The Benefits of Meditation

When it comes to making meditation a part of your daily routine it is metaphorically-speaking, a no brainer. Studies show it does everything from taming the run-away monkey-mind, increasing creativity, pumping up energy and vitality, reducing muscle pain, lowering stress, boosting organizational skills, to offering mental and physical flexibility.

The ability to quiet one's mind and retreat to a thought-free state of calmness opens the connection to higher intelligence and greatly enhances problem-solving abilities. A study at Massachusetts General Hospital found that the cerebral cortex (the part of the brain that deals with focusing on processing sensory input) is more active in meditators.

The truth about toning shoes, and other fitness gear that doesn't work

People are always looking for the quick fix. Pills that will bust belly fat overnight. Exercise machines that will give you fab abs in no time. Flip-flops that can help you get fit faster. Special sneakers that sculpt your butt and help you get in shape.

Sound too good to be true? It usually is. And when it comes to trendy, pricy toning shoes—which have rounded or unstable soles that are supposed to help the wearer burn more calories by increasing "muscle activation"—studies show that while exercise does plenty to boost calorie consumption and tone your bod, the shoes don't really make a difference.

Are You an Emotional Overeater? Take this Quiz and Learn How to Overcome It!

Does a fight with your mate or an argument with your teenager propel you straight to the bottom of an ice-cream carton? Does an impending job interview send you to the nearest drive-thru lane faster than you can say, “Fries with that, please?” Did you have a flat tire on the way home from work and then make a beeline to the fridge? Perhaps you eat when you’re tense, lonely, afraid, depressed, or angry—pretty much any time things go a bit wrong. If so, you may be overeating in response to emotions such as boredom, loneliness, anger, sadness or fear.

Take this short quiz to find out if you are an emotional overeater.

16 tips for getting good sleep

There’s a lot of advice out there about getting good sleep -- it's VERY important. We quickly adjust to being sleep-deprived, and don't notice that we aren't functioning at a normal level, but lack of sleep really affects us. If you're feeling blue or listless, try going to sleep thirty minutes earlier for a week. It can really help.

Here are tips that have helped me get good sleep:

Good habits for good sleep:

1. Exercise most days, even if it’s just to take a walk.

2. No caffeine after 7:00 p.m.

3. An hour before bedtime, avoid doing any kind of work that takes alert thinking. Addressing envelopes—okay. Analyzing an article—nope.

8 Surprising Fertility Facts Every Woman Should Know

Right now, you may be more into preventing pregnancy than having a kid. But there are habits to take on now and behaviors you should avoid that will make it easier for you to conceive when you are ready to be a mom. Here's what you need to know.

1. Always Have Safe Sex

Unless you know for sure that your guy is STD-free, condoms are your best protection against fertility threats such as chlamydia and gonorrhea. If left untreated, these bacterial infections can enter your uterus and fallopian tubes, where they morph into a more serious condition called Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID). Scarily, one in five women with PID end up infertile.

Dealing With Doctor Anxiety

You’re not alone if you stand in awe of your physician and as a result, don’t get the quality of medical care you should. Studies tell us that the better the communication between doctor and patient, equal to equal, the better the health care the patient will get.

Sometimes patients hesitate to question their doctors for fear they will get angry or feel insulted. Surveys show, however, that most physicians respond positively to direct requests for information.

There are ways by which the patient can help improve the communication process. Here are the basics:

--Go to the doctor’s office prepared with detailed information on your personal and family medical history. List your symptoms in the order in which they appeared and describe them as precisely as possible – their location in our body, their frequency, their effect on our everyday activities.

How to Stay Committed to Your Exercise and Weight Loss Goals

It’s normal to have days when you really don’t want to exercise or look at another salad. But before you pick up a fork and dig into sugary frosting or write off the gym, try this idea that JJ Virgin, the author of Six Weeks to Sleeveless and Sexy, says is personal kryptonite against program destroyers.

Let’s be honest here. You will need something concrete to really motivate you when times get hard. There will come a day when you have a big fight with your mother on the phone or your boss is really demanding. Maybe the car won’t start and your kids are screaming. Suddenly the idea of motivation is out the window and all you want is a Snickers bar.