You don’t have to give up carbs, but eating the right carbs can make a big difference in achieving your goals.
Registered dietitian Elizabeth Somer, M.A., R.D., author of the new book Eat Your Way To Happiness, has some tips to share below in “10 Steps for a Carb Makeover.” The tips may help you work with your carb cravings to make better food choices.
If you like the tips, you might want to check out Eat Your Way To Happiness. In the new book, Somer presents easy recipes to add to your daily routine to help energize you, elevate your mood …read more

Living with diabetes is more than taking insulin or medication. Those who have diabetes or know someone who does knows that living with diabetes is a lifestyle.
Insulin or medications, like metformin or glucophage are not a cures for diabetes, although that is a common belief. Insulin and medications merely manage the disease, allowing the person with diabetes to continue living as normally as possible. Unfortunately, the disease still can cause significant damage to the body, as the sugar levels fluctuate.
People with diabetes who manage to keep their blood glucose (sugar) under strict control have a better chance of avoiding complications. …read more

It may seem to go against your instincts, but in some cases, supervised exercise when you have knee pain could be just what you need.
A study in the Netherlands of 131 people with patellofemoral pain syndrome found that patients who had followed a specially designed exercise program had better outcomes after one year of treatment than those who followed the standard care.
Patellofemoral pain syndrome results in pain at the front of the knee, most often starting in adolescence, particularly among teens who are active in sports. It affects women more than men.
The patients who followed the exercise program had a …read more

Today marks the 34th Great American Smokeout. Visit cancer.org to learn more about all the reasons you should quit, plus a guide to quitting and planning your quit day.
For women who want to quit smoking, there’s more good news on a how to better make that commitment. Some women choose their appearance over health, continuing to smoke to avoid the weight gain that may come from the absence of nicotine. However, one new study says that need not be the case.
A new analysis of the results of several studies reveals that women who quit smoking while also receiving treatment for …read more

P&G Voluntarily Recalls Specific Lots of Vicks Sinex Nasal Spray in the United States, Germany and the United Kingdom
Press Release

CINCINNATI, Nov. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE: PG) announced today it is voluntarily recalling three lots of its Vicks Sinex nasal spray in three countries: the United States, Germany and the United Kingdom.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/pg/41327/
The company said it is taking this precautionary step after finding the bacteria B. cepacia in a small amount of product made at its plant in Gross Gerau, Germany. There have been no reports of illness. However, …read more

Children who have asthma are at higher risk of developing problems if they contract the H1N1 flu, more so than if they have the seasonal flu, say researchers.
Researchers in Toronto, Canada, investigated the differences between 58 children with H1N1 who were admitted to the Hospital for the Hospital for Sick Kids, in Toronto, and 200 who had been admitted to the same hospital with complications from the seasonal flu, between 2004 and 2008.
The researchers found that 22% of the children who were admitted because of H1N1 had asthma, while only 6% of those with seasonal influenza were asthmatic. In addition, …read more

If you’re wondering what’s wrong with the US Preventive Services Task Force, you’re probably not alone. The task force, composed of 16 health care experts that reviewed medical data, announced earlier this week that women ages 40-49 should perhaps not bother getting a mammogram (CNN: “Task force opposes routine mammograms for women age 40-49″).
Their reasoning is essentially that it doesn’t save enough lives and causes anxiety over false positives and unnecessary biopsies. Only 15% of women in their 40s are diagnosed with breast cancer via mammograms. Isn’t that enough?

Today, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius commented on the controversy …read more

Today is Prematurity Awareness Day, and the March of Dimes just released their Premature Birth Report Card. (The entire month of November is also Prematurity Awareness Month.)
Once again this year, the US has barely passed the test. However, seven states did improve their performance over last year. Some strides that were made include: 33 states and DC reduced the percentage of women of childbearing age who smoke, while 21 states and DC reduced the percentage of uninsured women of childbearing age.
Despite the improvements, the overall grade for the US remained a “D” for the second consecutive year. No state earned …read more

This is the perfect time to renew your focus on fitness — before New Year’s resolutions and tempting holiday foods. Having a gym membership can be a motivating factor to get you moving too. So, here’s your chance for a free month membership at the LA Boxing of your choice!
To enter, watch the short video below and leave a comment with your thoughts on LA Boxing. Also check to see if there’s an LA Boxing near you at the LA Boxing gym locator. Several states have LA Boxing locations.
After trying out the LA Boxing experience, the lucky winner will share …read more

One day, will you see drugs for the female libido advertised as heavily as Viagra? It’s possible.
The drug flibanserin was created as an antidepressant, but it doesn’t work so well for depression. However, the pooled results from three separate clinical trials revealed that the drug successfully treats women with low libido. But don’t ask your doc about it just yet. Right now, flibanserin is just an investigational drug for women in clinical trials.

In the studies, women with hypoactive sexual desire disorder reported significant improvements in sexual desire and satisfactory sexual experiences while taking flibanserin. “It’s essentially a Viagra-like drug for …read more