Written By : Elizabeth Rogers

Worried that chemicals could be harming your health? Which offenders to stay clear of and how you can reduce your body's toxic burden.

Right now, there could be more than 200 man-made chemicals in our bodies, according to reports from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We’re constantly surrounded — we ingest them, absorb them through our skin and inhale them on a daily basis. What is this toxic load doing to our health? No one is quite sure, but that doesn’t mean we’re powerless to protect ourselves.

Like it or not, it’s that time again — cold and flu season.

Colds and flu are caused by hundreds of different types of viruses. These infections are highly contagious, passed on by tiny droplets when you cough or sneeze and by hand contact.

And while it’s nearly impossible to avoid these germs altogether, there are ways to lower the risk of catching a cold or flu.

Written By : Cynthia Ross-Cravit

When it comes to finding relief for colds and flu, what works -- and what doesn't?

It’s that time again — sneeze and sniffle season. In search of relief for symptoms of flu and the common cold, home remedies have been passed down from generation to generation. But when it comes to the science, what works and what doesn’t? The experts weigh in.

Written By : June E. Kahn and Lawrence J.M. Biscontini

Pool walking combines the toning of weight training, the cardiovascular benefits of aerobics, and the enhanced flexibility gained through yoga.

If you have ever tried to run or walk quickly to get out of a pool, then you have had the opportunity to experience the difficulty of moving fast in water. This is the premise behind pool walking, an effective, easy-to-learn water activity that requires absolutely no swimming skills. This form of exercise is performed in waist- to shoulder-deep water.

The April, 2011 issue of the Journal of Gerontology: Biological and Medical Sciences reports the finding of Annette L. Fitzpatrick of the University of Washington and her colleagues of an association between shorter telomere length and an increased risk of dying over 6.1 years of follow-up. Telomeres are protective caps at the ends of chromosomes which shorten as individual cells age. Leukocyte (white blood cell) telomere length has been associated with age, gender, and age-related diseases, yet its relationship with the risk of human mortality is uncertain.