Today's guest post is written by celebrity personal trainer and healthy living expert Keri Lynn Ford Summer days are here—and with them, vacations, travel and a more lax schedule. Most people assume that traveling or vacation time necessarily means a break from a healthy lifestyle, but wouldn’t it be nice to return home not weighing five more pounds than when you left? Staying fit and healthy on … [Read more...]
As summer heats up in Connecticut, the Department of Public of Health (DPH) is reminding residents to protect their health in the face of the sun, high temperatures and humidity. As we enter another heatwave, it’s a great time to brush up on some sun and heat safety tips. The State of Skin Cancer in Connecticut According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), skin cancer is the most … [Read more...]
The last couple weeks have been landmark ones for me in terms of marking progress in my healing journey. Last week, I began the move into my first home away from my parents in several years. This past Wednesday, I made a trip to the DMV and came away with my license to drive again after 3 1/2 years. These two things alone are huge indications that, after a harrowing journey that sometimes seemed … [Read more...]
Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie’s decision to have a preventive double mastectomy continues to be the topic for public debate three weeks after she announced in a New York Times editorial that she had the surgery. Jolie is hardly the first woman to make this very difficult choice, and it’s one that women who already have breast cancer face as well. A recent study presented at the American Society … [Read more...]
As late spring slides into mid- to late summer weather this week here in Connecticut, I am beginning to be blinded by that bright light of revelation: The sun is still not your friend. With temperatures in the high 80s and the bright, sunny days an appealing alternative to the dreary, dark and wet days of last week, I can’t help but want to spend time outside. It’s a perfect time to do yoga in … [Read more...]
Connecticut made history last night, May 21, by voting in favor of a bill that would require the labeling of genetically engineered food, becoming the second state to do so, following Vermont. Following a rally of more than 400 people gathered outside the state capitol in support of the bill, the State Senate approved the bill, 35-1, which would give the public the right to know if genetically … [Read more...]
With increasingly more food products coming onto the market boasting energy boosts with added caffeine, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on Monday its intention to investigate the safety of added caffeine and its effect on children and adolescents. Sparking the investigation was Wrigley’s introduction of a new caffeinated product on Monday. Alert Energy Caffeine Gum contains … [Read more...]
On Thursday, The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) advised consumers to avoid Ginkgo biloba, based on a new government study that showed evidence of the extract causing liver cancer in mice and thyroid cancer in rats. On its Chemical Cuisine guide to food additives, CSPI downgraded ginkgo from “safe” to “avoid.” While extracts from the leaves of the Ginkgo biloba tree are legally … [Read more...]
On Monday, Strolling of the Heifers released its second annual Locavore Index, which ranks the 50 states and the District of Columbia for their commitment to local foods, rating them for the availability and consumption of locally produced foods in their state. Strolling of the Heifers, the Vermont-based advocacy group, assesses the number of farmers markets, consumer-supported agriculture … [Read more...]
Last week, researchers from three different studies reported in the journal Nature identified an association between dietary salt and the development of autoimmune disease. This precedes a study published yesterday that links the consumption of processed foods with an increased risk of early death due to cardiovascular disease and cancer. According to the Voice of America, researchers were … [Read more...]