MS Maze

How many acts of kindness do you carry out in a day? As you go about your busy life, you probably perform more random acts of kindness than you think. That’s what I realized when I read Linda Cohen’s 1,000 Mitzvahs: How Small Acts of Kindness Can Heal, Inspire, and Change Your Life.

In a chapter cleverly titled “Change the Toilet Paper,” Linda discusses how the little things you do can make a big difference is someone else’s day.

It’s so easy to make a difference! Find out how: How Small Acts of Kindness Can Heal and Inspire

Would you like to win $3,000? Easter Seals, supported by Google SketchUp, is hosting its second annual Sketch-A-Space contest to draw attention to the employment needs of people with autism.

Easter Seals is calling on you to use the free Google SketchUp 3D modeling software to design a space that represents your dream job, career interests, or plans for future employment.

The competition offers people with autism, those interested in learning more about autism, or those who have someone in their lives with autism an opportunity to celebrate the unique contributions people with autism make to our nation’s workforce.

Read it: Easter Seals and Google Team Up for Autism Awareness

Wonder Woman’s breasts are a real attention-getter, that’s for sure. That’s one way to promote breast cancer awareness. Throw in Catwoman, She-Hulk, and Storm, and you’re bound to get people talking.

That’s the intention of a breast cancer awareness campaign launched in Mozambique. If these powerful heroines take breast cancer seriously, you should, too.

See the images and read the story: Wonder Woman Checks Breasts for Cancer

I haven’t had much to drink. I can hold my liquor. I can still drive safely. That’s what a lot of people say right before they get behind the wheel of a car. Unfortunately, a lot of them end up dead, taking innocent victims along with them.

More people are likely to die in alcohol-related traffic crashes during the holidays than any other time of year. Statistics from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) show that during Christmas and New Year’s, the death rate for alcohol-related crashes is two to three times higher than other times of the year.

Read it: A Crash Course for Christmas

Photo Source:PR Newswire/National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health

Holidays got you down? Are you stressed about gifts and parties, and financial and social obligations to the point where you just wish you could skip the holidays altogether? Even worse, does the holiday season make you feel depressed?

If so, you’re not alone, but you might want to take a cue from Ebenezer Scrooge.

Read it: Beat the Holiday Blues: Be Like Scrooge

Are you longing for Christmas past? ‘Tis the season for reminiscing, after all. If you’re feeling nostalgic for the good old days and an old-fashioned Christmas, you’re not alone. But is all that nostalgia good for you?

The sights and sounds of the holiday season can reawaken memories and relationships, according to nostalgia expert Krystine Batcho, PhD, a professor at Le Moyne College in Syracuse, NY. Getting in touch with family and old friends reminds us of special times.

Read it: Is Holiday Nostalgia Good for You?

What is the single most important thing you can do to prevent the spread of germs this cold and flu season?

Read it: Tips to Prevent Colds and Flu (video)

Aside from a physical exam, does your doctor touch you?

By touching, I mean does your doctor look you in the eye and treat you as a whole human being? Touch your hand…perhaps even offer a hug when the situation calls for one?

After my cancer diagnosis last year, I experienced first-hand the value of the human connection in medicine.

Read it: Does Your Doctor Touch You?

When it comes to giving thanks, I know exactly where to start — by sending the universe a heartfelt thank you for the gift of life.

I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2004 and triple-negative breast cancer in 2010, and in my 52 years on the planet, there have been other health issues, too. I’ve had my battles, that’s for sure. One might be tempted to harbor resentment about the piling on, but I don’t. I choose to look at it another way. This body of mine is a trooper. It fights back with a vengeance and I’m darn lucky to reside in such a resilient body.

Read it: Thankful for the Gift of Life

High-powered magnets — the kind you might have sitting on your desk right now — may pose a serious risk to the children in your life.

With an increasing number of incident reports to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the agency has issued a warning that high-powered magnets are a safety risk for children.

The type of magnets in question are the high-powered ball-bearing magnets that are marketed to adults as stress relievers or desk toys.

Read it: High-Powered Magnets Deadly to Children

Having cancer is stressful enough, but what if potentially lifesaving chemotherapy drugs were in short supply and unavailable to you? And how would you feel if these shortages were entirely preventable?

President Obama recently signed an executive order directing the FDA to step up work to reduce drug shortages. Drug companies will be required to let the FDA know of the possibility of drug shortages sooner. The FDA and the Department of Justice will be investigating abuses that would lead to drug shortages, and agencies will be empowered to stop the practice of driving up prices and creating shortages due to the manipulations of companies or distributors.

Why are many cancer drugs in short supply?

Read: Economics Behind Cancer Drug Shortages

It is estimated that more than 65 million people in the United States provide care for a chronically ill, disabled or aging family member or friend during any given year. It takes a physical, emotional, and financial toll, and is an all but invisible labor of love.

Who are the caregivers? Sixty-six percent of family caregivers are women and more than 37 percent are also responsible for children and grandchildren under age 18. Caregiving goes on largely behind closed doors, before and after outside employment.

Read: Caring for the Caregivers

Have you ever thought about donating blood, but didn’t know if you could or should? Can you donate blood if you’ve received a blood transfusion yourself…or if you’ve had cancer?

Rules about blood donation eligibility vary from state to state. If you have any questions regarding your eligibility, call the blood donation center ahead and ask if your specific circumstances make you ineligible.

Find out if you’re eligible: Are You Eligible to Donate Blood?

I was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer during Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2010. One year later I’ve completed aggressive treatment and, although my doctors won’t say for certain that I am cancer-free, we agree that I should live as though I am – and I do.

Read why femininity is all in your head…of friends and acquaintances…and the do’s and don’ts of dealing with someone else’s cancer: The Anniversary of My Survival: What Breast Cancer Awareness Means to Me

Gut flora could be the key to preventing obesity. A recent study revealed that poor gut flora may trigger obesity and healthy gut flora may reduce the risk of obesity. Of course, a balanced diet and exercise are important parts of the equation, too.

I had a few questions for the lead researcher of this study, and she obliged with some very interesting information.

Read it: The Key to Obesity May Be in Your Gut