If Al Gore actually did invent the internet, he forgot to include an automatic shut off devise so we could take some “me” time. In a term I dub as “Internet Paralysis”, we’re constantly glued to our computer, laptop, and IPhone/Android screens for work, family, associates, friends, research, and more. You see it in the corporate world, executives and employees with blackberries etc. in that constant state of the slight head tilt sending emails and texting for their job. It may even be after 6p, but the work stays with them long into the evening cutting down on “me” time. Or, [...]

American Cancer Society Relay For Life. Local North Hollywood event on August 11-12, 2007 at Walter Reed Middle School. www.acsevents.org/relay/ca/northhollywood San Fernando Valley Marathon Team in Training. Half or Full Marathon Training for several events. www.sfvtnt.com Light the Night Walk. Sunday, October 7, 2007 at Warner Center Park, Woodland Hills. Benefits Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. www.lightthenight.org Fight it! 5k Race and Walk a Thon. Saturday, May 12, 2007 at Central Park in Santa Clarita. Benefits the Brenda Mehling Cancer Fun that supports patients 18-40 currently undergoing cancer treatment. www.fightit5k.com Los Angeles Lung Cancer Walk for Hope. Sunday, November 18, 2007 [...]

Here is a tantalizing array of the latest news on chocolate and health: * Researchers in Turkey are replacing the unhealthy sucrose in chocolate with a sugar alcohol called malitol; this promising polyol sweetener could lead to a host of new sugar free chocolates in the future. Polyols provide the same bulk as sugar, but since they are sugar free, they don't promote tooth decay. * Mars, Inc., makers of Snickers and M&M candy, has had great success with a new line of dark chocolate bars called CocoaVia. The bars are a good source of calcium (providing at least 20% [...]

One thing that helps keep LDL in check is the "good cholesterol" indicator, high-density lipoprotein, which carries cholesterol back to the liver. This is where saturated fat starts looking better: It increases cholesterol indicators across the board, so HDL levels rise as well. Trans fat, however, raises LDL while reducing HDL levels, and this dangerous double whammy has set nutritionists on alert. Trans fats may also be guilty of numerous secondary sins: There are some indications that they could increase your risk for cancer, diabetes, and even cause pregnancy complications. That's why the FDA will not put a recommended daily [...]

Plantar fasciitis-The overstretching of the ligament that runs from the heel to the ball of the foot, straight through the arch. For those prone to plantar fasciitis, physical therapists recommend exercises to stretch the ligament. For instance, while seated, roll the foot on a tennis ball for about five minutes twice a day. Achilles Tendinitis-The Achilles tendon connects the calf muscle to the back of the heel bone. For prevention, do stretching exercises, three times a day when warmed up, to increase flexibility. Begin with a calf stretch, leaning against a wall, one foot in front of the other, gradually [...]

It's an old chestnut of the fitness industry, the notion that for every 3,500 calories you burn you'll lose a pound of fat. As a personal trainer, though, I often see people slogging through week after week of running, walking, lifting, whatever-workout designed specifically to reach that 3,500 calorie per week mark-only to weigh exactly the same when it's over. What gives? The problem with that old weight-loss formula, researcher's now say, is that it doesn't take into account what might be happening when you're not exercising: the calories you would have burned anyway, the calories you'll add from overeating [...]

You may know that consuming adequate amounts of calcium (1,000 mg/day for adults 19-50 and 1,200 mg/day for ages 51 and over) helps maintain bone health. But did you know that weight-bearing exercise as part of your workout routine is just as important? Weight Bearing exercise is any type of activity that requires your bones and muscles to work against gravity while they bear your weight. * Your bones work harder and become stronger in response to the stress. * Examples include weight lifting, jogging, stair climbing, dancing, racquet sports, step aerobics and power yoga. * Try to include at [...]