I’m 62 and, thankfully, have never been hospitalized, nor can I remember calling in sick. I still work 12-hour days, walk the golf course, hit the heavy bag, and, not too long ago, even played ice hockey. Other than some minor colds, flus, and heartburn, I have been very healthy, and I take no regular medications. How I’ve managed this isn’t a secret.

My philosophy is in my books. But for the November issue of Prevention, I want to summarize it for you — what I eat, how I exercise and beat stress, even my own advice that I struggle with. Here’s my personal Rx — feel free to make it your own: Read the rest of this entry »

Very simply, we must decrease our consumption of omega-6 oils. Snacking on seeds, edamame, and whole foods is still healthy. But cut back on processed foods, which are high in omega-6-laden seed oils. At home, cook with oils and fats with a healthy balance of omega-6s to omega-3s.

A few oil seeds — canola and flax, for instance — have a very favorable ratio of the two families of essential fats, and they can be used by themselves (canola) or in combination with other oils (flax) to change the balance of omega-3s to omega-6s. Mix flax and canola with any of the other seed oils (corn, safflower, etc.) to produce a healthy blend. Read the rest of this entry »

It may seem silly to relearn something you’ve been doing since childhood, but many of us may be brushing the wrong way, says Carmen Schuller, D.D.S., a dentist in New York City. Do you zip through your routine? Load up on toothpaste? Assume an electric brush works better than a manual one? You’ve got a lot to learn! What’s more, cleaning your pearly whites may be one way to protect your heart from the blood-clot-causing bacteria in dental plaque, according to research from the University of Bristol in England.

Maintaining a healthy mouth will mean fewer visits (and payments) to the dentist and a happier you. Follow these smile-saving steps to perfect your dental do-it-yourself. Read the rest of this entry »

Our skin faces a number of environmental irritants every day yet nothing is harder on it than routine sun exposure.

The harsh ultraviolet rays of the sun can rob the skin of helpful antioxidants and leave it looking and feeling dry, cracked and leathery. Fortunately, there are a wide variety of sun protection products available to help combat this type of damage.

The sun isn’t entirely our enemy

It is actually a very good natural source of Vitamin D and a minimal amount of exposure to the sun on a regular basis can be good for us. But it is far too easy to cross the line from healthy exposure to serious damage. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s no wonder that many people feel extra soreness and aches in their backs during winter months — they’re often not getting enough vitamin D. The body makes vitamin D from the sun’s ultraviolet rays, so it’s known as the sunshine vitamin. However, even in the sunniest parts of America, this essential vitamin for keeping bones healthy is in short supply during late fall and winter.

Up to 8 out of 10 persons will have back pain in their lifetimes. In many cases, there is no evidence of any injury, disease, or bone problem like a slipped disk. An extensive review of clinical research in a report from Pain Treatment Topics found that help may be available from a surprising champion of pain relief Vitamin D. Read the rest of this entry »

Nobody likes to have adult acne, or even acne for that matter. It’s annoying, painful, and let’s face it (no pun intended!), not very attractive. Treating your acne can seem like an extremely daunting and challenging task. And if you treat your acne incorrectly, it can cause permanent scarring that will be with you for the rest of your life.

With that being said, doing your best to prevent acne in the first place is the easiest way to not have to worry about treating it after the fact. Here are some preventive steps you can take to tone down break outs and even clear up the ones you already have, in a safe and effective way.

Follow this simple 7-step regimen and watch your skin glow in no time. Read the rest of this entry »

Put that comb back in your handbag – a study by an Israeli dermatologist has found that too much combing leads to hair loss.

During a test 14 women recorded their daily hair loss and combing habits, with those combing more losing more hair, the research found.

“The women who combed twice a day lost three times more hair than those who combed once a day,” the head of the study, Alexander Kirdman of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, was quoted as saying in the the daily Haaretz. Read the rest of this entry »