Traveling this holiday season? You'll probably be spending some time in the airport, battling long lines, grumpy fellow passengers, unhealthy food options and -- worst of all -- icky airport bathrooms. Shudder.

Health.com recently rated the airports in America and came up with a list of the healthiest airports in the nation, based on things like healthy food options, cleanliness and convenient services that help take the stress out of travel. Here are the top five picks:

• Phoenix Sky Harbour International
• Baltimore/Washington International
• Chicago O'Hare International
• Detroit Metropolitan
• Denver International

Check out the rest of the list here -- how does your city's airport stack up?

Source

While our health is largely reliant on the effort we put into it -- eating healthfully, exercising regularly, and getting proper medical care -- our environment can make a big impact on our health. Economic considerations and the structure of a city are just two components that can affect health.

The CDC does an annual health survey that asks city residents to rate their overall health as excellent, very good, good, fair, or poor. And while the CDC itself doesn't (quote-unquote) rank cities based on their surveys, their database does order the cities based on the results.

When all self-reported ratings are considered, Lincoln, Nebraska gets top honors -- 92.8% of residents state their health is good or better. Huntington, West Virginia comes in last on the 184-city list -- nearly half of the adults in Huntington are obese, but the mayor (who recently lost 80 pounds) says that the city's economic woes are of greater focus.

Source

If I had to pick a nut to eat, it would be the cashew. My husband too. He sometimes buys the big container when shopping in bulk and together, we manage to polish the whole thing off. Not in one sitting, mind you, but we probably do eat too many, too quickly. And then we swear off these nuts for a while because we're never quite sure how healthy they are, in the whole scheme of nuts.

According to The World's Healthiest Foods, cashews are good, in moderation. Here's why.

• Cashews have a lower fat content than most other nuts.
  
• About 75 percent of their fat is unsaturated fatty acid, and 75 percent of this fat is oleic acid, the same heart-healthy mono-unsaturated fat found in olive oil.
  
• Consuming a handful of cashews four times per week can lower the risk of heart disease.
  
• Consuming a handful of cashews at least twice a week helps lower risk of weight gain.
  
• Cashews contain copper, good for iron utilization, elimination of free radicals, development of bone and connective tissue, and the production of the skin and hair pigment called melanin.
  
• Cashews contain magnesium, good for the bones, muscles, and nerves.
  
• Cashews help prevent gallstones.
  
  

So, what's in a cashew? Some pretty good stuff and about 196 calories per one-fourth cup -- another reason to keep this nutty pursuit to a minimum.

Source

If water isn't enough to quench your thirst, you're in luck. A new UCLA study reveals the top 10 healthiest drinks, and AOL News features the nitty gritty on the whole lot right here. And guess what? Nine of them are fruit based. Here they are.

• Apple Juice
• Tea
• Orange Juice
• Cranberry Juice
• Acai Juice
• Black Cherry Juice
• Blueberry Juice
• Concord Grape Juice
• Red Wine
• Pomegranate Juice
  

What makes these drinks so healthy? Antioxidants, mostly. The more vivid the color, the more antioxidants there are. No wonder so many berry drinks made the cut.

Source

Sadly, many of today's college kids suffer from health problems that in years past were usually reserved for their parents and grandparents. It's not uncommon for young adults in their upper teens and early twenties to have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and sedentary lifestyles. This, obviously, sets them up for much more serious chronic illnesses later in life. Good news is that the younger people are when they start to make healthy changes the better, so by encouraging a few good habits now it's possible health disasters can be averted later.

There's a whole list of college-friendly things to make sure you're trying to do, but big ones that students often struggle with is making sure to eat at least 3 square meals per day, getting enough sleep, getting enough exercise, and avoiding unhealthy mindless snacking.

Source

Richmond, a small city south of Vancouver in the province of British Columbia, has recently been described as Canada's healthiest community. The residents have a longer life-expectancy than the rest of the country, and generally rate among the happiest and healthiest in the country. Other spots across the world receiving similar praise include Loma Linda in California, Sardinia in Italy, Okinawa in Japan and Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica.

So what exactly is it that makes these places so darn good for you? According to this article there are a few variables. These include weather (a climate with few extremes) and fitness -- places where physical fitness is a priority both for individuals as well as the community come out ahead. For example, Richmond has loads of trails appropriate for cycling, hiking and walking, so residents don't have to spend a fortune to stay active and, as the weather is usually pretty decent, are able to spend lots of time outdoors.

Other factors include the environment (cities that make a pledge to be green fare very well) and lifestyle aspects, such as low smoking and obesity rates, combined with a commitment things like healthy eating (and eating fresh, local products) and volunteering, round out the list.

Based on these variables, where do you think your community fits in?

Source

Even for people who read label's religiously, it's not always easy to figure out the best and worst foods to consume (or not consume). Everybody out there is obviously interested in finding out as is evidenced by Adams' incredibly popular post on the top 10 terrible foods to always avoid. But what about the good stuff?

A dietician from the Mayo Clinic has made a list of what he feels are the top 10 best foods to eat based on a number of factors including:

• Whether the food is a good source of fibre, vitamens and minerals
• Whether the food can reduce the risk of heart disease and other conditions
• Whether the food is high in vitamens A and E, as well as beta carotene
• Whether the food is readily available and,
• Whether the food is high in calorie denstity (ie. larger portions with less calories)

To be eligible for the list, the products had to meet three or more of the points on the list. So what came out on top? Fruits and veggies like apples, broccoli. blueberries, spinach and sweet potatoes. Salmon also made the list as did almonds and red beans. To see the rest of the top 10 and find out why all of these foods are so fabulous, take a look here.

Source

A healthy workplace is a complicated machine that encompasses many things, but some jobs lend themselves naturally to healthier environments. Which ones? Maybe you're already in one, or maybe you're in the market for a new job and you'd like to be in one. According to a survey via eDiets by Monster.com the following list includes the top 10 healthiest jobs out there (excluding professional sports):

1) Activity Specialist
2) Chiropractor
3) Choreographer
4) Florist
5) Massage Therapist
6) Nutritionist
7) Personal Trainer
8) Professor
9) Running Coach
10) Yoga Instructor

There's really no info on exactly what makes each of these jobs so healthy, other than the general idea that they all promote a balanced wholesome workplace environment. But I can guess at why, and it's interesting that all the professions are so different.

Source

In today's fast food-powered culture where nutritional value is measured in how much you can get with a dollar, it makes this list of the world's 29 healthiest foods all the more beneficial. And we are not talking about some exotic hard-to-find edibles that you can't pick up in the supermarket either.

This excellent list points out the top foods and why they are so useful for a diet. It also gives some advice on how to incorporate it into what you're already eating. For instance, did you know that avocados can provide an enormous amount of health benefits and also serve as a mayonnaise substitute? A few slices on a burger or sandwich can supply a prime amount of dietary fiber and cholesterol-fighting oleic acid.

Not a bad trade off for something that is 70-80% fat to begin with. Whether it's lentils, ginger or cantaloupe, we could all stand to inject some healthier foods into our diet. Check out the full list of the 29 healthiest foods to get more ideas on eating better.

Source