Heart disease is not to be taken lightly.  Here are some startling and scary facts:
•    In the United States, someone dies from heart disease every 34 seconds
•    Each year, more women die of heart disease than men
•    In 2003, nearly 40% of adults reported having two or more of the six risk factors for heart disease and stroke (high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, currently a smoker, lack of physical activity, and obesity)
•    In 2008, the Centers for Disease Control released data that showed all 50 states had their percentage of obese people increase between 2005 and 2007
•    In 2009, the American Heart Association predicted that heart disease will cost more than $304 billion, including health care services, medications, and lost productivity

Heart disease is a broad term.  One of the commonly recognized types is ...

Motivation is different for each of us and finding the phrase or quote that resonates with you is really a personal choice.  To help you find yours, I've shamelessly stole 55 from many different sources.  Here are the first 10.


1.  Treat others the way you want to be treated.
2.  Be early…. On time is tolerable. Late is never acceptable.
3.  Do what you say you’re going to do. Try to do more.  Never do less.
4.  Focus on what you can control.
5.  Learn from the experiences of others – not just your own.  And....

In a couple of weeks, people around the world are going to bring in the new year with resolutions that many of them know they won’t keep.

Why do people do this? I won’t launch in to a rant on the percentages of failed resolutions, or the number that are somehow related to weight loss or fitness. Instead I’ll ask this question:

Why wait until January 1 to make a change in your life?

If something is important enough to resolve to do it, do it now.

Your goal can be small or large, easy or challenging, but whatever it is, write it down – because we all know that writing it down increases our chances of accomplishing it – and look at it every day. Plan how you will achieve it. Plan how you will....

Most people are creatures of habit, and I am no different.  On Sunday mornings, after I finish exercising and drink a protein shake, I read the newspaper, clip coupons, and then start on the crossword puzzle.  Today I was amazed at the number of different "healthy" alternatives that food manufacturers are spending millions of dollars to create in their kitchens, distribute throughout the country, and market on television, radio, and yes, in newspapers with coupons.

Kellogg's, Quaker, Nature Valley, and Kudos are all represented in today's paper.  I compared the nutritional values of their bars below.

So what does this mean?  Well, to put the size of each of these bars into perspective, 2 fun size Milky Way bars (you know, the real small ones?) weight 34 grams.  Twenty mini Snyder's of Hanover pretzels weigh 30 grams.

What really stands out though is ...