Don't tuck your trusty crockpot away in a bottom cabinet or the pantry just because the weather is getting warmer. It's a practical and healthy cooking alternative for summertime, too.

• No one likes to cook over a hot stove in the summer, but many people prefer a warm meal for dinner. The crockpot solves the overheated kitchen problem, as there's no need to turn on heat-generating oven or burners. All cooking heat is isolated to one small appliance on your kitchen countertop.

Hooray!  Farmers market season is in full swing around the country, and it's the perfect time to heal and energize your body by indulging in the healthy, nutritious foods that it craves.  Forget about old New Year's resolutions, crazy diets, guilt and deprivation, they just don't work. Take advantage of the summer season to embark on a healthier lifestyle by making delicious meals from the bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables overflowing in the market stalls. It's not a hardship to acquire healthy habits when you begin adding new foods to your everyday diet — fresh, vibrantly colored foods that not only taste good but have the nutrients and vitamins that will help to recharge you, body and spirit: 

It's been a long, hot day.  First a morning of yard work, then three hours helping coach the kids' baseball and soccer games, followed by the weekly shopping.  Now you're finally heading home with a week's worth of groceries to unload and put away.  You're tired and thirsty, cranky with your family, and wincing at the throbbing in your temples. You could also be experiencing the first symptoms of dehydration, which is far more common than most people realize.

Do you treat sleep as a luxury, a few brief hours of rest squeezed in between home, work, family and social obligations?  Think again—a sensible and sufficient sleep schedule is of prime importance to your good health and well being.  Many people have a hard time making the connection, accepting fatigue, lethargy and more serious complaints as a fact of life or a product of our hectic lifestyles.  But what if we understood better how essential quality sleep is, and began to apply some self care by making healthy sleep a priority instead of an afterthought?  Consider these sleep facts and statistics:

Spring is just around the corner, and after the long winter months most of us are ready for sunnier days and more time spent outdoors.  Even if you've been following an indoor exercise regimen or participating in winter sports, there's just something special about that first springtime walk—lacing up your shoes, heading out the door and pausing to inhale a deep breath of fresh air, fragrant with the promise of blooming plants and flowers.  Here are a few tips for getting the most out of your walking routine:

The Mayo Clinic defines hoarding as "... the excessive collection of items, along with the inability to discard them" and states that "compulsive hoarding and compulsive hoarding syndrome, may be a symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)." We are not talking everyday household mess and clutter here, or collections of specific objects that may, in the opinion of other family members, be taking up too much space in the house.  True hoarding can be a sign of mental and/or physical illness that manifests itself in the obsessive accumulation of things—items that can range from mounds of clothing, unopened shopping bags, stacks of newspapers, magazines and mail, to piles of trash and rotting garbage that are dangerous to the health of an individual or a family.

Holidays bring families together to celebrate the season and enjoy sharing time together.  They also offer opportunities for us to spend lengthier periods of time with aging parents and loved ones — sometimes long enough to observe changes in habits or lifestyle that give rise to concerns about their health or well-being, especially when they live on their own. The changes can seem slight or innocuous:  a forgotten face, a mismatched outfit, a wrong turn on the way to the grocery store.  Or, they can be more alarming: 

As Americans, we tend to be a nation of gobblers when it comes to eating.  In other cultures, meals and conversation can run on into the evening, with family members enjoying conversation and sharing the news of the day.  On average, our meals last a whopping 11 minutes—and that's for dinner.  Breakfast and lunch clock in at under 5 minutes for some people. The good news is, to realize an abundance of health benefits all we need to do is slooooooow dooooooown.  And here are few good reasons why:

Sitting at a desk much of the day, working on a computer, can place demands on the muscles of your body that cause pain and discomfort.  By observing a few simple exercises, you can minimize those issues and improve the quality of your workday.

As with any type of close work, using a monitor can place some serious demands on your eyes.

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.

Right now is a good time to focus on ongoing fitness practices that can help to keep us healthy all year long.  One daily practice you may want to consider is Tai Chi.

Tai Chi is a series of physical postures, or "forms", which are linked slowly and precisely by meditative movement.  It originated in China more than 1,000 years ago and is considered a martial art that is practiced primarily for its health benefits, including reduction of tension and stress.

One of the best ways to enhance nutrition and improve your health is to bypass processed and pre-packaged foods in favor of fresh vegetables, fruits, grains and proteins. 

As with almost any health-related topic, we find ourselves bombarded with "expert" and frequently conflicting advice from all quarters -- nutrition is no exception.  How many meals a day are the best?  How many servings of vegetables?  Of grains and cereals?  Is white sugar ever okay?

As American Heart Month draws to a close, it's important to encourage continued, year-round awareness of heart health as well as correct some of the common heart health myths or misconceptions people may have about heart disease: People who are physically fit and active are not at risk for heart disease. 

Five fascinating facts about this vital organ.