Once, I was at my son's school during recess and noticed that (other than a few exceptions) it was mostly boys playing kickball and girls sitting in small groups around the jungle gym chatting and playing cats cradle. At the time, I didn't think much of it, but I was reminded of it the day when I read an article about how young and old females aren't as active as males.

Researchers from Liverpool John Moores University followed 10 and 11-year-old children during recess and found that boys tend to engage in more active play than girls. On the flip side of the coin, another study found that women over age 70 are less likely to be active than men.

It's important for everyone to be active. But it's certainly important for girls (during the formative years when their bones are growing) and older women (who need to maintain bone density) to be physically active.

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My son is very athletically inclined. He does well at every team sport he plays and he invariably picks active play over anything else. He's constantly riding his bike, roller-blading, or running around the neighborhood. So, needless to say, my son is in good shape. But lately, he's been complaining that his legs feel "weak."

I didn't know what was going on at first. In fact, I thought maybe his baseball practices were wearing him out. So I had suggested he start jogging to build up his leg muscles. But then I noticed that his eating habits have changed a bit and his sleep patterns are a bit off-kilter, too. So it finally hit me. Growing pains.

I'll admit that it took me longer to catch on than it should have. But I'm new to this parenting gig. My 10-year-old son is adopted and has only lived with me since last June. So, though he's likely experienced growing pains several times now, this is my first experience with them as a parent.

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If you're looking reduce your cancer risk by delivering a solid one-two combination, a tasty and healthy fight plan is to eat fish and broccoli together.

Because many types of fish contain selenium, which has been shown to increase levels of cancer-fighting enzymes, you're already off to a good start. Then, by adding broccoli -- because the vegetable contains a great deal of sulforaphane, a compound that offers similar cancer-fighting effects as fish -- you're following your initial jab with a solid right cross.

What's more, researchers at the Institute of Food Research found that when combined, fish and broccoli were 13 times more effective at slowing the growth of cancer cells than each food was all by itself. It's clear, then, that making this healthy meal combo part of your regular diet may help send cancer to the mat.

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It would really be satisfying to me in a world of processed food, junk food and sugar water to see that the growth of the vitamin and supplement industry is actually growing. Perhaps it is.

More and more humans are becoming empowered by information with the rapid spread of the internet and the ways we're all communicating like never before. Hopefully, this and others will allow us all to lead healthier lives in the near future. Information is power, as they say.

A recent report states that growth in the nutraceutical and dietary supplements areas is expected to grow in the future across many world markets. I sincerely hope this data is right on the money. One of the non-benefits to how rapidly the world has grown up has been how nutrition has evolved backwards.

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Growing up, I was always told that drinking coffee would stunt my growth. Plus, ick! Coffee wasn't tasty enough for me to beg my mom to drink it. My, how things change. These days, I am a bit of a coffee fiend. I drink a cup a day and I love it -- the taste, the warmth, everything. But I'm an adult now so it's ok.

But there's a growing trend out there -- teens drinking coffee. It's not so much that they're doing shots of espresso, they're into those sugary drinks from Starbucks. You know, the frapuccinos, the blended cremes. I can't really blame them. Those drinks are tasty, though I stay away because they're so bad for you.

What do you think of coffee and teens -- is it safe? Will these sugary, caffeine-and-fat-laden drinks contribute to weight problems? Is it really just a myth that coffee will stunt your growth?

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When you hear that lifting weights helps people look younger you probably think along the lines of exercise and toning equals weight loss and a younger physique. And while that's obviously true, it's not the whole story. Strength training in particular can actually help you look younger from the inside out by encouraging your body to produce more of a particular growth hormone that is linked with age-related muscle loss and bone density changes.

As we age our bodies slowly decrease the amount of growth hormone produced, but strength training is a natural and healthy way to counteract this process. Just one more reason not to skip the gym!

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