8 Ways to Commit to a Healthy Lifestyle

“People often say that motivation doesn’t last,” said Zig Ziglar. “Well, neither does bathing — that’s why we recommend it daily.” Most of us have things about ourselves we’d like to improve. A healthy lifestyle is no exception. This desire can come from wanting to change the way we look or feel, or heeding a doctor’s warning.

“Practicing preventative measures for maintaining good health is a habit you never outgrow,” said Liz Jacobsen, team lead at Lake Ridge Senior Living. “Whether it is getting regular checkups, adjusting diet, increasing exercise or eliminating harmful habits, healthy living starts with adopting healthy habits.” Read more

Juicy Tips for a Better Cleanse

Are your jeans feeling a little tight after a long winter’s nap? Or maybe you miss the much-needed energy you once had to tackle the day’s tasks. I feel the same way. These days, many people are turning to juice cleanses as the miracle solution for everything from quick weight loss and energy boosting, to treating the common cold and achy joints. For those who swear by the healing properties of a juice cleanse, there are many more who have concerns about their effectiveness and health. Both camps agree that there are worse methods out there for consumers, but is there a place for juice cleanses in our overall wellness routine? Read more

4 Reasons You Should Soak up the Sun This Summer

Lying outside in a swimsuit with your eyes closed and a cool lemonade in hand – summer doesn’t get much better. But, if you’re like me, you’re also worried about having enough sunscreen, getting too hot and becoming dehydrated. How do you know if all this fun in the sun is good for you?

It turns out soaking up the summer sun is good for quite a few reasons. After reading about these benefits, you’ll be reaching for your swimsuit every day. Read more

Thinning Hair Doesn’t Have to Mean Thinning Hope

One inevitable fact of life is that thinning hair is a common byproduct of aging. Studies show that up to 50 percent of women over the age of 50 will experience hair loss. Sadly, many of us have a genetic predisposition to hair loss, or androgenetic alopecia. Read more

15 Health Benefits of Sweet Potatoes, According to Science

Sweet potatoes are nutritious and delicious root vegetables. The sweet potato is creamy and soft enough to be an ingredient in several pie recipes, and most people think of the vegetable as merely a dessert ingredient. However, scientists have found that sweet potatoes are among the best sources of Vitamin A (1). Sweet potatoes are also naturally packed with vitamin B5, riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, and carotenoids due to their naturally orange color. Read more

Seniors Often Face Dental Care Challenges

Typically, we make sure our family has regular checkups, but is your older loved one following the same schedule? Experts are guessing the answer is probably not.

According to the Center for Disease Control, a little over half (60 percent) of today’s senior adults visited a dentist in 2013 despite the fact that one in four of seniors aged 65 and older have gum disease. This segment of the population is in need of proper dental care since many of today’s serious diseases can be linked to tooth decay or gum disease. Read more

7 Creative Ways That Older Couples Can Keep the Romance Alive

Despite what the tabloids may say, not all celebrity relationships go down in flames. Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman were happily married for 50 years; Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollan found lasting love; and Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson are still going strong. It may take a little extra effort to keep the love alive through the years, especially if you and your significant other have forgotten how to connect or are stuck in the same routine. But with some relationship advice, the passion is sure to ignite again! Read more

Six Fat-Free Ways to Handle Stress

It may have started when your boss watched you fly through the main doors 10 minutes late or last night during bedtime when your youngest announced he has a book report due today.

Perhaps it is the neighbor who expects full participation with every cause that hits Instagram or the mean girls that seem to follow your teenager’s every move with negative commentary.

Before you realize it, you are standing in front of the open freezer listening to your serving spoon scrape the bottom of an empty ice cream container. That’s right. You are stressed, and the fact that the only way you can cope with the pressures of life is to drown your concerns in heaps of whipped cream or melted cheese only adds to the problem.

Instead of snacking your way through a crisis, consider these six fat-free strategies to handle the most bitter of stressful situations. Read more

Five Tips to Help Your Loved Ones Pare down Their Belongings

As your loved ones enter their golden years, their home becomes their sanctuary. But if they’ve kept all the tokens of love over the years, their home is probably too cluttered for them to navigate safely. This can be a health hazard, both physically (tripping and falling over things) or mentally (hoarding).

Here are some tips to declutter your parents’ home and help your older loved ones lessen their belongings so that they can remain safe and happy in their living spaces. Read more

4 Advantages You Can Steal from a Morning Person

The routine of a morning person illustrates that the advantages you gain by not hitting the snooze button far outweigh the extra hours of sleep. Read more