America's Fittest Cities, surprise!?

No surprise to see the west coast cities listed here... what shocks me is that Wash. DC is #1. Is the capital really shaping up? Not from what I have seen via the media, that's for sure... jd

Which City Is America's Fittest?

Nation's Capital Is Fittest City in U.S., According to American College of Sports Medicine By Miranda Hitti
WebMD Health News

May 26, 2009 -- Washington, D.C., tops the American College of Sports Medicine's new list of America's fittest cities.

The list is based on personal factors -- including the percentage of residents who smoke, are obese, get regular physical activity, eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day, and have conditions such as diabetes and heart disease -- and on local resources, such as parks, farmers' markets, number of primary health care providers, and crime rates. Data came from sources including the CDC, U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the nonprofit Trust for the Public Land.

Here is how the cities ranked:

1. Washington, D.C.
2. Minneapolis-St. Paul
3. Denver
4. Boston
5. San Francisco
6. Seattle
7. Portland
8. San Diego
9. Austin, Texas
10. Virginia Beach, Va.
11. Hartford, Conn.
12. Sacramento, Calif.
13. San Jose, Calif.

View Article Sources

SOURCES:

ACSM American Fitness Index: "Actively Moving America to Better Health."

News release, American College of Sports Medicine.

© 2009 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.

September 29, 2008

A Look at Blood Counts and What They Mean [click for link]

A blood test is a typical part of a physical exam, but deciphering the numbers is anything but routine. Interpretation of the results is strictly the province of a medical professional. Science Times: Decoding Your Health

This webpage at NYTimes.com shows a typical blood count lab report, and allows you to click on any part of it for further explanation.

Online videos of some inspirational teachers & authors

Most of you are aware of Oprah's online video classes studying with Eckhart Tolle regarding his book, A New Earth. Though the coverage may not be as thorough, I am delighted to share a number of other online videos available featuring more inspirational authors/teachers. This list is simply based on a brief search of what can be found on youtube.com:

David Hawkins, author of Power vs. Force
http://www.youtube.com/user/veritaspub

Gregg Braden, author of The Divine Matrix
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=gregg+braden&search_type=

Louise Hay/Hay House
http://www.youtube.com/user/HayHousePresents

Dr. Judith Orloff
http://www.youtube.com/user/judithorloffmd

Donna Eden
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7njI_t8arNg&NR=1

Abraham: Esther & Jerry Hicks, The Law of Attraction
http://www.youtube.com/user/AbrahamHicks

EFT: Emotional Freedom Technique
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMs0gdF_V60&feature=related
EFT Tapping Gratitude, Create Abundance Affirmations
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSpITM08X3I&feature=related

Women & Heart Disease - “The Healthy Heart Handbook”

Love Your Heart: New NHLBI Resource Helps Women Reduce Heart Disease Risk
20th anniversary edition of “The Healthy Heart Handbook” includes New Statistics, Quizzes, and Charts

A must read for women who want to show their hearts some love, “The Healthy Heart Handbook for Women” is an invaluable and easy-to-use resource every woman should read from cover to cover. A full-color, 122-page booklet from The Heart Truth campaign, it is packed with the latest information on preventing and controlling the risk factors for heart disease — the No.1 killer of women.

“The Healthy Heart Handbook for Women” a publication of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health, contains new information on women and heart disease and offers practical suggestions for reducing the risk of heart-related problems. The handbook also describes the warning signs of heart attack and how to get help quickly.

“The Healthy Heart Handbook” is available for $4.00 from the NHLBI Information Center, (301) 592-8573 or (240) 629-3255 (TTY); it is also online at http://emall.nhlbihin.net/product2.asp?sku=07-2720.

How to Summarize Your Own Medical History

"Medical schools teach that the most important step of making an accurate medical diagnosis is not physical examination or fancy medical tests and equipment. The doctor is best served by taking a proper medical history. Surprisingly, most people do not know many of the details of their own health. This is a frustration to all health professionals, and contributes to misdiagnosis and even medical errors. Technology will eventually catch up with our need to have timely access to medical information. In the meantime, follow these steps to create a quick record of your past medical history."

Click on the link above (or below) to access this informative step-by-step article from Wikipedia's Wiki-How pages.
http://www.wikihow.com/Summarize-Your-Own-Medical-History