While I have this spring fever, I figure I should move from the bedroom to the yard to pull a few weeds or power-wash the deck. The fridge is the most used household appliance, and cleaning it thoroughly will ultimately prepare you for some serious spring training. Spilled food and drinks can harbor bacteria and germs, which can make you sick. [...] shelf: Stock it with low-fat yogurt, cheese, hummus, eggs, cottage cheese, nuts and nut butters. [...] shelf: The door is the place for salsa, mustard, fruit preserves, low-fat salad dressings and fresh herbs.

Kara had everything going for her -- a great career, a good heart and beauty. [...] when Kara started dating a stable and successful young guy, Anna was thrilled. [...] we each want to believe that we're the best experts on ourselves. Remind her that like everyone else you are flawed and have certainly made your share of short-sighted decisions. If appropriate, let her know that ultimately, you have faith in her ability to make a good decision about the situation. Sometimes changing the form of communication by putting it in writing can make it easier for the other person to completely hear and digest your remarks. [...] if she does so, she may actually be able to see some wisdom in your words, even if they hurt. If your relationship with her is already strained or if you've already been over the subject matter before, all of your best efforts at tact and diplomacy may be in vain if the words come from you. Considering the steps above will increase the odds of a less than disastrous outcome and may even lead to a good one.

The clients, not fluent in English and still suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, came in hysterics crying, Is it happening again? By far, their peers -- due to language barriers and cultural preferences -- do not seek treatment, said Mui Mui Hin-McCormick, executive director of the state's Asian Pacific American Affairs Commission. [...] the Super Asian ideal has been inculcated into much of the Asian-Pacific culture, as well.

Uva is among the more than 2 million Americans who have turned to electronic cigarettes as an alternative to smoking or as an aid to quitting. A largely unregulated product first introduced to the American market just four years ago, e-cigs have triggered intense debate. Some health organizations and policy makers argue there's not enough research on the benefits or consequences of e-cigs. "There have been a large number of laboratory studies that look at what ingredients are in e-cigs and the basic conclusion is that e-cigarettes are much safer than regular cigarettes," said Michael Siegel, professor of Community Health Sciences at Boston University School of Public Health. "No chemist in their right mind would believe that a product that delivers nicotine without tobacco could be as dangerous as a product that contains more than 4,000 chemicals and kills more than 400,000 people a year," said Siegel, who published his own study on the subject in a 2011 issue of the Journal of Public Health Policy. Erika Sward, director of national advocacy for the American Lung Association, said, "The public needs to be very skeptical of the claims being made by the electronic cigarette industry." There's no evidence to show they can help smokers quit," she said, adding that people who want to stop smoking should "use a therapy that has been approved by the FDA for that purpose. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) recently joined four other senators in calling for the FDA to issue regulations asserting authority over tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes, and to restrict the "sale, distribution and marketing of e-cigarettes and other nicotine products." Nicotine has been found to be a risk factor associated with heart disease, according tot he American Heart Association.

[...] let me take a step back. Though it might be very successful at its inception, after 10 years, some of its technology, design and ideas will be outdated. [...] the more procedures, tests and surgeries doctors do the more money they get paid. Medicare historically does not pay at all for longer discussions with patients, for phone calls or for what we call care coordination. [...] it is 76 and for a woman it is now 81. Since we live longer, we have more illnesses and frailty in the last decades of our life. The old, stagnant insurance payment system has not been prepared for that at all. In rare circumstances, problems with a doctor may be about personality and a difference of opinion. The doctor might have inadvertently criticized a lifestyle choice or demanded from Rebecca's parents something they were not willing to engage in. Sometimes, an experiment with the medication or a treatment plan may not produce desired results.

Odds are, most women remember a time in their early years when they stalked around in mom's high heels, piled on costume jewelry and, in many cases, slathered lipstick, blush and other makeup on their faces. [...] playacting is normal and even healthy among young girls, said Lauren Sardi, assistant professor of sociology at Quinnipiac University in Hamden. Hoeffel, Sardi and other health professionals said the prevalence of makeup use in children is troubling, as it can indicate a negative self image. According to the Renfrew study, more than a quarter of the girls who wore makeup reported rarely or never leaving the house without it, and that at least 20 percent of those who have ever worn makeup said they had negative feelings when they went without the products. Hoeffel said it's often heart-breaking to hear children with body image and other appearance issues complain about their freckles or their nose or some other supposed flaw. Like Hoeffel, Mysko said there's no evidence of a direct correlation between makeup use and eating disorders, but the impulses that cause 8-year-old girls to cover their faces with blush aren't that much different than those that can lead to eating disorders. Mysko said girls continue to be influenced by thin models on magazine covers and even by such TV shows as "Toddlers & Tiaras," about child beauty pageant contestants.

The irony hasn't been lost on the renowned coach and Jackson Hole, Wyo., resident. Orton, best known for being a "character" in Christopher McDougall's best-seller "Born to Run," recently wrote his first book, "The Cool Impossible" ($26.95), about training to run. The former fitness director for the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center oversees the training of dozens of athletes, from recreational racers to elite ultramarathoners. Given his relationship to running, he was devastated by the bombing at the Boston Marathon in April that left three dead and more than 100 injured. Orton said one of his students actually ran in the race -- she's fine -- and they've both struggled to process the events of that fateful day. Should I be racing when people are getting hurt?' How do you balance those feelings? Though the tragedy in Boston, and the ripples of fears it sent across the nation, are a stark difference from the injuries and insecurities that keep most people from running, Orton's advice is the same as it is for overcoming most obstacles. Orton was somewhat thrust into celebrity after "Born to Run," which followed McDougall's quest to train for and run in the inaugural Copper Canyon ultramarathon, a 50-mile race in Mexico. The coach's newest book guides runners through his training program, which includes not just exercise, but nutrition and a new way of thinking about running. Experienced runners who need to change up their training methods? A mix?

Ken came to see me following the loss of Jeanette, his beloved wife of 40 years. In the wake of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School and, more recently, the bombing at the Boston Marathon, death, tragedy, grief and loss are at the forefront of our minds. There is no prepared script to offer family and loved ones when tragedy strikes. Instead of weeping about the loss of your best friend, focus on everything for which you have to be grateful. Why do we wind up saying such unhelpful things to those who are already coping with tremendous pain? In the vast majority of cases, these kinds of statements are said without malice and in a sincere attempt to help. Conveying these seemingly small messages will help them to feel understood and less encumbered.

The stunt has caught on with many young people, and has even spawned a series of queasy YouTube videos featuring teens and tween tentatively putting spoons of cinnamon in their mouths, then gagging and spitting huge brown spice clouds at the camera. For some time, experts have warned that the challenge carries serious health risks and, last week, an article in the journal "Pediatrics" offered further proof that the cinnamon challenge isn't child's play. "In humans, the fibers and other components of cinnamon can ... cause allergic and irritant reactions, including acute symptoms and temporary, if not permanent, lung function changes," the report reads. In addition to lung damage, possible health risks from the cinnamon challenge include inflammation, acute asthma symptoms and scarring.

Jungle gyms, monkey bars, slides can double as exercise equipment Even if you were unaware of the health benefits, swinging from the monkey bars, running up and down the ramp and climbing the stairs to the slide all added up to a full body workout. Despite its name, the exercise focuses on the arm and abdominal muscles. For this core workout, sit on the swing and lift legs in front of you so that your body is making a V. Lean back and cross your ankles alternately. Barraco said you can work your glutes, legs and core by stepping up and down on those sets of small steps that appear on some playgrounds. Use the double bars -- which look a little like parallel bars and are featured on some playgrounds -- as a way to work the triceps. Rest both hands on the bar behind you and lift both legs so that the back part of one knee rests on the bar in front of you. For this move, which resembles part of a ballerina's warmup, find a bar that is low to the ground, such as a ladder that kids would use to climb up. Get into downward dog position and then push through, leaving toes pointed on the ground until you are in cobra, never letting the stomach hit the ground.