That's Fit

Whenever I've trained to run a long-ish distance, (which, for me, means anything over six miles or so), I experience the same things -- a little knee pain, a bit of plantar faciitis, and, of course, blisters. Most runners I know have experienced blisters, some to a debilitating extent, and it flat out sucks to sit out a workout because of blisters.

There are lots of ways to treat blisters, and shoes and sunglasses, what works for one person might not work for another. In the gallery, I've pulled together a few popular treatments for blisters, but I'm curious to hear about your solutions, too. Let's hear your best blister beaters in the comments!

Could the obesity epidemic be coming to an end soon? Perhaps. The so-called 'cure' for obesity is only a few years away, according to leading scientist in the UK. This 'cure' would be a drug, most likely administered in needle form, which could control the hormone responsible for hunger (called ghrelin) and put an end to overeating. And it's hoped this drug could totally wipe out the need for invasive gastric bypass surgery.

I think the term 'cure,' is a bit optimistic. After all, this surgery is supposed to do what gastric bypass surgery does -- eliminate hunger and reduce how much you can eat. And yet gastric bypass surgery often doesn't lead to long-term weight loss. And compulsive overeating often isn't based on hunger -- it's based on emotional factors like stress. And hunger control doesn't automatically lead to healthy habits.

If you ask me, teaching and preaching healthy habits is a much better option for treatment of obesity than a quick fix. What do you think?

It was scary last year when the study came out revealing that tea tree essential oil could act like estrogen in our bodies, and may even cause enlarged breasts in young boys. That's been debunked; the possibility is that other ingredients in the products are more likely to blame. With all of the toxic chemicals in our body care products, it seems the more likely culprit.

That said, it really is OK to use tea tree oil is a safe way: properly diluted in a carrier oil, never internally, and always moderately. In fact, it is one of the essential oils you should keep in the house, as it has many healthy uses:

• heals cold sores and warts
• calms coughs
• helps clear up breakouts
• combats nail fungus
• disinfects your house when added to cleaning products

There are more uses for tea tree oil in the original DIY Life post, so don't fear the natural goodness of tea tree oil and use it safely and wisely.

As it turns out, it isn't worth a pound of cure, according to the Washington Post.

I was more than a little disheartened to read the cover story in the Health section of yesterday's paper. Apparently, as the story points out with examples, an ounce of prevention is worth a whole lot less than a pound of cure despite political campaign banter claiming otherwise. Not even close, in fact. The scales are actually tipped the other way. It's cheaper to let people get sick. Smoking cessation, colonoscopies for guys in their 60s and childhood vaccinations are among exceptions.

The article mentions at the very end a point that I think is bigger than dollars and cents. Paying for good health is an investment. And a good one. I wonder how any attempt to calculate the cost of prevention and measure it up against cure can be absolutely accurate. The examples in the Post are convincing. Giving a bunch of people cholesterol-reducing drugs in an effort to prevent heart disease that will develop in only a fraction of them clearly requires a heap o' dough for prescriptions. But if life is all about how much things cost and that leads to deciding whether our health -- and by extension our very lives -- are worth the expense, what's the point anyway? Have we really reached a point at which money is more valuable than life?

Wow. I think our society needs a colonoscopy. On second thought, we can save the money. I think we can skip ahead to diagnosing cancer. The good news: I believe this type can be cured. What do you think? What's the cure? Am I wrong? Do you disagree with the diagnosis?

For the weight I've lost, the healthy eating habits I've gained, the workout tricks I've gathered, and the wellness tips I now practice, I thank Canyon Ranch. They do a lot of good there in Tucson, Arizona -- the location I visited -- and this very health and healing spa destination is now cooking up a new way to make a difference in others' lives.

In addition to their Thriving After Breast Cancer programs, Canyon Ranch is expanding their efforts to support finding a cure for breast cancer. They're tackling their mission by hosting 10 breast cancer survivors for Cook for the Cure Survivors Week, taking place April 10-14. Each trip is being auctioned with 100 percent of the proceeds -- yep, that's everything -- benefiting Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Made possible by KitchenAid, Canyon Ranch, and Continental Airlines, selected survivors will not only bask in the glory of luxurious accommodations, healthy meals, endless fitness and wellness classes, powerful nutrition consultations, and spa services -- they'll also receive hands-on cooking lessons in a fully-equipped KitchenAid demonstration kitchen. Wow. I'm jealous. Mostly, though, I'm happy for those who will benefit from this week -- those whose spirits will soar at Canyon Ranch and those who just might live a little longer because of the funds raised during this week.

Interested in more information about this Canyon Ranch venture? Contact Stewart Goodbody at sgoodbod@digitas.com.

At some point, most people have tried, or at least considered, a cure they thought unorthodox. I have a friend who swears you can stop hiccupping if you say, "One!" after the first hiccup. Go ahead, try it -- it doesn't work for me, but you never know.

Men's Health has come up with six seemingly crazy cures that they swear are effective. Suffer from sleep apnea? Trying to quit smoking? Click through the gallery and see if there's a cure for your ailment -- what do you have to lose?

Today on The Martha Stewart Show, Martha and her healthy initiatives consultant, Dr. Brent Ridge talked cravings. They discussed the reasons for cravings:

Genetics -- an ancestor's need to get their hands on calories.

Habits -- you traditionally eat sweet cereal in the morning, so when you wake up ......you crave sweet cereal.

Emotional correlation -- It's a birthday and birthdays are happy times, so you crave cake.

Pica -- A pregnant woman's odd and dangerous desire to consume non food items like soap, soil, or starch.

Physical need -- You are low on iron, so your body craves steak. This is the craving you should give in to!

If you are craving unhealthy food and truly don't want to give in to it, Dr. Ridge suggests you distract yourself for eight to fourteen minutes. He says that's the time our bodies take to kill a craving. Go for a walk, do some laundry or chat on the phone. Fourteen minutes is survivable!

Just like that unleaded we put in our cars, food is the fuel for the human body. Eat junk foods and sugar water all the time, and the body begins to prematurely break down. Put in good stuff like superfoods, and your body will go 100,000 miles between tune-ups, so to speak.

When it comes to food, the better the quality the better the performance. Unfortunately, the convenience lifestyle many of us live and the hunt for cheap prices has forced an era of unhealthy food on the country. There's a reason why obesity rates are higher than they have ever been.

But what does it take to keep that body's performance in tip-top shape? Knowledge is the first tool, then intelligent food selection is the next. Research the term "superfoods" and see what you find, but for starters, here is a short list:

• Beans
• Berries
• Vegetables
• Nuts
• Whole grains

Yoga has a number of therapeutic benefits for both your body and soul. But here's one you might not have thought of -- using yoga as a natural remedy for your aches and pains. iYogaLife has a series of articles on yoga postures and exercises that can help with common ailments like heel pain, eye strain, chest congestion and yes, even a hangover.

In all honesty, I think we're far to reliant on drugs to numb our pain these days, whether they're over-the-counter, prescription or other. So to see something like this that offers natural, constructive advice on deal with common ailments is really quite awesome. And while doing yoga might not give the instant gratification that taking an aspiring would, you're doing something better for yourself in the long run.

What do you think of yoga as a treatment for what ails you?

Men and women all over are prepping to walk and run their butts off this October, all in the name of breast cancer and the month dedicated to this deadly disease. There's the Avon Breast Cancer Walk, Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, and Susan G. Komen 3-Day, to name a few. These events will raise awareness, funds, even hope. This is all so important. What I like about these charitable causes, though, is that they center around fitness.

There seems no other appropriate way to honor those fighting and losing their battles with breast cancer than by pounding the pavement. Exercise is critical in the prevention of cancer. It helps alleviate the burdens of cancer treatment. And it helps ensure survival of a disease the American Cancer Society reports will strike 178,480 women and kill 40,460 women in the United States during 2007.

If you've not yet registered to make your own strides, consider walking or running in a local event. Or just start walking and running. It's good for breast cancer. It's good for your health.

The debate that continues to rage on regarding the health effects of red wine just took a turn into the "super universe" it seems. In the new "The Red Wine Diet" book by Roger Corder, he states that red wine is good for treating just about any human ailment, from heart disease to dementia.

Corder's book is an offshoot from an article in Nature magazine last year that zeroed in on procyanidin, a 'vasoactive polyphenol' that helps reduce the risk of heart disease. But other human diseases as well?

Corder argues against the popular reasoning of the chemical resveratrol as the main component in red wine that gives healthy effects when consumed, and instead focuses in on procyanidin. His advice? Three glasses of red wine a day is good for men; for women, two glasses.

Ah the hangover. Nature and your body's way of telling you you've gone way overboard. Unfortunately for some of us, it's a lesson we just can't seem to learn. I spent 8 hours driving home from a long weekend getaway yesterday and every one of my friends and I were feeling pretty rough in the car. I'm not naming names, but some had to pull over for a speedy emergency roadside pit-stop (I will say that it wasn't me!).

If you've known the pain of too much drinking and want help for similar situations in the future, or are currently suffering and need aid now, take a look at this article on natural remedies for the dreaded hangover. Sleep and gentle exercise are two easy suggestions, but if that won't cut it the piece also suggests trying B vitamins (B6 and B12) as they help flush out your overworked liver. For a few more ideas, you can see the article here. Of course, the best plan is moderation (but we all know that sometimes even the best of intentions can be ruined by a party that turns into a runaway).

Have you got any great hangover cures that you swear by?

Well it seems the old standby Vitamin C isn't all it's cracked up to be when it comes to curing the sniffles and misery caused by the common cold. A 60 year study concluded recently in Australia (that's one long study) that found taking high doses of Vitamin C on a daily basis only slightly reduces the risk of getting a cold in the first place (8% for adults and 13.8% for kids) and doesn't shorten the length of colds at all once they've been caught. So is it worth it to take a big Vitamin C pill every single day just to average 11 days of illness a year instead of 12? That extra day of wellness is pretty special (I hate colds!) but I also hate taking pills -- decisions decisions!

When you think of indigestion you think of stomach acid. In most cases it is not the stomach acid creating the indigestion but a lack of it. Hydrochloric acid and pepsin, an enzyme working in an acid environment are needed to break down food effectively. A shortage of the two will result in sluggish digestion of food and indigestion. In this pill popping era we live in, getting rid of indigestion could be as simple as a shot of Apple Cider Vinegar after a meal to get rid of the bloating and indigestion we sometimes experience. Now I am not a doctor and this is just my personal experience, but for the last 5 weeks I have been using natural organic Apple Cider Vinegar with "Mother" that I bought in a health food store and it has worked wonders for me. So much that I recommended it to a friend and it is helping with their indigestion problem also.

Vinegar is a popular folk remedy to be sure, and there is limited science research behind it. One thing doctors agree on is that in limited doses, vinegar will not hurt you and it just might work. So you can be the judge.