Weight lifting doesn’t always have to happen at the gym—any park bench, open space, shady tree or living room can be a great place to get in shape! Lifting is an important part of wellness and physical fitness. It helps break down and rebuild muscle, which in turn burns more calories and tones the body. You don’t need weights to lift, either; with enough repetition and sets, your own body weight can be used in training to get in shape. (more…)
In celebration of World Breastfeeding Week, some common questions about breastfeeding nutrition are answered below. Breastfeeding provides many benefits for both mother and baby. Exclusive breastfeeding for at least the first six months of a child’s life helps reduce the development of many acute and chronic illnesses. (more…)
Here is the bad news: Heart disease kills more women than do all cancers combined, yet many women still cite breast cancer as their chief health concern. Young women, especially, do not think heart disease is a threat. But, since 1984, more women than men die each year from heart disease. Although death from heart attack has declined in both men and women over the last 30 years, the decrease has been more pronounced in males than females. Depression after a heart attack is twice as likely to occur in women than men, and depression increases the chance of a second heart attack. (more…)
For most of us, when we hear “vitamin D,” our mind conjures up the image of a glass of milk. This is fair, since fortified milk does contain vitamin D. But what if I told you milk might not be the best source of vitamin D, and in fact, there’s a whole lot more to know about this nutrient? (more…)
A woman’s menstrual cycle can say a lot about her. A monthly menstrual cycle indicates she is healthy and her hormones are probably within normal levels. For the most part, a menstrual cycle will occur every 21 to 35 days, although the frequency can change a bit through the reproductive years. To understand how and why these changes occur, it is important to understand how the menstrual cycle works. (more…)
Guest post by Susan K. Boolbol, MD FACS, Chief of the Appel-Venet Comprehensive Breast Service at Mount Sinai Beth Israel and Amanda Brandt, MS, Certified Genetic Counselor of the Mount Sinai Health System.
In an effort to raise public awareness about breast and ovarian cancer prevention, actress and director, Angelina Jolie, shared her personal story with the world. The New York Times letter revealed that a family history of ovarian cancer had prompted Jolie to seek genetic testing for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, which are associated with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. The testing revealed a heightened risk for both and she made the decision to undergo a preventative double-mastectomy and breast reconstruction surgery, reducing her breast cancer risk to under 5%. (more…)