Stop Toxic Lifestyle

Fit for Life

Permission to Enjoy Life, Sir

Being fit to live is about so much more than your waistline. It means you're no longer swallowed up by stress, eating binges and TV zone-outs. Pamela Peeke, MD, author of 'Fit to Live' shows you how to enjoy the rich, full life that you deserve. It's easier than you think.

Ditch 'Ugly Days'

When women feel bad about themselves, the majority say it's because of their looks or weight. Stop gazing in the mirror for a dose of stress. Instead, face-off with the changes that will truly bring you joy and fulfillment.

Walk Your Brain

Many signs of aging are actually the symptoms of disuse. This is especially true for the brain. Memory games, coupled with a healthy lifestyle of good nutrition and exercise, optimizes memory and brain function.

Take Time Off

Men who took the most vacations were 29 percent less likely to be diagnosed with heart disease and 17 percent less likely to die over a 9-year study period than those who did not take regular holidays. Book a vacation now, so you can truly enjoy retirement later.

Don't Fall for Bogus Buys

Americans spend a total of $40 billion on supplements, herbs, and megavitamins. A number of them have been found to be ineffective, including Echinacea for colds and flu. Others, like the retinol form of Vitamin A, are downright dangerous.

Cola Caution

Drinking colas, whether diet or regular, is bad for your bones. Drinking even one daily is associated with an average of 4 percent lower bone density -- regardless of age and calcium and vitamin D intake. Colas are highly acidic, and calcium is believed to leach from the bones to counteract the acid.

Benefits of Family Dinner

Eating together as a family creates happier marriages and stronger family ties. Children and teens who eat at the dinner table are generally healthier and have higher self-esteem and grades than kids who don't. Twenty minutes together is all it takes.

Don't Pass on Body Woes

More than half of teenaged girls and almost half of 9 to 11 year old are on diets -- or believe they should be. Eighty-four percent of girls in a national survey think they have to be thin to be popular. Be a model for healthy eating and positive body image for your daughters.

Beat the Witching Hour for Snacks

The hour that most people blow it with the munchies is 4:30 p.m. Your solution: Eat a balanced meal or snack every 3 to 4 hours, and you'll soar right past themid-afternoon slump without distraction.

The Fat/Money Trap

If you are obese and female, it's almost twice as likely that you've always been jobless, as compared to someone of normal weight. Whether you 'stress-eat' because you can't find a job, or can't get a job because you're obese, it's a vicious cycle of health-destruction.