Dear Nurse Chris: I see all these television and newspaper advertisements for colon “detox” products. It seems to make sense what we clean out the toxins in our systems every once in a while. But are they safe and do they actually work?

It's true - volunteering and helping others in need not only makes a difference in the lives of recipients, it can improve our own mental and physical health and well being. The good feeling we get from lending a helping hand benefits us in a variety of ways:

There is the social aspect of joining with others in our communities, making friends and assisting worthy organizations in achieving their goals.