We’re in the middle of a July heat wave that’s very typical of our Baltimore summer weather.  When the temperatures reach the 90s, our deck thermometer can register 100 degrees or more by late afternoon.  The heat is one thing; it’s the humidity that makes many Marylanders feel miserable.  When I moved here in my early 20s, it was the first time I remember hearing “dew point” mentioned during a weather report.  It’s the temperature that water vapor in the air becomes saturated and "dew" or water droplets begin to form.

The Baltimore Inner Harbor temperature is 97 degrees right now with a dew point of 68 degrees and a heat index of 102 degrees. Any time the dew point level is above the mid-60s there’s a high level of moisture in the air and it feels uncomfortable and sticky outside.  Heat index, or how humans perceive temperature, can easily be calculated using air temperature and relative humidity...

Happy Independence Day!  This July 4th holiday has taken on new meaning because my husband and I both joyfully retired at the end of June.  We’ve been working and saving most of our lives and we’re looking forward to living workplace-free.  Work has kept us from leisure activities we’ve wanted to pursue such as rail-trail biking, kayaking, volunteering, and travel.

We’re certainly both very fortunate to be in good health and capable of enjoying the free time headed our way.  Some people have remarked, “You’re so lucky!” and yet I always replace that phrase with, “Chance favors the prepared mind.”  We’ve kept physically active, eaten healthy foods, and saved throughout our lives, which will help us maintain our physical and fiscal independence…

Many nutritionists advise us to eat a plant-based diet that includes a rainbow of colorful fruits and vegetables (e.g., Fruits and Veggies More Matters).  Eating fruits and vegetables in a variety of colors every day provides your body with a wide range of nutrients.  Food experts emphasize dark-colored produce that often contain more nutrients than lighter-colored varieties (think dark-green kale vs. light-green iceberg lettuce).  While dietary guidelines include recommendations for eating a variety of dark-green and orange vegetables, white vegetables such as potatoes are often overlooked...

Walking is one of the better physical activity choices available for adults because there are no special skills or equipment required other than a comfortable pair of walking shoes.  Although some people wonder if walking is challenging enough to be beneficial, it is a moderate-level physical activity that leads to health improvements when it's done for 30 minutes a day at least five days per week.  The walking duration can be broken into 10 minute segments and still be effective if the daily activity total is 30 minutes...

Last month my husband and I drove to Syracuse, New York and visited family.  Whenever we take road trips, I always pack a “feed bag” so that we don’t have to forage for healthy food along the way. 

Whole fruit travels well (e.g., apples, oranges, bananas) as do dried fruits and nuts.  Refillable water bottles are a must for me whereas my husband prefers to stop somewhere for unsweetened iced tea.  Fortunately the ubiquitous McDonald’s restaurant serves unsweetened iced tea because if he relied on rest stop vended beverages, it would be very difficult to find...

A young mother in my neighborhood recently told me how she is managing back pain she has never experienced before. A healthy back is something everyone takes for granted until the moment back pain strikes, as it will for 80% of the adult population. Of this group, 5% will go on to develop chronic low back pain that accounts for 25% of all days lost from work.

Low back pain is the most expensive benign health condition in America...

When you can't afford to eat out or you find yourself needing to cook meals for the first time, it's all about survival.  Although some people have always been interested in cooking, or eating great meals that depended on honing the skill, others need to develop some basic food preparation methods to save money and manage hunger.

Among limited resource populations, cooking is truly a survival skill.  For those of us who can afford to eat out occasionally or even extensively, learning to prepare home-cooked meals is often healthier and time saving once you learn a few basic techniques...

During our vacation last week we biked on Florida's Legacy Trail.  We had a wonderful time with our family in Siesta Key, Florida.  Located on the Gulf of Mexico near Sarasota, Siesta Key was voted America’s #1 beach in 2012 and I noticed during our visit that the ranking is still proudly posted throughout the area.  The white, flour-like sand is derived from quartz mineral deposits. It feels cool on your feet when you walk barefoot on the beach, even on scorching-hot days.

We visit with our kids and their friends around this time each year to get a jump start on summer weather.  Our daughter describes Siesta Key as her 'happy place' and she looks forward to the mid-Atlantic winter break...

Now that spring has sprung it's time to get your bike ready to ride again.  This full-size Montague folding bike is stored in our kitchen year-round and it’s what my husband and I use to ride on rail trails.  Because we are away from motorized traffic and in no great rush to get to our destination, we’ve installed handle bar extensions that allow us to sit more upright, which increases comfort on long bike trips.  My rounded-back road-racing friends think the extended handle bars are ridiculous but my riding goal is comfort and enjoyment, not speed.

We've had some wonderful warm temperatures lately and many people in our neighborhood have been out on their bikes enjoying the spring weather.  It’s been great to see.  Bicycling is an activity people can enjoy throughout most of their lives and, in my Baltimore City community, cycling is becoming an important part of the transportation infrastructure...

In addition to the federal government, other groups and individuals have recommended what people should eat to be healthy.

For more than 99% of our history we lived as hunters and gatherers trying desperately to avoid starvation.  In a very short time period, the dinner tables have turned and modern society finds itself surrounded by calories from many different sources...