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• Osteoporosis warning signs
• Signs of osteoporosis
• Warning signs of osteoporosis

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Written by Lisa Jillanza

Osteoporosis is one of the most common ailments of adults over the age of 50.

And it is definitely a problem that people do not want to live with.  Weak bones lead to fractures and many other scary problems that could leave you disabled.

Before turning into full-blown osteoporosis, osteopenia : the process of thinning bones - precedes the ailment.  There are some warning signs to look for to determine if your bones are in fact thinning.

Here are some warning signs for osteoporosis:

• Warning Sign #1 - You've had more than one fracture in the past two years or a fracture that seemed pretty severe considering the circumstances.
• Warning Sign #2 : You are naturally a small or thin person.
• Warning Sign #3 : You have an autoimmune condition that causes you to take prednisone or another corticosteroid.
• Warning Sign #4 : You are a smoker and have been throughout your adult life.
• Warning Sign #5 : You drink more than two alcoholic beverages a day.
• Warning Sign #6 : You do not drink milk or you have a lactose intolerance that prevents you from drinking milk.
• Warning Sign #7 : You have an eating disorder.
• Warning Sign #8 : You are an Asian or Caucasian female over the age of 50.
• Warning Sign #9 : You have a family member who had osteoporosis before the age of 50 or before menopause.

• Swimming health benefits
• Swimming exercises
• Health Benefits of Swimming

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Written by Lisa Jillanza

With the warm weather comes the opening up of public pools and home pools and people break out the bathing suit for another season of swimming.

For many people, swimming is a good way to wind down after a long day.  But others are using swimming as another means of exercise and they are finding that exercise in the spring and summertime can be fun! Swimming is an excellent way to lose weight and strength train all the while enjoying the beautiful outdoors.

Exercise experts recommend swimming as a form of exercise because of the great cardiovascular workout you get from swimming.  It is considered a great aerobic exercise because by definition it is an action that maintains an elevated heartbeat for a minimum of 20 minutes.

You can simply add swimming to your pre-existing aerobic workout to help switch things up and keep your workouts fresh.  Alternate days that you decide to use swimming as your cardio for that day, so you don't get bored with any one workout.

Instead of staying indoors and using the treadmill or elliptical for a day, get outdoors and swim laps in the pool for the cardio portion of your workout and you will find that exercising comes much easier when you aren't sticking to the same routine day in and day out.

Like any exercise, you should also start any swimming workout routine by stretching first. You may not realize the affect swimming has on your entire body until it is too late, so be sure to stretch appropriately before you begin.

Then start off slow by swimming strides and gradually increasing your speed in the pool.  This will help to elevate your heart rate at a safe pace and help you to last longer during your workout. Swimming, and using swimming as your key workout, is more about endurance than quickness.

• eating plums
• nutritional value of plums
• Benefits of Plums

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Written by Lisa Jillanza

• Plums, and their dried version known as prunes, are very high in phytonutrients, which function as an antioxidant and provide much benefit to the body.
• Eating plums helps in the production and absorption of iron in the body, thereby leading to better blood circulation leading further to the growth of healthy tissues.
• Because plums contain blood cleansing agents that help keep the blood pure, plums can help you reduce the risk of contracting heart disease.

Recipe: Chicken Breasts with Plum Salsa and Basmati Rice

• 1 ½ cups of water
• 1 cup uncooked basmati rice, rinsed and drained
• ¾ pound plums, pitted and chopped
• ½ medium red onion, minced
• 3 habanero peppers, seeded and minced
• 3 tablespoons fresh minced cilantro
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ¾ pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Place water in medium saucepan and stir in rice. Bring to boil.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, cool and fluff with fork.  In a bowl, mix the plums, peppers, onions, cilantro and sugar. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.  Season chicken with rosemary, salt and pepper.  Heat vegetable oil in skillet over medium-heat. Place chicken in oil and brown 1 minute per side.  Reduce heat to medium and cook for 5 additional minutes per side.  Serve over rice with plum salsa.

Recipe: Fresh Summer Fruit Salad 

• ½ cup water
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 3 cups thinly sliced rhubarb
• 15 seedless grapes, halved
• ½ orange, sectioned
• 10 fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
• 1 apple, cored and diced
• 1 peach, sliced
• 1 plum, pitted and sliced
• 15 pitted Bing cherries
• ¼ cup fresh blueberries

Bring water and sugar to boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Stir in the rhubarb, turn heat to low, cover and simmer until rhubarb is soft, 10 to 15 minutes.  Mash and chill in the refrigerator about one hour.   To serve, mix the grapes, orange, strawberries, apple, peach, plum, cherries, and blueberries with 2/3 cup of the rhubarb sauce.  Stir gently, but thoroughly to coat.  Refrigerate for at least two hours for all of the flavors to blend well.

• eating healthy
• Child Obesity
• Child Nutrition
• Child Healthy Diet

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Written by Lisa Jillanza

Childhood obesity is constantly on the rise, so as parents we need to be sure that we are always monitoring our children's fat intake.  In order to help your child maintain a healthy lifestyle, be sure to establish good eating habits like the following:

• Children with a family history of cholesterol and heart disease should drink 2 percent milk.
• After their 2^nd birthday, all kids should drink 1 percent milk.
• Serve your child lean meats and fish.
• Limit your child's cheese intake.
• Limit fruit juice intake to 4 to 6 ounces per day.
• Offer low-fat snacks like yogurt, pretzels or fresh fruit.
• Prepare foods using low-fat methods like broiling, steaming or roasting.

• healthy diet
• healthy eating
• spring diet
• Healthy spring foods

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Written by Lisa Jillanza

Spring is here again and it's time to take advantage of all of those great springtime fruits and vegetables. Here's how to choose the best ones:

• Apricots : slightly soft, not bruised
• Artichoke : compact head, bright green color
• Asparagus : closed and compact tips, bright green stalks
• Avocado : should be a little “give” when squeezed
• Carrots : crisp, healthy tops
• Collard Greens : dark green, vibrant color
• Mango : more orange/red than green
• New Potatoes : last only a few days
• Pineapple : sniff the bottom for sweet aroma, check for firmness
• Rhubarb : check for bright, crisp stalks
• Spinach : avoid dried out or yellow stems
• Strawberries : pick fragrant, slightly soft ones
• Sugar Snap/Snow Peas : bright green, should feel like they have a snap (not limp)

And while you are grabbing those great spring fruits and vegetables, it's also time to get rid of some of those bad foods, too!

While they may be quick and easy, oftentimes processed foods are causing you more harm than good.  If you are looking to get healthy and lose some weight in the process then you must get rid of these processed foods.

• Flavored yogurt
• Fat free potato chips
• Diet soda
• Instant oatmeal
• Packaged egg whites
• Bottled barbeque sauces
• Bottled salad dressings
• Sugar free candy bars
• Multi-grain tortilla chips