::health:news::

If you know me, then you know that I have an unhealthy obsession with magazines. I love them all. Well, not all, but I adore the fashion magazines (obviously) and fitness magazines. My top favorites; Women's Health, Oxygen, Self, Prevention and Shape. I read these religiously. From the front cover all the way to the back. They are JAM-PACKED with so much information, it's not even funny.

You can find diet tips, fitness tips, general health tips....tips pretty much on everything that has anything to do with your health and well-being.

Since it's cold and flu season ~ and I was "lucky" enough to catch a bug {*extreme sarcasm*}, I decided to share a few tips with you that I found in the 2010 issue of Oxygen with Tosca Reno on the cover. If you don't know who Tosca is, she's a huge advocate for clean eating, who has a few books out called "The Eat Clean Diet" and a bunch of others. Eating clean is the only way to stay fit and healthy. So this article that may be helpful to you is on page 43.

Boost Your Immune System

{Live the Oxygen lifestyle to boost your health! Chronic inflammation has been linked to digestive disorders, heart disease, cancers, type 2 diabetes and many other diseases.}

You can't see it, but deep within your body, your immune system protects you from bacteria, germs and even workout injuries (it's sort of like your inner Jackie Chan). Keep it functioning at it's best by eliminating the root causes of inflammation, an internal process that can throw your body out of whack and cause your immune system to attack itself, resulting in illness. Limit inflammation with these strategies:

GET ACTIVE: Not only has regular exercise been linked to an anti-inflammatory effect in your body, but also it can help you to reduce visceral fat, which hardens your arteries and boosts inflammation.

AVOID INFLAMMATION-CAUSING FATS FROM PROCESSED AND FRIED FOODS: New research shows that women who eat the most trans fats have an increased risk of ischemic stroke. Stick with a clean diet.

STOCK UP ON FOODS THAT CONTAIN VITAMIN D: Such as fish, eggs and fortified dairy products. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with increased inflammation, even in healthy women, according to a study published last year.

MORE HABITS THAT REDUCE INFLAMMATION:

Drink water to help flush toxins from your body.

Find ways to reduce stress.

Get the right amount of sleep every night.

Cut alcohol from your diet!

Now I know it's easier said then done, but we gals and guys gotta take care of our bodies...and not just for the NOW of life, but for the future as well. We want to be healthy old people, don't we? We want to live to our 90s! So we gotta start young.

For more amazing information, pick up some health mags from your local bookstore or magazine shop. As much as I love magazines like Harpers Bazaar, I think I'd rather pick up a magazine like Oxygen or Women's Health so that I have my artillery stocked for potential health attacks in the future.

Take care Globetrotters! And stay healthy for this year's Holiday season! No one wants the sniffles at a Christmas party or a wicked cough on Christmas Day.

And try and stay away from lots of boozin - the alcohol dehydrates your body, making it harder for your body to take care of itself.

BE HEALTHY! :)

-S.*

(Images: Google.ca)