On this blog I'm going to talk about all things health-related—fitness stuff, science news, gear and gadgetry...and really try to offer insights and information to help everyone (including myself) make healthier choices every day. In that spirit, and in the spirit of my very first post, I thought I'd run down a little list of my own health assets and liabilities, to see how well I'm doing and where I have room for improvement.

Things I do that are good for me:
*Exercise regularly (yoga, running, occasional Spinning classes).
*Eat things like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, yogurt, almonds and whole grains daily, as well at least four servings of fresh fruit a day.
*Stimulate my brain by doing challenging crossword puzzles at least four times a week (Thursday though Sunday's New York Times puzzle, exclusively).
*Stay vigilant about scheduling my annual/bi-annual checkups with doctors, dentists, etc.
*Keep in close touch with friends and family.
*Check my moles at least once every few months.
*Study food labels for sodium content, trans fats, fiber, protein.
*Take a daily multivitamin formulated for women, to cover my bases.
*Walk my dog at least once or twice a day—that's 20-to-45 minutes of fresh air and walking. (And the little dog moves fast!)

Things I do (or neglect to do) that might not be so good for me:
*Race down subway steps when I hear the train coming.
*Skimp on stretching after running.
*Skip regular strength training, because I simply don't like it very much and have little patience for it.
*Take very hot showers (can dry out skin).
*Fail to fire up my stove and/or oven more than about once or twice a week. I'm not much of a cook, so I'm ashamed to admit that most dinners are either ordered in, cobbled together from the 'fridge, or microwaved. I suspect I'd eat healthier, lower-cost, lower-salt meals if I prepared more from scratch.
*Fall asleep in my contacts about once a week.
*Chew on the insides of my cheeks when I'm stressed and distracted.
*Don't always wash apples before I eat them.
*Wait to go the bathroom until I really, really have to go.
*Consume too little alcohol? I barely average one glass of wine a week. Studies show that the antioxidants in red wine may help your heart. (On the other hand, some research shows it's associated with a slightly higher risk of breast cancer.)

Go ahead, tell me your healthy (or not so healthy) habits!

(Image from Monkeyc.net)