For the last several months, health officials have told us that frequent hand washing might be one way we can help prevent the H1N1 virus. While everyone from office workers to school children has been told to wash their hands several times a day, new reports have surfaced that showed that some schools with diligent hand washing rules still had massive outbreaks of H1N1.

Health officials agree that hand washing can help with many diseases like the common cold. But for the flu? Especially the H1N1 virus? Not so much. However, health officials still say hand …read more

I’ve been working on living a healthier lifestyle.  I’ve noticed that in the last year, my metabolism appears to have slowed down. It takes a lot more work to lose weight. It’s frustrating, so I am always in search of tips to tweak my diet and exercise routine in a way that will translate to more successful weight loss and overall health.
I found a great list of diet tips from AOL Health. These tips are tried and true favorites of top US registered dieticians.
Some are no-brainers, like switch out your whole milk for 1% (I use Fat Free myself). Did …read more

Do you think that school lunches are healthy? I remember growing up- pizza, sloppy joe, burger and fries… Now there is baked chicken, spaghetti and meat sauce, tuna on wheat, peanut butter celery and a salad and veggie on every tray. Much better then what I remember. Do you think school lunches are heart healthy?
When my eldest started school I packed her lunch out of fear of ‘what the heck would she get on a school lunch tray’? Now with my older two at school- they buy lunch about 50% of the time. To be totally honest, I think the …read more

Check out this list of heart healthy tips from reader Amélie in celebration of last Sunday’s World Heart Day. Each tip will bring you one step closer to a healthier heart.

Read A Hearty Life, and/or add it to your LiveJournal friends here.
Go for a walk. It’s Sunday, the weather isn’t too bad yet (or is starting to get nicer, depending on which hemisphere you’re on), it’s the perfect day to go outside. Keep up the exercise regularly, even if it’s just going for a walk.
Have an apple instead of that Snickers bar or packet of crisps. Yes, you know what …read more

Robyn Tippins of Inside Motherhood has one of the healthiest lifestyles I’ve seen in a while. She’s setting a great example for her four kids!
I don’t drink or smoke and I exercise daily (either pilates or on the treadmill). I taught pilates for years so this is usually what I do when I am watching TV. I listen to podcasts when I run.
I don’t eat as healthfully as I used to, but I’m breaking one bad habit at a time now. Maybe soon can get off of Diet Coke (it’s my worse habit right now)… I am careful to take …read more

Happy World Heart Day! I hope you were able to treat your heart to a day of healthy and peaceful living.
Fabio Cannavaro, superstar Italian football (soccer) player who led his country’s team to a FIFA World Cup win and currently with Real Madrid, says:
I know my heart is the strongest, most important muscle in my body and a winning performance depends on its vitality. Having a healthy diet and taking regular exercise will help to keep my heart young and my career long.
You heard it. The heart is the most important muscle, not anything else.
Technorati Tags: uefa, …read more

Most everyone knows how to live a hearty, healthy life. The trouble is feeling motivated to do so. Here are a couple of articles from the how-to series at Problogger that might give you a chuckle and some ideas too.

How to Live a Short, Miserable, Unhealthy Life at Your Healthiest Life
How to jump start a new healthy lifestyle at Fitness Health and Diet Tips

And a couple more about illness etiquette from Abide should you ever find yourself visiting someone who hasn’t been well.

Illness Etiquette Part 1
Illness Etiquette Part 2

Technorati Tags: etiquette, heart disease, heart, disease, illness, health, …read more

Stef Patag of Noodles and Rice is so busy it makes my head spin. It’s even more amazing that Stef can still find time to live healthily.
Everyday I find 15-30 minutes to pray and meditate, early in the morning, when everyone is asleep. After this I do 15 minutes of exercise — I’d do more but my busy life right now only allows this — treadmill every other day, different things on other days, like aerobics or Tae Bo or exercises from Brungardt’s books.
I take a cup of green tea every morning and follow up later …read more

Salt isn’t good for you and neither is sugar. It takes a strong woman to give both up and SP Bragg at Weary Parent has done it.
I gave up salt… but it sucks! Gave up sugar too… that sucks even more.
I can remember thinking when my blood pressure was going through the roof that how horrible it would be if I got diabetes like my mom…no salt and no sugar! Guess what!
So… veggies it is for the most part. But I did sneak in a 1/4 cup of my daughter Britt’s Skor Blizzard last time we went shopping. Actually it …read more

Noel Bautista of Simply Thrifty is sharing his Hearty Habits today and for a guy who’s supposed to be pinching pennies, he sure is taking a lot of expensive vitamin supplements!
I take: multivitamin, omega3, garlic supplement, calcium supplement, fruit and vegetable concentrate, vit c, vit e, multi carotene (for eye health..my eyes are still 20/20 even after working with computers for the last 13 years).
I haven’t had a fever over the last couple of years. The worst would be colds, cough. I would want to add exercise on my health regimen though.
Aside from all the supplements I take…