This list is divided into two categories, one for adult sleep issues and another for infants through teens. In the latter category you may see issues that you worry about with your children, or you even may see yourself and how your current sleep patterns developed over time. Each graphic is linked to the article that will reveal more information about each study, so click on the images to learn more.

Sleep

1. This graphic shows that, out of 1,000 American adults surveyed, 65 percent reported trouble sleeping, 33 percent snored, and 15 percent complained of restless leg syndrome during weekdays. Weekends? Sleeplessness rarely occurred for a full 72 percent of those surveyed.
2. The Office for National Statistics in the UK showed that, on the whole, females slept longer than males on a nightly basis. This statistic was particularly true for the 30- to 60-year-old range. While people lose sleep time as they age, they pick it back up again in their 60s.
3. This graph, offered by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), shows that the range of sleep is about equal between men and women in this study during a 24-hour period among adults aged 18 years and over in the U.S. between 2004-2006. Other graphs on this linked page show how sleep is affected by smoking.
4. The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute offers information about a variety of diseases on this page. The one to note for sleep includes the increase in office visits to a physician for sleep disorders between 1990 and 2003. The visits for restless leg syndrome and for total sleep disorders has increased dramatically.
5. This interesting graph shows the amount of sleep that people claim to get on an international basis. According to this information, Koreans and the Japanese get by on less sleep than anyone else, while the French sleep far longer than their other earth neighbors…and the U.S. is right behind France.
6. This graph represents the amount of REM (Rapid Eye Movement) hours that individuals might have during a full night’s sleep. Sleep evolves in cycles of NREM and REM phases, which, together, take approximately 90 minutes.
7. This image is linked to a page that contains several graphics. They show the sleep patterns for a normal sleep as compared to insomnia (shown here) or to “Shift Work Sleep Disorder.” For patients with sleep disorders, rest and activity data display an unstable or shifted pattern that is easy for doctors or nurses to see on an actogram.
8. According to national health statistics, nearly 38,000 cardiovascular deaths annually are in some way related to sleep apnea. This graph is part of a series that shows how this disorder might be remedied.
9. This diagram represents melatonin secretion (dashed line) and the sleep period (solid line) for a normal individual (top), individuals with advanced sleep phase (middle) and individuals with delayed sleep phase (bottom). In normal individuals, melatonin secretion begins about 10 p.m. and peaks about midnight when the person goes to sleep. In the morning, the individual awakens after the melatonin has worn off, and the person awakens feeling refreshed.
10. Snoring, according to the information on the page linked by this graphic, creates significant physiological disturbances in the snorer’s cardiovascular system and sleep structure that results in multiple problems including an increased risk for heart attack, angina, stroke and hypertension.
11. Wrong Diagnosis compares sleep apnea syndrome to depression and states that complaints of insomnia are subjective and require close investigation.
12. This image shows how a normal sleep cycle appears on a graph, including waking, awareness, light sleep, slow-wave sleep and deepest slow-wave sleep.
13. Naps have had a bad rap for years, often seen as a sign of laziness and lack of productivity. But, napping lately has garnered new respect, as scientific evidence shows that napping benefits both mental acuity and overall health.

Children and Adolescents

14. This graph at MedScape shows that there are an enormous variety of intrinsic and extrinsic factors that influence sleep disorder presentations on the developing child. These factors can influence subsequent stages of development.
15. This graph depicts changes in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) incidence in the United States before and after the “Back to Sleep” campaign.
16. Linking sleeping position to the reduction in the number of SIDS deaths is important for continuation of SIDS risk reduction messaging and research. This graph demonstrates the change in position from prone to supine during the last 12 years.
17. When you click on the image for this graphic, you’ll come to a page filled with various graphs and images that depict SID and infant mortality rates from a variety of sources. In this graph, which represents infant mortality rates in Virginia by region, you will see that the incidence of infant deaths decreased in all areas but the Southside between 2000 and 2008.
18. This graph shows the day-time and night-time sleep of a single infant, excluding motion-induced car-seat sleep and sleep with a parent. According to this scientist, a “normal” night’s sleep for an infant is approximately five hours.
19. This graph shows the usual time adolescents go to bed on school nights according to age and time. There is another graph at this link that shows the usual time adolescents get out of bed on school days.
20. In this graph, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School district in North Carolina shows parents that a newborn infant requires 16 to 18 hours of sleep a night, decreasing to 14 or 15 hours by age one, 10 or 12 by age four, and less than 10 by age ten.
21. This graph shows a huge difference in impulsiveness in eight-year-old children with sleep-related respiratory disorders compared to a control group. In another chart on this page, this frequency between the group with sleep-related respiratory disorders and the control group narrows dramatically in the 10-year-old group.
22. This girl is wearing a personal light-measuring device, called a Daysimeter, a devise that monitors her rest and activity patterns and the amount of circadian light — short-wavelength (blue) light — reaching her eyes. Scientists discovered that if you remove blue light in the morning, it delays the onset of melatonin, the hormone that indicates to the body when it’s nighttime.
23. This graphic displays the vicious cycle involved with teen sleeping patterns, one that often includes afternoon napping, late bedtimes, cumulative sleep debt and sleeping late on weekends. However, that weekend sleep reinforces the circadian delay that means the teen will have trouble sleeping again on Monday.
24. This colorful graphic shows that insufficient sleep can lead to a number of behaviors in the classroom that are disruptive and worrisome, including distraction, defiance, anxiety, depression, easy frustration and irritability. According to this blog, the typical preschooler needs at least 11-12 hours of sleep.
25. In this graph, you’ll learn that, under the influence of the sudden surge of sex steroid hormones, the circadian clock phase advances in teen years. It persists in this state until one is almost 30 years old. After that, it settles into its adult pattern. But, age-dependent changes of chronotype are different for males and females.

Food and Drink

What you eat and drink can have a very real effect on your health and happiness. The good news, though, is that you don’t have to give up all of the things you live. There are some rather simple ways you can increase your health and happiness, just by what you eat and drink:

1. Drink more coffee: While you don’t want to become too heavily involved with coffee, drinking a little more of it can boost your mood and help keep diabetes at bay. Men can even stave off prostate cancer. Of course, this is if you drink it in moderation.
2. Try green tea: Life coffee, green tea can help boost your mood. And, on top of that, there are health benefits associated with green tea, including lowering cholesterol, fighting heart disease and cancer, preventing stroke, and helping limit the effects of dementia.
3. Drink beer: No, don’t run out there and get drunk! But it is interesting to note that those who engage in moderate alcohol consumption actually exercise more that those who don’t. Some booze, like red wine, provides anti-oxidants. And, if imbibers actually exercise, on average, more 7.2 minutes more per week than non-drinkers, they are getting those benefits, too. Just realize that getting totally hammered is likely to overset the good.
4. Chew gum: Relieve stress by chewing gum. You can also see dental benefits when you chew sugar-free gum. (The military is considering using gum to replace toothbrushes.) There are even studies that show that gum can help with memory function.
5. Drink soda: Instead of drinking your regular fizzy drinks, have an occasional soda — spiked with vitamins. Plus, the sugar in soda can give you a little boost of energy and mood while at the same time delaying Alzheimer’s, thanks to the body’s “glucose memory system.” Just remember to drink in moderation. Always in moderation.
6. Eat more veggies: It isn’t as bad as it sounds. You can boost your health just by swapping out one meat entree a week with a vegetarian entree. There are a number of places online where you can find tasty vegetarian entrees. You don’t have to give up meat altogether to live healthier.
7. Eat more salt: Just a pinch more — since too much salt can increase hypertension. But if you want to help stave off an energy drop, a few olives or pretzel sticks can be a good way to get a little extra boost. And maybe satisfy a craving.
8. Have some dark chocolate: While you can’t go too crazy with this one, you can improve your heart health with a small amount of dark chocolate, lowering your blood pressure. Not to mention the pleasure derived from eating it can enhance your mood and contribute to your feelings of well-being.

Physical Activity

We know that we need to burn more calories than we take in, and that physical activity is a vital part of this. But do you really have to get up and move so much? The answer is know. Here are a few ways to burn a few extra calories, and feel a little better.

9. Get busy in the bedroom: Those who have sexual intercourse at least twice a week live longer. They also feel better, since sex can be a stress reliever. And, of course, sex burns calories. Unfortunately for the single, masturbation doesn’t offer all the same benefits.
10. Sleep separately: After you are done with your intimate relations, retire to separate beds. Couples that sleep in the same bed get less sleep, and sleep that is of poorer quality. Get a good night’s sleep — in your own bed — and feel happier, more energetic, and help reduce health problems.
11. Think about working out: Apparently, you don’t even have to actually workout. Men were able to increase their muscle mass just by visualizing themselves participating in lifting weights. And, as we know, muscle mass burns calories better than fat.
12. Feel better about your fat: While you don’t want to be obese, a study found that those who are slightly overweight live longer than those who are underweight. So there’s no need to stress out trying to be skinny.
13. Exercise your thumbs: You can use video games as a way to relieve stress, and find an outlet — not to mention escape reality. Some video games are more active than others (Wii), but even more conventional video games can help by increasing breathing and heart rate.
14. Fidget: Move around a little bit in your seat, drumming your fingers, stretching and tapping your toe. You can lose weight just by doing a little fidgeting throughout the day.
15. Sit around: Taking the time to be lazy on occasion can help you relax, reduce anxiety and regenerate yourself. You can enhance the health benefits of sitting around if you meditate.
16. Mow the lawn: So it’s not exactly “cheating”. Obviously using a mower that you push will increase your exercise. However, your riding mower can provide you benefits as well: The chemicals released from grass that is fresh cut relieves stress and can boost your mood.

Personal Habits and Hobbies

What you do in your free time, and you take care of yourself, can have an impact on your overall wellness. Here are some personal habits and hobbies that can help you feel better and boost your health.

17. Play an instrument: You can boost your mood and sense of well-being by learning a musical instrument. Indeed, singing, dancing and art can also help fight depression.
18. Turn up your music: You don’t have to be creative to enjoy the health benefits of music. Loud music stimulates pleasure centers in the brain, via the sacculus. So you’ll feel happier if you listen to it loud at least some of the time. (You don’t want to damage your hearing.)
19. Swear: Letting loose a few bad words can actually act as pain relief when you hurt yourself.
20. Fun in the sun: The sun’s rays are essential if you want your body to enjoy the proper amount of Vitamin D, which can help stave off dementia, reduce the chance of heart disease and cancer, and even help prevent osteoporosis. Sunlight can also help increase your positive mood and reduce the chances of depression.
21. Pornography: For men, porn can help spike testosterone levels, leading to quicker recovery time and lean muscle. Plus, some studies show that it might actually have a benefit for society.
22. Skip the shower: The bacteria that accumulate in showerheads when they aren’t in use can cause disease. On top of this, there are actually some good types of bacteria available in dirt that can help with your mood and immune system.
23. Go GOP: For some reason, Republicans are less likely to be in poor health than Democrats. One reason might the fact that smoking rates are higher in Dems. So, liberals may be smarter, but it doesn’t mean they are healthier — or happier.
24. Play some poker: The social interaction that comes with poker, online and offline, can be beneficial to mood. Plus, the probabilities involved stimulate brain activity.
25. Connect through social media: While nothing can quite compare with having face to face friends, you can still reap mental health and emotional benefits from the interaction that comes through social media like Twitter and Facebook.

The following statistics are divided into categories with numerous links to information that back the numbers, including links provided through each image. All information is gathered from government resources and scientific surveys and tests to lend credence to this serious issue.

The Facts

1. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years. The prevalence of obesity among children aged 6 to 11 years increased from 6.5 percent in 1980 to 19.6 percent in 2008. This chart shows how the CDC measures obesity by Body Mass Index (BMI). A BMI score of 30 or more in a child is a serious health risk.
2. Data from NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) shows that among preschool-aged children, aged 2–5 years, the prevalence of obesity increased from 5.0 percent to 12.4 percent; among school-aged children, aged 6–11 years, the prevalence of obesity increased from 4.0 percent to 17.0 percent, and; among school-aged adolescents, aged 12–19 years, the prevalence of obesity increased from 6.1 percent to 17.6 percent.
3. Although obesity has increased for all children and adolescents over time, NHANES data indicate disparities among racial/ethnic groups. The prevalence rate of obesity was higher among adolescent Mexican-American boys (22.1 percent) and than among non-Hispanic white boys (17.3 percent) and black boys (18.5 percent).
4. The most recent NHANES data (2003–2006) showed that for girls, aged 12–19 years, non-Hispanic black girls had the highest prevalence of obesity (27.7 percent) compared to that of non-Hispanic white (14.5 percent) and Mexican American girls (19.9 percent).
5. If both parents are overweight, the child’s likelihood of being overweight increases by 60-80 percent. With two lean parents, the child’s capacity for being overweight increases only by nine percent. But, an overweight adolescent has a 70 percent chance of becoming an overweight or obese adult.
6. Looking forward based upon these statistics about overweight or obese children becoming overweight or obese adults, Mississippi children may need to work harder than most children across the nation to reduce childhood obesity according to this map produced by CalorieLab. A further eye-opener is the map that shows how thin Canadians are in comparison to U.S. citizens.

Childhood Obesity and Physical Consequences

7. When overweight children become overweight adults, they carry into their adulthood long-term morbidity and mortality. One of these problems includes heart disease, or a strong adverse impact on multiple cardiovascular risk factors, requiring primary prevention early in life.
8. Childhood obesity statistics also predict a prevalence of type 2 diabetes, commonly known as adult-onset diabetes. In 2005, the CDC estimated that 176,500 people aged 20 years or younger have been given a diagnosis of diabetes. The disease disproportionately affects children of American Indian, African-American, Mexican American, and Pacific Islander ethnic backgrounds.
9. Overweight children can develop arthritis, the number one cause of chronic disability in the U.S. In a recent study, 135 overweight children complained of back pain, followed closely by foot, knee, and hip pain. Symptoms of arthritis can improve with weight loss. According to the CDC, an estimated 294,000 children under age 18 have some form of arthritis or rheumatic condition; this represents approximately 1 in every 250 children.
10. Overweight and obesity are associated with increased risks of gall bladder disease, incontinence, increased surgical risk, and depression. Other health concerns include orthopedic problems and sleep apnea. Obesity also is associated with a higher prevalence of asthma.
11. The most immediate consequence of overweight, as perceived by children themselves, is social discrimination, a problem that may keep some overweight kids from exercising with other children and that can produce psychological effects that can last a lifetime.
12. Some reports have questioned whether childhood obesity is a form of parental abuse, assuming the child is not suffering from a genetic obesity disease such as a thyroid issue. Further, these inquiries probe the question whether parents should be held liable if the child dies from an obesity-related disease.
13. According to the Surgeon General’s office, an estimated 300,000 deaths per year may be attributable to obesity. The risk of death rises with increasing weight, and even moderate weight excess increases the risk of death. In sum, individuals who are BMI > 30 have a 50 – 100 percent increased risk of premature death from all causes, compared to individuals with a healthy weight.

Control and Prevention

14. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service developed a new food pyramid in 2005, with a newer version to be published in 2010. While this pyramid shows a healthy balance of food, critics state that it also shows a large portion of each food; therefore, this lack of food portion size can lead to confusion and also may lead to overeating and obesity.
15. Despite the issues with the food pyramid, My Pyramid for Kids includes tips for families and parents that offer solutions to many nutrition and health issues. Included in this portal is a poster that contains physical activity tips for kids and for families.
16. Overweight and obesity can result from an imbalance involving excessive calorie consumption and/or inadequate physical activity. It is recommended that Americans accumulate at least 30 minutes (adults) or 60 minutes (children) of moderate physical activity most days of the week. More may be needed to prevent weight gain, to lose weight, or to maintain weight loss.
17. Food insecurity may play a part in obesity, as poor families may choose less expensive foods which may be less nutritious. The USDA released a report [PDF] about ‘food insecurity,’ an issue that shows an increase in numbers from 36 million people in 2007 to 49 million in 2008. This increase in 13 million individuals who had food shortages in the household may correlate to childhood obesity.
18. Learn about the possibilities for healthy food in your area. The USDA has created a “Food Environment Atlas,” which is basically a Google Map that users can manipulate to find out all kinds of things about America’s food system at both macro and micro levels, based on government data that can be mixed and matched. You can learn about fast-food concentrations, and you can see areas where a lot of poor people live and where the nearest grocery store is more than a mile away.
19. More schools have cut back on physical education or even recess from the school day. Time and resources that used to be spent on physical education is now being taken up complying with the strict standards of the No Child Left Behind Act. Don’t wait for your school to change its ways. You are in charge of your own nutrition and your child’s nutrition at school.
20. Learn about what you can do from the Office of the Surgeon General. Additionally, if you want to motivate your child, one way to do this is to show your child what he/she will look like in the future if weight is not lost.
21. Learn about the cost of childhood obesity, and learn how this information can be used in your school or neighborhood to help reduce the crisis of childhood obesity. At the individual level, obesity is associated with health care costs that average about 30 percent above those for normal weight individuals. But, all taxpayers pay for the costs of obesity.
22. You can ensure that schools provide healthful foods and beverages on school campuses and at school events by following the advice offered by the Surgeon General. One idea is to go to your child’s school during lunchtime to observe whether the school is abiding by USDA regulations that prohibit serving foods of minimal nutritional value.
23. Another way to help fight childhood obesity is to adopt policies specifying that all foods and beverages available at school contribute toward eating patterns that are consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. For example, Senator Padilla in California introduced a bill in February this year that intends to bar sales of sugar-sweetened sports drinks at that state’s public schools during school hours.
24. After-school programming is an ideal setting for promoting healthy lifestyles among school-age children. According to this graphic provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in 2005 a majority of after-school care was provided by child care centers and family child care centers. These programs, however, often lack monetary support to develop programs and to hire professionals to help build and activate programs.
25. The Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) provides federal resources for child care that support both direct services and quality enhancements. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Child Care Bureau awards CCDF grants to states, territories, and tribes, and the majority of CCDF dollars are used to provide subsidies to eligible low-income children under age 13. Use resources such as these to help build community programs that can help you, your child and your neighbors.

The following list contains information that ranges from tracking maps to national and international news sources to resource centers and more. Each link within each category is listed in alphabetical order to show that we do not favor one set of tracking tools over another. If you are concerned about H1N1 at a local level, visit the Centers for Disease Control, which has a page that includes a list of all state sites that focus on H1N1 news and information.

Tracking Maps

1. 2009 Swine Flu H1N1 Outbreak and Migration Map: This map highlights reported cases (both confirmed and unconfirmed) and the routes those cases traveled between home and vacation / business where they apparently contracted the strain.
2. Explore flu trends around the world: Google discovered a close relationship between how many people search for flu-related topics and how many people actually have flu symptoms. Google Flu Trends uses this aggregated Google search data to estimate flu activity up to two weeks faster than traditional systems.
3. FluTracker: Dr. Henry Niman, a biomedical researcher in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, used technology provided by Rhiza Labs and Google to create this map. The map is compiled using data from official sources, news reports and user-contributions and updated multiple times per day.
4. Global Swine Flu: This map, similar to the Heat Map mentioned below, creates hot spots represented by raster tiles on Virtual Earth and rendered through a Flash interface. This map also includes pins indicating flu outbreaks.
5. Google Maps’ H1N1 Swine Flu: This was the original Google Maps H1N1 flu tracker, which now has been moved to the FluTracker site noted above. The last update was 2 May 2009.
6. H1N1 Swine Flu Heat Map: UMapper built out a version of H1N1 data, which overlays raster tiles on Virtual Earth and renders it through a Flash interface. This map gets updated a few times per day.
7. Health Map: HealthMap brings together disparate data sources to achieve a unified and comprehensive view of the current global state of infectious diseases and their effect on human and animal health. To check just for influenza-related news, check only the box that says “influenza” under “Diseases, last 30 days.” You also can follow this map through Twitter or download an app for your iPhone.
8. New England Journal of Medicine Influenza A (H1N1 = “Swine Flu”) Reports: Official data is obtained from CDC and WHO daily Influenza A (H1N1) updates. Informal data sources are a subset of reports from the HealthMap database. The case numbers shown are cumulative counts. As of mid-July, reports are no longer available from official channels, however.

National and International News Updates

9. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: This news information is especially pertinent for people who travel, as the CDC relays information on major outbreaks across the world and determines whether or not an area is safe for U.S. citizen travel. This information also is available as an RSS feed.
10. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2009 H1N1 Flu Situation Update: The CDC also offers specific information on the H1N1, with advice, news, maps and more that can help you apprise your situation.
11. Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy Novel H1N1 Influenza (Swine Flu): CIDRAP is created by the Academic Health Center at the University of Minnesota, and offers breaking news on H1N1.
12. CNN H1N1: Follow news, worldwide concerns, test your knowledge and learn about H1N1 activity in the U.S.
13. Create Google News Alerts: If you don’t have a Google account, create one, and if you have an account, you can go to the Google News pages and create alerts about “H1N1″ and/or “Swine Flu” to arrive in your email box or RSS reader. You can choose between H1N1 news or Swine Flu news.
14. Flu.gov: This is your one-stop access to U.S. Government H1N1, avian and pandemic flu information. This site targets consumers, professionals, caregivers and more. They also have information on a state-by-state basis.
15. World Health Organization: The WHO presents updates on the most recent news items regarding disease outbreaks on this page. Use their RSS feed if you prefer.

Resource Centers

16. Business Continuity: Gartner Blog Network offers a special section on how H1N1 may affect businesses and organizations, including topics such as pandemic planning.
17. H5N1: This blog carries information about all pandemic influenza, and their link resources cover H1N1, avian flu and more.
18. MedScape Today’s H1N1 Influenza A (Swine Flu) Alert Center: Stay up-to-date on the latest vaccine information, news about H1N1 and insights from experts on this flu.
19. The Lancet’s H1N2 Flu Resource Centre: The Lancet’s H1N1 Resource Centre is the result of a collaborative effort by the editors of over 40 Elsevier-published journals and eleven learned societies who have agreed to make freely available any relevant content on this site. Register for site updates.
20. WebMD’s Swine Flu Guide: Look to this site for breaking news, medical facts and practical advice on H1N1

Information from Other Countries

21. European Center for Disease Prevention and Control: The European Centre of Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) was established in 2005 to strengthen Europe’s defenses against infectious diseases. This link leads to their H1N1 portion of the site.
22. Health Protection Agency: Look to the UK to provide information about “Swine Influenza.” This site has advice for the public, healthcare professionals and the media.
23. Influenza A (H1N1 Swine Flu): New Zealand offers this site that displays signs and symptoms, how to care for yourself and others, and a preparedness kit. They also supply news and updates for their country.
24. Resources and Links: Offered by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aging, this site offers news, answers to questions, guidelines for officials and more.
25. Swine Flu in Canada – Information Sources: This site provides insight into Canada’s outlook on H1N1, with news, flu tracking maps and even U.S. information.

The following list is divided into categories by price range, from free to over $20. The links, which lead to Blackberry App World, are listed in alphabetical order within each category. The ratings were gathered from Blackberry App World as well as from other resources such as TopTenReviews, BBGeeks, MobiHealthNews and more.

Free Blackberry Apps

1. Brio Calorie Tracker: This app is designed to help you maintain a record of daily caloric intake for a healthier life. You can use desktop synchronization to back up and restore your calorie history and records. Brio Calorie Tracker is one of the most popular free Blackberry fitness and health apps.
2. Calorie County by Fat Secret: Use this app for a quick pick on calorie and full nutrition information, to plan and keep track of your diet, a way to record calories you burn, and to journal your progress. Sync and access these records with an online account so you can gain access anywhere, any time.
3. Calorie Count Nutrition Search: What if you’re not eating enough protein or carbohydrates to meet your fitness goals? You can count calories and find nutritional information on this app, which brings About.com’s popular food and dient resource, Caloriecount.com, within instant reach.
4. FluRadar: This is not a game – you can keep track on up-to-date H1N1 flu information as you learn about new outbreaks in your area. This app shows distances to H1N1 events displayed in both miles and km, shows flue cases in a list or on a map and summarized current information concerning H1N1 events with a link to the original source when available.
5. GoodFoodNearYou: Find the best food options at twenty restaurants near you, no matter your location. Using a Zip Code, you can search over 36,000 restaurant menu items from over 250,000 U.S. restaurant locations.
6. My Personal Health Record: Named after the non-profit organization of the same name, this app is a free and confidential service that allows users to keep health information organized, accurate and in one place. Members to this organization also can print a free emergency wallet care online.
7. Total Fitness for Blackberry 1: This app includes a database of 5,000 food items containing nutritional information. You also can keep a daily log of your workouts from a database filled with over 60 weight-training exercises. Track your body weight, body fat, blood pressure, pulse and body measurements, too.
8. vClinic Mobile Health: This app automatically manages your calorie intake, weight and nutrients. You also can keep track of calories burned, and this app will warn you if you’ve broken your daily calories limit.

Blackberry Apps Under $10

9. Cholesterol Cutter: Learn how to control your cholesterol with exercise, diet and treatment plans and establish a log of your recordings for better treatment options. Additionally, you can keep a record of all medications with dosage information – a helpful record for your doctor. $2.99
10. Diet Fitness Diary: Track your daily caloric intake, use the burn-meter to record calories burned and use daily tips and image gallery to learn how to live a healthier life. You can customize your wellness program and track your health history as well. $7.99
11. FoodGauge: This is a food rating system that help you to make healthier eating choices by analyzing the types of food that you eat. When you enter the nutrition label information into the calculator, this tool will provide you with the food’s numerical score. FoodGauge is one of the most popular health and fitness Blackberry apps. $2.99
12. Health Browser: A simple yet effective app that allows users to browse diseases, conditions, emergencies, drugs, tips, drug overdoses, drug conflict and images. $7.99
13. Hypertension: Use this app to learn more about blood pressure, including lifestyle changes, a diet plan, information about medications and diet supplements and more. Use calculators for BMI, metabolic syndrome, coronary artery disease risk and stroke risk. $9.99
14. iFitness: This app provides a comprehensive exercise databse that provides clear pictures and instructions for over 230 exercises. Users can create a customized workout or use ten routines that offer varying goals from weight loss to ab definition and more. $3.99
15. KeepFit: This app is filled with facts and tips that you can use to learn more about natural foods and how they can affect your health. Use an alphabetical index of 45 items and learn about fruit juices and healing foods. Sponsored by Nature Cure with Natural Foods. $4.99
16. Mobile Rush-Hour Recipes On-Line Edition: Holly Clegg’s highly-popular recipes can come to the rescue of any busy person with her easy options for dinner. Meals include “trim&Terrific” options with instructions, shopping lists, photos and nutritional information. Expect banner advertisements appropriate to the content. $4.99
17. Runner and Fitness Cog: This is a handy app for runners and athletes that includes eleven utilities for various fitness calculations. All tools support U.S. standard English and metric measurements. Calculate pace, time or distance and you even can track the usage (mileage) of your shoes. $2.99
18. Total Fitness: This Blackberry app allows you to manage daily nutrition, exercise and health in one of the most advanced and complete fitness software programs available. Track your daily food intake, try the workout routines and track health data such as body weight, blood pressure and more. $4.99

Blackberry Apps Between $10 and $20

19. Diet Science: This app provides a deeper understanding about the food you eat. Many calculators, nutritional pyramids and diets included, so you can learn more about how to develop a balanced and healthy diet for your lifestyle. $10.99
20. FitDeck Mobile: A popular app that helps users get fit and stay fit. The exercises contained within this app require no weights or equipment as are designed for people of any fitness level. The exercises include simple descriptive images and instructions and users can shuffle exercises to create variety. $14.99
21. Glycemic Index Meal Planner: Do you need a meal planner that calculates overall Glycemic Index (GI) and Glycemic Load (GL)? This app can help build healthy diets for diabetics, for weight loss, for sports performance and more. $13.99
22. Health Diet Manager: This health and diet manager comes with an extensive food database that includes menus from fast-food restaurants, too. Users can take advantage of a manager that tracks point balances (for diet programs such as WeightWatchers) and a means to track health-related data such as pulse rate, glucose and insulin levels, hours of sleep and much more. $19.99

Blackberry Apps Over $20

23. 5 Minute Clinical Consult for Mobile and Web: Receive fast and to-the-point guidance on diagnoses and treatments for over 700 medical conditions seen in everyday practice. Although geared toward medical practice, this app is available to anyone who wants information about diagnoses, treatment, medications, follow-up and patient teaching tools. $79.99
24. Ascendo Fitness Diet and Exercise Assistant: Set objectives, track nutrition, exercise and strength training, measure your progress with graphs and calculate several fitness ratios using personal information in U.S. or metric measurements. This app includes a Windows desktop companion, which includes a comprehensive list of 7,293 nutrition items based upon the USDA Standard Reference Database. $29.99
25. Taber’s Medical Dictionary for Mobile and Web: Medical students, clinicians and citizens can gain access to over 60,000 entries, 1,000 illustration and 30,000 integrated audio pronunciations with this health-science dictionary. When you download this app, you can receive one year of access to Tabers.com. $49.99

The following blogs are current, and they’re divided into various categories to help your search. Each blog is listed alphabetically within these categories to show readers that we do not favor one blog’s perspective over another.

Consumer Healthcare

1. DoctorPundit: This is a healthcare and science policy blog, a compilation of one physician’s thoughts on these topics and is intended for health care industry professionals and the general public.
2. Dr. Buttery’s Public Health Blog: This blog covers topics that range from access to prevention and from health education to policy and research.
3. Health Policy Blog: The Mayo Clinic Health Policy Symposium blog provides a venue for discussion of crucial health reform issues that were tackled at the 2008 Mayo Clinic National Symposium on Health Care.
4. Health Wonk Review: This blog is a biweekly compendium of the best health policy blogs on the Internet. This compendium provides readers with a way to sample the “best of the best.”
5. John Goodman’s Health Policy Blog: John Goodman’s perspective on health care policy and news.
6. The Health Care Blog: Wall Street Journal calls this blog a “must read,” and Industry Insider stated, “Learn more in ten minutes than you could reading your local paper for a week.”
7. WSJ Health Blog: The Wall Street Journal provides news and analysis on health and the business of health, including how health care policies affect both topics.

Health Care, Marketing and Communications

8. Health Care Vox: Know More Media sponsors this blog, which focuses on healthcare communications and marketing news and information.
9. Health Policy and Communications Blog: This blog is intended to foster discussion and analysisabout how health policy and communications issues affect clinical and economic outcomes.
10. Schwitzer health news blog: Gary Schwitzer, from the University of Minnesota School of Journalism & Mass Communication and publisher of HealthNewsReview.org writes this blog.

Health Care Economics

11. Health Care Policy and Marketplace Review: Bob Laszewski’s review of the latest developments in federal health policy and marketplace activities in the health care financing business.
12. Healthcare Economist: Jason is a Ph.D. economist with research interests in healthcare policy issues, healthcare policy economics, the health insurance market and Medicare.
13. Health Populi: Jane is a health economist and management consultant who has worked with health care stake holders for over two decades. She focuses on the forecasting, business planning and more.
14. The International Medical Market Place: This blog reflects its title, as it is an up-to-date report on international medical market information.

Health Care Reform

15. Guaranteed Healthcare Blog: This blog is focused on the single-payer model for guaranteed public health care.
16. Health Beat: This project by The Century Foundation features Maggie Mahar’s expertise and outlook on health care reform.
17. Health Care Renewal: This blog addresses the threats to health care’s “core values, especially those stemming from concentration and abuse of power.”
18. New Health Dialogue Blog: The New America Foundation is a nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy institute, and they sponsor this blog on health care policy reform and other current health care issues.
19. PNHP Blog: This blog, produced by the Physicians for a National Health Program, focuses on single-payer resources and health care reform.
20. Retired Doc’s Thoughts: A retired doctor focuses on health care reform issues.
21. The Alan Katz Health Care Reform Blog: Alan has long been a strong advocate for agents and the role they play in America’s health care coverage system.
22. The Walker Report: Jon Walker writes about politics and policy, with a recent focus on health care reform. His blog entries also can be seen at Health Care for All.

International Policy

23. Center for Global Development Blogs: CGD’s blogs provide frequent updates, analysis, and informed commentary on specific health policy issues.
24. Global Health Report: Health journalist Christine Gorman searches internationally for what works, what doesn’t and what needs to happen next in global health.
25. Global Voices: Over 200 bloggers from around the world bring translations and citizen media reports to this venue. This link leads to the health section of this blog.
26. Health Affairs Blog: Read perspectives on national and international health affairs from the staff of The Policy Journal of the Health Sphere as well as from contributing voices.
27. Stayin’ Alive: Discussion of public health and health care policy, from a public health perspective. Topics include economics, politics and sociology of health and illness in the U.S. and the world.
28. World Health Care Blog: This site was launched as a companion blog to the World Health Care Congress conference series and is sponsored by World Congress.

Health Care and the Workplace

29. HR Benefits Alert: Entries on this blog focus on special reports and articles that bring Human Resources issues to light, including employee health and welfare.
30. OSHA Underground: A mostly anonymous group of bloggers, who are concerned with workplace safety and health, contribute to this blog about OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration).
31. Terry Neese’s Blog: This blog focuses on health policies for labor, women and more.
32. The Sentinel Effect: Richard Eskow, CEO of Health Knowledge Systems in Los Angeles, focuses on health care services and workers’ compensation industries.
33. Wellforce: A Certified Occupational Health Nurse, wellness practitioner and health coach writes about health behaviors, prevention practices, consumer empowerment and health policy.
34. Wellness Corporate Insights: The owners of Wellness Corporate Solutions, a leading Maryland-based employee wellness company, offer this blog to help benefits brokers, HR managers and others in the wellness industry keep current.
35. Workers’ Comp Insider: Lynch Ryan’s weblog about workers’ compensation, risk management, business insurance, workplace health & safety, occupational medicine, injured workers, insurance webtools & technology and related topics.

Healthcare Ethics

36. Bioethics Discussion Blog: Dr. Bernstein posts a new ethics topic about once or twice per week so you can discuss the topic with others.
37. Global Bioethics Blog: Stuart Rennie at Chapel Hill is a research assistant professor in bioethics, an ethics consultant for projects in DR Congo and Madagascar and is a grant project manager who focuses on bioethics and research ethic issues in sub-Saharan Africa.
38. Health Care Organizational Ethics: This blog, written by Jim Sabin, is centered on discussion and debate about health care organizational ethics and the health system in general.
39. Medical Ethics Blog: Stuart Laidlaw has covered faith and ethics since early 2006 at the Toronto Daily Star, and he continues to sort out ethics as they apply to medical ethics on this blog.
40. Hooked: Ethics, Medicine, and Pharma: Dr. Howard Brody provides insight, updates and commentary on the topics he wrote about in his book by the same name as the Web site.
41. Vaccine Ethics: Vaccine news and commentary from the University of Pennsylvania Center for Bioethics.

Health and The Law

42. FDA Law Blog: This blog is maintained by Hyman, Phelps & McNamara, P.C., the the largest dedicated food and drug law firm in the country.
43. Health Care Law Blog: Bob Coffield is intent on helping businesses and health care providers weave through a variety of state and federal health care regulations and assisting them in business transactions.
44. HealthBlawg: David Harlow is a health care lawyer and consultant who focuses on legal, policy and business issues that face the health care community.
45. HealthLawProf Blog: S. Elizabeth Malloy from the University of Cincinnati College of Law talks about health care reform and much more.
46. Journal of Health Law and Policy: Stay up-to-date on health law and policy through this blog produced by the Saint Louis University School of Law.

Government Policy Watchdogs

47. EnviroWonk: If you believe your environment has something to do with your health, follow this blog to learn more about current and changing environmental policies.
48. Eye on FDA: Mark Senak, an attorney with experience in public health, provides his opinion on issues emanating from the Food and Drug Administration.
49. Not in my Food: The Consumers Union believes that all citizens have a right to know what is contained in the food we eat, and keeps a tight watch on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
50. OMB Watch: This blog focuses on promoting open government accountability and citizen participation with health, safety and environmental issues.

General Health and Medical Career Blogs

You can get the latest news in the health and medical industry, as well as learn helpful information about a variety of professions in health and medical careers.

1. Health Careers Blog from About.com provides information about careers in health and medical fields. Includes news about prominent playerse in medical careers.
2. Health Jobs Blog at HealthCareers.net specializes in providing information about available jobs and the popularity of different medical careers.
3. Cal’s Career Center Health Team is a blog from University of California Berkeley that is aimed at helping pre-med and pre-health students figure out what they need to do to land jobs in medical careers.
4. Premier Health Careers Blog offers information about the medical and health professions. Also includes information on hot jobs, so that you know which medical careers are in high demand.
5. Explore Health Careers helps potential medical workers learn more about the environment, and see what is needed in today’s health care industry.
6. Health Careers Center at the University of Minnesota is very helpful in terms of sharing information about medical careers, public health and different fields related to medicine and health care.
7. Health 2.0 Blog offers information on the latest practices and health technology for medical careerists and students.

Nursing Blogs

Nursing is one of the medical careers in highest demand right now. There are a number blogs devoted to the nursing profession, offering a number of insights and stories about working in this demanding profession.

8. Emergiblog takes a look at nursing today, and the issues that faces nurses — and their patients.
9. Codeblog looks at life as an Intensive Care nurse. Interesting insights into the nursing profession.
10. YKYW – Nursing Student Blog follows the adventures of a nursing student. This blog can provide helpful insights for you as well.
11. Head Nurse provides information on different situations that arise in a number of medical careers.
12. Call Bells Make Me Nervous looks at the adventures of a new nurse, and her look at medical careers and nursing today.
13. Impacted Nurse follows the exploits of an experienced male nurse.
14. Nursing Degree Guide is a good place to go to find information about getting a nursing degree and working in a medical career.
15. PixelRN blogs about the ups and downs of a nursing career.

Physician Blogs

Many physicians have blogs. You can read about what it’s like to be a doctor, and some anecdotes from a variety of medical fields.

16. A Change to Cut is a Chance to Cure looks at life and medicine from the perspective of a general surgeon.
17. RangelMD.com provides a look at the medical and health care industry, including regulations, career information and other issues.
18. DB’s Medical Rants offers insight into medical and health care issues, from a doctor’s point of view.
19. NHS Blog Doctor provides a look at health and health care, as well as explores the career of a doctor.
20. DoctorMental writes about his career as a physician, and adds thoughts on other issues facing the health care industry.
21. KevinMD.com provides information about medical trends, the industry and what it’s like to be a doctor.

Dentist Blogs

Learn what it is like to be a dentist, and learn how to look for dental jobs.

22. Dentist Job Blog provides a look at different jobs available for dentists, and where the hot markets for dentists are.
23. Pediatric Dentistry offers helpful information on what it’s like to be a pediatric dentist, and provides insight on different uses for dentistry.
24. Take Care Of Your Teeth provides information on dental hygiene and a look at practices in the dental medical field.
25. Dental Blogs is meant for those interested in the dental field. It provides a look at oral health, and some of the issues facing dentistry.
26. The Digital Dentist looks at how tecnology can enhance dental practices. This blog is aimed at helping career dentists accomplish more.
27. Brookside Dental’s Blog focuses on cosmetic dentistry. Information about careers and issues in a dental practice.

Medical Technician Blogs

Don’t want to become a doctor or a nurse, but still want to work in the medical field? Medical technician can be a great career.

28. Technician Salary Guide provides a look at how much different medical technicians make. Includes helpful articles and posts on becoming a medical technician.
29. The Student Radiographer follows a student technician and provides insights into the career.
30. Tomography Blog provides information about working as a medical technician as well as hosting a place where medical technicians can connect.
31. Cool MRI Stuff offers interesting information on health care, working as a medical technician and tips on living in general.
32. Medical and Nursing Training looks at the different training offerings. While nursing is included, this blog focuses mainly on different medical careers available to kinds of technicians.
33. X-Ray Technician Blog looks at the ins and outs of being an x-ray technician, and includes information on jobs available to technicians.
34. Musculoskeletal and Orthopedic MRI focuses on different techniques that can help you improve your work as an MRI technician.
35. RadGirl Radiology Blog is written by a student embarking on a career as a technician. Interesting information on career outlooks as well.

Medical Assisting Blogs

Medical assisting can be fulfilling career that can introduce to a number of different health fields.

36. Medical Assistant Net Career Blog provides information about jobs in medical assisting.
37. Medical Assistant News offers information on medical assisting as a career, as well as job information and resources for learning more about medical assisting.
38. Unitek College Blog focuses on medical careers, especially those related to assisting and technicians.
39. Medical Assistant Schools is a blog that includes information about health care and the medical industry, in addition to providing help finding schools that can help you earn certification in medical assisting.

Medical Transcription, Coding and Billing Blogs

You don’t have to actually be working on patients in order to have a medical career. You can provide support through medical transcription, coding and billing.

40. Medical Transcription Blog at the MT Herald offers a look at the job of being a transcriptionist and provides helpful hints for making a career of it.
41. Medical Transcription: What’s in it for you? focuses on tips and hints for becoming a successful medical transcriptionist.
42. Medical Transcription Blog provides information on becoming a transcriptionist, job outlook and earnings information.
43. Medical Billing Blog offers helpful information for those who want to be involved in medical billing, with a special emphasis on those with their own businesses.
44. Medical Coding and Billing looks at how you can find jobs as a coder or biller.
45. Medical Coding Blog focuses on how you can make medical coding a good career.
46. Medical Coding Journal offers information on compliance and billing, helping professionals with their careers.

Medical Sales Blogs

You can also get a job in medical sales. Sell medical equipment to hospitals and doctors, or become involved in some other aspect of medical sales.

47. Medical Sales Job Blog looks at what you can do to have a successful career in medical sales.
48. Medical Sales Connection provides helpful hints for those involved in careers in medical sales — including pharmacy sales.
49. Medical Sales Guru Podcast includes audio posts that provide insight into a successful medical sales career.
50. Medical Sales Recruiter offers insights and tips from an experienced medical sales recruiter.

The blogs are listed below in alphabetical order. This method assures our readers that we do not favor one blog over another. All blogs listed, however, are up-to-date and all information is provided by professionals in their fields.

1. Bioethics Discussion Blog: Dr. Bernstein has posted an issue about bioethics about once a month for several years. If you are aware of any ethical issues in medicine or biologic science, you also can write about them here.
2. Center for Global Development: Many diseases and quality of care are not localized. This site’s global health blog tackles ethics, news and reforms that affect global health issues.
3. ChangeNow4Health: ChangeNow4Health is a broad, grassroots coalition committed to improving the nation’s health care system through immediate action.
4. DB’s Medical Rants: Dr. Robert M. Centor “rants and pontificates” on medical problems, health care reform and more at his long-running blog.
5. DoctorPundit: DoctorPundit is a weblog about the policy of healthcare, edited by Michael Douglas, MD, MBA.
6. Future Healthcare: More than a blog – this news site offers podcasts, reviews, opinions and other materials that can help readers envision the future of health care and health care policy.
7. Guaranteed Healthcare Blog: This blog focuses on “Single Payer Guaranteed Healthcare for everyone in America…not just those who can afford it!” They are endorsed by the California Nurses Association and the National Nurses Organizing Committee.
8. Health Affairs Blog: Learn more about health affairs through regular contributors and guest authors as they engage readers in the health policy debate. Published since 1981 by the non-profit Project HOPE, this blog’s authors include top scholars, policymakers, and health care industry leaders.
9. Health Beat: Century Foundation fellow Maggie Mahar covers health news with an eye to ethics and reform. Maher is best known online for her review of Michael Moore’s documentary, Sicko.
10. Health Care Law Blog: Bob Coffield, a health care lawyer, brings his insights into health care, health care reform and the application of technology to the practice of law and medicine.
11. Health Care Policy and Marketplace Review: This is Bob Laszewski’s review of the latest developments in federal health policy and marketplace activities in the health care financing business.
12. Health Care Renewal: Several doctors contribute to this blog, which addresses “threats to health care’s core values, especially those stemming from concentration and abuse of power.” They request any information regarding violations to medical policies.
13. Health Policy and Communications Blog: This blog is an outgrowth of a business created by Dr. Miller, and was designed to foster discussion and analysis about how health policy and communications issues affect clinical and economic outcomes.
14. Health Wonk Review: If you want a wide variety of health policy blog writing, head to this site. Health Wonk Review is a biweekly compendium of the best of the health policy blogs.
15. HealthBlawg: David Harlow, author of this healthcare and policy blog, is a health care lawyer and consultant with over twenty years of public and private sector experience.
16. HealthLawProf Blog: Ms. Malloy is an Andrew Katsanis Professor of Law at the University of Cincinnati College of Law. She writes about health law and how it pertains to health policy.
17. John Goodman’s Health Policy Blog: John Goodman founded the NCPA (National Center for Policy Analysis) in 1983 and has served as President and CEO since the center’s inception. His blog covers health care with a political slant.
18. Mayo Clinic Health Policy Blog: he Mayo Clinic Health Policy Center (HPC) blog provides updates about HPC activities and news, and is an “open forum intended to foster a rigorous discussion about health care reform topics.”
19. Medical Ethics Blog: Stuart Laidlaw has covered faith and ethics for over a decade, and he applies these attributes to a blog that covers health and health policies.
20. New Health Dialogue Blog: This blog is supported by the New America Foundation, nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy institute that focuses on relevant issues.
21. PNHP Blog: Physicians for a National Health Program’s blog serves to facilitate communication among physicians and the public. The views presented on this blog are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of PNHP.
22. Retired Doc’s Thoughts: Dr. Gaulte, who was trained in and who practiced internal medicine and pulmonary disease, takes a different perspective on health care reform – one from a retired physician who has experienced the health care field first-hand.
23. The Alan Katz Health Care Reform Blog: Katz, a past president of both the National and the California Association of Health Underwriters, blogs about health care reform.
24. The Health Care Blog: Get email updates of new posts and industry news concerning healthcare policies in general for the American public.
25. Workers’ Comp Insider: Lynch Ryan, a consulting firm, produces this knowledgeable blog about workers’ compensation, risk management, business insurance, workplace health and safety, occupational medicine, injured workers and more.

The following twenty-five bookmark-worthy links are categorized, and each link is listed in alphabetical order within each category. This method assures our readers that we do not favor one resource over another.

Nutrition

You are what you eat, and others are making it easier to find those healthy food choices. Use the ‘cheat sheets’ below to learn quickly about how to eat healthier.

1. Food for Thought: Nothing like a cheat sheet for a cheat sheet – this list provides reviews on some books that might change your health through changing your eating habits.
2. Learn about Local Harvests: CSAs, or Community Supported Agriculture, is making a comeback. Learn about your local resources at Local Harvest.
3. Nutritional Scoring System: Developed by a recognized team of nutrition and medical experts from leading health organizations and universities, the NuVal System is a food scoring system that helps consumers see – at a glance – the nutritional value of the food they buy.
4. Stake Out Your Territory: You may live in an area filled with bad choices. Breaking bad eating habits will be harder in the areas covered in this Forbes article.
5. Ten Worst Foods You Can Eat: Here’s an easy list of items to avoid at all costs if you want to get or stay healthy.
6. The Five Most Unhealthful Fast Food “Value Menu” Items [PDF]: If you’re operating on a slim budget, which value menu items from fast food restaurants should you avoid at all costs? This report, from the Cancer Project, will tell you.
7. Unhealthy Chinese-Food Choices: Do you believe that eating Oriental food is healthier? You may be in for a surprise.

News

If you want a real cheat sheet, then you’ll use press release information that newspapers and other news media use. The following can put you ahead of the game and provide you with news you may have missed.

8. EPA Newsroom: Learn more about environmental news in your area through this site.
9. Eurekalert: This site is a goldmine for cheat-sheet fanatics. They cover every possible health category, bringing press releases straight to your computer on topics such as medicine and health and agriculture, or the food you eat.
10. FDA Press Releases: The FDA, or Food and Drug Administration, issues warning, recalls and more.
11. Harvard School of Public Health: Use these news items to learn more about international health issues – topics that may not be covered locally.
12. HHS Newsroom: The press releases issued here concern news generated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
13. National Institutes of Health: This Web page lists news and events offered by the nation’s medical research agency. Most of the news here focuses on catastrophic diseases such as cancer, heart disease and AIDS.

Medicines

At some point in your life you may need to take medications. Are they safe? What do they do? Are there generic equivalents available? These cheat sheets answer all those questions and more.

14. AAAAI Allergy and Asthma Drug Guide: If you suffer from allergies, learn quickly about brand names, active ingredients, doses and which types of allergy they are used for at this site.
15. Consumer Tips: The California Department of Consumer Affairs offers a list of items to do when you need to take prescription drugs. Very easy.
16. Generic Equivalent Listing: Some brand name medications are available under multiple names. This list may not include all of the brand names that are available for a specific drug, but it’s a good start.
17. Drugs.com Pill Identifier: This site goes one step beyond the RXList site listed below, as it covers non-generic drugs as well as generic medications.
18. RXList: If you’re having trouble identifying generic pills, you can use this site to gain control.
19. Tips from Pharmacists: Read through this list once, and you’ll learn almost everything you need to know about prescriptions. But, keep it on hand to follow the links to learn more.

Sports and Exercise

Exercise is for people who have willpower, right? Not necessarily. If you can walk in your sleep, then you’re exercising. It’s really that easy. The following cheat sheets will make it easier.

20. Back Exercises for Beginners [PDF]: Trouble with the back? Use this cheat sheet, one that includes photos, to go through a simple routine quickly and easily.
21. Diet and Exercise Tips: Want an easy list that will add to your healthy lifestyle? This one covers it all.
22. Facts About U.S. Government’s Exercise Tips: Talk about easy – this article does all the thinking for you and provides you with a free printable exercise log sheet.
23. Food and Exercise Tips to Lose Weight: Use the information here to learn more about calories and how to burn them.
24. Sports Injury Prevention and Treatment: Here’s a quick rundown on how to prevent injury and how to treat an injury once it happens.
25. Weight Loss Diet and Exercise Cheat Sheet: Want to be reminded how many calories you need to lose to lose a pound of fat? Or, do you need to be reminded about what you need to do today to lose that pound? This is your cheat sheet.

With that said, some — such as the plants in the nightshade family — might be avoided, especially for individuals who suffer from arthritis. And, some people might experience adverse affects from some herbs, just as they would from other manufactured medicines. Finally, mixing herbs and medications might not be a wise idea, so check with your doctor before you attempt to treat anything with herbs.

The following list is a small sample of some herbs that might help relieve some of your adverse symptoms. Some herbs are applied topically as poultices, and others are ingested as teas and tinctures. The list is in alphabetical order, and we tried to provide a variety of links to introduce you to new herbal information resources.

1. Aloe: The clear gel within the leaves of this plant is a superior remedy for burns. Use it for thermal burns, sunburns or any skin irritation. Aloe Vera juice is intended for internal use, and its main use is to help heal ulcers and other intestinal irritations. The juice is not pleasant for the most part, but you only need a teaspoon after meals. Otherwise, the juice becomes a laxative.
2. Black Cohosh : Also known as “Squawroot,” the root extract has been long known to eleviate menstrual cramps. Recent experiments suggest that the tea made from this root contains sedative and anti-inflammatory effects. Black cohosh is toxic in large doses, and pregnant women should avoid this herb.
3. Blackberry Root : Blackberry root bark has been used as an herbal remedy for diarrhea. Users can find tinctures in health food stores. If so, then a teaspoon every two to four hours may do the trick.
4. Cayenne: Christopher Columbus first introduced cayenne to the Old World and since then cayenne has become a culinary and medicinal staple. Cayenne has been known to relieve toothache, a digestive aid, and a way to alleviate pain as an ointment. Capsaicin is the ingredient of note, used externally to relieve arthritic pain.
5. Chamomile: This tea is a great home remedy for upset stomachs as it can help relieve heartburn, indigestion and colic. It also is a mild relaxant and sedative, good to drink before bedtime.
6. Cinnamon: This herb will warm you up, as it promotes circulation. If you have a job where you need to sit all day long, use cinnamon tea to get you going rather than coffee.
7. Comfrey: Use the root of this plant to make a poultice for wounds that never seem to heal, such as bed sores, brown recluse spider bites and diabetic ulcers. Once a day, mix powdered comfrey root with aloe vera gel to make a paste, pack it into the wound and cover with a bandage.
8. Dandelion: Dandelion tea is used to help relieve kidney and liver disorders. It is not toxic, so no worries about overdosing.
9. Echinacea: Antibiotic, antiviral and immune-enhancer. This native American plant is a fine first-line treatment for colds and flu. At the first sign of trouble, begin taking echinacea and continue until the illness runs its course. Children under 10 can take half the adult dosage.
10. Eucalyptus: These evergreens are native to Australia, and the oils from the leaves have long been known to relieve chest congestion and bronchial problems. If you don’t like the eucalyptus teas, simply pour hot water over a few leaves and inhale the steam twice per day. Try sage teas for a sore throat.
11. Evening Primrose Oil : This oil, along with black currant and borage oils contain a fatty acid called GLA (gamma linolenic acid). GLA is an effective anti-inflammatory agent with none of the side effects of anti-inflammatory drugs. These oils also promote healthy skin, hair and nail growth. But, it takes some two to three months of continuous use for these oils to take effect.
12. Fennel Seed: Forget those over-the-counter gas pain relievers. Chew a half-teaspoon of fennel seeds – also known as Star Anise – after each meal or when you feel bloated to help expel gas from your intestines.
13. Garlic: Known as an antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, anticancer and cardiovascular tonic. Chop or chew two cloves daily to release the sulphur compound that contains the antibiotic effects for colds.
14. Ginger: My father has tried everything to relieve arthritic pain, so when he read that powdered ginger would help, he was game. Within thirty days after taking capsules twice per day, the pain was gone. He continues to use it to this day. Ginger tea also is good for head and chest congestion.
15. Ginseng: Long known as an aphrodisiac, ginger actually helps to increase energy levels. But, too much can cause headaches or insomnia.
16. Horse Chestnut : Horse chestnut has been used to treat spider and varicose veins when used as a topical application. It is sometimes sold under the name Escin.
17. Horseradish: If you can tolerate freshly prepared horseradish, or if you prefer horseradish prepared as hot mustards or wasabi, enjoy as much as you can tolerate to help liquefy bronchial congestion.
18. Lobelia : Also known as “Indian tobacco,” lobelia is used as a remedy for asthma. The standard ‘recipe’ is one part capsaicum (cayenne) tincture to three parts lobelia tincture. Take twenty drops of the mixture in water at the start of an asthmatic attack and repeat every half hour for a maximum of three doses.
19. Mint : Mints, including peppermint, is a digestive remedy used for heartburn, indigestion and nausea treatments. Try the teas and drink as much as you want.
20. Mullein : More prevalent in the western U.S., mullein is a tall common weed that produces large leaves and a flowering spike as it matures. Smoking the leaves is a treatment for respiratory ailments, including chest congestion and dry bronchial coughs. If you’re not up to smoking the leaves, then try a tincture, with a dropper-full in warm water every four hours.
21. Nightshade : Although nightshade sounds eerie, nightshade plants include tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant and peppers. Rather than eat these foods, you might want to avoid them if you want to relieve arthritic pain.
22. Psyllium Seed : These seeds come from a plantain species and are used as a source of fiber. These seeds are the source of many popular commercial laxatives, but you can purchase the powdered variety without all the additives at most health food stores. The only precaution is to drink plenty of water if you take this remedy, otherwise the remedy may become a blockage issue.
23. Saw Palmetto : This plant is used extensively in Europe to treat symptoms aligned with benign prostatic hypertrophy (enlargement of the prostate). This use can be traced back to the Mayans.
24. Spirulina : Spirulina and chlorella are two varieties of freshwater algae, which are dried and sold as dark green powders or tablets. They are touted as miracle substances, but other than the claim that this is an excellent source of protein for vegetarians, there is little evidence that spirulina is a health cure for any ailment.
25. Tea Tree Oil : This oil is a great treatment for skin and nail fungal infections. Just paint the oil on affected areas two or three times a day.