Family Health

5 Outdoor activities to keep your family happy and healthy

Kendra Y. Mims — Wed, 01 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700

Do you find that your family spends more time together watching television than being physically active? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one-third of U.S. adults are obese, and obesity now affects 17 percent of all children and adolescents nationwide. With summer approaching, it's the perfect time to take your family outdoors and embrace a healthy living lifestyle.

This mom fought for her baby’s diagnosis

Monica Beyer — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 07:00:00 -0800

Katie’s baby, Jack, was a welcome addition to their family, but medical issues cropped up right away. Many doctors, hospital visits and tests later, they know what their little guy is facing, but it took Katie’s strength to keep pushing for Jack to get him the care he needed.

Culture shock: Your family may be making you fat

Jenn Zerling, MS, CPT — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 03:54:00 -0800

Whether your family has roots in Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, or the vast and varied continents of Africa and Asia, cultural influences on your diet and eating habits are often ingrained. In many households, it is disrespectful to leave the table without a clean plate. While eating when you're already full may be a compliment to the cook, it's no favor to your own body and health.

My family is abusive: How to deal with bullies in your family

Colleen Crane, MSW, LCSW — Sat, 03 Nov 2012 13:08:00 -0700

One of the things that I hear often as a therapist is the struggle many clients have dealing with abusive parents or siblings. There is almost always this sense of guilt when it comes to dealing with family members who are bullies. If we would not put up with it in our personal lives, then why do we put up with it in our families? This is a difficult question to answer for many who have had to deal with abuse dynamics for years. Here are some tips to start putting a stop to the abuse.

Top Chef's Tom Colicchio wants you to sit down to family dinner

Karen Hawthorne — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 10:15:00 -0700

No time to make dinner and sit down to eat with the family? Celebrity chef and restaurateur Tom Colicchio, among others, is sharing some favorite family recipes in a campaign to bring back the family dinner. It's time to shelve our excuses and make good eating around the table a priority.

10 Ways to encourage an active family lifestyle

Amy Wolff — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 08:00:00 -0700

Maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle is challenging -- especially when kids would rather watch TV or play video games. As parents, we need to instill positive lifestyle choices in our children at an early age, because these the building blocks for a lifelong focus on health. Here are 10 tips to help your family live a more active lifestyle, and have fun doing it.

Chef Fabio Viviani: Eco-friendly cookware and recipes

Michele Borboa, MS — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 14:11:00 -0700

Looking for a tasty way to go green in the kitchen? Try swapping your conventional non-stick cookware for an eco-friendly brand of cookware that is passionately recommended by a celebrity chef! Leading Italian cookware maker Bialetti recently partnered with the fan favorite Top Chef star chef Fabio Viviani to promote their new Aeternum eco-friendly pans. Here’s what chef Viviani has to say about the green cookware and a few of his favorite Italian recipes that you, too, can cook to delicious perfection.

How to get more out of your health care

Cynthia Haines, MD — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 11:29:00 -0800

In the coming months and years, you will likely be shouldering more and more of the burden of health care expenses -- if it hasn’t happened to you already. This can be an unsettling concept, when good health can often feel out of our control. Accessing health care also costs you time and energy -- arguably much more important than money. Believe it or not, you really can stay healthier for less money and with less use of the health care system. Here’s how.

How to keep your family energized

Kim Grundy — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 14:01:00 -0800

Do you feel like your family needs a major energy boost? If your family’s jam-packed schedule and carpool routine has given everyone a major case of the blahs, check out these 10 ways to keep your family energized all day.

The problem with fruits and vegetables

Sarah Kelsey — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 15:20:00 -0800

Dietitian Sue Mah is on a one-woman quest to help North Americans eat healthier, fresher food. One of the biggest concerns she has with our eating habits? How few fruits and vegetables we consume. To give us the lowdown, Mah made time in her busy schedule for an interview with SheKnows.com.

Clean food: Healthy eating in the New Year

Terry Walters — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 13:40:00 -0800

A new year has started, and if you're like me, you over-indulged a bit too much over the holidays. But we all want to look better, feel better and be healthier in 2011. How can we reach that goal? As the author of two books, Clean Food and Clean Start, I've learned a lot about eating more nutritiously with ease and all the benefits you will enjoy, and I'd like to share some of my knowledge with you about how you can eat healthy this year.

5 Common illnesses and how to beat them

Kathy A. Johnson — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 08:53:00 -0800

Along with cozy fires and chilly days, winter often brings a flurry of illnesses. Read on to discover how to beat five of the most common illnesses -- including the one thing you can do to stay healthy in the face of the most common illnesses.

10 Ways to raise a healthier family in 2011

Kim Grundy — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 21:38:00 -0800

Make your resolution one that benefits the entire family by vowing to raise a healthier family in 2011. From your family’s physical health to their mental health and well-being, find out how to make this year your best ever.

Talking to your aging parents about eldercare

Sarah Kelsey — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 13:38:00 -0800

Talking with your aging parents about their health is tough, but it’s an important conversation to have, both emotionally and financially. In her latest book, It’s Between You and Me, Ali Davidson explains how and why you should sit down to chat with your parents about caregiving or eldercare options.

New survey shows that many Americans are planning to skip flu vaccine in 2010

Meagan Morris — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 12:19:00 -0700

A large percentage of Americans won't get the flu vaccine this year, according to a poll. Many medical experts say that this is a big mistake that could affect public health in 2010. Will you get a flu shot for you and your family this winter?

Family-friendly food allergy tips

Silvana Nardone — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 09:26:00 -0700

Raising a family has plenty of magical moments, but back-to-school season means saying goodbye to the relaxed routine of summer and kicking life into high gear again. In my house, besides making sure my kids – Isaiah, 13, and Chiara, 4 – are happy and healthy, feeding them wholesome, nourishing meals can be tricky. Add to that food sensitivities and you might think I’ve got a feeding frenzy in the making. Fear not: I'm sharing my foolproof allergy-free food strategies for keeping your family – and mine – sane and safely well-fed this school year.

10 Healthy lessons for the breakfast table

Beth Morrissey — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 07:06:00 -0700

Breakfast food is brain food, but what you talk about at the breakfast table can be just as integral to your kids’ intelligence. These little lessons are perfect starters for pointing kids in the right direction toward healthy food habits for life.

6 Simple swaps for a healthier school breakfast

Suzi Milovanovic — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 19:27:00 -0700

Eating breakfast promotes proper growth and maximizes school performance. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, breakfast is also important in controlling weight gain and obesity in adolescents because of the opportunity to provide the important nutrients and calories in an additional meal, as opposed to packing them all into one meal.

Health care reform and young adults

Michele Borboa, MS — Wed, 19 May 2010 09:05:00 -0700

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 19 to 29 year olds have the highest rates of being without health insurance. Though many health insurance policies currently cover young adults on their parents’ plans until they are 19 or until the dependents graduate from college, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, enacted earlier this year, will extend coverage until age 26. However, the Foundation for Health Coverage Education , a nonprofit that specializes in national health coverage information for the uninsured, urges caution before making changes to your policy. Here are five points for families to consider before September 23, 2010, when the new health care law goes into effect.

5 Simple rules for raising healthy kids

Karen Miller-Kovach — Mon, 17 May 2010 16:26:00 -0700

Lack of activity, combined with unwise food choices, has led to a national childhood obesity epidemic, where nearly one third of American children are overweight. Research done by Weight Watchers indicates that the solution is not to put kids on diets, but instead to focus on creating a more healthful lifestyle. Critical to this effort is that parents serve as role models. Helping families adopt habits that support a healthy weight not only helps children now , but helps teach kids skills and habits that can last a lifetime. Here are the most important components for raising healthy kids and, essentially, healthy families.

Top 5 health-boosting nutrients for kids

Sarah Kelsey — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 15:59:00 -0700

Ensuring your children are getting all of the nutrients they need on a daily basis is hard work. It’s important to feed your family a variety of wholesome foods as you strive for a balanced diet, but there are a few nutritional essentials that every child from toddler or teen need more than others. Here’s our list of the top five nutrient must-haves for kids to keep in mind as you plan your family’s meals.