Sometimes it can be rather difficult to live a healthy lifestyle. Between work, school, kids, and -- oh yeah, how about having a life, setting aside time to exercise or even fix a healthier meal usually seems like an impossibility. That's why making these healthier changes in your life shouldn't be based on rash, drastic decisions. The "Crash Diet" is the perfect example. Not only is this approach to weight loss unhealthy, but it can actually lead to long-term weight gain. The same goes for an exercise program. If you're new to resistance training, for example, you would do well to ease your way into a routine. Don't make the mistake that I made when I was 14-years-old and first starting to lift weights; and that is to find some dinosaur-sized bodybuilder's workout in a muscle magazine and use it as a guide for your own workout. Take it from me, your arms and legs will feel like they could fall off your body at any given moment. You'll barely be able to move for days at a time, let alone have any desire whatsoever to ever work out again. My point is that the best approach to health and wellness it to take things slowly...baby steps, if you will.

Following this approach, and seemingly doing so quite effectively, are the participants of the America On the Move Foundation's Steptember celebration. AOMF is a non-profit focused on healthy living through small and manageable changes. The group promotes making two small changes in your lifestyle, both of which will have a positive impact on your overall health over time.

The first is to add 2,000 steps (approx. 1 mile) to to your day. This is probably easier to achieve that it may first seem. Try taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Perhaps walk to your car in the off-site parking lot instead of hopping in the shuttle (besides, you don't really want to ride in the "Loser Cruiser," do you?). Or maybe you could even take a leisurely walk around your neighborhood. Whatever method you choose, just try to be consistent with doing it every day.

The second is to cut a mere 100 calories from your diet, which is the equivalent of a tablespoon of butter. Now, I realize that you probably don't actually woof down a tablespoon of butter a day But, you likely get this many calories from a myriad of other possible sources. These days, just about everything has over 100 calories in it, so just pick one of your regular treats and eliminate it from your diet. Cutting 100 calories may not seem like a lot, but over a year's time, this will result in the loss of a decent amount of weight.

For more information on AOMF's Stempber celebration, visit their site at: www.AmericaOnTheMove.org . Though the celebration has already started, you can hop on in at any time and join in on the fun. Need an even greater incentive that getting healthier and losing weight? Howe about winning an iPod? AOMF will give away a free iPod shuffle, and at the end of the month, participants are eligible to win a $500 gift certificate to Dick's Sporting Goods.

If you're worried about your heart, and even if your not, improving your health both today and in the long-run is as simple as taking four small steps. That's it. Only four changes. Want to know what they are? Here they are, courtesy of Fitsugar:

• Eat at least 5 servings of fruit and veggies a day
• Exercise at least 30 minutes a day
• Maintain a healthy weight, and healthy BMI of between (18.5 and 24.9)
• Don't smoke, or quit if you do

Ok, the last two might be a bit of a struggle for some, but if you do the first two, the last two should follow. These really are the most important things you can do for your health. What do you think?

Famed bluesman Bo Diddley (78) is in a Gainesville, FL, hospital following a heart attack. Diddley is famous for ever-cool tunes such as "Who Do You Love" and "I'm a Man." Well, at least he was in the right location: Diddley was actually at the hospital for a checkup when the heart attack struck. This ensured he got prompt care that may very well have saved his life.

It appears Diddley suffered the heart attack on Friday of last week, but it was only announced today. This afternoon a spokeswoman stated that the now-elderly guitar hero felt unwell during his Friday checkup and was transferred to the emergency room, which is where the heart attack occurred. Diddley had surgery soon after to have a stent fitted. This will improve blood flow to the heart. Today he was transferred out of intensive care. As of earlier today his condition was said to be stable but serious.

Interesting factoids: Diddley's real name is Ellas Bates. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. The legendary musician has not been enjoying the best of health lately: he had a stroke in May of this year, which has impaired his speech and speech recognition. He has also lost some of his toes to complications of diabetes.

The list of health benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids seemingly grows every day. Among the more well-known positive effects this fatty acid has on the body is that has been shown to reduce the risk of heart attack by 36 percent when it is consumed at least once or twice a week. Foods that are high in Omega-3s -- such as salmon, brown rice, and olive oil -- can also help to lower your LDL ("bad") cholesterol. But, inasmuch as many of us know this by now, what we don't know is how this actually takes place. What is cholesterol? And how does it effect our bodies? Now I'm not a doctor, and I'm definitely not a scientist, but I am curious -- so I looked it up.

Cholesterol is made by the liver. Just about every animal that is eaten for food produces cholesterol in this manner. After it's produced in your own body, or absorbed from the food you eat, it's then carried through the bloodstream by particles known as lipoproteins. These particles are also produced in the liver, so it kind of works out quite nicely in that way. Anyway, from these lipoproteins are made up of fat and protein. However, what they contain more of determines if they are "bad" or "good." If they contain a higher proportion of fat, they can stick to your blood vessel walls as they speed through your veins and arteries. Over time, this accumulates and forms hardened plaque, thus reducing the flow of blood to your heart -- and hence the "bad" label. On the other hand, lipoproteins that contain a higher proportion of protein serve a different and much healthier function. Their main task is to carry cholesterol away from your heart and out of the body. The higher your levels of this "good" lipoproteins, the lower your risk of dying from a heart attack.

That's just about the best way I can explain it. Not exactly ready for the New England Journal of Medicine, but not bad for a blog post, if I say so myself.

Sure, I just did an entire post about a new drug (Tekturna), but I still feel it's fair to mention a little something about the side effects of taking prescription drugs. No, I'm not talking about that litany of disgusting physical maladies that are typically rattled off in Micro Machine Man fashion at the end of a drug commercial. Instead, I'm talking about the depletion of nutrients that occurs as a direct result of taking maintenance drugs.

Vasodilators or Beta-Blockers: You may be taking these to help regulate your high blood pressure. If it's helping, great! Keep taking them. But, beware that your consumption of the vasodilators are causing a reduction of vitamin B6 and the beta-blockers are sapping some Coenzyme Q10.

Statins: Yes, statins are a great way to help lower your cholesterol, so do keep taking them if they are working and your doctor suggests that you stick with them. However, please know that the statins also deplete your body of Coenzyme Q10, which can lead to muscle soreness, fatigue, or even elevated liver enzymes.

Diuretics: A popular treatment for hypertension or congestive heart failure. The downside is that they deplete your body of magnesium, zinc, and potassium, which can cause a weakened immunity.

The good news is that you can easily make up for whatever vitamin or mineral you are losing with the medication by simply being sure to eat lean meats, fish, chicken, whole grains, nuts, and leafy green vegetables. And, if you really want to make sure that you're not missing out, you can also talk to your doctor about taking nutritional supplements.

A solid workout can do wonders in helping you put a stressful day behind you. Apart from the natural "high" people receive from the release of endorphins, new research also points to exercise as a means of protecting the heart from the physical impairment that can be brought on by stress.

In a study conducted at University College London, researchers measured stress levels in middle-age adults. They found that when you are stressed, your body responds by creating inflammatory chemicals that can lead to severe physical damage, including the clogging of your arterial walls. However, the researchers also found that among these middle-age adults, those what were the fittest had one-fifth the amount of chemicals in their blood as those who were fairly inactive.

The key is to find an exercise program that works for you. Magazines and books are great sources for a variety of exercise programs to choose from, but it sometimes takes a little personal trial and error before you find the right one for you and your schedule.

In the last 14 months I have had many thoughts and conversations with my family and friends about the end of life. Before June 20, 2006 I had not given death much thought; everybody in my inner circle has always been very healthy and death was not something that we encountered. But when my seemingly healthy father suddenly died of a heart attack nearly 14 months ago, the subject was blown wide open for me. Losing my dad without any warning at all has been absolutely devastating for my family, but over the last year we have talked to so many families who have watched their loved ones physically or mentally whither away over months or even years. The toll of knowing that an impending death will soon take their family member has broken some but given others time to let go and make peace with the end.

This morning I came upon an article that poignantly addresses this subject. It tells of a wife who cared for her husband as he experienced several strokes and experienced the down slide of perfect health to dementia and, finally, death. The wife describes how difficult it was to see her highly intelligent spouse slip into confusion and paranoia. There were blessed moments of lucidity for both of them, and for these she is deeply grateful. It is a beautiful and touching piece of writing that deserves to be read.

In the decades leading up to middle age, women are about as likely as men to suffer a stroke. But once they hit 45,a woman's stroke risk doubles when compared to a man of similar age. Stress, weight gain, and a rise in blood pressure and cholesterol are to blame, but why are women significantly more affected than men? Some studies have shown that women have a sudden increase in risk factors as they near middle age, and others think there might be a gap in medical care and that women are not being treated as aggressively as men. Whatever the reason, it's important for women and men to recognize their risk factors, as well as the signs and symptoms of a stroke.

All of us in midst of our career are eagerly anticipating the carefree days of our retirement. But to avoid disappointment, it's important to take certain steps to make sure that you're retirement goes smoothly. Here are some tips courtesy of Health Day:

• Make a list of what you want to accomplish
• Try new things. Hey, now that you have the time, why not? Take up a hobby you've always wanted to try but never had time to.
  
• Set aside 30 minutes a day for physical activity to make sure you have many more years to enjoy your retirement
  
• Get involved in your community. Keep yourself busy with volunteer work
  
• Work on friendships that have come second to work and family in the past. Establish new ones
• Get a pet. But only if you don't want to travel

I think these are great suggestions -- if you have time. Most retired people I know claim to be busier than ever before ... do you agree? Make sure to put your health first though. You'll miss it once it's gone.

For patients getting their cholesterol checked, the process is fairly easy and involves merely have some blood taken. But in order to get an accurate reading, there's much more to it than that. What you eat and drink prior to the test can have a major influence on the reading you get, so be sure to follow the rules given to you by your doctor, namely that you must fast for 12 hours prior to the exam.

What's more, other influences, like the test itself and biological factors, can influence the accuracy of your readings over time. To main consistency, try to get tested at the same time of day as your last cholesterol test to get a reliable idea of how much your levels have changed. Also, while it's recommended that you don't drink alcohol 24hours before the test, you can further improve your results by avoiding alcohol several days before the test. And, be sure you're sitting for at least five minutes before your blood is taken.

For more info, check out this article.

As we age, we get a few more wrinkles, and perhaps out hair will change colour -- or disappear. We'll have more aches and pains, we won't be able to eat as much, and we'll need more naps. Aside from any major health issues, is that the extent of the effects aging has on our body? No way. There are lots of changes that happen that we don't even think about, such as:

• We lose lean tissue, which means we lose muscle and tissue from our organs
• Our lungs shrink
• Our heart capacity decreases
• Our body fat increases
• Our bones thin
• We lose important functional strength to do every day things like carry groceries.

Wow, when you put it that way, aging sounds like a blast, don't you think? But getting older doesn't have to mean a total disintegration of our bodies. If we form healthy habits today, it should help us age gracefully and healthfully.

Are you getting enough activity? The American Heart Association and the American College of Sports Medicine recently released new guidelines on how much exercise we should all be getting. Former guidelines suggested that, at a minimum, we should all be doing 30 minutes of moderate exercise most days of the week. The AHA and ACSM took that a step or two further and recommended:

• 30 minutes of moderate exercise 5 days per week, OR
• 20 minutes of vigorous exercise 3 days per week, AND
  
• strength training, including 8-10 different exercises, two days per week

They also encourage seniors to be more active and to focus on exercises that will promote strength, balance, and flexibility. In addition, the two groups want us all to understand that these are minimum guidelines and that the more you move, the better your health will be!

Though experts don't yet know how to prevent Alzheimer's, another common form of dementia in late adulthood -- called vascular dementia -- may be avoidable by taking care of the heart. A study that followed nearly 500 elderly patients for four years found that those who had cardiovascular conditions, such as stroke or peripheral artery disease, were much more likely to have a reduction in cognitive ability than those who did not.

Researchers believe that the reduced blood flow that is a consequence of narrowed arteries also affects the brain, leading to mental decline. In reverse, good artery health means greater blood flow and oxygen to the brain, which may protect cognitive abilities.

The findings are interesting; read more about them here.

Technology, especially medical technology, is constantly amazing me. Take, for instance, this device, which uses Bluetooth technology. It takes periodic ECG readings of the heart, and if it detects imminent heart failure, it will transmit that information to a user's cell phone. The cell phone then text messages the nearest medical center. The device is meant to be used by patients who have already suffered a cardiovascular event, and was created to help those patients get medical help more quickly in the event of a second attack.

The Wearable Cardiac Telemedicine System will hopefully ease the minds of patients and help them to lead a more mobile life. It appears to still be in the development stages, but heart patients may soon have it available to them for use.

We often post tips and facts about having a healthy heart, but over at That's Fit, I think this post sums up what you need to do to have a healthy heart. Here's what they recommend:

• Get a good night's sleep
• Get active -- this especially includes resistance training
• Drink wine in moderation
• Eat fish, or some other source of Omega 3's
• Floss regularly
• Quit smoking
• Take a daily walk
• An aspirin a day can take the heart problems away -- but talk to your doctor first.
  

Whether or not you have heart problems, I think these are great suggestions that can make a healthy difference in your life and keep your ticker ticking for years to come. I especially like the wine bit. How about you?