Have you taken time to meditate during this busy holiday season? Chances are, your answer's going to be a big ole' heck no. Who has time to sit still when there's Christmas presents to be bought and wrapped, cookies to be baked, family to entertain ...

But Oprah's personal medical professional, Doctor Oz, thinks you should take time to meditate on a regular basis. In fact, he believes that meditation is our own fountain of youth. How's that for promising? All you need is five minutes a day -- click here for Dr. Oz's meditation tips.

That's not to say you need only to meditate to stay youthful -- eating well and exercising is still important. His list of anti-aging foods includes blueberries, broccoli, sweet potatoes and tomatoes.

(via Fit Celeb)

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Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone, the holiday season is in full swing. All the hustle and bustle of the season can start to feel quite stressful. To help keep your stress level in check, try dedicating some time each day to meditate. There's no need to say "oohhmm" and sit in the lotus position. You can lower your stress level with a few easy steps:

• Quiet place. Find a spot in your home or outside that's quiet and removed from other distractions.
  
• Music. Play some quiet, mellow music that helps you relax.
• Deep, full breathing. Breathe deeply and concentrate on your breathing.
• Focus. Your mind may wander, but as it does just refocus on your breathing -- this isn't a time to sort through your thoughts, this is a time to recenter yourself and clear your mind of the daily stressors.

Take 10 minutes each day to meditate and you'll see your stress levels reduce. Remember, exercising, eating healthfully, and getting proper amounts of sleep will also help you manage stress.

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How to live healthfully is no mystery for CSI: Crime Scenes Investigation star Marg Helgenberger. Nope, the 49-year-old actress knows exactly what it takes to keep in fighting shape.

Helgenberger meditates every morning, does yoga twice a week, reads for relaxation, and eats lots of yogurt, fresh berries, fresh papaya, sliced turkey, salad, and cheeses. A typical Helgenberger menu goes like this: Smoothie made with yogurt, rice milk, and fresh fruit, followed by a lunch featuring tuna or turkey sandwich or a salad topped with protein, and then fish or chicken with veggies and salad for dinner.

Guilty pleasures? Yep, she's got some. She loves chocolate chip cookies, Girl Scout thin mint cookies, fried chicken with macaroni and cheese, and a good steak now and then. It's all about moderation and balance for this woman who has a very sensible approach to aging: "I certainly want to look the best I possibly can," she says. "But I keep coming back to this theory that you have to work with what you've got and grow older gracefully."

What are your guilty pleasures? More important, though -- what are your secrets for keeping fit for the long haul?

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We've all experienced "brain failure," that embarrassing moment when you can't remember something totally mundane and regular -- like how to spell a simple word or where you parked your car. Having a better memory is something pretty much everybody would enjoy, especially when it comes to doing your best at work. Giving your noodle a boost is something you can do in as little as 30 seconds, so there's really no reason you can't fit an exercise or two into your daily routine. Try one of these exercises from Natural Health to get started:

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Have you taken a peek at our Summer Slimdown Guide yet? It's full of tips for a healthy and fit summer. We didn't forget (and we hope you don't either) that losing weight isn't just a numbers game. For many people, a lack of self-confidence is a contributing factor to weight gain. When you don't feel good about yourself, you're less likely to take care of yourself and, in time, extra pounds can creep up on you.

Taking care of your health -- both physically and emotionally -- is important. When you care for your own well-being, you're better able to manage your life effectively and energetically and you're better able to care for your loved ones. If your self-esteem could use a little boost, try some of these ideas:

• Meditate. Taking a few moments each day to re-center will help you to feel better about yourself.
  
• Pamper yourself. Schedule periodic "pampering" treatments -- get a facial or a massage, visit a spa, or get a pedicure.
  
• Associate with supportive friends. Spend time with those who make you laugh, those you can count on for support, and who love you unconditionally.
  
• Live healthfully. Eating right and exercising don't only improve the health of your body, they improve your mind and spirit as well.
  
• Do something for others. Put yourself and your needs aside occasionally and do something for others -- it's amazing how focusing on someone else's needs can give your self-confidence a huge boost.

Check out the gallery for more info. And be sure to read through the Summer Slimdown Guide -- it's chock full of tips to help you finish the summer season in style.

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A lot of people may not buy into the zen-like approach to medicine and meditation. It can seem a little hokey to some. However, while they believe meditation can lend itself to dealing with chronic pain sufferers, elderly citizens are not usually the ones to drop down on a yoga mat every week.

That's what provoked an interesting study that tried to address senior adults and chronic back pain in regards to meditation. It was led out of the University of Pittsburgh, but many people didn't think elderly individuals would take interest. Apparently there was a common myth that senior citizens would scoff at meditation -- but that wasn't the case!

Instead, they discovered over three dozen signed up, and 30 actually finished. This is an accomplishment for them, because it took an eight-week commitment to stick with the program. Even though they continued to take regular medication, many senior citizens were so pleased with the results that they continued to practice meditation on their own time!

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Zen is an ancient term that has become commonplace in Western society these days -- it's something we all strive for in our busy lives but few actually find. But have you ever wondered how you can incorporate Zen principles into your everyday life? The Phoenix Center Blog has some suggestions:

• Only do one thing at a time. Multi-tasking is overrated -- it only causes us more stress.
  
• Become aware that life is about choices and see through choices through carefully
• Live in the moment
• Think about how many people have worked to create what you have, and be grateful.
  

Want to know more? Click here for the full article.

(via Fitbuff)

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Meditation helps a lot of things because it reduces stress, but now there specific data about how it helps heart patients. A small pilot study was done on 23 African American patients hospitalized with congestive heart failure. Half of the patients were instructed on Transcendental Meditation and told to continue it for 6 months, while the other half was simply educated on their diagnosis and sent home without being asked to meditate regularly. After 6 months the people that meditated not only showed lower levels of depression but also performed better than their non-meditating counterparts on the six-minute walking test that measures functional capacity.

Obviously, this was a small non-diverse study that will need to be repeated on a larger scale and get the same results before the data is considered reliable.

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