Excuse #1: “I don’t have time.” 

Oooh y’all, if I got a dollar every time I heard this one I would be a millionaire! Billionaire even! This excuse is definitely massive and therefore requires some serious ammunition. First, stop waiting for time and start making it. Schedule your workouts like meetings. You wouldn’t tell your boss that you “didn’t have time” for your annual review. Why? Because advancement and a possible raise would be in danger if you did. So treat your health with the same respect and advance your health to a new level. And lastly, stop thinking of working out as one moment. Mini active moments throughout the day are just as beneficial as one long one. Key word being “moment.” Do what you can when you can and consistently make the time.

Researchers have begun to investigate whether or not there is a connection between male baldness and coronary heart disease, or CHD. CHD is the result of coronary artery disease, or CAD, where plaque builds up in the arteries inside of the heart, which slows the flow of blood.

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The researchers identified four different types of balding: severe vertex balding, moderate vertex balding, mild vertex balding, and frontal balding. Vertex balding refers to the top, or crown, of the head, and severe vertex balding is the type most associated with an increased risk of CHD.

Doctors agree that carrying out a few simple health checks on a monthly basis can make all the difference when it comes to catching diseases early. All you need to do is look for the clues. The best way of doing this is by giving yourself regular, monthly checks in the privacy of your own home.

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Your Weight

Unexplained weight gain and weight loss can also signal a major issue with your health. Don’t ignore them. If you unexpectedly gain a lot of weight, this can signify hypothyroidism, adrenal disorders like Cushing’s syndrome, fluid retention as in congestive heart failure or renal disease, and pregnancy.

If you unexpectedly lose a lot of weight, this can signify cancer, hyperthyroidism, autoimmune diseases, chronic diseases, and depression.

Your Urine

Your first trip to the toilet in the morning can detect a lot more than pregnancy or a urinary tract infection. More than 70 markers in your urine can determine how your entire body is functioning and are key to preventing degenerative diseases, unknown gluten intolerance, low antioxidant levels that make you vulnerable to oxidative stress, and more.

For instance, accumulation of specific organic acids in urine often signals a metabolic inhibition or block. The abnormality could mean that you’re vitamin deficient.

Your Bowels

Diabetic nerve damage, or neuropathy, can lessen your ability to feel pain — especially in your feet. That’s why it’s important to inspect your feet daily and choose your shoes wisely. You can get a corn, blister, callus, or foot injury and not be aware of it. Any of those foot problems can develop into open sores, called foot ulcers. Wearing well-fitting, comfortable shoes can prevent potentially serious problems.

If you haven’t had your foot measured in a while, visit a shoe store to see what size you should wear. Make sure you haven’t been habitually buying shoes that are too small or too big, which can be an invitation for blisters and calluses.

Fatigue is a lingering tiredness that is constant and limiting. With fatigue, you have unexplained, persistent, and relapsing exhaustion. It’s similar to how you feel when you have the flu or have missed a lot of sleep. If you have chronic fatigue, you may wake in the morning feeling as though you’ve not slept. Or you may be unable to function at work or be productive at home. You may be too exhausted even to manage your daily affairs.

In most cases, there’s a reason for the fatigue. Here are 9 reasons why you might be tired:

1. You drink too much coffee

If you rely on caffeine to get through your day, you can develop a dependence—so without it you can go into withdrawl, needing several cups of coffee or tea just to feel “normal.” And the worst point of withdrawl? Right in the morning. To make matters worse, caffeine can still course through your system when you’re sleeping if you’ve had any coffee or tea in the evening, which can interfere with normal REM sleep and leave you feeling even more tired. An easy solution is to cut back on the amount of caffeine you consume during the day and steer clear of caffeinated beverages within hours of your bedtime.

2. You don’t eat breakfast

There’s a reason that breakfast is called the most important meal of the day, and everyone has told you not to forget it—from your doctor to your mother, to probably every teacher you’ve ever had. And yet so many of us still skip it on a regular basis, or just cram down a few pieces of toast before heading out the door. Take the time to fit in breakfast every morning and it will help you avoid that mid-afternoon crash.

3. You don’t exercise

It may seem counter intuitive, but exercising produces all kinds of helpful biochemicals that ward off fatigue and help you feel upbeat the rest of the time. Think of it as positive feedback: the more energy you put in, the more you get out.

4. You keep poor sleep patterns

Sleepiness is not the same as fatigue (which is a general lack of energy), but one of the most common causes of feeling tired is simply not sleeping enough. In addition to too little shut-eye, keeping irregular sleeping patterns and even sleeping too much can also make you feel tired. To get back on the right track, try to get into a routine of sleeping at consistent times—while only getting as much sleep as you really need—and you’ll be surprised how much better you will feel.

Just in time for Mother’s Day! As a “Future FitGirl Mom” (future as in expecting to be a mom one day….not currently  “expecting”) I am excited to share with you all the fun fit tips I learned at the launch of Merck Consumer Care’s Health and Wellness Effort: The Active Family Project. Designed to help empower moms to live a more active lifestyle with their families, this new health and wellness initiative is focused on inspiring families to live life more fully by spotlighting healthy habits, providing tips and information and sharing fun family activities. So what are you waiting for FitGirl Mommy? Join this community of women who are rockin’ a “S” on their chest too! Go team “Doing It All!”

Workout v. Work “In”

If you are like most moms you probably have been trying to petition for an extra two hours a day ever since your little bundle came to earth. This never ending search for more time has left your nights restless and your to do list limitless. So working out has entered the land of “Whenever I Get A Chance.” You are not alone. However this Mother’s Day, I give you this gift from celebrity mom, Active Family Project spokesperson and Emmy award-winning co-host of ABC’s “The View” Elisabeth Hasselbeck: Start seeing your workouts as your “work in.” If you are able to get to the gym for an hour or take a run around the block…awesome! If not, then every little bit counts. Walking to pick your kid up from after school care (instead of driving), racing them to the car, or making chores a timed relay event all count as healthy activity.

Add Playtime To Your Schedule

You wouldn’t forget to schedule your kids vaccines or dentist’s appointments, now would you? So try scheduling playtime as if it were just as critical to their development as these medical visits are. According to Amy McCready (Parenting Expert and Founder of Positive Parenting Solutions) The eye to eye contact that regular play dates with your kids provides directly affects their overall behavior. So if your child is acting out, have them sweat it out (with you by their side). Kiddos like boundaries, so when you schedule regular playtime as a family they will not only look forward to this QT, but you may also lose those last five pounds in the process. So take five minutes to make a playlist (not of music) and lock down some dates.

Socialize & Exercise

Now that you have logged on to the free Active Family Project website and are ready to create a playlist, let me introduce you to a way to socialize and exercise. May 11th (in honor of Mother’s Day and busy households nationwide) is the first annual National Family Playdate. Plan a fun activity after Mother’s Day brunch or through May 26 and “Like” the Active Family Project’s Facebook page. By sharing in a pledge to plan a family playdate you can also enter a chance to win a sweepstakes for four weeks of play-themed prizes. Fun fun fun! Happy Mother’s Day!

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This is a lesson that the preeminent Colin Powell knew very well.

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“When I was diagnosed with prostate cancer at 66, I  wasn’t terribly surprised or shocked,” says Powell, a retired four-star United States Army general, 65th United States Secretary of State, and former National Security Advisor, Commander of the U.S. Army Forces Command, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. “For the five years before that, I had been going for very regular checkups and my PSA was always high. It floated up and down. PSA alone doesn’t  indicate cancer, it just says something is going on.”

Thankfully, Powell had the knowledge he needed to deal with this challenge, in addition to the understanding that cancer doesn’t care about reputation. In fact, Powell had been tracking and preparing for the diagnosis for several years. He was so diligent about watching for potential issues with his prostate that he had already gone through two biopsies before the third turned up positive for cancer.

“At that point, I knew sooner or later that something would show up,” he says. “And because I’m black, I have a higher propensity for prostate cancer than white folks do.”

Powell’s proactive approach to diagnosis then turned to a treatment strategy after consulting with his longtime doctor and bringing in a radiologist.

“I was just at the age where I decided, ‘I don’t want to fool with this, I don’t want to think about it’ and so I decided to go for the radical prostatectomy [removal of the prostate gland], as opposed to the radiation treatment,” he says. “As Secretary of State, I didn’t want to face the prospect of regular radiation therapy, as opposed to doing it all at once and taking care of it.”

Due to his high profile, Powell didn’t make his surgery public until the actual morning of the procedure. He was back at the State Department less than a week after the surgery, and with the support of his wife, children and office assistants, jumped right back into his daily routine.

While the choice to remove his prostate was something others facing treatments might not opt for today, Powell doesn’t want the impact of his individual story to get lost.

“The important point is that it is vitally important for men, particularly as you get older—say the age of 40 and beyond—to be regularly evaluated and go through the somewhat unpleasant procedures they

take you through, because it could be lifesaving,” he says. “Place a premium on taking care of yourself and getting the examination. I’m a great believer in preventive medicine…when something

is wrong, don’t hide it, look away from it and pretend it’s not there. Deal with it.”

New Advances In Prostate Therapy

Running in the wrong shoe is like dating the wrong guy–stick with them too long and you are in for some serious injuries and pain. But meet the right one and your whole running life can change. I found my sole mate and running has never been so fun!

Must Read: EXCLUSIVE: LisaRaye’s Tips For Achieving Ageless Beauty

Since I love running and I love you, I am going to help you find your sole mate too. Which pair will you say, “I do” too? Keep reading and find out.

First Things First: You can’t find true love until you love yourself. So lets figure out your true running gait/foot type before you get out there hunting for a sole mate. Find out here!

Mr. Pushin’ For The Cushion’

(Neutral Cushioning)

Mizuno Wave Rider 16

This pair is perfect for the high arch-having FitGirl. This neutral shoe is surprisingly well cushioned and the shock absorption midsole is phenomenal. The flexible outsole allows for a little pep in your step and the upper area is supportive, breathable and not at all tight. Kind of hard not to accept a second date with this pair!

As tough and rugged as men are sometimes perceived to be, it may come as a surprise that their skin can actually be very sensitive. Harmful chemicals and infections, cuts, scrapes, overexposure to sunlight, sweat, and stress can make male skin react in many less-than-ideal ways.

This latest Hollywood fitness and weight-loss craze is a favorite of many, many celebrities, including Beyonce and First Lady Michelle Obama. It tones just about every part of your body, including the core, arms, legs and butt.

Oh…and it also let’s you have the kind of fun you haven’t had since you were a kid.

Basically, Hoopnotica uses a device similar to a hula hoop to help you tone your body. People who use it regularly have seen impressive pounds lost and waistline inches reduced.

The creators of Hoopnotica say , “It is cardio and strength training because you’re using all of your core muscles. You tighten up the sides of your body and you tighten up your center or your hips or your legs.”

Hooping burns about 420 calories per hour, which is about the same as a 45-minute run.