy snacks that not only look good, but taste good too at parties. Great options include cookies that contain real chunks of fruit and nuts such as those from Back to Nature. Try Back to Nature Granola Cookies in Cranberry Pecan and Honey Nut that are sweetened naturally with cane juice, fruit juice and honey. If you’re looking for something sweeter, opt for Back to Nature’s Chocolate Chunk cookies that contain Rainforest Alliance-certified chocolate. Combine the cookies with fruit slices or a mixed fruit salad and you’ll have the perfect party snack mix.

By keeping yourself healthy while on the go, you can enjoy life and accomplish more activities. But don’t keep these secrets to yourself – share some of your great-tasting snacks with friends.

The best way to safeguard schools against the threats and health risks posed by common, everyday pests is to use an integrated pest management (IPM) approach. IPM is defined by the federal government as a sustainable approach to pest management that combines biological, cultural, physical and chemical tools in a way that minimizes economic, health and environmental risks.

Following IPM means using a variety of control methods, not just one. When schools limit the tools available to keep pests at bay, they are limiting the overall effectiveness of pest control programs. Decisions to ban or limit products like pesticides can come at a significant cost to health and safety, as experts agree that the most effective programs are those that include the responsible use of chemical pest control products where necessary.

“There are many different kinds of pests that can show up in a classroom, cafeteria or a schoolyard, and there are usually several options available to deal with these pest problems,” says Allen James, president of Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment, also known as RISE, a national organization representing the manufacturers, formulators and distributors of pesticide and fertilizer products. “The responsible use of pesticides is one of the options needed to keep pests out of the classroom and schoolyards safe, and when applied as part of a broader IPM approach, pesticides are very effective.

“These products are thoroughly tested, regulated and registered through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,” James says. “They are specifically designed to target the bugs and poisonous plants that can spread disease and pose serious health threats, and they need to be available to school systems for situations where they’re the best option available.”

Sometimes, pesticides are simply the most practical solution to reduce the risk of injury or illness related to pest infestations, and the control of cockroaches is generally one such case. The presence of cockroaches has been shown to cause significant health problems, especially for young children, and cockroach populations are extremely difficult to manage without the right tools for the job.

In 2005, the National Institute of Environmental Health Science, a federal agency funded through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, published a report identifying cockroach allergens as the primary contributor to childhood asthma in inner-city homes. These allergens – which include roach saliva, fecal matter, secretions, cast skins and dead bodies – were found to foster the development and onset of childhood asthma.

“Cockroaches are a difficult pest to fight without the proper use of pesticides,” James explains. “When there are several people in a relatively small space, any contact with roach allergens and bacteria is going to affect more people. That kind of situation arises frequently in homes and also in schools when you get 20 or more kids in the same room for several hours each day. In that type of environment, any kind of exposure to roaches and other causes is going to get magnified.”

According to data from the American Lung Association, asthma is the leading serious chronic illness among children under the age of 18 in the United States, affecting approximately 6.8 million children nationwide. Reducing exposure to known allergens is the best way to prevent asthma development and asthma attacks, and prevention starts with the elimination of unnecessary allergens in places where children are going to be for hours on end, like schools and classrooms.

While most of the national conversation might be centered on protecting children from the H1N1 flu virus, the new bug in town is not the only one worthy of attention. With the constant risks of asthma and other pest-related health threats, schools need to carefully consider what pest control tactics make the most sense for their specific situation. Having all of the tools available is the first step toward implementing a successful pest control program that provides the best possible protection each day for children at school – both inside and outside of the classroom.

Most parents will agree that a child’s emotional well-being is just as important as their physical health. Kids who learn to communicate feelings have a better sense of self awareness. This benefits their relationships with parents and with their peers.

How can you teach your child to manage both positive and negative moods in an emotionally intelligent manner and avoid mood disorder? Here are some ideas for ways to get your kids to express what they are feeling in a healthy way:

1. Talk it out
The first thing that every parent should try is talking to their children about what they are feeling, especially when they are dealing with negative feelings. Try to figure out the origin of the emotion. It helps to encourage them to use the word “I” when they explain their feelings. For example, “I feel sad when” or “I feel excited because.”

2. Utilize visuals
If verbalizing emotions isn’t an easy thing for your child to do, start by sitting down and coloring pictures together. Some children will open up instantly when they have a creative outlet for expression. Ask your child to explain their drawing. Don’t let them do all the work, parents should draw and explain the feelings involved in their picture as well. This exercise just might be the perfect ice-breaker.

3. Choose emotionally intelligent toys
With a little research, parents can find toys for their kids that help them learn and express their emotions. One great example is the Super Special Friend Kai-lan doll. Based on the character Kai-lan from Nickelodeon’s hit animated preschool series, Ni Hao, Kai-lan, this interactive doll invites the child to hold Kai-lan’s hand as her heart will light up in one of six different colors, each corresponding to a different emotion. The doll also moves her head, eyes and arms in response to how she’s feeling, and asks girls and boys to interact with her. When she’s sad, she asks for a hug; when she’s happy she sings the “Friends Make Me Super Happy” song from the show; and when she’s feeling giggly, she makes a silly face. This toy is an easy way to help your child learn about their emotions and how to express them.

4. Lead by example
Your child is in constant observation of your behavior. So when you’re feeling happy or sad, talk about it with your child. After a tough day at work, have a short conversation over dinner about how you are tired because work today was hard and how you hope tomorrow is better. If you’re excited for an upcoming event, let your child know what you think about the event and why you are looking forward to it. Talking about life and demonstrating how to properly handle both positive and negative emotions are good ways to lead by example.

Try one or more of these ideas to help your child learn about emotions and feelings. If one doesn’t work, don’t be afraid to try another one. With time and patience, every child can learn about feelings and how to properly manage their moods.

Diabetes is becoming more and more prevalent in Hispanic populations in the United States, according to 2008 statistics from the National Institutes of Health.

This trend has serious health implications because of the increased prevalence, the greater number of risk factors and the greater incidence of complications. In general, Hispanics are diagnosed with diabetes at twice the rate of Caucasian Americans, and about 7 percent have undiagnosed diabetes.

More than 10 percent of Hispanics in the United States older than 20 have been diagnosed with diabetes, according to the NIH. Among Hispanics, diabetes prevalence rates are 8.2 percent for Cubans, 11.9 percent for Mexican Americans and 12.6 percent for Puerto Ricans.

One of the most common questions people with diabetes ask is “Can we eat sugar?” The answer is “yes”, but in moderation. The recommended diet for people with diabetes has changed in the past decade. Diabetics now learn about and can enjoy less restrictive diets. Diabetes experts say that diabetics can include sugar as part of the carbohydrates allotted in their overall diets.

However, diabetic diets still need to be personalized. Patients with diabetes need to consider their medication, age, height, weight, blood sugar levels, physical activity and carbohydrate intake recommendations as they plan their diets.

One way to continue enjoying ”sweet” foods is to include non-nutritive sweeteners in the diet, but the role of these ingredients often is not well understood by consumers. “My clients often have questions about aspartame safety and other non-nutritive sweeteners,” says Ximena Jimenez, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. “I reassure them that while there is an unusual amount of misinformation on the Internet about aspartame, it probably is one of the most thoroughly researched food ingredients available today and it is approved by the FDA.”

Aspartame contains almost no calories compared to regular sugar and is a very simple ingredient that breaks down to two amino acids and a small amount of methanol. Each of these components is also found naturally in common foods, including meats and dairy products, fruits and vegetables. (For more information, visit http://www.aboutaspartame.com/professional/index.asp.)

The American Diabetes Association stands behind the safety of low-calorie sweeteners including aspartame, sucralose, “ace K,” saccharin and “reb A.” You’ll find these in many food products such as diet soda, baked products, light yogurt and sugarless candy. These sweeteners, which are only needed in tiny amounts, can reduce or replace sugars and calories in foods and beverages, offering people with diabetes greater variety and flexibility with their total carbohydrate intake. People with diabetes are more likely to comply with a healthful meal plan when they are able to eat foods that they enjoy.

With governments and leading health care organizations around the world encouraging everyone to reduce the amount of sugar consumed, the role of low-calorie sweeteners in diets likely will be increasingly important.

To learn more about living with diabetes, visit the American Diabetes Association’s Web site at www.Diabetes.org.

About 11% of the populations suffers from these debilitating headaches for some period in their life, yet despite the best medical research the cause of migraine remains unknown.

This article discusses migraine and presents two migraine headache remedies you may want to try.