Health & Well Being Resources
Health Resources Links - From government health Websites to women health organizations, from marriage to family therapists to mental health, from post depression to recovery, we have it all here for you.

Introduction to the Health Legacy that you leave behind - Valerie Scardino, M.P.A. NWHIC Project Director, Office on Women's Health

2005 Daybook -“Generations: Women’s Health Across the Lifespan” is available to view or download in its entirety on the NWHIC web site. The chapter, “Healthy Eating and an Active Lifestyle” outlines the physical effects of being overweight and obese, and provides ideas for healthy eating.
Link: www.4woman.gov/pub/daybook.2005/obesity.cfm

Fit to Eat is a section of 4Girls Health that is aimed at teaching teen girls to develop nutritious eating habits. Whether you have a teenage girl, work with them, or are just interested in adolescent health, this site is full of important nutrition information that will give anyone insight into a healthier diet.
Link: www.4girls.gov/nutrition/index.htm

Great Resources & Books
Boosting Metabolism - By Joy Bauer, MS, RD, CDN with Carol Svec - Authors of Joy Bauer's Food Cures - The ultimate guide to using food as medicine from Today show regular Joy Bauer—whom New York magazine calls "the best nutritionist in New York City." Nutritional healing has gone mainstream and researchers at top universities are publishing studies that show how the right foods can help prevent, manage, and sometimes entirely reverse the defining symptoms of a wide range of health issues. Whether it’s unwanted pounds or high blood sugar, mood swings or digestive trouble, the cure can be what you eat every day. Now Joy Bauer, a nutrition consultant to celebrities from actors to gold-medal winning athletes, explains exactly what to eat to lower high cholesterol and blood pressure, improve skin tone, sharpen memory, sleep better, and take charge of PMS, arthritis, and more. Each chapter focuses on one of the many conditions that drive people to seek Joy’s professional help and simulates a personal consultation. Readers walk away with up-to-the-minute, scientifically researched recommendations on particular foods to seek out and which ones to avoid, plus grocery lists, meal plans, recipes, and supplement recommendations presented in easy-to-follow 4-step prescriptive plans. Metabolism is simply the total of all body processes that burn calories -- your basal metabolic rate plus your activity factor. When it comes to improving your metabolism, there's good news and bad news.

Spice Up Your Treadmill Workout - By Minna Lessig - Author of Tank Top Arms, Bikini Belly, Boy Shorts Bottom - Fitness supermodel and personal trainer Minna Lessig presents a 4-week sculpting program to help women tone their trouble spots—with results in as little as 10 days! An emerging superstar in the fitness field—with credits that include a weekly spot on CBS’s The Early Show, three best-selling fitness DVDs, and more, Minna Lessig has a personal training client list that ranges from busy moms like her to world-class athletes like Yankee baseball star Alex Rodriguez, who attributed a record-breaking season while he was with the Seattle Mariners to Lessig’s off-season strength and conditioning program. In her first book, Tank Top Arms, Bikini Belly, Boy Shorts Bottom, Minna Lessig assembles the most effective time-saving exercises designed to target the arms, abs, and buttocks. This is cutting-edge fitness—a 4-week program that will not only make women look better but also feel healthier, stronger, and more energetic as they go about their everyday activities. Each workout includes mind-body exercises: instead of resting between sets, readers engage in positive visualization exercises created to enhance their well-being and self-esteem. And with Minna’s jump-start program, women can get results in as little as 10 days, motivating them to achieve a beautifully toned body that will look great in tank tops, bikinis with boy short bottoms, and other figure-revealing warm-weather fashions.

How to Avoid Kids’ Blood Sugar “Spike and Crash” -By Missy Chase Lapine - Author of  The Sneaky Chef - Kids love roller coasters. Moms don’t -- well, at least not the ones that take place inside our homes! I’m talking about the “spike and crash” syndrome that describes the rapid ups and downs of children’s blood sugar levels when they eat too much sugar and overly processed carbs, especially on an empty stomach. Foods that are especially high in sugar -- even natural sugar and honey -- are known to cause a very quick rise in blood-sugar levels. They are rated high on the “glycemic index” (GI) -- a measurement of the effect a food has on one’s blood sugar level. The higher the rating on the index, the more rapid the increase in blood sugar level. The spike doesn’t last very long and is followed by a corresponding fast drop in blood-sugar level. (often it drops even lower than it was before we ate). This is commonly referred to as the “spike and crash syndrome.”

Ten Tips For A Safe Hospital Stay - by Laura Nathanson, MD, FAAP Author of What You Don't Know Can Kill You - Sources by Amanda Bach - In 2003, Dr. Laura Nathanson was widowed after the misdiagnosis of her beloved husband. After this tragedy, she was determined to help others protect themselves and their loved ones from similarly preventable health care disasters -- and help them benefit from health care miracles. In the book, Dr. Nathanson provides a guide to getting the best medical care and navigating our frustrating and often impenetrable health care system. In clear, non-medical language, she shows how to: Flag any signs of misdiagnosis and misleading analysis of symptoms; Prevent miscommunication among specialists from having dire consequences;Stay safe in the hospital and bypass its dangers· Choose a health care plan without falling into the "uncovered services" trap. Full of empathy for each individual patient and caregiver, What You Don't Know Can Kill You will empower patients to be their own best advocates.

Take Control of Your Cholesterol—Without Drugs - If you are one of the nearly 100 million Americans struggling with high cholesterol, then Dr. Janet Brill offers you a revolutionary new plan for taking control of your health—without the risks of statin drugs. With Dr. Brill’s breakthrough Cholesterol Down Plan, you simply add nine “miracle foods” to your regular diet and 30 minutes of walking to your daily routine. That’s all. This straightforward and easy-to-follow plan can lower your LDL (bad) cholesterol by as much as 47% in just 4 weeks. A patient once said to me, “My grandfather ate oatmeal every morning of his life and he lived to be a hundred.” My response was “Do what your grandfather did.” Whole-grain oats are tasty and inexpensive, and have a long history of health benefits. This simple grain has been shown to lower cholesterol and blood pressure, normalize blood sugar, appease the appetite, and ameliorate intestinal problems. Remember the oat bran craze of the 1980s? That phenomenon grew out of an overwhelming amount of scientific evidence that began to build during the 1960s, linking oat consumption with dramatic declines in blood cholesterol.

"Strange Son: Two Mothers, Two Sons, and the Quest to Unlock the hidden World of Autism" - Author: Portia Iversen - Portia Iversen was an award-winning art director and television writer whose life changed irrevocably when her son Dov was diagnosed with autism at the age of two. As she and her husband, Jon Shestack, desperately sought treatments for Dov and struggled to understand what was happening to him, they were stunned to learn that almost nothing was known about the disorder and only a handful of researchers were even studying it. Faced with little hope of a medical breakthrough in Dov’s lifetime, Iversen and her husband started the foundation Cure Autism Now, knowing that speeding up the pace of autism research might be the only meaningful thing they could do to help their son. Strange Son is the powerful tale of two mothers from opposite sides of the world who, united by their fierce determination to help their severely autistic sons, have challenged everything we thought we knew about autism.

Edging Into Exercise - By Martha Beck, PhD - Author of The Four Day Win  - The woman Psychology Today calls "the best-known life coach in America" shatters the myth that willpower is an effective weight-loss tool and introduces a revolutionary approach to lifetime leanness based on a series of "4-day wins" that work with any weight-loss program. Substitute a good habit for a bad one and stick to it for just 4 days, and it begins to feel normal. That’s the surprising discovery that holds the key to lifetime weight control, according to life coach and New York Times best-selling author Martha Beck. Not a conventional diet or exercise program, The Four-Day Win combines evolutionary logic, psychology, and neuroplasticity (the ability of the brain to restructure itself, which suggests ways to reshape our bodies) with strategies and success stories—plus large doses of humor and an insightful, straightforward approach to teach the principles required to reverse weight issues.

Keeping your Post-holiday Spirits Up and your Weight Down - By Judith J. Wurtman, PhD, and Nina Frusztajer Marquis, MD - Authors of The Serotonin Power Diet - To recoup from the holidays, what you need most cannot be found at any post-holiday sale. Although you might get some great deals on some fantastic stuff, serotonin will leave you, and your credit card account, in better shape. Serotonin is a brain chemical with two important functions. First, it balances your mood. This is why so many antidepressants, like Prozac, and other mood stabilizers have their effect via serotonin. The other important function of serotonin is to shut off your appetite. It is appetite, not hunger, that leads you to eat when you’re bored, stressed, or tempted by delicious foods around you. Appetite-induced overeating, not hunger, can add extra pounds and make it difficult to lose weight. And if you feel a post-holiday let-down, you’re exhausted, or you’re feeling a bit down because of the dark days of winter, you’re even more likely to overeat to soothe your emotions, your mood, or both. You’ve been there before and most likely you’ve chosen high fat sweet or salty foods like ice cream, potato chips, cookies, buttery mashed potatoes, pasta alfredo, or donuts. Eat more than a few nibbles of these foods and before you know it your weight is out of control.

Lose Weight Over the Holidays? It’s Possible, and Here’s How - By Tom Weede - author of The Entrepreneur Diet - The busy entrepreneurs’ guide to lose weight, get in shape, and reduce stress - A DIET FOR THOSE TOO BUSY TO DIET! - Mainstream diets, daily two-hour workouts . . . they help people get in shape and get healthy—but they don’t fit the schedule of self-made entrepreneurs. The first diet, health, and fitness book geared towards the challenges you face as a busy entrepreneur, The Entrepreneur Diet delivers a program that fits into any schedule. In six weeks, this diet and exercise program of weight training, cardiovascular fitness, healthy food choices, and stress reduction techniques delivers real results. You'll learn how to make lifestyle changes that will have a positive impact—permanently. Shed pounds, shape up and boost energy in just six weeks! Eat healthy without sacrificing taste or time with a six-week meal plan that offers both traditional meals and "Quick Fix" options from Starbucks, McDonald’s, great restaurants and more. Start a workout plan that works with your schedule, not against it.
The Acid Alkaline Balance Diet - An Innovative Program for Ridding Your Body of Acidic Wastes - By Felicia Drury Kliment - Balancing the body's acid alkaline pH factor to improve health is the hot new treatment in alternative medicine. The Acid Alkaline Balance Diet clarifies for you this cutting-edge option with an easy-to-follow food combination program and herbal therapy regime that redefines the notion of a "well-balanced diet." By balancing the body's acidity levels, this simple plan can help toward curing various medical conditions, including arthritis, hepatitis, insomnia, alcoholism, and kidney disease. With information organized by affliction, you can quickly find the help you need. Anecdotal success stories offer inspiring evidence that this dietary/lifestyle change really works. Forget the traditional notions of a well-balanced diet; for many, this well-balanced diet is the cause of various illnesses. Here at last are alternatives for those who have used the "four food groups" strategy of nutrition but still ended up with health problems. Discover how The Acid-Alkaline Balance Diet will help you lead a healthier, longer life.
The Journey Through Cancer and The Seven Levels of Healing® - By: Jeremy R. Geffen, MD, FACP
Author of "The Journey Through Cancer" The most important Cancer Book You will Ever Read - What do you do when your world is turned upside-down by a diagnosis of cancer? How do you sort through the dizzying array of conventional and non conventional treatment options while also searching for meaningful ways of embracing the mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of healing? The Journey Through Cancer answers these questions and more. Board-certified oncologist Jeremy Geffen, MD, has spent more than fifteen years providing treatment, guidance, and care for thousands of cancer patients and their families. In this groundbreaking work, he offers real and inspiring solutions to the unique challenges encountered on the cancer journey, while honoring and caring for the whole person—and his or her entire family—at every step along the way. Full of practical guidance, The Journey Through Cancer will help you to: Understand the essential aspects of conventional diagnosis, staging, and treatment. Make informed and intelligent choices about the most effective, safe, and reliable complementary and alternative therapies. Discover new possibilities for physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

Bipolar II - by Ronald R. Fieve, M.D. Thirty years ago, Dr. Ronald Fieve pioneered the use of lithium for what was then known as manic depression. His book Mood swing was a runaway hit, published in seven countries. Since then, Dr. Fieve has focused on patients with mild bipolarity what is now known as Bipolar II. He has discovered that Bipolar II patients are almost across the board driven, successful, high-achieving individuals who, with the right treatment, can actually turn their illness into an asset. In this first book to concentrate exclusively on milder bipolarity, Dr. Fieve explains how newer drugs with fewer side effects are revolutionizing the treatment of Bipolar II. Some people with mild bipolarity may not require drugs at all just a specific lifestyle program, which Dr. Fieve spells out in this book. In the past, many patients with the illness have resisted treatment because they did not want to give up the euphoria of the highs. But left untreated, the conditions lows can be devastating sometimes resulting in suicide. Here, Dr. Fieve reveals his remarkably successful treatment program that allows patients to keep the highs while minimizing the lows. And he explains how his program can help turn the illness into a positive and patients into what he calls bipolar beneficials.

Entertaining doesn't mean giving up the foods you love! By Arthur Agatson, M.D. the author of The South Beach Diet Parties And Holidays Cookbook - Healthy Recipes for Entertaining Family And Friends. It's easy to celebrate parties and holidays and stay on the South Beach Diet. Preventive cardiologist, Dr. Arthur Agatston, who has helped millions of people the world over to lose weight and eat more healthfully, shows you how the basic nutritional principles of the South Beach Diet -- choosing good, unsaturated fats; nutrition-rich, high-fiber fruits and vegetables; lean sources of protein; and low-fat dairy -- easily translate to preparing and enjoying special occasion meals throughout the year. Whether you're inviting a few friends and relatives for a weekend brunch, throwing a baby shower or a backyard barbecue, celebrating Valentine's Day, the Fourth of July, Christmas, or Hanukkah, or launching your South Beach Diet with a Phase 1 kickoff party, The South Beach Diet Parties & Holidays Cookbook is filled with more than 20 menus and 150 recipes that will make every party or holiday celebration memorable. Remember, the South Beach Diet is about living well. This book is your essential guide to preparing satisfying, delicious, and healthy meals for every special occasion.

Lose Weight -- and Keep it Off -- in a New York Minute! - by David Kirsch - When supermodel Heidi Klum needed to get into tip-top shape for the Victoria's Secret fashion show -- just eight weeks after giving birth to her second child -- she turned to a miracle worker, celebrity fitness trainer David Kirsch, and his Ultimate New York Diet. But you don't have to be a celebrity -- or a New Yorker -- to reap the benefits of this fresh approach to a healthy, fit lifestyle. All you need is the desire to take control of your eating and your body and the willingness to change your life for the better. Once you take that first step to a new, improved you, there's no limit to how fabulous you can look and feel! David Kirsch, author of the wildly popular Ultimate New York Body Plan, has written this book for the needs of people with busy, multitasking lives -- people who want to be on top of their game when it comes to their careers and their bodies. This is not just a diet; it's a life transformation. After completing The Ultimate New York Diet, your attitude toward food, exercise, and wellness will be forever changed and you'll finally have the key to a fit and fabulous body.

Uplifting Tips from Breast Cancer Survivors - By Barbara Delinsky - I put UPLIFT: Secrets from the Sisterhood of Breast Cancer Survivors together because, as a survivor, I saw the need for a book that treated breast cancer as a do-able experience -- and, indeed, the response to it has been remarkable. The book contains useful woman-to-woman hints -- things the doctor doesn't say -- practical advice on topics ranging from what deodorant to use during radiation, to what minimizes nausea during chemo, to how to feel feminine and upbeat. This advice comes first-hand, in the words of 370+ breast cancer survivors, their sisters, children, parents, lovers, and friends. The new 3rd Edition adds updates, five years later, from many of the original contributors. Delinsky envisioned this book as "the support group that I had never joined but could have used, the one that offered all the practical little secrets of survival that have nothing to do with doctors, machines, or drugs and everything to do with women helping women." She succeeds.

The United States of Arugula: How We Became a Gourmet Nation - by David Kamp - One day we woke up and realized that our “macaroni” had become “pasta,” that our Wonder Bread had been replaced by organic whole wheat, that sushi was fast food, and that our tomatoes were heirlooms. How did all this happen, and who made it happen? The United States of Arugula is the rollicking, revealing chronicle of how gourmet eating in America went from obscure to pervasive, thanks to the contributions of some outsized, opinionated iconoclasts who couldn’t abide the status quo. Vanity Fair writer David Kamp chronicles this amazing transformation, from the overcooked vegetables and scary gelatin salads of yore to our current heyday of free-range chickens, extra-virgin olive oil, Iron Chef, Whole Foods, Starbucks, and that breed of human known as the “foodie.” A rich, frequently uproarious stew of culinary innovation, flavor revelations, balsamic pretensions, taste-making luminaries, food politics, and kitchen confidences, The United States of Arugula is the remarkable history of the cultural success story of our era.
Top Tips for Coping with Fussy Eaters - By Annabel Karmel - Author of SuperFoods For Babies and Children - The first thing to do when trying to help your child overcome fussy eating habits is to only buy the foods that you want your child to eat. You should also set an example by eating the right foods yourself. If your child doesn't like eating vegetables, try to disguise them by blending them into a tomato sauce for pasta or adding vegetables to a pizza topping. Also, many children who don't like eating cooked vegetables do like eating them raw, so give carrot sticks, cucumber, bell pepper, etc., with a tasty dip.
Make Water Count - By Martina Navratilova - Author of Shape Your Self: My 6-Step Diet and Fitness Plan to Achieve the Best Shape of Your Life - Millions of us don't feel as good as we should because we don't drink the eight or more glasses of water we need daily. Water is an often overlooked nutrient, one that's involved in practically every bodily process. I know that if I'm dehydrated, I feel really tired. But when I drink water regularly, I have more energy. That's because water assists in the loading and storage of energy-giving glycogen in the muscles. It's also a solvent and carrier for nutrients. It helps in digestion, circulation, and joint lubrication and even helps decrease the risk of some cancers. It also flushes toxins and metabolic wastes from your system. The more toxins and wastes in your body, the less capable it is of burning fat and losing weight.
Climb to Health - By Harvey B. Simon, M.D. Author of The No Sweat Exercise Plan: Lose Weight, Get Healthy, and Live Longer - Stair-climbing is the best-kept secret in exercise for health. It is a great way to add CME points during the course of daily life, and it will help improve your leg strength and balance as well as your heart and waistline. Because stairs are so taxing, only the very young at heart should attempt to charge up long flights. But at a slow, steady pace, stairs can be a health plus for the rest of us. Begin modestly with a flight or two, and then escalate as you improve. Take the stairs whenever you can; if you have a long way to go, walk partway, and then switch to an elevator.
Better Ways to Cope with Stress: Your Way Out of the Toxic Triangle - By Susan Nolen-Hoeksema, Ph.D. Author of Eating, Drinking, Overthinking: The Toxic Triangle of Food, Alcohol, and Depression--and How Women Can Break Free - Depressive symptoms, unhealthy eating habits, and heavy drinking unite to create a space that is so poisonous for women that I have called it the toxic triangle. Eating, Drinking, Overthinking will help you understand your own relationship to the toxic triangle. It is not just for women who have clinical depression, diagnosed eating disorders, or alcoholism. It is for women who dance around the edges of the toxic triangle, with moderate symptoms of depression, unhealthy eating patterns, or heavy drinking.  Eating, Drinking, Overthinking teaches women how to transform their vulnerabilities into strengths, to help women develop the tools to change the way they cope with stressful circumstances.
Is Stress Getting You Down? - By David Edelberg, MD - Author of The Triple Whammy Cure: The Breakthrough Women’s Health Program for Feeling Good Again in 3 Weeks - Do you feel "beaten up" -- tired, achy, stressed out, anxious, depressed, forgetful, headachy, or lacking energy and focus? You may be experiencing the Triple Whammy, a three-pronged assault on your body and mind consisting of: non-stop stress, a shortage of the feel-good brain chemical serotonin, and your ever-shifting hormones. Women are poorly protected against the dangers of unchecked stress on their bodies because they have less serotonin, which acts as a vitally important stress buffer. Women are genetically predisposed to low serotonin, one of the feel-good neurotransmitters in our brains. Women actually have more serotonin than men, but it doesn't work as efficiently. Women have shifting tides of hormones -- which themselves control serotonin level and function -- monthly and throughout life.
10 Easy Ways to Milk Your Morning - By Elizabeth Somer, Registered Dietitian - Experts say a healthy breakfast has a bundle of benefits including boosting energy, improving your mood and promoting a healthy weight. Registered dietitian Elizabeth Somer says morning is also the perfect time to “milk your diet” and get 24 ounces of milk in 24 hours. Here are some of Elizabeth’s quick and creative tips to milk your morning whether you’re at home, on the go, or in the office.
Seven Simple Brain Promoting Nutritional Tips - By Daniel G. Amen, M.D., author of Making a Good Brain Great - You probably run, lift weights, or do yoga to keep your body in great shape; you put on sunscreen and lotions to protect your skin; but chances are you simply ignore your brain and trust it to do its job. People unknowingly endanger or injure their brains, stress them by working at a frenzied pace and not getting enough sleep, pollute them with caffeine, alcohol, and drugs, and deprive them of proper nutrients. Brain dysfunction is the number one reason people fail at school, work, and relationships. The brain is the organ of learning, working, and loving—the supercomputer that runs our lives. It’s very simple: when our brains work right, we work right—and when our brains have trouble, we have trouble in our lives. Here is the seven step plan to get your diet under control and to use food as brain medicine. This tips from Dr. Daniel G. Amen, M.D. will give you the tools you need to optimize your brain power and enrich your health and your life in the process. Increase water intake, calorie restriction, food fats & bad fats, balance protein, carbohydrates, and much more.

Dr. Daniel G. Amen, M.D., is a clinical neuroscientist, psychiatrist, and brain-imaging expert who heads up the world-renowned Amen Clinics. He is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and has won numerous writing and research awards. He writes a monthly column in Men’s Health called “Head Check” and has published nineteen books, numerous professional and popular articles, and a number of audio and video programs. His books include Making a Good Brain Great (Harmony Books; October 2005;$24.00US/$34.00CAN; 1-4000-8208-0), Preventing Alzheimer’s, Healing Anxiety and Depression, Healing the Hardware of the Soul, Healing ADD, and the New York Times bestseller Change Your Brain, Change Your Life. He is an internationally renowned keynote speaker and a popular guest expert for the media, with appearances on CNN, the Today show, The View, and other venues. For more information please visit www.amenclinic.com.

 10 Easy Back-to-School Tips to Help Children (and Parents!) Eat Smarter This Fall - By Dr. Edward Abramson
Author of Body Intelligence: Lose Weight, Keep It Off, and Feel Great Without Dieting! - Childhood obesity is at an all-time high in America, while the overall nutritional value of school lunches continues to plummet. With only weeks left before children and teenagers go back to school, how can parents help to control their children's weight and diet? How can a family dinner be a learning environment to teach proper nutrition? Here are ten simple remedies and lifestyle changes for families. I suggest parents try to Lead By Example and Create A Healthy Eating Environment so kids will pick up better eating habits and make better choices on their own.
Your Fitness Needs, Milestone By Milestone - By Pamela Peeke, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.P. Author of Body-for-LIFE for Women: A Woman’s Plan for Physical and Mental Transformation. I've worked with thousands of women. Twenty-somethings to 50-plus career women. Anorexics and starvers to bingers and bulimics. Top athletes to women who were so obese that they could barely walk a block. For all of them, a customized fitness "prescription" became an essential part of their self-care. Although women of every age reap tremendous physical and mental benefits from regular physical activity, age is a factor in how much and what kind of activity their bodies need in order to get fit, energetic, and strong. Here's a Milestone-by-Milestone description of a woman's physical activity needs.
Are all Diets Unhealthy?  - By Cynthia M. Bulik, Ph.D., and Nadine Taylor, M.S., R.D. - Want the short answer? Yes. Now, you may be thinking, "If I don't stay on some kind of diet, I'll just blow up like a balloon. I need to be on a program just to keep control of myself." But consider that any kind of dieting involves a diet mentality, which ensures failure, encourages you to ignor