10 Tips for Protecting Your Eyes

I am constantly amazed by the links between how we live and every aspect of our health. While it's no surprise that your diet and levels of exercise can affect the health of your heart, it probably comes as a shock to learn those factors can also affect the health of your eyes. In fact, many of the same things that lead to common chronic conditions like diabetes, atherosclerosis and even dementia also play a role in the health of your eyes. That's why I've come up with the 10-point Eye Health Plan. I'm no eye care expert, but I am a healthy lifestyle expert. Here's what I recommend for protecting your eyes: 1.Quit smoking. If you smoke, you're much more likely to develop age-related macular degeneration, or AMD, than nonsmokers. AMD is the...

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Posted in: WOMEN HEALTH

Dr. Oz's Top 5 Anti-Aging Tips

They say it happens to the best of us, and now it has happened to me: I just turned 40. I rocked my 30s and fully expect my 40s to be even more productive, exciting and fun. And, why wouldn’t they be? I’m more confident, experienced and fulfilled than ever before. So, all-in-all, I plan on embracing my 40s. There is one little wrinkle in my plan, however. OK, make that a few wrinkles. You see, those fine lines around my eyes aren't looking so fine any more and parts of body are feeling less springy and a bit droopier. (After an energetic ascent up Mount Kilimanjaro last year, the descent was so hard on my knees I practically hobbled down.) What's a newly anointed 40-year-old to do? I decided it's time to start caring for myself in ways...

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Posted in: BEAUTY

5 DIY Facial Masks Good Enough to Eat

Just because you're on a budget doesn’t mean you can't treat yourself to spa-status facials. Veg out by yourself or invite the girls over, and mix up these masks from ingredients you already have on hand! For smaller pores and tighter skin: What better way to get rid of that leftover holiday eggnog than to pamper yourself with it?! Teen Vogue featured this eggnog-based facial mask as an effortless skin-saving treatment. It tightens, hydrates, cleanses and removes dead skin in just 10 minutes. Simply mix the ingredients together, apply, let sit for alloted time and rinse! Ingredients:1/2 packet of oatmeal3/4 cup of Egg Nog1/2 tsp of Flax Seed OilA couple of dashes of clove powder To Calm Oily Skin: Not a big fan of breakfast? Put all...

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Posted in: BEAUTY

GREAT OLD FASHIONED CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS

GREAT OLD FASHIONED CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS one cut up chickensaltblack pepperbutterplain flourice water You will need a rolling pin and a floured surface. Broth: Wash and place the cut up chicken in Dutch Oven with pleanty of water to boil. Add salt to boiling chicken (to taste), black pepper and a stick of butter. Make sure there is enough water in pot to create ample broth for dumplings.When chicken is tender and well done, remove from bone. Remove bones from broth leaving chicken meat in broth; turn onto simmer while you prepare dumplings. Dumplings: 2 1/2 cups plain flour1 teaspoon salt mixed into flourIce water (stir enough into flour mixture to make a stiff dough) Place on the floured surface and knead, making sure the dough is stiff. Roll out with floured rolling pin until very thin,...

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Posted in: The Best Foods

CHICKEN CHOW MEIN

CHICKEN CHOW MEIN 1/4 c. vegetable oil1 tsp. salt1/4 tsp. pepper2 c. sliced Chinese cabbage3 c. thinly sliced celery1 (1 lb.) can bean sprouts, drained1 (4 oz.) can water chestnuts, sliced2 tsp. sugar2 c. chicken broth or water2 1/2 tbsp. cornstarch1/4 c. cold water1/4 c. soy sauce2 c. sliced cooked chicken, cut in sliversChow mein noodles Heat oil, salt and pepper in deep skillet. Add cabbage, celery, bean sprouts, water chestnuts, and sugar. Stir in chicken broth; cook about 10 minutes. Blend cornstarch, water and soy sauce. Add to vegetable mixture and stir until mixture thickens. Add chicken. Heat through. Serve over hot chow mein noodles. Yield: 4-6 servings.For Chicken Chop Suey serve on cooked white rice.by:cooks.com...

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VOODOO CHICKEN SALAD

VOODOO CHICKEN SALAD Voodoo Dressing: 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice2 tablespoons chili paste1 tablespoon crushed red pepper1/3 cup real mayonnaise3/4 cup sesame or extra virgin olive oil1/2 cup white wine vinegar1/4 cup soy sauce3/4 cups sugar2 tablespoons garlic, peeled2 tablespoons ginger, peeled Chicken Salad: 2 halved, grilled chicken breasts, cubed, skin removed2 tablespoons Feta cheese (optional)salt and pepper, to tastepaprika This spicy dish delivers the tastes of sweet, sour, hot, and salty to the table for a refreshingly different Summertime salad.Place all ingredients into the bowl of a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Serve over cubed just-grilled chicken breast which has been arranged over crisp lettuce sprinkled with...

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PEPPERONI BREAD

PEPPERONI BREAD 1 loaf frozen bread dough, thawed1/4 tsp. oregano1/4 tsp. Lawry's seasoned salt1/2 tsp. parsley flakes1/4 tsp. garlic powder3 tbsp. butter, melted1 (3 1/2 oz.) pkg. thin sliced Hormel pepperoni2 c. grated Provolone cheese Roll dough to 9 x 12 inch size on greased cookie sheet. Combine dry ingredients with melted butter. Brush on dough (save some for top). Arrange pepperoni on top and cover with cheese. Roll like jelly roll, tightly to cook like French bread. Brush with remaining butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes and slice.by:cooks.com ...

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BREADED BEEF CUTLETS

BREADED BEEF CUTLETS 1 lb. beef cutlets (thinly sliced)4 eggs5 tbsp. Romano cheese1/8 tsp. salt1 1/4 c. corn oilpinch of black pepper1/8 tsp. garlic powder1/2 tsp. parsley flakes2 1/4 c. plain bread crumbs In medium bowl, beat eggs, cheese, parsley, salt, garlic powder and black pepper together. Coat beef cutlets with this egg mixture. Then take cutlets out of egg mixture and bread with plain bread crumbs. In 8 inch skillet, heat 1/4 cup corn oil until very hot. (Use additional corn oil when necessary.) Fry breaded cutlets until golden brown or bake at 375 degrees until golden brown. by:cooks.com ...

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Posted in: The Best Foods

Foods Rich in Antioxidants for Healthy Aging

Although magazine covers and "miracle" cosmetics packages all proclaim the anti-aging secrets they contain, as long as we wake up each morning, getting older is an unstoppable fact. Perhaps a better and more attainable goal than "anti-aging" is "healthy aging"—giving our bodies and spirits what they need to reduce the risks of physical or mental decline as our 30s become our 40s, then into our 50s, 60s, and so on. Instead of dreaming about turning back the clock, you can help keep your body strong by equipping it with the biological equivalent of fresh batteries. "Why do you have to fight against aging if you have healthy aging?" asks Barbara Shukitt-Hale, PhD, a research psychologist and behavioral neuroscientist at the USDA Human Nutrition...

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Posted in: BEAUTY,WOMEN HEALTH

The Skinny on Winter Dryness

Boots? Check! Parka? Check! Insulated gloves? Check! Those of us living in cold climates have a mental checklist we run through to protect our bodies before stepping outside in winter. Yet the season brings challenges in mild zones as well. Humidity drops in wintertime, and the heating systems of our homes and workplaces suck up what little moisture is in the air. You can often feel that it's winter, even when your body is warm enough. That's because when the humidity level drops below 60 percent (either indoors or outside), your skin starts losing the moisture it needs to stay comfortable. You feel as if you're shrinking—hands tighten, face stiffens, feet crack, legs and arms get dull or ashy—and you might feel relief only when standing in...

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Posted in: BEAUTY,WOMEN HEALTH

Beat the Heat: 7 Hot Tips for Supple Summer Skin

The key to healthy skin lies beyond which soap you use. It depends on what you eat, whether you exercise, how much stress you are under and even the kind of environment in which you live and work. Summer is particularly harsh on skin so consider these seven tips for helping your skin survive the harsh rays of summer: 1. Take advantage of all the summer fruits and vegetables and eat a varied and nutritious diet. Studies show that diets high in saturated fat, including meat, butter and full-fat dairy, as well as soft drinks, cakes and pastries increased the likelihood of skin wrinkling. Follow a diet high in vitamin A, E and C and essential fatty acids. 2. Don't forget to wash down your nutritious foods with a big glass of water. In fact,...

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Posted in: BEAUTY,WOMEN HEALTH

Protecting Your Skin from the Sun

Remember when we thought slathering on baby oil to promote tanning was doing something good for our skin? These days, a dizzying number of sunscreens and sunblocks cram stores' shelves, promising protection from the sun's damaging ultraviolet rays. If you don't have a PhD in chemistry, reading and understanding the ingredients lists on those bottles is nearly impossible. Yet shielding your body from the sun's ultraviolet (UV) light is vital, in any weather or season. Both types of UV rays—UVA and UVB—are invisible and damaging, causing sunburn, premature aging and skin cancer. Cloudy days are no protection, since UV rays penetrate clouds. And with the earth's ozone layer thinning, solar radiation is increasing. So are all types of skin cancer,...

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Posted in: BEAUTY,WOMEN HEALTH

Lifestyle Changes Might Alter Breast Cancer Rates

Study authors recommend drinking less, exercising more and losing weight FRIDAY, June 24 (HealthDay News) -- Lifestyle changes such as losing weight, drinking less alcohol and getting more exercise could lead to a substantial reduction in breast cancer cases across an entire population, according to a new model that estimates the impact of these modifiable risk factors. Although such models are often used to estimate breast cancer risk, they are usually based on things that women can't change, such as a family history of breast cancer. Up to now, there have been few models based on ways women could reduce their risk through changes in their lifestyle. U.S. National Cancer Institute researchers created the model using data from an Italian study that included more than 5,000 women. The model...

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Posted in: WOMEN HEALTH

.Human Papillomavirus, HPV

OverviewChances are you have been exposed to the human papillomavirus (HPV) and didn't even know it. In fact, it is estimated that at least 75 percent of the reproductive-age population has been infected with one or more types of genital HPV, and up to 6.2 million new infections occur each year. As many as 20 million Americans are estimated to be infected with the genital form of the virus. The good news: In the vast majority of cases, the virus causes no symptoms or health problems and will go away on its own when a healthy immune system clears the infection. The bad news: A persistent infection with high-risk strains of HPV occurs in about 5 percent of women and causes nearly all cases of cervical cancer, which the American Cancer Society estimates affected an estimated 11,070 women in 2008,...

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Posted in: WOMEN HEALTH

Ovarian cancer

OverviewOvarian cancer is the most fatal of all cancers involving a woman's reproductive tract. Most ovarian cancer develops after menopause; about two-thirds of ovarian cancers occur in women over age 55. Unfortunately, less than 20 percent of ovarian cancers are diagnosed at an early stage, when the disease is confined to the ovary and is most easily treated. Women diagnosed in the early stages have a 90 to 95 percent chance of surviving at least five years. About 75 percent of women with ovarian cancer survive one year after diagnosis, and 45 percent survive five years after being diagnosed. The survival rate drops as the stage of the cancer increases, with a less than 18 percent five-year survival rate in women whose cancer has spread beyond the abdomen. Younger women (below age 65) have...

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Posted in: WOMEN HEALTH

Colon Cancer Screening: Don't Delay It

"It was no big deal. I don’t understand why people stress over it." "The procedure itself was totally painless and relatively easy." "It was a piece of cake." No, we didn’t pay these 50-something women to give us these comments about their first colonoscopy. All we did was ask them to tell us honestly what it was like. Given the negative perception about colonoscopy, their responses might catch a few readers by surprise. It should also make you think twice about skipping your colorectal screening test. Because the reality is that colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer among women. Since it’s also one of the few cancers we can stop before it even gets started (by removing precancerous polyps found during screening colonoscopies),...

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Posted in: WOMEN HEALTH