Sex, Health, Diet Info

Moms-to-be have such huge responsibilities even before their babies are born. One of these is to secure the baby’s health.

They have to make sure that once they get out into the world, they are truly bouncing boys and girls. That’s why girls are advised to take fish oil for pregnant women.

What’s with the fish oil?

Fish oil contains essential omega3 fatty acids that are beneficial for both the babies and the moms. For one, they can help develop the brain of your baby.

You see, about a third of your baby’s brain is composed of DHA, which is found in fish oil. If he or she lacks it, there’s a huge chance that his or her brain will be underdeveloped.

DHA is also responsible for the enhancement of your baby’s learning process. Studies show that those born from moms who have taken fish oil supplements tend to learn how to read and write a lot faster than those who are not.

By the time that they are sixth to seventh month old, their learning capabilities are already comparable to those of nine-month-old babies.

At four years, you would notice that your child will score higher in examination exams than their friends and classmates.

Their IQ level will be significantly higher, as much as 10 points above average. They will also have longer attention span.

And because your baby’s brain is well developed, you can prevent the occurrence of ADHD (Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder) and dyslexia (or difficulty in reading and writing).

The fatty acids found in fish oil can also improve the vision of your child. They are less susceptible to acquiring various eye diseases later on in life. They will also have better coordination of their eyes and hands than the other babies.

As a pregnant woman and a future mom, you also need to increase your intake of fish oil.

For one, it can lower down your triglyceride levels, which will then prevent you from developing hypertension or high blood pressure. You will have a very difficult pregnancy if you have this illness.

It will also keep you away from infection and allergic reactions, which can have adverse effects on your baby’s health. Lastly, mothers who have taken fish oil supplements are unlikely to develop post-partum depression because of the therapeutic effects of the omega3 fatty acids.

Health becomes gold when you’re pregnant. Take care of yourself and the baby with fish oil for pregnant women.

To find out why the health benefits of fish oil exceed any other health supplement in the world, click here

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/fish-oil-for-pregnant-women-your-child-the-next-einstein-1382763.html

CarterSinclair Org together with the medical professionals and child psychologists have gathered and compiled a simple to use source of daily guide and wisdom to help families live happily and healthfully. The entire family is affected in many ways when a member of the family is diagnosed with chronic diabetes. How does a family deal with the range of emotions (such as worry, guilt, or anger) that come with every day family moments that are a normal part of a family’s life; such as finding a babysitter? Daily Guide provides supportive thoughts for families of children with diabetes, inclusive with games to help foster and facilitate communication.

This is a free booklet to provide to families of children with diabetes to help your child tell others about his or her diabetes diagnosis. The booklet talks about training and educating babysitters and prepare for emergencies, and transitioning into adulthood with major milestones such as dating.

” I have see families who experience overwhelmed and separated by the tests that diabetes give. Sometimes painless to forget that daily moments like school trips, vacations can be a big challenge when a chronic disease like diabetes is on your way,” says Cathy Rogers, MD, MPH, Marketing Officer of CarterSinclair Org for Youth and Childrenn Committee. “We build the booklet to help families gain knowledge of how to live with diabetes by giving common-sense answers to daily diabetes challenges “.

It also includes an informational DVD, games for the family members. This booklet  was designed for kids and young adults with diabetes and for their families.

To order a copy of Daily Guide visit www/cartersinclair.org.

Carter Sinclair Org is non-profit organization that helps monitor health status, inform and educate people about health issues. Research for new approach and modern solutions to health problems. For more information please visit www.cartersinclair.org.  Email at info@cartersinclair.org

Carter Sinclair Org is non-profit organization that helps monitor health status, inform and educate people about health issues. Research for new approach and modern solutions to health problems. For more information please visit www.cartersinclair.org. Email at info@cartersinclair.org

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/daily-guide-carter-sinclair-assists-families-live-well-through-booklets-1378423.html

Baby sickness – is always a hard trial for family, and if the matter concerns baby’s hospitalization, then you can become panic-stricken only at the thought of the fact that a baby will be estranged from his family, painful procedures expect him, and strangers will surround him. 

Because of hospitalization, a baby can get the whole complex of serious psychological problems, caused by sickness, isolation from home and conditions of hospital. Even adult person experiences stress, when he needs to apply to a doctor and moreover, while necessity of long staying in hospital. Needless to say about baby’s stress! Strange atmosphere, strange people, new, constantly renewed children collective, forced separation from parents, fear of medical procedures – all this is quite enough for psychological discomfort. And all these factors accompany symptoms of disease.
 
However, you shouldn’t dramatize situation. Of course, disease and necessity of hospitalization – are traumatizing factors.  But for majority of children staying at hospital can become an important stage in formation of personality, bring lots of new impressions and knowledge, and give possibility to try themselves in difficult life circumstances. This experience will be useful in further life of a child.
 
Processes of adaptation are individual for each child. This depends on many reasons: whether he had diseases earlier, stage of disease, is he staying at hospital for the first time or not, baby’s age, whether he was separated from his family before etc. Often everything passes quite smoothly, due to presence of inner reserves of a baby and correct behavior of parents.
 
It’s quite normal, if period of adaptation at hospital lasts during 3-5 days. There’re no reasons for anxiety, if a baby is rather careless during first days of hospitalization, asks to take him home, gets into contact with coevals not at once. Excess care and parental inclination for dramatizing situation can only damage. On the other hand, you shouldn’t leave a baby alone with his problems. He shouldn’t feel abandoned and lonely.

Quite often parents of sick children need more psychological help, then children themselves, as it is their correct behavior that influences a baby’s mood for recovery.
 
Here’re several recommendations of experts. Never frighten your baby with hospital. Don’t create future problems, as there’s hardly any baby, who hasn’t been at hospital for his life. During conversations with other people avoid such phrases, like: “There doctors hardly understand something, I wish only they don’t harm my child” etc.
 
In case of baby hospitalization do your best to reduce stress and melancholy because of coming separation from home and parents. Adults themselves should be confident in future, calm and wise, so that a baby would treat staying at hospital calmly. If hospitalization is planned and you have at least 1-2 days for preparation, involve baby in preparations, as if he would be going to health centre or camp.
 
Try to dispose your baby to optimism. Children have great intuition, and it’s almost impossible to persuade them in things, which you don’t believe yourself in. So, first of all you should analyze your own emotions and forget about affirmation: “Hospital – pain, fear, danger”. Replace it by “Hospital – help, relieve, recovery”. You confidence and peace of mind will be passed to your daughter and son. Talk to your child about coming hospitalization softly-softly. You can explain to schoolchild, that sickness is not a catastrophe, but a peculiar exam for courage and firmness. Tell your child that you will be thinking of him constantly and you’re always ready to help him. Think and discuss ways of your contacts.
 
During separation avoid touching scenes, restrain excessive emotions. Try to behave the way, so that a baby would treat hospital not as punishment, but as a place, where he will be helped to recover sooner and return to usual life. Form positive attitude, both to improvement of health and doctors’ work. Explain your child an objective necessity of medical assistance.
 
Don’t persuade him that he is guilty of his sickness, trauma etc. himself. By doing this, you will increase sense of guilt and fear, which can cause undesirable psychological complications. Of course, there’re situations, when it is important to discuss wrong behavior of a child, which caused disease.  But it is also very important that a result of your conversation would be not a sense of guilt, but understanding of cause and effect connection between wring behavior and disease.
 
Discuss schedule of visiting a child with relatives for sure, to avoid situations, when there’re several visits per one day and no visits at all other day. This is very important, as excess of visitors can lead to emotional overloads of a sick baby, and their absence – to increase of longing for home and relatives.
 
Try not to hung up on topic of disease and treatment. Life goes on. Ask your child about his new friends, news, what he does in spare time. Keep all your doubts concerning effectiveness of treatment inside of you. Don’t overload patient with your doubts and fears. As medicine, which you doubt, will not help, as doctor, whom you don’t trust, won’t be able to help. Try to avoid unpleasant topics, wait a little with information about bad news: sick baby need not to know that his favorite doggie eats bad or that cat ate hamster. While talking to a baby, pay attention to positive moments of staying at hospital. Think about things you can compliment him for: he bears procedures with fortitude, doesn’t play about, could make friends with somebody, drew a good picture etc.
 
Unfilled spare time increases feeling of loneliness, longing for home. So you should definitely worry about things your child should do. Bring him an interesting book, meccano, some new game, paints, crayons etc. Bring a toy for a small baby surely. You can tell that a new “friend” came to him specially to protect him at nights (if a baby is predisposed to night fears). It will be very good, if you bring him a toy bear, elephant, lion, tiger, i.e. any big animal, which will be able to personify power and protection (size of toy is not important).

After discharge talk to your baby about time he spent at hospital. Ask him about things he learned to do, what he understood about himself and his relations with other people, help him to realize value of experience he gained.

http://www.moneybizhome.com/health
 

Oli works full time as a Market Analyst.He graduated in Management.He can help you to grow your computer consulting.
http://www.moneybizhome.com/computers

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/baby-in-hospital-1370103.html

Cutting new teeth, or teething, can be a very frustrating experience for babies and their parents. Parents hate to know their baby is in pain. In this article we hope to help you so you know what to do when your baby is teething.

Your baby can begin teething as early as 3 months old and the process can continue up to a child’s third birthday or beyond. In most cases, when your baby is between the ages of 4 and 7 months, you will notice your child’s first tooth pushing through the gum line.

Typically, the first teeth to appear are the two bottom front teeth. These are the central incisors. Within 4 to 8 weeks, your baby’s four front upper teeth will begin to push through the gums. These are the central and lateral incisors.

In another month, your baby’s lower lateral incisors will begin to come in. That is the two teeth on each side of the bottom front teeth. Next will be molars. Your baby’s back teeth used for grinding food. Last but not least, your baby’s eyeteeth will start to come in. That’s the pointy teeth in the upper jaw. By your baby’s third birthday, they will usually have all 20 primary teeth.

Only in very rare cases does a baby get born with one or two teeth or begin teething within the first few weeks after birth. There is no reason for concern if this happens, unless the teeth are loose and pose a choking hazard.

When your baby begins teething you might notice they begin to drool more and constantly want to chew on things. Some babies experience no pain while teething, others may be irritable or cranky for weeks. Some babies experience crying episodes, not wanting to eat, and sleep disruption. If your child is too irritable, call your doctor to see if there is a problem.

Tender and swollen gums can cause your baby’s temperature to rise, but generally teething does not cause high temperature in babies. You should call your doctor if high temperatures do occur, because there is probably another cause for it.

If your baby drools excessively, wipe their mouth often or it could cause rashes. While sleeping, place a clean cloth under the baby’s head to catch excess drooling.

Give your baby something to chew on that is large enough that they cannot swallow it and something that won’t break or cannot be chewed into small pieces. Place a wet washcloth in the freezer for thirty minutes and let them chew on that. Rubber teething rings are another good choice. Don’t use the ones that have liquid in them just to be safe. They could break.

Rub your baby’s gums with your finger. This can help relieve the pain. Never tie a teething ring around your baby’s neck.. Acetaminophen may also help relieve your baby’s pain. Always consult your doctor before giving them any medication and remember, never give a baby aspirin.

Another important tip for preventing tooth decay: don’t let your baby fall asleep with a bottle. The milk or juice can pool in her mouth and cause tooth decay and plaque.

Good dental hygiene for your baby is extremely important. These teeth are not permanent and will eventually fall out, however, lack of proper care can cause them to drop out prematurely, leaving gaps. If that happens the other teeth may try to fill the gap, causing bad alignment in the baby’s permanent teeth.
 
You should start caring for the baby’s gums even before the teeth come in. Wipe their gums off with a washcloth or gauze or use a baby-sized toothbrush, but no toothpaste. When the first tooth appears, brush it with plain water.
The American Dental Association recommends that children see a dentist by age 1, when six to eight teeth are in place, to spot any potential problems and advise parents about preventive care.

Around age three, when your child is old enough to spit it out, toothpaste is okay to use. Make sure the toothpaste contains fluoride but use very little for small children. Do not let them swallow it. Overdoses of fluoride are dangerous for children.

 http://www.baby.moneybizhome.com

Oli works full time as a Market Analyst.He graduated in Management.He can help you to grow your computer consulting.
http://www.moneybizhome.com/computers

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/teething-babies-1370114.html

Health insurance causes mixed feelings in the majority of Americans. While it can literally save a life during serious injury or illness, it can also be a source of extreme stress and frustration when certain treatments aren’t covered or co-payments are unaffordable. The problem has reached epic proportions over the past few decades as spending on health care has spiraled out of control. Many Americans pay hefty premiums each month while many others can’t afford the premiums at all and simply choose not to purchase health care. These uninsured and underinsured citizens place a burden on the system as they use hospital emergency rooms for routine care. As various plans for reform surface in the House and Senate, many Americans have expressed concerns about how their current health care will be affected and whether their benefits will be reduced. One group of people that is watching the health care debate closely is senior citizens who rely on Medicare. President Obama has proposed extensive reforms to the current Medicare system with the goal of reducing wasteful spending. His plan would eliminate subsidies for insurance companies who participate in the Medicare Advantage program, which could result in increased premiums for those participating as well as elimination of certain benefits offered by the Advantage program that are not offered through traditional Medicare. Other ideas that have been proposed include a tax increase for wealthy Americans and higher premiums for seniors making more than $170,000 each year who participate in Medicare. Many seniors have expressed concern that the attempts to reduce Medicare spending could result in decreased benefits, changes in doctors, or certain treatments being denied. While the White House hopes to reach its goal of eliminating wasteful spending without resorting to such measures, critics question how millions of baby boomers coming into the program over the next few years can be covered at the current level of benefits while reducing spending at the same time. Another closely watched aspect of the new plan is the proposed public health care option. While lawmakers tout the public option as a way to encourage insurance companies to offer lower and more competitive prices while making sure consumers can obtain affordable health care, critics argue that a government funded system would put many private insurers out of business altogether. An alternative idea suggests state specific health care co-ops which would receive initial government funding, but would thereafter need to be self-supporting. As Americans watch to see where the chips will fall in the health care debate, they should also begin taking action now to find more affordable health care coverage. Employer based systems often provide good coverage at a reasonable cost for individuals, but those without coverage through their place of work should look at various options such as individual coverage, family coverage, and health savings accounts to determine which plan will best meet their needs. Once a plan has been chosen, shopping around is the best way to get the most affordable coverage with the most benefits. Congress hopes to lessen the burden of health care costs for everyone across the board, but individuals can’t wait for the government to solve their health care problems if they hope to see improvement in the near future. As debate proceeds in Washington, Americans should take ownership of their insurance needs by frequently shopping around for the best coverage in order to make sure their families are adequately provided for in the event of illness or injury.

Affordable Health Insurance Plan offers cheap health insurance plans, With unbeatable Affordable health insurance programs.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/health-care-proposals-1319430.html

I sometimes have people contact me and ask what the father-to-be should be eating if the couple are trying to conceive a girl or a boy baby. Examples are things like: “what should my husband be eating or including in his diet if we’re trying to conceive a girl?” Or, “we want a boy baby. What types of foods should the man avoid to keep us from getting pregnant with a girl baby?” I will try to answer these types of questions in the following article.

A Man Who Is Trying To Conceive Should Have A Balanced And Healthy Diet: It’s well known that men who are trying to conceive should avoid tight underwear, hot tubs and saunas, and drugs. The reason for this is that all of these things affect the health and volume of the man’s sperm. A healthy diet goes along with this. A man should eat a balanced and healthy diet in order to ensure healthy sperm. However, his diet does not affect baby gender (or whether you have a boy or a girl) in the same way that the woman or mother-to-be’s diet does.

The Man Or Father’s Diet Is Important. But It Doesn’t Affect Whether You Have A Boy Or A Girl (Or His Baby’s Sex) Like The Mother’s Diet Does: It’s reasonably well known that the mother-to-be’s diet can have an affect on her baby’s gender. Women who eat a more acidic diet raise their odds of conceiving a girl, while those who consume a more alkaline diet raise their chances of having a boy.

The reason for this is that these changes in diet also change or affect the woman’s vaginal environment and PH. If that environment is alkaline, it’s more friendly to the Y or boy producing sperm. If it’s acidic, it’s very tough on those same Y sperm but friendly to the X’s (or those that produce girl babies.)

So, it makes sense to wonder if these same things are true when the father or man’s diet is acidic or alkaline. The most persuasive question would probably be one like: if a man consumes acidic foods, does this mean he has more X or girl producing sperm? And, if he consumes an alkaline diet, does this give the boy sperm an edge or an advantage?

There’s no evidence to suggest this. In fact, there have been studies to see if men who helped conceive more of one gender over another contained more of one type of sperm chromosome. In other words, men who had all boys were tested to see if they had more Y sperm chromosomes. And men who conceived girls were screened to see if their sperm contained a higher number of X’s. The studies showed that this wasn’t the case. In fact, most of the men had roughly the same number of X’s and Y’s throughout.

Focusing On The Mother’s Diet, Her Timing, And Sexual Positioning: There’s no question that you can and should control what you can when it comes to the father’s diet. Healthy foods can contribute to healthy sperm. But in terms of choosing an acidic or alkaline diet, this is best accomplished with the woman or mother to be. These changes can have an affect on whether the couples conceives a boy or a girl.

Another thing to consider is the timing of when that same conception occurs. Conception that happens before the woman’s ovulation is timing that makes a girl more likely. Conceiving after ovulation favors a boy. The sexual positions that you use can make a difference also. But, when you are dealing with two healthy parents and you combine all three methods (diet, timing, and positioning,) this is when you give yourself the best chance to influence your baby’s gender as a couple.

I’ve put together a few websites that take a lot of the guess work out of choosing your baby’s gender. You’ll find: step by step instructions; information on diet and PH testers; resources for determining ovulation times (and examples of good saliva and ovulation predictors;) resources for douche recipes and food PH lists; information on when to conceive; and support.

If you want a boy baby, check out http://conceive-a-boy-baby.com/

If you want a girl baby, check out http://conceive-a-girl-baby.com/

Incoming search terms:

• panthotine
• can testosterone optimizers effect when trying to conceive a baby
• Good food for males trying to have a baby
• HEALTHY BOY SPERM
• men food for having a boy
• what should my husband eat when we are trying to conceive a boy
• www herbalhealth com/womanovulation

How I try to be healthy, haha. I’m 5’8.5″, 174cm, a bit over 120 lbs, or around 55kg. I’m trying to lose a few more lbs. Tips: – Drink a glass of hot water or lemon water first thing in the morning to flush out system – Always eat breakfast, eat your carbs in the morning – Spread out meals into 6 small meals a day – No sugar or carbs for dinner, low salt for dinner – No eating 4 hours before bed time – Watch your sauces, creamy sauces are high in calories – Dinner should be the smallest meal – Count your calories, I stick to around or under 1000 a day on the weekdays when I’m trying to lose weight – You don’t need 2000 calories if all you do is sit around – Exercise Foods in my regular diet: Apples, other fruits, plain oatmeal, fat free yogurt, coffee (with cream only), unsalted mixed nuts, egg, vegetables, baby carrots, celery, rotisserie or grilled chicken, tomato soup, green tea, dark chocolate, tuna Foods I never/rarely eat: Juices (bottled), soda, artificial drinks, pizza, cheese, burgers, hot dogs, fried food, cake, cookies, sweets, chips, salty snacks, ice cream, bread My favorite foods: Hot pot, sukiyaki, shabu shabu, Korean BBQ, Taiwanese food, steak, ribs My weight loss story: www.fuzkittie.com Music: Mika’s Song by Yiruma Intro: Rainism by Rain

One of the advantages of reaching midlife is that we are finally finished with all those issues that make childhood and adolescence such a pain in the neck, such as needing set bedtimes as well as  regular dental and eye checkups; having to worry about using protection during sex and about cigarette smoking; getting all those shots to prevent diseases and wearing helmets to prevent sports injuries; needing to eat all our vegetables and avoid sugar as well as not missing gym class. What a relief to let these issues fade right along with our memories of tetherball on the school playground!

Not so fast. Would it surprise you to know that you still have to be aware of each and every one of the above so-called “child/adolescent” health issues?  

For instance, what about set bedtimes? The obvious reason that we needed enforced, regular  bedtimes each night was so that we would get enough sleep. Being tired and sleepy the next day in school caused everything from lousy concentration to crabby moods. Now that we’re in midlife, many of us believe that sleep is no longer an issue. This is not the case at all. It’s still essential to our health and wellbeing. Recent studies have shown that not only do sleep disturbances often indicate a serious health problem, but that lack of sleep can actually cause health problems, such as weight gain. Polls have shown that nearly two thirds of adults over the age of sixty-five have sleep complaints, but that less than 15 per cent of them have been formally diagnosed with a sleep problem. Why? Because we don’t mention sleep problems to our health care providers. Our mothers were right — we still need to be concerned about our bedtimes.

Once we’ve gotten the glasses we need and all our baby teeth are gone, we no longer need to get regular eye and dental checkups as we did in our younger years, right? Again — no. Although our vision does remain stable from young adulthood until we need bifocals, there are common eye diseases that begin to occur in midlife, and that can lead to blindness if not diagnosed.  And even though we no longer have our baby teeth,  other dental issues take the forefront upon reaching midlife, such as gum inflammation which has been shown to be associated with diabetes and heart disease. So, continued regular dental and eye checks are as important as in our younger years. 

And what about sex at midlife and beyond?  We’ve moved from groping and being groped in the backseat of the car to more sophisticated maneuvers in a comfortable bed, and finally, finally no longer have to worry about pregnancy. So we don’t need protection; or so many of us think. Although it’s true that once menopause arrives one can’t get pregnant (warning: make sure you have completed menopause before assuming this as diagnosing menopause can be tricky),  protection is still needed during sex because of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Yes, we can still get those, and in some cases are even more prone to becoming infected after menopause, even after a hysterectomy. And even though we’re past the childbearing years and our reproductive organs seem to have no further use, we still need regular pelvic exams and Pap smears. It is also important at that exam to discuss with our healthcare providers the need for testing for STIs; if there is a new partner or the worry that the current partner is not monogamous, this testing is a must.

STIs are not the only threat held over from our adolescent years; so is cigarette smoking. Many women in midlife think that there is no reason to stop smoking cigarettes at this age, since they wrongly assume that the damage is already done from all the prior years of smoking. This is not the case. No matter how many years one has smoked, stopping can prevent further damage to the heart, blood vessels, and lungs, and in some cases can reverse some of that damage.  

Also relevant to the lungs is the fact that asthma can begin in midlife, where once it was thought to only begin in childhood.  The two major causes seem to be occupational exposure to substances that damage the lungs, and the recreational exposure to air pollution by adults who run predominantly outside. So, a new onset of shortness of breath at this age — even if it occurs only with exercise — does not necessarily mean heart disease; remember that we can develop asthma now.

Did you think you were finished with all those horrible shots you had to have in childhood and adolescence? Sorry, you’re not. There is a recommended immunization schedule for adults in midlife and beyond, just as there are for children. At certain ages over 50 and at certain intervals, you’ll need shots against the flu, certain types of pneumonia, tetanus, and in some instances, shingles and hepatitis.  Ask your primary care provider about these.

And did you pack away your helmet when you gave away your bike with training wheels? Probably ok to have done this since now you will need a bigger size helmet. But you do need a helmet. A recent report by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission stated that sports-related injuries in the Baby Boomer population was on the rise, with over 1 million injuries in this age group in 1998 alone, most of the injuries being due to bicycling and basketball.  The same report said that the many head injuries associated with bicycling were probably due to the fact that Baby Boomers use helmets less than younger people do.

The fact that exercise and proper nutrition are as important in midlife and beyond as in childhood may not come as a surprise. Regular exercise at this age has been shown to increase longevity and wellbeing, postpone and possibly prevent dementia, strokes, heart disease, and diabetes, and aid in the treatment of depression. Important to know as well is that several different types of regular exercise are recommended at this age, including aerobic (cardio) exercise, weight-bearing exercise or strength training, and exercises to improve balance and flexibility.

What we eat as we get older is every bit as important as it was in our younger years. One particular healthy way of eating, the Mediterranean diet, has been shown to stave off dementia, prevent heart disease and diabetes, maintain a healthy cholesterol level, and improve longevity. One study showed that this diet even improved sexual function in certain women! This diet is exactly as expected given its name: lots of natural whole foods, like vegetables, fruits, and nuts, lots of fish and olive oil, moderate amounts of wine, and limited amounts of foods containing refined sugar. Controlling the portions of the foods we eat is even more important at this age. Our metabolic rate decreases with age, making it easier to gain weight while eating the same amounts of food as in our younger years.  

So, as you are rummaging through your mother’s attic looking at your old dolls, baseball bat and Ouija Board, and breathing a sigh of relief that you no longer have to worry about being picked for a baseball team or that your best friend copied your paper doll’s dress, don’t get lulled into complacency about your health. Although you once may have thought that taking care of yourself  health-wise would get easier as you get older, you know now that that’s not true. Make your appointments for regular checkups, get more than 5 hours of sleep a night, use protection when having sex, particularly with a new partner, stop smoking no matter how old you are, get the recommended immunizations, be careful and wear your helmet and seatbelts, and exercise regularly and eat well. Your mother’s recommendations from your childhood continue to apply!

©2008 Janet Horn, M.D.

Author Bio
Dr. Janet Horn is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, with training in Obstetrics and Gynecology. She spent many years on the fulltime faculty of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where she published articles in medical journals on her research interests, including sexually transmitted diseases, AIDS, and women’s health. She was also the primary author of several chapters in medical textbooks.  She started her solo private practice in 1990 while continuing to teach as an Associate Professor of Medicine on the part time faculty at Hopkins. She has been selected by Baltimore Magazine as one of the “Top Doctors in Baltimore” and by the Maryland Daily Record as one of the “Top 100 Women in Maryland.”   She is included in the books Consumer’s Guide to Top Doctors (in the US) and Best Doctors in America, Southeast Region.  She is the co-author of The Smart Woman’s Guide to Midlife and Beyond, which will be available this September from New Harbinger Publications.