Health

At around age 33, or so, a precarious gaze in the mirror might turn into a critique-fest. "OMG, I have a wrinkle!" or "Why doesn't my skin look as radiant as it used to?" might slip out. Maybe a friend or colleague says you look a little tired, even though we feel well rested. Your first gray hairs might appear. And those fine lines you noticed in the mirror can be seen in photos. It’s a strange feeling, at first, to see early signs of aging, knowing that it's just the beginning.

Building a highly reputable and successful career is hard work. It demands years of study, dedication, and consistent effort. However, even with all of this preparation and focused effort, you could lose everything, or close to it, with just one serious health issue. I know this because it happened to me. I lost a well-paying job in a field I loved because I was sick.

As women with many responsibilities, it's important to pay attention to our bodies and minds for potential health warning signs. The problem is, you may not recognize something as "bad" if it is a common symptom of any number of normal things like getting older, poor diet, or even drinking too much on occasion. A solid clue that something besides "normal life" may be going on in your body is that it doesn't go away. Here are 3 things you may have on occasion, but you should seek medical advice if any of them become persistent.

In this busy and polluted world, it’s getting harder and harder to take care of ourselves. It's not just the flu or common ailments to worry about. Chronic, autoimmune diseases like Lupus, MS, RA, and Fibromyalgia are floating to the top of the list of health enemies to look out for. If you suffer from a chronic or long term illness like asthma or arthritis, it’s important to make sure you’re as healthy as possible. Do all that you can to bring balance to your body, mind, and spirit. Here are some of my top ways to be healthier with a chronic illness.

The amount of available online information on any one topic would blow the socks off of even experts. But this is not necessarily a good thing. As much as good information flows through, there’s plenty of misinformation flowing as well. That said, we’re seeing a rise in people who believe that this information is strong enough to fully diagnose and treat whatever is ailing them. Here are a few dangers of Internet diagnosis and cures.

There is no reason you can't enjoy fitness on a tight budget. I know this because I've done it. Using money as an excuse to not take care of your body is simply not good enough. If you want that tight, strong body to stick around, you have to find a way to do the work. Hear me out: fitness doesn’t have to cost you a chunk of cash. Here are my top 4 fun ways to get fit on a tight budget.

It has been scientifically proven that when you are focused on happy, positive thoughts you feel and perform better. When you’re happy, you feel positive and as though you can overcome anything. And, though, positive thinking is not all you need to have to change your life, it certainly is a good place to start.

Routines can bring comfort and stability to our lives. That said, our habits aren’t always good for us. In fact, there are several things that many people do before hitting the sheets that are actually detrimental to their health. Take a look at my top 5 that can be sneaky but oh so damaging.

Is anyone else in the Northern hemisphere over winter already? Well, those dark mornings are starting to get a little brighter; we are in the home stretch to Spring and Summer. You know what that means? Yeah, it's time to start thinking about getting you body ready for warmer weather. This is the perfect time to focus on self-improvements like fitness and health, and, of course, you want to sport that smokin' hot body for summer. Here are some savvy tips that you can start today!

Our brains and our bodies are intrinsically connected. As someone who has lived with chronic illness, I understand this connection very well. When the body hurts and cannot handle normal daily functions, the mental state can diminish. Ironically, as well, the body cannot heal when the mind is not functioning properly. Body-mind connection is imperative to life as well as healing.

In our youth, we're often told that we only live once. "Live life to the fullest!" they scream. Though these cliches for enjoying life are fun to embrace at the time, ultimately, they do more harm than good. Living a life full of exciting experiences and interesting adventures is one thing, but taking it to an extreme steals the very life you're trying to live. This one body you have is your ride for life. Cherish it. The alternative is sickness, disease, pain, and possibly dying young. My mom died when she was only 59 because of the things I'm about to share with you. Yeah, it's that real...and that important. You might want to ask yourself this: "Is my lifestyle killing me?".

Stress is a part of human life, but it affects each of us differently. It's important to know what triggers stress in your life and whether you deal with it effectively or not. In most cases, a little stress won't harm you, as your mind and body have reservoirs to handle it. However, if it's creating illness, relationship issues, and work problems, beat stress with these 5 mood-boosting measures.

Unless you have a diagnosis of a certain disease, it can be difficult to understand why you aren't feeling well and have no energy. Pay attention to your body, though, a lack of energy can be a sign of serious illness. Not to mention, it can put a challenging twist on even everyday tasks, like cleaning, meal prep, and playing with the kids. Hopefully, it's nothing, but see your doctor if you have concerns. In the meantime, there are some things you can do to feel better. If you want to improve your health and boost your energy levels, the following 5 tips will take you to the next level. There is nothing new here, it all just bears repeating!

You may think that sitting at a desk in an office for nine hours a day doesn’t pose any risks to your health, but you’d be wrong. You may not be exposed to dangerous machinery or at risk for falling, but that doesn’t mean that your workplace doesn't have hidden health pitfalls. Work-related illnesses and injuries can happen anywhere and anytime, even in a cubicle in an office building.

Working out is an important part if the grand scheme of health and fitness. There are so many different things you can do to ensure you are keeping fit. Regardless of what type of exercise you choose, one of the smartest things you can do is make sure you are energized before each session. This will help make the most out of the time you have set aside for fitness. You will burn more calories and, ultimately, feel better during and after your workout. Do as much as you can to make sure your physical and mental energy is good before you exercise. Try these 3 powerful ways to help prepare you for even really tough workouts.