Your Diet Guide

The United States surgeon general, Dr. Regina M. Benjamin, said earlier this month that women will skip exercise to keep their hair looking good, but they need to realize that their health is more important than having a bad hair day.

“Oftentimes you get women saying, ‘I can’t exercise today because I don’t want to sweat my hair back or get my hair wet,’ ” she said in an interview when she visited the Bronner Bros. International Hair Show in Atlanta, the New York Times reported. “When you’re starting to exercise, you look for reasons not to, and sometimes the hair is one of those reasons.”

Dr. Benjamin said tha Full Article…

On March 20, the first day of spring, “The Very Hungry Caterpillar,” the legendary children’s book written by Eric Carle in 1969, will be sent for free to more than 17,500 pediatricians’ offices around the country in order to promote the “Eating Healthy. Growing Strong.” campaign, a movement designed to combat childhood obesity. Created by the anti-obesity campaign, The Alliance for a Healthier Generation, and the American Academy of Pediatrics, the books will be sent with growth charts and reading guide handouts in order to encourage both parents and doctors to have discussions about healthy eating habits, including nutrition and portion control, with the younger generation.

“Parents and doctors both play an enormously important role in ensuring children develop healthy eating habits early on in life,” said President Bill Clinton, founder of the William J. Full Article…

An estimated 102 million Americans have cholesterol levels that are considered borderline high-risk. No matter what your cholesterol–whether it’s a low 130 or a high 300, there are things you can do now to naturally lower it and improve your heart health.

Cholesterol is a waxy substance found in many parts of the body. Low density lipoprotein (LDL), or the “bad” cholesterol, builds up in the arteries and results in heart disease. High density lipoprotein (HDL), or the “good” cholesterol, protects against heart attack by carrying cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver where it’s passed from the body.

Healthy levels of cholesterol can be maintained with simple steps and lifestyle modifications.

Five things we all need to do to naturally lower our cholesterol:

1. Full Article…

Avoid falling into a food rut this winter with AOL Health’s top winter superfood picks. With an eye towards seasonality and antioxidant content, we’ve rounded up eight cold weather all-stars.

Sweet Potato
According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest this large edible tuber ranks highest in nutritional value of any vegetable. With 6 grams of fiber and just 160 calories, plus vitamins A and C and potassium, it’s no wonder. The sweet potato is among the oldest cultivated vegetables and remains a popular staple throughout the world. Only distantly related to the potato, it packs a much stronger nutritional punch than its pale-hued cousin. Full Article…