1. T.S. Bolton: One of the most devastating diseases out there is Necrotizing Fasciitis, a disease most commonly known as “flesh eating bacteria.” This disease is quite difficult to deal with, since it progresses rapidly, and results in a great deal of pain and unpleasantness. T.S. Bolton ended up having his leg amputated, and he lost the ability to use the bathroom unaided, or even feed himself. However, instead of giving up, Bolton had the help of dedicated physical therapists who provided him with encouragement. He was able to re-learn many things, and he can do more now than many thought he would be able to accomplish. But there were times when Bolton was ready to give up, convinced he would never enjoy a semblance of independence again.
2. Mr. J: An elderly man, Mr. J was starting to fall apart. Obese and in a wheelchair, it was a supreme effort for caring health care staff to transfer him to the dialysis table that he was used to for 12 years. He was depressed, and becoming frustrated with life. It seemed as though the man in his 60s would likely just give up. However, he was offered a personalized physical therapy program that included exercise and functional training. Mr. J eventually from being able to feel very little in his legs to being able to walk into his kidney center for dialysis.
3. Maja Kazazic: Maja Kazazic grew up in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and during the Bosnian war, she was injured by an exploding shell; her friends died. Kazazic had been an athlete, and now her body was riddled with shrapnel, and her leg had to amputated. She was evacuated to the U.S., and she attended high school in a wheelchair with an IV hookup. It looked as though she would never walk again, much less participate in sports. However, inspired by a dolphin with no tail, Kazazic learned to walk with a prosthetic leg, and continues her love of sports.
4. Kyra Stimson: There are a number of genetic conditions that affect children, and can lead to severe developmental problems. One of these is Angelman Syndrome. This syndrome was first diagnosed in the 1980s in the U.S., and it features severe development delays that can affect function. However, Kyra Stimson, who is now age 5, is doing more than many thought she could with this syndrome. Her specific physical and occupational therapy regimen has helped her to be able to advance developmentally (although she will always have special needs), and inspire others with her story. She is able to communicate more than expected, and is improving further.
5. Esther Cahal: A strange complication due to her treatment for tongue cancer left Esther Cahal unable to open her mouth. Eating required a special feeding tube. In addition to being unable to open her mouth, the therapy reduced her sense of taste. However, physical therapy has helped her be able to open her mouth, and even begin eating some foods. And tongue massages may eventually help her regain some of her former sense of taste. This shows strong determination from someone who thought she might not be able to eat again.
6. Schneily Similien: At the time of Haiti’s well publicized earthquake in early 2010, Schneily Similien had his leg crushed by the collapse of his home. His foot and leg were amputated. He was outfitted with an artificial and is learning to walk again. The boy is only four, though, and the challenge is helping his prosthetic keep up with his growth. So far, though, the family has received help. So far, he is growing mostly normally, in spite of concerns that he would not be able to progress as a boy his age should.
7. Michael Hulshouser: One of the most debilitating diseases out there is Guillain-Barré syndrome. It affects the peripheral nervous system, and usually results in paralysis. Michael Hulshouser was made quadriplegic by the syndrome, and was unlikely to walk again. However, he was determined to grant his son’s Christmas wish that Hulshouser walk again. After hard work and dedicated physical therapy, he is now able to walk on his own. He needs a walker, but he doesn’t need the wheelchair anymore.
8. Reggie Thomas: When Reggie Thomas lost his job, he and his son had to live in a shelter. However, Thomas looked for a job, and did what he could. Then he had a stroke. The stroke partially paralyzed him, and left him unable to speak. It seemed as though he would be unable to care for his son. However, Thomas’ determination is carrying the day. With the help of physical therapy, Thomas is recovering. He can speak and has learned to walk with a cane. He is considering moving so that he can start fresh. And it appears that he will be able to take care of his son after all.
9. Alicia Parlette: As a young woman, Alicia Parlette was diagnosed with a sarcoma on her hip. This type of problem often results in permanent damage to the ability to walk, resulting in a limp. Additionally, the pain often requires some strong, narcotic medication. However, Parlette manages her pain differently, without those chemicals. Additionally, the exercises she has been given are providing her strength, and she does not walk with a limp. Her physical therapist has been using a novel approach that does not rely on drugs.
10. Rich Dixon: After falling from a roof in 1987, Rich Dixon became unhappy and intractable. He was in a wheelchair, unable to walk. Instead of working hard to overcome his issues, he made slow progress, since he complained incessantly. However, he met one physical therapist who taught him the joy of living again, even though he is still in a wheelchair, his new outlook on life has provided him with the ability to live meaningfully, rather than in bitterness.

You can find many more extensions for your Google Chrome experience at the extensions Web site, including ways to relax with various television extensions and music apps.

Tools for Faster Web Experiences

Time is valuable, and some Google Chrome extensions can help speed up the time you spend on the computer.

1. ChromeVis magnifies any selected text on a Web page. The magnified text is displayed inside of a separate lens and preserves the original page layout.
2. FastestChrome saves time and enhances your productivity. Get quick definitions, auto-load next pages, search faster, and more. This extension is based upon FastestFox, one of the most popular Firefox extensions with over 10 million users.
3. Google Translate extension translates entire Web pages into a language of your choice with one click.
4. Keyboard Navigation extension allows you to forget your mouse and browse the Web with your keyboard instead.
5. News Reader extension adds a button to your browser toolbar that you can click to view the 5 most recent Top Stories on Google News (U.S. edition).
6. Readability Redux 1.2 is a simple tool that makes reading on the Web more enjoyable by removing the clutter around what you’re reading.
7. TidyRead renders web pages with better readability as an-easy-to-read manner, similar to eBooks, by accurately extracting the context text and removing the cluttered materials.
8. Virtual Keyboard lets you type in your language (over 70 different keyboard layouts) using the keyboard layout familiar to you. It pops up on every page with input text boxes and text areas.
9. WOT is a Web of Trust tool that warns you about risky sites that cheat customers, deliver malware and/or send spam.

Organization

Another way to save time is to be more organized. These Google Chrome extensions can help you organize your work and personal life.

10. ChromeMilk is a Remember the Milk extension for Google Chrome, and it lets you access your tasks right from your Chrome toolbar. This tool is useful for anyone who uses a free Remember the Milk membership.
11. Docs PDF/PowerPoint Viewer automatically previews PDFs, PowerPoint presentations, and other documents in Google Docs Viewer.
12. Feedly, based upon Google Reader and Twitter, organizes you favorite sites into a magazine-like start page for an easy way to view your tasks and news for the day quickly.
13. Glide OS Chrome Extension provides cloud-based tools and web applications for searching, categorizing and sharing the web. With a Glide OS Account, this Google Chrome Extension adds a toolbar button for access to the Glide OS and its communication and productivity tools.
14. Google Tasks extension allows you to access Google Tasks from any web page at any time. Great for just jotting something down or checking your agenda.
15. Mark for Later allows you to add a URL to the Read It Later list by simply clicking on an icon in the address bar. Or simply click on the icon again to remove an URL that is already on the RIL list.
16. Note Anywhere allows you to make notes on any web page, any position. when you open that page again, the notes get loaded automatically.
17. OneLogin for Google Chrome provides single sign-on and identity management for organizations that embrace cloud computing. Because OneLogin itself is hosted in the cloud, you can get up and running in a matter of minutes.
18. Remember The Milk for Gmail provides one way to manage your tasks in Gmail through your free Remember the Milk account.
19. Xmarks Bookmarks Sync synchronizes across multiple computers, and across web browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Internet Explorer. After you install the add-on, click on the notification to set up Xmarks and start backing up and synchronizing your bookmarks.

Communication

No matter if you communicate with peers at work or with friends and family, these Google Chrome extensions can help you to stay in touch easily.

20. Chromed Bird is a Twitter extension that allows you to follow your timelines and interact with your Twitter account without using another app.
21. Follow-up Robot for Gmail launches personalized follow-up email campaigns as you surf your email.
22. Google Mail Checker displays the number of unread messages in your Google Mail inbox. You can also click the button to open your inbox.
23. Gmail Notes allows you to add a note to conversations in Gmail. This is useful if you want to save a payment confirmation code with an emailed invoice, passwords with new account emails, or information pertaining to an email gained from different channels of communication.
24. Google Voice allows users to make calls, send SMS, preview Inbox, and get notified of new messages.
25. SquawkBeyond is the quick and easy way to exchange chat messages with your friends, family and work associates.

Medical Reference

If you are looking for apps that can provide you with quick medical reference, these Android apps are the way to go. Almost everything you need, right at your fingertips.

1. Harrison’s Manual of Medicine: Get more information on medical conditions and topics. Offers clinical guidance, and includes figures and tables. A complete medical reference for the busy health professional on the go. Cost: $59.95
2. Diagnostic Imaging: This great app uses flashcards and helps you learn more about how medical imaging works, and different techniques. A handy reference for those who need to interpret imaging, and who want to know how medical imaging works. Cost: $1.99
3. The Merck Manual: Helpful medical reference from a trusted source. Includes clinical focus and helpful guidance on evaluations. A great resource for healthcare professionals, from a trusted name in medicine. Cost: $49.95
4. WebMD: Access WebMD on your Android smart phone. Includes quick reference in a consumer friendly format. A Medscape app for Android should be coming out soon. Cost: Free
5. Health Guide: A great reference tool helping to identify different health conditions. A quick and easy mobile resource for physicians, nurses and nurse practitioners, among other healthcare professionals. Cost: $1.99
6. Merriam-Webster’s Medical Dictionary: Reference that includes medical jargon and meanings. You can look up different medical terms, and learn them when you integrate the Flash Cards app. Learn the language of medicine. Cost: $24.95

Diagnosis

Get help with diagnosing conditions and monitoring treatment with these helpful apps from Android.

7. 5-Minute Clinical Consult: Offers guidance on various conditions, including images that can help you make the proper diagnosis. Also offers helpful information on pediatric conditions and diagnosis. Includes a drug reference. Cost: $79.95
8. Red Book: Meant for diagnosis of pediatric conditions, this offers guidance on treatment as well as manifestations of different childhood diseases. Includes epidemiology and etiology. Cost: $99.95
9. Handbook of Nursing Diagnosis: Great for nurses, this diagnostic app offers help in reaching accurate diagnosis and planning treatment. Cost: $39.95
10. Skyscape’s MobileDDx: This diagnostic app is designed to help you make diagnosis at different points of care, and come up with a treatment regimen that works. Cost: $9.95
11. Pocket Guide to Diagnostic Tests: A quick reference to different diagnostic tests, and how to use them. A great tool for those who are running tests and need a fast point of reference. Cost: $39.95
12. Differential Diagnosis: This is a rather helpful little app that is also consumer friendly. Discover specific conditions by answering yes or no and then getting a direction as to where you can go next. Cost: Free
13. iGrok: This Android app is in development, but is expected to be great. The idea is to be able to help get images from radiology in order to help with better diagnosis.

Medications

Learn more about different drug interactions, prescription characteristics and learn correct dosing.

14. Davis’s Drug Guide: This is a comprehensive drug guide that can be used to help you get up-to-date information on more than 5,000 brand name and generic drugs. Learn interactions and more. Cost: $49.95.
15. Epocrates Rx: Epocrates has long been admired in the medical world, and this app allows you to find drug information, pill ID, interactions, tables and requirements. Helps you perform dosing calculations as well. Cost: Free
16. PEPID: Offers a large drug database, and includes dosing calculators and more to help you learn about drug interactions and more. Cost: Free trail and then monthly subscription.
17. Drug Facts: The gold version of this Android app offers drug interaction information and provides complete prescribing information for more than 4,000 drugs.  Cost: $99.95
18. Drug Interaction Checker: Get a helpful and quick reference for drug interactions. You can use build in camera to capture the drug’s barcode, and then get information from the system. Will also help you find a generic that is less expensive. Cost: Free
19. Insulin Dose Calculator: This simple dosage calculator can help with setting the proper amount of insulin, and creating the proper treatment regimen. Cost: Free

Patient Care

Use these Android apps to directly improve the patient care that is received, and to help your patients feel more comfortable.

20. AgileMedCalc: Treat your patients more effectively with the help of this medical calculator that helps with ANC, A1C to Serum Glucose, Anion Gap/Acid-Base, MELD Score, Maintenance Fluid Rate, Albumin-corrected for Calcium and Kg-Lb Weight Conversion. Cost: Free
21. Blood Pressure Tracker: Monitor your patients, especially those with heart problems, using this Android app. Information from patient is sent immediately to the healthcare provider, providing instant information and analysis. Cost:$19.95
22. Period and Ovulation Tracker: Help your female patients with this app that can help them figure ovulation and best fertility. Developed by a doctor, this is a handy and helpful app for those who want to help their patients increase their chances of conception. Cost: Free
23. Techmedic: The latest in distance monitoring. Allows healthcare professionals to monitor their homebound or ambulatory patients from anywhere. Healthcare providers can keep tabs on vital signs, no matter where they are, with the help of this app which offers powerful tools for patient care.
24. ACP Handbook of Women’s Health: Yes, women have different medical needs than men. If you want to help your female patients more effectively, this Android app can be a big help. Offers information on female development and issues, from the physical to the psychosocial. Cost: $74.95
25. Talk To Me: This is a language translation app from Android. It’s extremely helpful for healthcare professionals who need to communicate with patients and their families in different languages. A real time speech translator with audio to help things along. Includes Spanish, German, Italian and French. Cost: Free

Specifically for Nurses

1. Buy All Books: This site claims to have the best prices for medical books, textbooks, scientific, technical and professional books, PDA and software.
2. Dirt Cheap Books 4U: Find textbooks at this site, which focuses on science, medical and technical resources.
3. Elsevier: This link leads directly to the Nursing category at this online bookstore, a market leader in the publication and dissemination of literature covering the broad spectrum of scientific endeavors.
4. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins: This company offers specialized publications and software for physicians, nurses, students and specialized clinicians.
5. Minority Nurse: Use this search engine to find books by ISBN. The results will reveal selections across the Web.
6. NCBI Bookshelf: If you need biomedical references, these books can be browsed for free online, thanks to the National Institute for Health.
7. Nursing Books: Search for nursing books and textbooks at this site geared toward nurses. Read reviews and ratings, find the best price.
8. NursingTextbookShop: Use this search engine to find books across the Internet at up to 30 percent off.
9. Online Medical Textbooks: Use this search site to find eBooks and other materials offered for free from various resources.
10. Real Nurse Books: You can find a wide variety of books for nurses in both the U.S. and the UK at this site.
11. Springer Publishing Company: This bookseller focuses on healthcare, and this link leads directly to their books for nurses.

Book Sites

12. AbeBooks: This resource supplies textbooks at deep discounts compared to campus bookstores.
13. Amazon: This nursing section of the Amazon site carries tons of textbooks, often at highly discount prices through third-party vendors and individuals.
14. Alibris: This link leads to Alibris’ textbook section, where you can search by ISBN.
15. AOL Shopping: Nursing textbooks available here, at high discount prices.
16. Barnes & Noble: This link leads to B&N’s textbooks, where you can find many books at discounted prices.
17. Better World Books: You can find nursing textbooks here, sometimes at discounted and competitive prices. Use ISBN to search both new and used book selections.
18. Biblio: This link leads to Biblio’s “Bargain & Cheap Medical Books” section.
19. BiggerBooks: Biggerbooks.com offers a wide selection of new and used books, bestselling books, new releases, textbooks and more.
20. Book Closeouts: While this site may not carry everything you need, their prices are great…you might want to check here before anywhere else.
21. Google Search: You can compare prices on all nursing textbooks through this search engine.
22. Half.com: This link leads to Half.com’s textbook section, where you can search for books by title, author, keyword or ISBN.
23. Powells: This bookseller carries over 14,000 textbooks, many at deep discount prices.

Textbook Sites

24. Afford a Book: Use this site to search for the lowest price on books, college textbooks and school books.
25. BigWords: Use this site to compare all the best textbook stores at once to find the cheapest textbook deals around.
26. Book Circus: Control how much you spend for your textbooks at this site.
27. Bookbyte: Buy and sell textbooks easily with the tools at this site.
28. Booksprice: Buy at discount and resell when you’re through at this textbook search engine.
29. Campusbooks: This link leads directly to nursing textbooks available at this textbook sales site.
30. Cheap Books: Search for books by ISBN or by title and sell the book here when you finish your course.
31. Cheap College: Buy and sell your textbooks at this site.
32. Cheap-Textbooks.com: Use this search engine to find textbooks by ISBN.
33. Cheapest Textbooks: Many students using this site have saved over 95 percent off their textbooks.
34. Daves Campus: Compare textbooks from all over the Internet in one easy search.
35. eCampus: Find books by title, author, ISBN or keyword at this textbook site.
36. PhatCampus: A giant inventory of new and used college books allows this business to offer their texts to you at very low prices.
37. Swapbooks: Buy, sell or swap books at this marketplace for used textbooks.
38. TextbookLand: Compare your new and used textbook prices at all the online book stores in just a few seconds.
39. Textbooks.com: This link leads to a large list of nursing textbooks available at this site. You also can conduct specific searches.
40. Textbooks R Us: Use this textbook site’s search engine to find books by ISBN.
41. TextbookX: This site has over 930,000 titles in stock, most shipping within 1-2 business days.
42. Wholesale College Textbooks: This site caries a number of U.S. and international edition college textbooks that are priced well below discounted books at other sites.

Textbook Rentals

43. BookRenter: Really, the practice of buying a book, using it, and selling it is really just a rental, right? Give it a shot at this trusted site.
44. BookSwim: Build a rental pool with no due dates, no late fees and no pressure.
45. CampusBookRentals: Every rental comes with a worry free guarantee and it doesn’t cost a penny to return your rented textbooks at the end of the semester.
46. Cengage Brain: Buy or rent the way you want to read and learn — textbooks, eBooks, eChapters or audio.
47. Chegg: Get a 30-day guarantee and a guaranteed delivery date, too. Return them free at the end of your semester or quarter.
48. College Book Renter: Rent your nursing textbooks and save up to 85 percent off regular book sales. You also can purchase books here.
49. Skoobit: Rent textbooks and return them for free after you’re finished with them.
50. Textbook Rentals: Use this handy search tool to enter the textbook you’re looking to rent and to find the price each store is charging to rent the book.

Fitness

One of the best things you can do to enhance your life is to get proper exercise. Physical activity can help you feel better, and help you reduce your chance of some diseases.

1. Training Cheat Sheet: This cheat sheet from Men’s Fitness is designed to help you get back to strength training and get in shape if you are just starting at (or going back to) the gym.
2. Wii Fitness for Dummies: This cheat sheet is a great way to learn how to use Wii Fit to increase your fitness. Maximize the efficiency of your Wii Fit program.
3. Exercise Cheat Sheet: Shape magazine offers an exercise cheat sheet full of quick, effective exercises you can do yourself to help you get into shape.
4. A Time Crunched Mama’s Exercise Cheat Sheet: This are quick exercise you can do to maximize your efforts to get into shape — even if you are short on time.
5. Exercise for weight loss: Calories burned in 1 hour: The Mayo Clinic offers this helpful cheat sheet that lists how many calories different exercises burn.
6. 20 Daily Activities You Can Do That Burn Calories: You can cheat on your exercise program by doing something a little more fun than just straight exercising.  This list includes gardening, house cleaning, car repairs and kissing.
7. Calories Burned: Don’t want to do one activity for an hour? This cheat sheet will help you figure out how to burn calories the fastest, with counts for what you burn in 10 minutes running, playing volleyball, gardening or dancing.
8. 8 Ways to Exercise While You Commute: Tone up during your commute. Here are some exercises to do while you are on your way to work.
9. Pregnancy Exercise – 5 Things You Must Know: Before you start exercising while pregnant, use this cheat sheet to help you do so without putting your baby at risk.

Nutrition

Eating right can help you feel better and fight disease. Live healthier with little tweaks to your diet.

10. Chew the Right Thing: A Nutrition Cheat Sheet: A great sheet offering an at-a-glance look at the official dietary guidelines from the USDA.
11. Eating Healthy One Step At A Time: Use this cheat sheet to help you make diet changes gradually so that they become long-term habits.
12. Cheat sheet: do what the pros do: eat more in order to lose more: This cheat sheet takes a look at what you can do to fine tune your diet so that you can still eat and stay in shape.
13. Diet Cheat Sheet: This basic sheet breaks it down so that you can see exactly how what you eat affects your weight.
14. Carb-Counters Cheat Sheet for Fruits and Vegetables: No, you shouldn’t cut fruits and veggies out of your diet. But if you are interested, here is a cheat sheet of carbs amounts for fruits and vegetables.
15. List of High-Protein Foods and Amount of Protein in Each: If you are interested in your protein intake, this cheat sheet can help you figure out what is in each type of food.
16. List of High Carbohydrate Foods: Learn about carbs, how they can benefit you, and which foods have a higher amount of carbs.
17. Ten Worst and Best Foods: A quick cheat sheet of some of the worst foods you can eat for your health — and some of the best foods that you can eat.
18. The Nutrition Cheat Sheet: A quick reference to different vitamins and minerals, where they come from, and how they benefit your body.
19. Dietary Fiber Cheat Sheet: Learn about different types of fiber, what they do to help you, and how you can get what you need.

Mind and Spirit

You need rest, relaxation, and refreshment. Here are some ways that you can rejuvenate yourself in order to live a better and feel healthier.

20. Meditation for Dummies Cheat Sheet: A cheat sheet designed to help you prepare for meditation, and use meditation to your benefit.
21. A Cheat Sheet for New Meditators: Use this cheat sheet to help you begin a meditation practice, or to remind you of sound meditation techniques.
22. Sleeping Smart Cheat Sheet: This sheet is provided by the National Sleep Foundation and offers tips to help you refresh yourself through quality sleep.
23. Cheat Sheet for Power Naps: Learn the art of the power nap with this helpful cheat sheet.
24. Bite-sized wisdom: 25 super inspiring quotes to memorize: When your spirit is in need of a lift, these quotes can help you find inspiration.
25. Win the Mind Games: This helpful cheat sheet provides tips for improving your brain power and staying sharp.
26. 120 Ways to Boost Your Brain Power: Condition your mind with these helpful hints.
27. Tai Chi for Beginners: Get the basics of this mind/body exercise that can help rejuvenate you and help you feel a better sense of well-being.

Relationships

Good relationships are part of a happy, full life. Here are some ways to help your relationships work a little bit better.

28. Divorce for Dummies Cheat Sheet: Get through that divorce, with help from this cheat sheet to help you know what needs to be decided.
29. Relationship Cheat Sheet: Understand what it means to cheat on your significant other.
30. Improving Your Relationship for Dummies: This cheat sheet helps you find ways to improve your relationships with others.
31. The Happy Couple Cheat Sheet: Get 15 steps to help you improve your time together as a couple.
32. 9 Marriage Rules You Should Break: You’ve heard about the “rules” of a good marriage. Here is a cheat sheet for nine that you should break.
33. 10 Tips for Raising Children of Character: Improve your relationship with your children, and learn how to raise good kids.
34. Things That Make Talking About Sex to Teens Tough and What to Do About Them: Have “the talk” in a constructive manner.
35. Top 10 In-Laws Coping Tips: This cheat sheet can help you keep your relationship with your in-laws — and your spouse — on better ground.
36. How to Network Like a Pro: Use professional relationships to help you advance through networking.

Green Living

Many people feel better and healthier when they are engaged in greener practices.

37. 15 Reasons to Eat Organic Food: A cheat sheet offering compelling reasons to eat organic food.
38. Organic Food Buying Cheat Sheet: Lifehacker presents this helpful cheat sheet to for reading organic food labels.
39. Plastic Recycling Cheat Sheet: Helpful hints to ensure that you are recycling properly.
40. What to Recycle Quick List: A cheat sheet that can help you see what items you should be recycling.
41. Going back to school? Here’s a green cheat sheet: When your kids go back to school, these tips can help make the experience a little greener.
42. Cheat sheet of non-toxic tips and eco-wisdom: Quick look at keeping your home free of toxins with different products.
43. Energy Efficiency Tips: Increase the energy efficiency of your home, with a variety of different improvement ideas, from no cost to expensive.
44. 7 Cheap and Green Landscaping Tips: A handy cheat sheet to help you green the outside of your home.
45. 7 Tips fro Growing a Health Organic Garden: Go green by growing your own food in an organic garden.

Disease

Are you managing a disease? Here are some ways to improve your life, even though you may be challenged in your health.

46. Diabetes for Dummies Cheat Sheet: This sheet looks at ways to more effectively get your diabetes under control — and maybe improve your situation.
47. Prediabetes for Dummies: Do your best to avoid dull-blown diabetes with this helpful cheat sheet.
48. Multiple Sclerosis for Dummies: Learn to live a full life, even with MS.
49. Living Gluten-Free For Dummies: This helpful cheat sheet can help you if you are living gluten-free for any reason (including Celiac disease).
50. Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Cheat Sheet: A look at risk factors and tips about beating this cancer.
51. STD Cheat Sheet: Learn about STDs, how they are spread, and treatments for them.

Types of Cancer

Cancer comes in many different forms, affecting different parts of the body. Here are some infographics about the types of cancer affecting humans.

1. The Types of Cancer: This infographic from Michael Babwahsingh offers a look at different types of cancer, and includes the 10 most common types of cancer. This infographic includes basic descriptions of the symptoms that accompany each type of cancer, as well as risk factors for getting the cancer. Also includes diagnosis and treatment information. A great resource for those who want to get a quick overview of the different types of cancer, and how they affect the body.
2. Prostate Cancer: Learn more about prostate cancer with the help of this infographic. Includes information about the risk factors for prostate cancer, as well as information about what happens iwth prostate cancer, and the stats related to diagnosis and death. Also includes helpful information on the importance of early detection and treatment. You can see how much more likely you are to survive if you just go in. A great resource that can help encourage at risk men to talk to their doctors.
3. Heavy Toll: Breaks down the different types of cancer, according to how common they are among women and men. Looks at the deadliness of each type of cancer, bringing different cancers into sharp focus. Includes the incidence of different types of cancer in men and women, and then includes information on how likely each is to result in death. Breaks it down so that you can see what you are at the greater risk for, depending on gender. An enlightening look at common tops of cancers, and the top killers.
4. Smoking and Different Types of Cancer: This infographic describes different types of cancer and other diseases that can be attributed to smoking. As you might expect, lung cancer is on the list. However, smoking can also result in oral cancer, and can affect the brain. A very good graphic representation of what happens in the body when smoking is involved, check it out, and perhaps find inspiration to quit the habit in order to improve your health.
5. Lung Cancer and Second Hand Smoke: You can be damaged by breathing in second hand smoke. This infographic offers some of the 4,000 toxic chemicals present in second hand smoke, and presents a compelling argument for avoiding it. Many of these chemicals, if inhaled regularly, can result in lung cancer and other dangerous diseases. So be careful of the air that you breathe, and consider quitting if you don’t want to adversely affect others’ health.
6. Colon Cancer: The second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. is colon cancer. You can learn more about the diagnosis of colon cancer, and how you are more likely to survive if the cancer is caught early. This infographic illustrates the stages at which colon cancer is diagnosed, and how many cases are caught at that stage.

Cancer Symptoms and Treatments

Learn about cancer symptoms and treatment, and what is being done to advance the study of cancer and how it works.

7. Symptoms of Cancer Metastasis: Explore the common places in the body where cancer ends up in metastasis. Also includes the symptoms you can expect to experience if cancer progresses to a certain point. Includes a helpful guide that points to different parts of the anatomy and clearly labels the accompanying symptoms of spreading cancer, according to body system. A very visual guide to what is actually going on in the body as the cancer takes over.
8. Asbestos and Lung Cancer: This infographic offers information on the symptoms of lung cancer caused by asbestos. This is an interesting look at what the lungs look like when being attached. Clearly shows how healthy lungs should looks, and then shows unhealthy lungs and points out the problems that they are encountering. This is a great look at the differences that you can see in your body when your lungs have been affected.
9. Cell Division: This infographic illustrates cell division quite clearly. With normal cell division, it takes place relatively slowly. However, cancer cells divide quickly in order to spread the disease more widely. You can see how widely the cancer is spread, and it becomes clear rather quickly that the cancer cells can add up and take over the body. But, since the cancer cells are abnormal, they are harmful to the body. You can see how the whole thing starts when a single abnormal cell division takes place.
10. Cancer Progression: Clearly see what happens as cancer progresses in the body. This infographic shows representations of healthy tissue, as groups of cells. You can see how the tissue looks natural on the left, with all normal cells. As the images progress, though, you can see how an increasing amount of abnormal cells causes problems, marring the look of the tissue. This is a very straightforward depiction of the damage that cancer cells can do to human tissue that was originally health.
11. Targeting Cancer Cells: This infographic shows how breast cancer could be treated by targeting certain cancer cells. This infographic accompanies an article in Scientific American about the advances being made in the treatment of breast cancer. Explores the idea of gene therapy, and how it might work in order to slow — or even  stop — the progression of cancer in the body. An interesting look at how tumors spread, and how certain methods might be employed in order to stop them.
12. Drug Development: How much does it cost to develop drugs to treat cancer? The cost is rising, especially since clinical trials are needed. This infographic tackles the cost of clinical testing of new drugs. This includes drugs that are meant to help fight cancer.

Cancer Stats

Get the basic information about cancer, deaths and other statistics associated with cancer.

13. When Cancer Happens: This infographic looks at when different types of cancer happen, according to age. This infographic makes it easy to quickly tell which types of cancer are most likely to strike at different ages. For example, among those under 20, the most common cancer is a type of leukemia, while prostate cancer is high in those over the age of 85. An interesting and enlightening that can help you ascertain when you are the highest risk for different cancers.
14. Cancer Global Killer: Learn about cancer on a worldwide basis. An overview of the statistics related to death around the world, as well as the effects of different types of cancer on death. Looks at which types of cancer are more likely to affect men and women, depending on their gender. Also includes information on the mortality rates of different types of cancer, looking at statistics from around the world to put together a picture of how cancer affects the global population.
15. Cancer Rate by Race: This interesting infographic offers a look at cancer rates according to race/ethnicity. Looks at the total incidence of cancer in different ethinic groups, including white, black, Asian/Pacific Islander, American Indian/Alaska Native, Hispanic. The highest rate of cancer is those that identify themselves as black, while the lowest incidence is in American Indian/Alaska Native. An interesting look at who is most affected by cancer.
16. Height and Cancer: This interesting infographic connects height to certain diseases — two of them cancer. Indeed, this infographic indicates that prostate cancer increases as men go beyond the median height. For every two inches above the median height for women, there was an 11% increase in the chance of breast cancer. It appears that height might be a risk factor for some types of cancer. Other diseases that see a risk factor are heart disease and insulin resistance.
17. Increase in the Costs of Chronic Disease: Cancer is considered a chronic disease, and its incidence is rising. This infographic shows that chronic diseases are on the rise in the U.S., and cancer is included in the number. As you can see, the percentage of the population that experiences a chronic disease, is rising.

If you are looking for some guidance related to medical ethics, you can turn to these top blogs geared at helping nurses learn more about ethics and best practices as they treat their patients.

Nursing Ethics Blogs

These blogs have a great deal to say the subject of nursing ethics, and the philosophy behind being a good nurse. Learn about the specific ideas of what nursing ethics entails, and develop your own ethical compass.

1. The International Centre for Nursing Ethics: Explores questions of nursing ethics, and suggests research ideas for studies in ethics. A great look at the international nursing community and its code of conduct.
2. Nursing Ethics: This Canadian web site offers a number of helpful posts and articles on ethics related to nursing, from codes of ethics to providing position statements.
3. EthicsBlog: Offers a number of posts on different topics, among them nursing ethics. Use the “nursing ethics” category to find useful information on all things related to the field of nursing.
4. A Philosophy of Nursing Forum: Learn about different issues in nursing, and get insight into different philosophies of nursing and patient care.
5. Nursing Ethics Knowledge Base: This wiki features posts and interactive activities that can help nurses learn to address issues of ethics, and help them make decisions ahead of time so that they know what to do when a situation arises.

Nursing Legal Consultant and Health Law Blogs

Ethics are often entwined with legality. If you are concerned about questions of nursing ethics and how they might relate to the law (especially medical and nursing law) you might consider one of these legal nurse consultant blogs. Also included is a health law blog that can provide insight and understanding of medical law.

6. Vickie’s Legal Nurse Consulting Blog: Learn about legal nurse consulting, and get insight into legal and ethical issues that can come up when you are a nurse.
7. Minnesota HomeCare Association’s Nurse Consultant BLOG: Get legal and ethical insights from a home care perspective. This blog offers helpful information and discussion.
8. VP Medical Consulting Blog: A look at different legal issues related to nursing and medicine, and a look at nurse legal consulting.
9. Online Legal Nurse Blog: Look at different subjects related to legal nurse consulting.
10. Health Care Law Blog: Learn a little more about law issues in health care, and get a little more information on issues and policies that may affect nursing ethics.

General Medical Ethics Blogs

Learn a little bit more about the different ethical questions facing the medical profession and those who work in it. These blogs are a little more broad than just nursing ethics, but they provide helpful insight into how you can handle ethical quandaries you may come across. Additionally, some of these blogs can provide a fresh look at professional dynamics and how those affect ethics in medicine.

11. Sufficient Scruples: An exploration of issues related to healthcare and ethics in medicine.
12. Health Care Organizational Ethics: Looks at the ethical questions that pop up in healthcare organizations, such as clinics, hospitals and doctors’ offices.
13. Ethics Illustrated: A look at different issues related to medical and nursing ethics, as well as the healthcare situation.
14. Medical Ethics Blog: Get the latest news related to ethics situations in healthcare and medicine from a reporter at the Toronto Star.
15. Biopolitical Times: Considers questions of medical ethics as they relate to politics and policy. An interesting take on ethics, and questions that you might find interesting to consider.
16. LifeEthics: Addresses issues related to ethics, with a focus on reproduction. Places a special emphasis on life and human rights.

Patient Care Blogs

Learn about better patient care. Ethical questions often deal with patient care and quality of life. Questions of ethics are tied up in many areas of patient care — especially as they relate to end of life quandaries and terminal illness and pain management. These blogs address these issues, and can help you be a better, more compassionate nurse.

17. Medical Futility: An interesting take on end of life care, quality of life and the ethics involved in end of life decisions.
18. The Art of Patient Care: This blog focuses on creating better relationships between patients and healthcare professionals. Focuses a great deal on doctors, but offers helpful insights for nurses as well.
19. Tony Coelho’s Blog: This blog is hosted by the Partnership to Improve Patient Care and tackles issues related to patients rights, caring for patients and healthcare reform.
20. Health Care for All: Tackles concerns about access to health care, and looks at solutions to problems that may prevent some patients from getting the care that they need.
21. Pallimed: This is a hospice blog devoted to palliative medicine. Addresses issues of patient care when pain is involved, and considers ethical issues, as well as insight into pain management.

Nurse Blogs

Many nurses include blog posts on ethical issues that may arise in the course of normal work. Many nurses share their experiences, providing helpful insights into how you can improve your manner. Some blogs include startling insights into life as a nurse, and the ethical questions that need to be answered everyday — even if you don’t immediately think of them as ethics questions.

22. Nursing Law & Order: Consider legal issues in nursing and contemplate how these issues relate to ethics.
23. Emergiblog: Looks at life as a nurse, and considers issues related to nursing. Especially in terms of the emergency room.
24. Head Nurse: A sassy look at nursing and issues related to the job.
25. It shouldn’t happen in health care: One nurse’s look at the healthcare system, and the problems that beset it.

No matter what subject you are looking for, it is possible to find information on it when you use one of the many health and medical search engines available online. Whether you are looking for the answer to a difficult medical question, hoping for help with a treatment plan, or are studying, here are 50 health and medical search engines worth using:

General Health and Medical Search Engines

Here are some search engines that are quite reliable, offering information on health and medicine from general sources, including government agencies. These are great places to turn for information on a wide variety of subjects.

1. Healthfinder: The U.S. government offers helpful information on a number of topics.
2. Health On the Net: Also known as HON MedHunt, this search engine helps you find what you need about health and medicine online.
3. HealthBase: A semantic search engine that helps you find what you need to know about diseases, conditions and more.
4. MayoClinic: Get health information and search for medical knowledge from a trusted source of information.
5. MedicineNet: Search a variety of articles and information on different health issues and medical conditions.
6. MediLexicon: Get a good look at different medical terms and run searches on instruments and even drugs.
7. MedlinePlus: Another U.S. government Web site that provides helpful information on a variety of health and medical topics.
8. CDC A-Z Index: Use the search function or browse topics on this helpful health search engine provided by the Centers for Disease Control.
9. NOAH: New York State offers you the opportunity to search a number of helpful resources, in English and Spanish.
10. National Library of Medicine: Search health and medicine with help from the National Institutes of Health.
11. OmniMedicalSearch.com: Look for medical and health information, and organize it according to news, images, forums and even professional.
12. PogoFrog.com: This medical search engine is aimed at physicians, and can help nurses and doctors get right to the heart of the matter.
13. WebMD: This is a trusted source of information, and a great search tool when looking for different health and medical topics.
14. MedExplorer: Get access to a wide range of health and medical information from this search engine.

Consumer Health Search Engines

If you are looking for more consumer friendly information from health and medical search engines, you might consider the following search engines, which include helpful information:

15. Dr. Weil: Offers consumer information on health, and includes integrative medicine.
16. Healia: Find a number of helpful guides and search for topics of interest related to medicine and health.
17. Healthline: A well-known consumer focused health and medical search engine with reliable information.
18. MEDgle: Use this search engine to learn more about your body and your health.
19. Medic8: Consumer focused Web site based in Britain, providing a number of searchable articles and information on health and medicine.
20. My Optum Health: Learn how to go beneath the skin and address other possible health issues.
21. NetWellness: Articles, reports and the Adam Health Encyclopedia — all with the consumer in mind.
22. Organized Wisdom: Search health news, articles, diseases and symptoms with help from this search engine.
23. davidrothman.net: Includes a search engine aimed at helping consumers navigate health and medical information.

Pharma Search Engines

If you are interested in pharmaceuticals and pharmacology, you might consider these search engines, specifically aimed at helping you navigate the world of pharma.

24. RXList: A directory and search engine focused on drugs, their effects and how they are used.
25. PharmWeb: Find information on drugs and other health topics.
26. BioPharmaLink: Search the latest happenings in bio and pharma.
27. Drug Discovery Online: Use this search engine to find information on drugs and drug development.
28. Pharmaceutical Online: Get a look at new developments, and search for the latest pharma products.
29. BioPortfolio: Learn about health topics and drug development, and search for more information on pharma.
30. Clinical Pharmacology Directory: The University of Texas Southwestern offers helpful resources and search on pharmacology.
31. Medicine:Pharmacology: This search engine is provided by HealthySense.com and offers the the opportunity to search different articles on health and pharma.
32. Drugs & Pharmacology Directory: Get a good look at different articles and information on drugs from MedWorm.

Specialty Heath Search Engines

Looking for specialty search engines related to certain subjects? These health and medical search engines can help you study up on specific conditions.

33. Hardin MD: Offers a helpful resource search engine from the University of Iowa on infectious diseases and microbiology.
34. Influenza Research Database: Get information on the flu, including searchable articles on H1N1.
35. ADDResource.com: Learn about ADD and ADHD and search available information.
36. SaveYourSmile: Information and searchable articles on issues related to your teeth — dentistry and orthodontics.
37. atDermatology: This search engine focuses on skin problems and can help you find answers about dermatology.
38. Nursing Home Compare: Helpful information about nursing homes, and searchable information on topics related to aging, and Medicare.
39. OrthoGuide: Helpful information and search directory related to orthopedics.
40. myEyeNet: Look for information on eye care, addressing optometry and other eye-related fields.
41. Search Radiology: Find information on radiology, and search news topics and advances.
42. The Holistic Directory: Search medical and health topics related to alternative and holistic medicine.

Journals and Scholarly Information

Search journal articles and peer-reviewed information. These health and medical search engines focus on the scholarly work surrounding topics of medicine.

43. PubMed: The U.S. government offers you the opportunity to search medical journals and find articles.
44. GoPubMed: Organizes different searches related to scholarly articles on health and medicine.
45. Medscape: Search journal articles and scholarly discussions on different medical topics.
46. The New England Journal of Medicine: This eminent publication offers scholarly works and searchable articles on health.
47. Medical Journals: This U.K. based search engine can help you search medical journals from around the world.
48. BioMedNet: Search bio articles and scholarly works on health and medicine.
49. Search Priory Medical Journals: A tool that can help you find articles in the medical journals from Priory.
50. American Medical Association: Search the AMA for journal articles from the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and professional publications.

Blogs by Travel Nurses

These blogs by travel nurses can offer personal insight and tips, as well as inspiration.

1. Highway Hypodermics: Follow the exploits of a travel nurse as she travels around wielding her needle.
2. Travel Nurse Aim:  Amy wanders the nurse as a RN, bringing her family with her.
3. Travel Nursing Blogs: A great site featuring different blog posts addressing just about anything you can think of related to travel nursing.
4. TravelRNGab: Looks at the ins and outs of being a travel nurse.
5. TheTravelNurse.com: Pauline gave up her life in a hospital to enjoy the life of a travel nurse. Read about her adventures.
6. crzegrl, flight nurse: This flight nurse travels all over and does amazing things — as a nurse and as an adventurer.
7. Ask Conrad!: This travel nurse shares his knowledge of travel nursing by answering others’ questions about the profession.
8. Travel Nurses Blog: Get an inside look at travel nursing, and how you can make the most of your experiences.
9. Adventures in Travel Nursing: Follow the adventures of a couple as they follow the job wherever it leads.
10. Go travel Nursing: Helpful information and personal experiences as a travel nurse, as well as information on agencies and how to select on for you.

Blogs by Travel Nurse Agencies

You can get a lot of good information — and travel nursing job openings — when you read blogs written by travel nurse and medical staffing agencies.

11. Travel Nursing Blog: Get the inside scoop on the latest developments in travel nursing.
12. Travel Nurse Jobs Blog: Cirrus Medical Staffing offers insight into the job of travel nursing and offers job leads.
13. Travel Registered Nurse: A blog devoted to helping you find out more about travel nursing and how to make it your career.
14. Travel Nurse Source: Provides insight into launching your career as a travel nurse.
15. Travel Nursing Blog: This offering from Expedient Medstaff can give you insight into life as a travel nurse.
16. RXNurseNetwork: Keep up with the latest in travel nursing, and learn about the responsibilities.
17. The Nursing School: The main thrust of this site is to help travel nurses get started.
18. Travel Nursing Insider: This helpful podcast is offered by Onward Healthcare.
19. NursesNetwork.TV: This is offered Premier Healthcare, a travel nursing agency/company. Learn about different aspects of travel nursing by watching interesting videos.

Travel Nurse Communities

Find helpful blog posts, answers to questions, and interact with other travel nurses online.

20. Travel Nursing Central: Get inside advice, and answers to common travel nursing questions.
21. Ultimate Nurse: Read informative blog posts, and interact with others about travel nursing and available jobs.
22. Travel Nursing: This forum is on allnurses.com, and is focused on answering questions about travel nursing.
23. NurseZone.com: Interact with other nurses — especially travel nurses. And ask the travel nursing expert questions you might have.
24. Travel Nursing Jobs: Get a look at travel nursing jobs, and chat with those knowledgeable about the field.
25. NurseTraveler.org: Interact with Peter and other travel nurses, and find solid information on travel nursing.
26. HealthGrades: This is a valuable community and resource for those looking for travel nursing jobs at the best hospitals and clinics.
27. NursingLink: Join this site to learn more about different issues related to nursing and travel nursing, as well as interact with other nurses.
28. NurseLinkUp: Follows nurses and offers blog posts and other information on the latest nursing trends.
29. NurseConnect: Find other nurses, learn about travel nursing and share your own stories.
30. Nurse.com: Keep up with all things nurse, including travel nursing and what you can do to become a travel nurse.
31. Nurse Uncut: Learn about nursing, read interesting blog posts, and find other travel nurses.

Travel Nurse Publications and Associations

You can keep up with the latest news and travel nursing headlines when you check out the sites of publications and associations. Many of these have blogs, and offer interesting articles and posts.

32. Healthcare Traveler: Information for traveling healthcare professionals — including nurses.
33. Nursing Standard: This U.K. nursing publication offers insights into things that every travel nurse should know.
34. The American Journal of Nursing: Read headlines, stories and get online access to the latest in nursing.
35. PanTravelers: This is an association for healthcare travelers, including nurses, and provides posts, articles and other useful information.
36. American Nurses Association: Get the insider scoop on being a nurse, including becoming a travel nurse.
37. ATHNA: This is the American Travel Health Nurses Association, and you can find a number helpful resources, headlines and more.
38. American Assembly for Men in Nursing: This primarily aimed at the “murse” population and offers a wealth of solid information.
39. American Academy of Nurse Practitioners: Information on being a nurse practitioner, including how you can take your practice on the road.
40. NSW Nurses’ Association: News, information and more that can help travel nurses based in Australia.
41. Canadian Nurses Association: Headlines, nursing trends, travel nursing and more with a Canadian focus.
42. British Nursing Association: Helpful information, posts and more with an emphasis on British nursing.

General Nursing Blogs

These blogs may not be specifically about travel nursing, but they do provide excellent insights that any nurse can use to improve his or her patient care.

43. Mental Nurse: Learn about life as a mental health nurse.
44. Off the Charts: A great blog about common nursing pitfalls, and how to avoid them.
45. The Nursing Site Blog: Interesting headlines and insight into the latest happenings in the world of nursing.
46. 21st Century Nursing: A great blog addressing the challenges — and opportunities — of nursing in the modern world.
47. Geriatric Nursing: Learn about taking care of older patients, and helping them avoid abuse.
48. My Nurse Job: An interesting blog about different types of nursing jobs, and other nurse issues.
49. Future of Nursing Blog: A great blog on issues that are likely to be a part of nursing now and in the future.
50. Healthcare POV: Read a number of interesting blog posts from different nursing and healthcare blogs.

The following ten easy, healthy living tips may help you keep your focus during the upcoming holiday season. These tips are divided into categories for mind (as in stress management), body and soul, and each link leads to more information about each topic.

Mind (stress management)

1. Spend some time alone: Use this time to meditate, read or relax. Regain your equilibrium and remember that this time of year is a special time for friends and family.
2. Avoid unnecessary travel: One way to keep your peace of mind is to stay home. But, if you need to travel, plan your trips to combine errands or — on longer trips — plan to drive at night and to avoid large cities during rush hours. If you’re caught in rush hour, make sure you have some music or a book on tape with you to help pass time.
3. Watch the anger: Stress can lead to anger, which can often lead to more stress (and may be linked to heart problems). Help yourself during bouts of anger by counting to ten and visualizing a relaxing experience. Additionally, if you can refuse to buy into another person’s anger, that moment may diffuse.
4. Don’t overspend: Your daughter/son/husband/wife or friends may prefer spending more time with a cheerful you than with whatever you got on sale during Black Friday. Avoid the temptation to overspend, and you can avoid stress as well.
5. Allow someone to help you: Why do you want to do everything yourself? Clone yourself by allowing a friend to help you with chores, managing kids or cooking (try a potluck for the holidays, rather than take on all the cooking yourself). You might enjoy the company and you can avoid stress at the same time. You might want to offer some fruit (or a gift card) for their efforts.
6. Balance work, play and family life: What better time to learn how to balance your life than during the holidays? Parties, family events and other social activities basically demand that you stop working for at least a few hours. You can continue this practice long after the holiday season.
7. Be creative: Think outside the box when problems arise. Use humor, rather than anger, to find resolutions. Open your mind to the new and unusual and think about how you might incorporate those new ideas into your life.
8. Smile: Smiling can make you feel relaxed and happy, even when you don’t mean it. You can tilt your neurochemical balance toward calm by smiling, as smiling transmits nerve impulses from the facial muscles to the limbic system, a key emotional center in the brain.

Body

9. Watch your weight: Sure, those candies are tempting and you don’t want to hurt Aunt Cookie’s feelings by passing them up. But, eat one item instead of two to help maintain your weight and to keep the peace. Eat before you attend parties so you’re not so hungry when you arrive.
10. Drop caffeine and soda: Get a jump start on a possible New Year’s resolution by weaning yourself off caffeine and sodas. Wean yourself away from caffeine slowly, otherwise you might end up with a caffeine-withdrawal headache that could last for a few days. Substitute herbal teas for hot and cold drinks. After a few days without sodas, you might wonder why you thought they tasted so good…
11. Use locally-grown ingredients: While you may stick with traditional recipes, try to use locally-grown ingredients as much as possible. Perhaps a farm up the road sells chickens, or maybe you can buy some fresh eggs or herbs to supplement your meals. Using local ingredients is environmentally sound as well as healthy.
12. Drink plenty of water: Water can help to keep hunger at bay as well as to help hydrate you when you are subjected to dry air in heated environments. Water also helps your body eliminate toxins, such as those martinis you had the night before.
13. Keep your body moving: It’s a given that most people eat more during the holidays. If you move more as well, you can keep your metabolism running and help burn those extra calories. Take stairs when possible, stand rather than sit, and offer to clean the table after dinner — not really exercise, but it all counts.
14. Wash your hands often: Washing your hands often is one of the most important steps you can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others. Carry a small bottle of hand sanitizer if you can’t get to a sink and soap.
15. Stay warm: If it’s cold, then dress warmly in layers of loose-fitting tightly-woven clothing. This way you can shed some layers if the day warms up or if you spend some time visiting indoors. Be sure that infants and older adults, especially, are dressed warmly.
16. Travel safely: Don’t drink and drive (and don’t allow others to drink and drive), wear a seat belt and don’t speed. You also can put an kit in the trunk for emergencies that includes blankets, band-aids, aspirin and other first-aid items.
17. Treat yourself to a massage: Not only can a massage help release toxins physically, it can help you release negative and stressful energy. Think of the massage as a gift to yourself for the holiday season; but, you might think about doing this several times per year. You, after all, deserve it.

Soul

18. Volunteer: You might gain a grasp on your own fortune when you offer to help others. Work in a soup kitchen, take a meal to an elderly neighbor or look for local events that need volunteers.
19. Count your blessings: What better time to be grateful than when you’re stuck in a traffic jam? You can begin by understanding that you’re not alone in that traffic jam and then work up from there. You can end by understanding that you are the only person in this universe who is exactly like you – a unique and amazing creation.
20. Forget comparisons: One way to spoil your holiday is to compare yourself to who you see as the most beautiful/talented/charming, etc. person in the room. Stop those comparisons and you may begin to feel the love — from yourself and from others.
21. Let go of expectations: The holidays often provide a time for expectations, especially in the gift-giving department. If you can let go of the material and remember the spirit of the season (better to give than receive), then you might enjoy whatever you do receive with a bigger heart.
22. Make your heart bigger: This is an exercise in appreciating beauty in all forms and the elimination of a need to nit pick and point out flaws. Everyone is a unique soul, different than you. This does not make them better than you, nor does it make them less than you. Insults and judgments, even if they are not voiced, might only serve to increase your own insecurities. This process may begin with self acceptance.
23. Let go of the need to control: While you can continue to make that dinner for friends and family, you can stop worrying about whether the gravy is just right or if the meat is overcooked. Relax, enjoy, and understand that the world will go on despite small flaws and even despite the huge mistakes. Go with the flow.
24. Think of others first: This does not mean that you need to neglect your own needs; however, when you think about others and their needs you might be able to crowd out all those negative thoughts that might creep in over the holidays. Think altruism.
25. Forgive and forget: Why not start out a new year with a clean slate? If you can forgive someone and forget the slight (real or imagined), perhaps you can enter 2010 with a real smile on your face.