If you’ve ever tried reading the nutrition label on something you’re about to buy, then you know it can be confusing. What is really healthy for you and what isn’t? Should you worry more about calorie count or fat content?

It depends on what your goals are. If pure weight loss is your aim, you’ll want to pay more attention to calorie count. If you’re trying to reduce your cholesterol, then the fat content of your food may be more important. 

You’ve tossed and turned all night. As you start out the next morning, you have only to rub your tired eyes to know the importance of getting a good night’s sleep. Sometimes it’s easier said than done, however. Here are some tips to help you get the rest you need:

Set a regular schedule. Most people have a natural waking/sleeping pattern called the Circadian Rhythm. The more in tune you are with your body’s natural sleep schedule, the more energized and refreshed you’ll feel. When the body is in rhythm, it can make better use of the time it has to rest.

Members of the Central Labor Union first staged a Labor Day celebration in New York City on September 5, 1882. By 1884, the holiday moved to its current spot on the first Monday of the month of September, and the idea started to spread like wildfire among American workers around the country. In 1894, the holiday got the official approval of Congress, and Labor Day has marked the end to summer ever since. 

Are you getting your daily servings of fruits and vegetables? You can usually find delicious local produce during the summer months. Make healthy eating child’s play with these fun activities.

Have a picnic at a farmer’s market. Local markets offer an amazing variety of produce and other homemade products. Find a farmer’s market near your home and turn an ordinary afternoon into a scavenger hunt for nutritious and delicious food. Make silly games out of trying new foods. For example, is it possible to make a whole meal from foods of only one color?  Or can you find a different food for every letter of the alphabet? When the shopping is done, find a place to spread out a blanket and gobble up the freshest food of summer.  

Remember the back-to-school ad with parents frolicking through a store followed by their unhappy children, while the song, "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" is playing? Cute commercial, but for parents on a tight budget, back-to-school shopping can be anything but wonderful. Read on for some ways to keep your spending under control.

Census statistics are an indicator of trends over years, even decades. Why do we care about statistics about walking? It makes us stop and look at our own activity compared to the overall population. Where do we fit? What are we doing for our own health?

More than 145 million adults now include walking as part of their physically active lifestyle. That’s more than 6 out of 10 people. 

We all know with summer comes the heat! It's so important to be aware of the dangers of heat and how to keep safe.

Elderly people (that is, people aged 65 years and older) are more prone to heat stress than younger people for several reasons:

• Elderly people do not adjust as well as young people to sudden changes in temperature.
• They are more likely to have a chronic medical condition that changes normal body responses to heat.
• They are more likely to take prescription medicines that impair the body's ability to regulate its temperature or that inhibit perspiration.

Summer is here and with it comes heat and more heat. That means it’s really essential that we pay attention to staying hydrated.

Dehydration is a serious matter and nothing to mess around with. Seniors, children, and anyone with an acute or chronic medical condition are especially at risk.