Foundations of Wellness
Core Training: Not Just for Abs
You may have heard that core conditioning (also called core training) is good for you, but you may be confused about what that means—or even where your “core” is. Your core muscles include not only your abdominals, but also those of the hips, pelvis, and low back. Some experts go so far as to include…
Foundations of Wellness
Organic Foods: Clearing up 7 Confusions
Since the USDA’s National Organic Standards went into effect a decade ago, shopping for organic foods has become more mainstream. The regulations created an official definition for what constitutes an organic food, ensuring that when you buy something with the label, you’re getting what you pay for. Though organic foods still represent a fraction of…
Foundations of Wellness
Preventing Cancer: The 12 Big Ways to Reduce Your Risk
There is lots of conflicting advice about what we should do—or should not do—to decrease the risk of developing cancer. That’s part of what makes cancer so scary. Moreover, there are plenty of people who seem to do everything “right” and are still diagnosed with cancer. But if you follow the 12 recommendations described in…
Foundations of Wellness
Udder Confusion: 8 Questions About Milk
At one time, milk was promoted as “the perfect food.” Breast milk, of course, might be called the perfect food for an infant, but otherwise no one food is perfect or sufficient in itself. Still, milk and dairy products are very nutritious and the chief source of calcium in the American diet. They offer many…
Foundations of Wellness
Wellness Guide to Preventive Care
You are responsible, in large part, for managing your own pre-ventive health care. It is your most important investment of time and money. Yet most Americans do not receive all the important preventive services they need—that is, screening tests for early detection of disease, immunizations, and education about healthy habits. Why not? ■ Many Americans—nearly…
Foundations of Wellness
Getting Fit
Physical fitness—the ability to carry out daily tasks with vigor, without undue fatigue, and with ample energy to enjoy leisure-time pursuits—has three basic elements. To be truly fit, you should develop each of these components. Cardiorespiratory endurance is reflected in the sustained ability of the heart and blood vessels to carry oxygen to your body’s…
