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By Olivia C. Rossi, RN, MSN, ACSM
Your Personal Trainer:

If you knew that there was one thing that would make you healthier as you age, would you do it?  If your doctor told you that there was one prescription that could help prevent and treat several diseases, would you take it?  There is, and it’s aerobic exercise.  Exercise is Medicine (TM) is an initiative shared by the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Medical Association designed to help improve the health and well-being of our nation through a regular physical activity prescription from doctors and other healthcare professionals.

Part Four of BACK FROM IRAQ
by Sharon Lacey, Portland Comedian

DAY FIVE: (In Part Three, comedian Sharon Lacey told about flying from Kuwait to Iraq in a C-130 transport plane, and touring the base hospital at Balad.)  We’re rousted out of bed early because we don’t want to miss our C-130 transport plane to the next base. What I soon learn, though, is that in the military the motto is “hurry up and wait”.  We get to the base airport, where we’re told we have a 90 minute wait.  And the power is turned off.  We sit in the dark.  I talk to a Navy sailor. It’s amazing how quickly friendships are made, and sad to know you may never see each other again.

Weekend National Health News Update:

WEDNESDAY, March 25 (HealthDay News) — Although the popular notion is that people in long-term relationships transition from a passionate romance to a comfortable, affectionate partnership, new research suggests that just isn’t true. Reporting in the March issue of the Review of General Psychology, researchers explain that while the manic, obsessive feelings that come with a new love tend to fade over time, romantic love may not. And, for those whose romantic desires remain, their relationships tend to be more satisfying.

Oregon’s Lipstick Revolution series
By Naomi Inman

This spring break week I am writing from a rustic cabin on 35 acres of scrub land in Tumalo, just east of Sisters.  A friend and me, and our kids, we are on a mini-adventure to explore the John Day Fossil Beds and Painted Hills from the cruising comfort of a minivan with a cooler full of goodies.  Yet, sitting in this rustic cabin on a chill and still spring night, it is easy to imagine the life of one woman, homesteading alone in this unforgiving yet enchanted land.  And I close my eyes to imagine the life of Alice Day Pratt (1872-1963).

by Kay Helbling

Not many would argue that having your family gathered together to eat their meals is a good thing. From catching up on the latest gossip at school to debating the pros and cons of tattoos, it is a great time to stay in touch with your kids. But, unfortunately, sitting down to the traditional family meal may not be as practical as it once was. That doesn’t mean that the family has to drift apart. It just means you have to seek out new opportunities to share your time.

Having a husband and two college-aged, sports-loving, sons in our home, I have gotten well past the guilt of not sitting down to a regularly scheduled dinner. I have not gotten past my desire to know what is happening in their lives or what is on their mind. So, knowing that Spring Break breeds evenings of March Madness, I grabbed the brackets and went to work. I find even a little bit of knowledge can go a long way and,  let’s face it, there is no better way to get conversations going with men than sports.

By Erika Weisensee

The arrest of musician Chris Brown for allegedly beating his girlfriend, R & B star Rihanna, has shined a necessary spotlight on the issue of domestic violence. The national media has responded to the incident with a firestorm of coverage, some stories focusing on the glamorous romance gone awry and some much more appropriately reporting on topics like how to help victims of abuse. It’s too bad it takes a high-profile case like this to get the attention of the media and the public. Domestic abuse is too pervasive to ever be a dormant issue.

Olivia C. Rossi, RN, MSN, ACSM
Your Personal Trainer:

I recently attended the annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine’s Northwest Chapter in Seattle.  ACSM is the largest sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world.  Its goal is to advance and integrate scientific research into practical applications of exercise science.  My goal is to pass that information on to you.

One of the topics presented this year was “Youth Failing Physical Fitness.”  It graphed a disturbing trend.  “From 1980-2004, the prevalence of overweight and obesity in children has more than tripled.” 1 We are seeing the onset of adult diseases in our youth, those diseases once thought of as diseases of aging:  type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.

By Cathy Rae Smith,
CO-founder of Culture Magazine

Fashion designers are coming up with themes that bring us something different. Whether it is an urban storm trooper or a rebel rock ‘n’ roller or a corner office diva, there is an eye to bringing value to the consumer by giving them something they don’t have.

Look to the details. Is there an unusual fabric, a special detail, or a fit like it was made for you? Look for those timeless investment pieces, and then indulge in that accent piece that makes you just stop in your tracks.

Sights to make you gag.

National News Focus:

THURSDAY, March 19 (HealthDay News) — Actress Natasha Richardson died from a blunt impact to the head after falling Monday on a beginner’s ski slope in Canada, the New York City medical examiner said Thursday.  The cause of death, which was ruled an accident, was “epidural hematoma due to blunt impact to the head,” said medical examiner spokeswoman Ellen Borakove, the Associated Press reported. An epidural hematoma is a blood clot that pools between the brain and the skull.