Here's To Your Health!

My dear, sweet mother-in-law added this magazine to the pile of magazines she subscribes for my family as gifts. Health has become one of the treasured gems that I enjoy every month.

I'm by no means a health freak, so when I first set eyes on this magazine, I did a major eyeball roll. But three years later, I've learned a lot and Health has become one of my favorites.

Health is one of those rare magazines that is actually full of meaty content (yes, pun intended!). The articles are entertaining as well as informative, filled with statistics to back up its views. It's from this very magazine that I pulled the information that 80,000 people die each year from hospital-borne infections. When people question why I homebirthed my last baby, I toss this one out.

Every issue has a section on Vital Statistics, a collection of facts and percentages on common health issues. For example, it's sad to know that for every cigarette you smoke, you lose 11 minutes of your life. Hmmmm, I think I'm going to pass my old issues on to my sister, Queen of Smoke.

If you're a Metabolife addict, the information covered in their advice column Just Ask Me would be enough to make you think twice. The advice column answers questions thoroughly and backs up their answers with studies or statistics. Another question and answer column is run by Dr. Andrew Weil, author of Eight Weeks To Optimum Health.

What appeals to me most about this magazine is that they frequently feature people in their articles and include close-up, ordinary pictures of their subjects that turn out to be anything but ordinary given the way they present their subjects. In one recent article featuring a woman discussing hormone replacement therapy, the magazine photographed her with a stunning red-orange background holding a bunch of sunflowers. You can't pass this by without admiring how it was put together.

Back to content-- there's many articles in this magazine-- no filler fluff whatsoever. Articles are hard hitting stuff-- filled with information that can help you make a decision health wise. Take the recent Hormone Replacement Therapy article-- you'll find views from people on both sides of the issue.

Every issue covers exercise, alternative therapies, healthy recipes and remedies. Several pages are devoted to each-- this is not an anorexic style of writing. The food recipes are hearty fare-- you won't find a carrot stick and piece of celery on a plate.

My biggest gripe is the advertisements. Ad after ad from one drug company after another. Paxil, Zantac, Zomig and on and on. Ads on protein diets and power bars. Kind of ironic to see that in a magazine that promotes a healthy lifestyle. It's especially ironic to see ads on Nutrasweet-- given the side effects of this product.

If you're tired of Ding Dongs being a diet staple and your butt touching one end of the chair to another, then a copy of this magazine may give you the boost towards a healthier lifestyle. I'm still working on the Ding Dong part...