We know they are chock-full of antioxidants and other valuable nutrients, but did you know that research has shown that black raspberries can actually alter your genes?

In animal studies, genes that were altered with cancer were returned to normal when black raspberry powder was consumed.

OK people, that's huge! Why aren't you eating black raspberries all the time, every day, at each meal? I jest, because we can't jump on every medical study bandwagon and eat multitudes of foods that are good for us.

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Did you know that falls are the top cause of injury and death for the elderly in the United States? According to the American Geriatric Society, that is, in fact, the case. What might surprise you even more is that most of these falls occur in the home.

Fortunately, there are many steps you can take to protect yourself or a loved one from taking a dangerous spill. Because every home is different, it's a good idea to take a walk through the home in question with the specific purpose of checking for possible dangers.

Click through the gallery to see the seven tips given by the American Geriatric Society, and feel free to leave a comment if you have other suggestions!

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Is there anything yoga can't do? It tones, it strengthens, it stretches -- according to this past post by Rigel it may also help you find love (well for those who manage to avoid 'inappropriate yoga guy'). I was musing earlier today during my walk to work about all of the benefits I noticed when I was practicing yoga on a regular basis (I admit that for various reasons most of us who fall off the bandwagon would understand, it has been a while since I've been to a class). I remember feeling more limber, more energetic yet relaxed, and just generally had an enhanced feeling of well-being.

I began to wonder if yoga can also make you look good. I mean beyond the obvious tightening benefits, are there any yoga moves that will improve the shape of your body or perhaps improve the overall look of your face. Every time I used to leave yoga class I noticed that all of the participants, myself included, had a lovely glow about them. Was that just due to the excessive heat, sweating and exertion or could there be more to it?

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While we've covered migraine treatment before, here are 7 different tips for easing the pain and preventing those headaches altogether. Whether you are searching for a natural solution to migraine management or just looking to change your routine to help combat the nuisance, these suggestions may help if you suffer regularly.

One of the very best tips on the list rings true for not only big headaches, but all kinds of biological regularities. Sticking to a schedule every day sets your internal clock. Everything from your metabolism to blood pressure gets affected by when you start your day. So when somebody sleeps in, for example, they are scrambling that internal clock mechanism. Voila, migraine!

Magnesium is another important aspect of easing migraines. If some people don't get enough, headaches can set in. Try taking 200 milligrams a day over the course of a couple months to see if it alleviates migraine frequency. Of course, check with your doctor first to make sure this supplement is okay! If you want to learn more, the other tips can be found over here.

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According to a recent Swedish study, higher intakes of the vitamin B folate can decrease the risk of post-menopausal breast cancer. Folate may also lower the risk of cancers of the colon, pancreas, esophagus, stomach, and cervix. But there's a catch.

Folate can promote cancer development too. Excess amounts of folate can encourage the aggressive growth of cancer cells once a small tumor or polyp has already been formed.

And so it seems too much of a good thing really can be detrimental. The bottom line, though, is that eating a healthy plant-based diet will not put you at risk for excess folate. Just be mindful of supplements, certain nutrition bars, and cereals that provide 50 percent or more of the daily value for folate. Stick with natural food sources offering other beneficial vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals. The combination of all these goodies will help protect you from cancer.

To reference a dietary fact sheet about folate, click here.

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We've hear a lot this month on breast cancer, but obviously cancer takes many other forms too and can attack any part of the body. And although some cancers can be largely prevented and/or successfully treated, it can get so confusing when it comes to remembering what you should and shouldn't be doing to reduce your chances of getting the deadly disease. The following tips simplify things a little by letting us know where to best focus our efforts:

• Get regular check-ups and screenings for early detection.
  
• Protect yourself from the sun.
• Avoid/take precautions with environmental carcinogens (asbestos, radon).
• Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
• Don't smoke!
• Drink in moderation or avoid alcohol altogether.
• Exercise regularly (meaning at least 30 minutes 5 days a week).
• Consider genetic testing if cancer runs in your family.
• If you have many or severe risk factors for cancer, consider having prophylactic surgery.

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I think there's not a whole lot of difference between practicing healthy habits for general wellness and practicing healthy habits for the prevention of breast cancer. Just check out the points made in this article about warding off the nasty disease that this year will strike about 178,000 American women.

The suggestions seem pretty familiar, don't they? That's because they're generally good for the body. And so it's simple, really. Just live a clean life, shoot for good health, and you'll have a fairly good shot at warding off all sorts of unwanted illness, like breast cancer.

In a nutshell, here's what tops this article's list of healthy habits:

• Maintain a healthy weight. A 2005 study showed women who gained weight after a breast cancer diagnosis had an increased risk of recurrence. Other studies show overweight women have a greater chance of a first-time breast cancer diagnosis. And countless studies indicate excess weight is bad for the heart, cholesterol, bones, joints, and more. Body Mass Index (BMI), although not a perfect measure, can help you chart your healthy weight.

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That time of year is creeping around again...cold and flu season! The key to staying as healthy as possible is in what you do now to prepare and prevent illness. Making healthy choices is about living a healthy lifestyle everyday, and although I don't agree personally with absolutely everything on this list, here's one take on 10 things you can do to never get sick again:

• See a chiropractor
• Laugh hard
• Mix up your workout routine
• Get enough sleep
• See an acupuncturist
• Meditate
• Do cardio at least 4 days a week
• Stretch
• Eat organic
• Be cautious of medications

Anything you would add? I think drinking enough water and eating a balanced diet (deep-fried onion rings won't do a thing for you even if they are organic!) are important too.

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Would you let work keep you from having kids? If you said yes, then you're not alone. According to a study in Canada, of the 33,000 people surveyed, 28% said that the stresses involved with their job and the difficulties that occur when trying to balance work with family life, have kept them from having more kids or prevented them from having children altogether.

According to this article on the study, various 'family-friendly' tactics in the workplace, such as job-sharing and unpaid leave, actually cause additional stress and prevent workers from getting ahead in their careers. A number of workers are weighing the pros and cons between work and family life, and many are choosing the benefits of a career over children.

While I completely understand why people would choose a career over kids, I do wonder if they'll end up missing out in the long run. What do you think about career vs children? Does it have to be one or the other?

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Need another reason to stay out of the sun? Here' s one: it might prevent you from exercising. This may be good news for those looking for any reason to avoid physical activity (note: this is an extremely unhealthy reason). But for those committed to huffing and puffing, sun bathing should be stricken from your to-do list.

My sister is about to have a second basal cell skin cancer surgically removed from her chest. The first came off a few weeks ago. The whole process was painful, uncomfortable, and a little scary too. The discomfort went away, though, and she is feeling fine. What troubles her now is the fact that she can't exercise. It would cause too much trauma to the surgery site and could compromise the effectiveness of her stitches. Sweat is not such a good thing for healing wounds either.

It's been a few weeks since the first surgery, and now my sister is headed for more. Had her cancer appeared in only one spot, she'd be just about set to hit the treadmill and pump some iron. But skin cancer doesn't allow for such tidy plans. It's unpredictable and unforgiving. And it's a sure exercise stopper. Need I say more?

In April, Fitz K wrote a touching post about the potentially devastating effects of drunk driving. In the post, Fitz describes how Corey Dahlem, a family friend and police officer with the Gainsville Police Department, was killed by a 20-year-old drunk driver after a local sporting event.

While I won't take the responsibility square off the driver for making the choice to drink and drive, I wonder if the tragedy (and others like it) could have been prevented had the man been driving a car with some of the new technology discussed here, which is meant to prevent drivers from taking the wheel after too many drinks.

The article discusses Saab's AlcoKey system -- basically a breathalyser linked to a car's ignition that prevents the vehicle from starting if the driver blows over a certain alcohol limit. Meanwhile, Nissan has integrated cameras and sensors that detect everything from sweaty palms to drowsiness. While the various devices will stop a car from starting if they detect signs of drunkenness beforehand, once a car is in motion they can only warn a driver that he or she is impaired -- it is still up to the driver to pull over. While the technology may not be perfect, it's a pretty impressive start.

I appreciate that car manufacturers are working to make the roads safer and think that similar technology should be mandatory in all new vehicles. What do you think?

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Nothing will ruin a good day like a terrible headache -- it's especially annoying to wake up and have to start your day with a throbbing skull. Often these types of headaches are the result of muscle strain from sleeping in a funny position. This very common type of head pain, which occurs because of muscle-or eye-strain, stress or being overly tired, is called a tension headache.

There are other varieties of headaches though, and these include sinus headaches, which usually accompany a cold and can be felt at the front of the head, the ice-pick headache, which comes on fast, is localized to one area and only lasts 20 or 30 minutes and the granddaddy of them all -- the migraine. Migraine pain can be severe and affect work and home life. Lasting from a few hours to a few days, those who suffer from migraines may also experience nausea and blurred vision.

If you suffer from any of these headache varieties learn ways to prevent and treat them here.

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So I imagine you've heard why antioxidants are such a big deal? The molecule, which is found in fruits and veggies, is thought to help prevent cancer -- and lower your risk of heart disease and slow down aging -- by stopping free radicals from damaging healthy cells. To find out a bit more about the process ,as well as some foods highest in antioxidants, take a look at Martha Edwards' Daily Fit Tip post on adding items that contain the molecule into your diet.

If you've already begun to eat these healthy fruits and vegetables but are looking for new ways to prepare them, try out one of the three salad recipes listed here. The Power Packed Pomegranate Salad contains spinach and seeds of the tropical fruit, both of which have loads of antioxidants, while the blueberries in Blueberry Chicken Salad and the black beans in the Black Bean and tomato salad pack a healthy antioxidant punch.

Have you got any antioxidant-loaded recipe favorites to share?

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As far as minor inflictions of the body go, I find few things more annoying that canker sores (itchy mosquito bites are probably the only thing that I find as irritating). The painful sores make eating less enjoyable -- it's hard to get excited about a tasty meal when every mouthful brushes against the spot and sends a minor jolt through your face, and make brushing teeth a chore.

According to this, the good news is that cankers are not caused by a virus or bacterial infection but result from an injury to a part of the mouth (in my case, too much sour candies or a bite to the tongue tend to be the culprits). While painful, most cankers go away on their own within a few days. Cold sores are a slightly different story.

I've been lucky enough so far to not catch the herpes simplex virus 1 that causes the nasty lesions (according to the piece cold sores can also be contracted via oral sex from the herpes simples virus 2. Yikes!) but I've heard others complain about what a pain they are. Like cankers, these sores, which consist of a group of small blisters that eventually burst, will go away on their own after approximately 2 weeks.

They certainly don't sound like fun, so to learn more about prevention and treatment read more about cold sores here. And keep in mind, that any unidentifiable sore in your mouth could be the sign of something more serious so if you've got something in there that seems funny and doesn't go away on its own, make sure to see your doctor about it.

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If you heard that combining caffeine and exercise would help prevent skin cancer would you believe it? I don't know what one has to do with the other, but according to the study discussed here, somehow a mix of the two does increase immunity -- well, in mice at least.

Four groups of hairless mice were tested in total. One group ran on a wheel, the second consumed caffeinated water (the equivalent of a cup or two of coffee a day for a human), the third exercised and drank the water and the fourth, a control group, did neither. All mice were exposed to UVB rays.

The study measured each group's rate of apoptosis. This, the study states, is the rate at which the body instructs damaged cells to destroy themselves. Many skin cancers are caused when the body is unable to rid itself of cells that have been badly damaged by sun exposure.

The results were pretty impressive. Compared to the control group, the mice that drank caffeine showed a rate of apoptosis that increased by 95%, while the group on the wheel's rate increased by 120%. Those that both exercised and consumed caffeine had their rate of apoptosis increase by a whopping 400%! While studies on mice don't always apply to humans, it may be an interesting start to preventing skin cancer.

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