From My Health To Yours: Health Magazine is Super

Health is a magazine to which I subscribed a few years ago for a year. I now buy it every so often if the cover interests me. I am reviewing the March 2001 issue, which caught my attention for a couple of reasons, which I will note in the review itself. The cover has a very attractive, healthy looking woman on it. There is nothing sexy nor model-like about her. The caption above the title says great food – real beauty – total wellness. So let’s peak inside and see what we have.

•On page 23 we have a 7-page section called “Healthy News." This is a great section of short articles, one to three on a page consisting of comprehensive, interesting information. This is a sample of the information we get: mixing up our workouts to keep doing our workouts; how to treat an ankle sprain; can you really trust the FDA?; the dirty truth about airline blankets; questions and answers with a recovered worry wart; and tasteful news for your heart.

•A 5-page section called “Healthy Looks” is laid out exactly like Healthy News. We get a question and answer page; information on how to apply eyeliner; scents to soothe your nerves; and the fashion news that baubles are back.

•A 2-page article on “Body Work”, this month talking about calves, shows good pictures and has good information for working your calves without any machines.

Other articles include:

• Oat Cuisine – Do you want to lose weight, cut your cholesterol, and lower your blood pressure?

• Taking a walk on the cyberside – Can using your computer as a personal trainer keep your workouts on track?

• Can you die of a broken heart? – This is an excellent 4-page article on the fact that grief hurts (not just emotionally) and now researches are starting to understand just how deep the damage can go.

• A shot in the dark: melatonin- Touted as a sleep aid and an antiaging potion, this hormone’s biggest promise may lie in its power against breast cancer. (This was one of the cover articles that drew me in.)

• Peace for troubled jaws?- TMD or temporamandibular joint disorder (aka TMJ) can make you miserable, causing jaw pain and headaches but some simple measure can offer relief. This is also a 4-page article, which is very well done and informative in my opinion.

• Ed and Mary do Mars and Venus – and find that men and women do live on the same planet is a cute 3-page article that I enjoyed.

• An excellent 7-page article addresses how to give yourself a break. These are stories of women who took time outs and what it did for them.

• A 7-page article, 5 of which are pictures, tells us not to forget to smile and talks about advances in cosmetic dentistry. It is informative with beautiful pictures.

• An 8-page article including pictures is wonderfully done dealing with a little girl who had Down Syndrome and her parents’ decision to place her for adoption. This story captivated me from start to finish.

•A 7-page article addresses women who “went the distance and found a new path to self-discovery” by training for a marathon.

• A 4-page article talks about a “cure of the back blues.” This was another cover article that drew me into Health. It tells us to read the article before letting anyone rub, manipulate, needle or operate on your aching back. Having had a herniated disc I was especially interested in this and found it informative and well written.

This is an excellent 200-page magazine. Although not clearly advertised as addressing women it is a woman’s magazine. Because the articles are fairly generic and encompassing, women of all ages will enjoy it. The cover price is $2.99. You will pay $19.97 for a 10-issue subscription.

In summary, this is a comprehensive, informative, easy to read magazine addressing issues from hair, skin, and makeup to fitness, nutrition, and wellness. It is chock full of articles and will keep you busy reading far longer than ½ an hour as some magazines I have reviewed. I think you will enjoy it.