Did you know that one in every three adults has high blood pressure? Are you one of them? I had some good news the other day. It seems that all of my hard work trying to eat healthy and lose weight is finally paying off. For the first time in years my blood pressure is actually normal. Yaaay! This is just the kind of validation I was looking for when I began my journey of weight loss and healthy living. If you have high blood pressure or know someone who does, here are some tips that can help lower blood pressure naturally.

Last week I wrote that Advocacy Day was happening for Resolve. This week, I bring you notes from the field...er...Senate Building, not only to tell you about the work Resolve is doing to ensure that all Americans have adequate infertility coverage during this national discussion on health care reform, but also to entice you to join along next year when Advocacy Day rolls around again.

For some people, staying fit qualifies as a fun hobby. They choose to do things they enjoy, like running, biking, swimming, or rock climbing (or all of those things, and more). Other people know that they should move, so they choose activities that are convenient and effective -- even if they don’t particularly like to do them. But what makes someone go from just liking (or putting up with) exercise to saying, “I LOVE to work out?”

Although the cause of Michael Jackson's death is still unclear, and it may be some time before the final cause is known. Sudden cardiac death is suspected, as well as possible prescription drug abuse. So I thought this would be a good opportunity to bring some more awareness to both of these problems. Did you know that accidental death from prescription pain medications is on the rise in this country? It's true. Kathleen Doheny of WebMd wrote Drug Overdose Deaths on the Rise...

It is my belief that most Americans think that HIV/AIDS is now a global problem and almost eradicated in the United States. Sadly, this is far from the truth. According to the CDC, in 2006 approximately 1.1 million people in the United States are living with HIV and 1 in 5 are undiagnosed. Twenty-one percent!

The answer seems to be yes. If it is possible for anything good to come out of the loss of Farrah Fawcett, it would probably be that it is bringing cancer awareness back to the forefront of our minds. She even made a documentary (Farrah's Story) of her experiences for that very reason.

Remember when I used to blog about cancer a lot? No? Well that's ok, I almost can't remember that far back either. But it's true, I used to be a health blogger and I blogged about cancer several times a month. My feedreader was filled with women who were blogging about surviving cancer, blogging about loved ones who weren't surviving cancer, and blogging about how to prevent cancer. When I think about what caused me to stop blogging about cancer, I realize that I unsubscribed to most of the cancer bloggers I'd been following because it got to be too much. Yea.

In a stroke of fortuitous timing, Resolve's annual Advocacy Day comes on the heels of the Family Building Act being introduced to the Senate by New York's Kirsten Gillibrand. Which means that today, constituents will flock to the Hill to discuss H.R.697, the Family Building Act, with both congresspeople and senators.

Dr. Jerri Nielsen FitzGerald gained national acclaim in 1999; as a scientist at the South Pole's Amundsen-Scott station, she diagnosed herself with breast cancer and managed her own treatment with the help of (untrained) staff until weather allowed for her rescue by the National Guard. Her story became the best-selling book "Ice Bound: A Doctor's Incredible Battle for Survival at the South Pole" and was later made into a movie.

It seems like I'm always hearing something about races. Someone is either thinking about participating, or is currently in training, or has just completed one. There are all kinds of options, too -- whether it’s something short like a 5k, or a 10-miler, or a marathon, or even triathlons. Even if they're not taking place right here in my geographic area, I still end up hearing about them because they’re constantly being written about online.

My friend L had a tummy tuck this winter. She had been talking about it for years, ever since the birth of her third baby. She's a tiny little thing, but after that last pregnancy, her stomach was never flat again, and it bothered her. A lot.

Have you seen the new show Royal Pains? If so, you are probably now familiar with what a concierge doctor is. It's not a bad show, but is concierge (or boutique) healthcare bad for patients? From Doc Gurley...