Anyone interested in eating well – and right – knows that fast food is challenge. You stand in front of the cashier, look up at the menu and ask yourself: exactly how much fat is in that dressing? Does it really matter if I have the grilled burger or the fried fish? Will that Egg McMuffin push my calorie count over the limit?

You need answers and fast. Your help is a new book, “Eat This, Not That,” by David Zinczenko with Matt Goulding. Zinczenko is the editorin-chief of Men’s Health magazine.

Let’s just say it’s my new BFF. (That’s Best Friend Forever for those who don’t text message.) It lives in my purse. It goes with me on road trips where the only restaurants are the fast food outlets at the rest stops along the toll road. It comforts me in airports, where my 30-minute layover has turned into a night-long cancellation.

This book is full of surprises: an Egg McMuffin only has 300 calories – fewer if you get it sans meat. (Yes, you can ask them to remove the meat);a skinless chicken breast from Popeyes has half the calories as a spicy chicken breast with skin.

Now, don’t use this book as a crutch. Even if you reduce calories, the numbers prove these dishes have way too much sodium and fat for daily consumption. But there are times when it’s McDonald’s or nothing. At least with this book, you can make the right choices.

Just two weeks ago, I blogged  about lack of health insurance as a factor in poor health. The equation? No money equals little or no health care.

On four Thursdays, starting March 27, PBS stations are showing “Unnatural Causes,” a documentary intended to raise awareness about inequities in America’s health care system. The seven episodes cover everything from the role income plays in access to health care, to specific problems of African-Americans, Latinos and Native Americans, to the way economic stress can affect wellness -or the lack of it.

To learn more about the series, go here. In order to find when the series will be broadcast in your area, go here.

Spring is here, yet the the shrubs in my neighborhood are topped with two inches of snow. That’s Northeastern Ohio for you; volatile weather that seems to make scoff at the calendar and the seasons. But I know the time of growth has come. The plants in my living room have sprouted and the fig tree I’m trying to maintain has leaves on three of its branches. It’s time for me to make my springtime resolutions.

I adapted this idea from “This Year I Will,” by M. J. Ryan. This is a book on ways to change habits, keep resolutions or “make a dream come true.” I especially like the chapter “Elevator broken, use the stairs,” that advocates making tiny changes instead of big ones.

So, here are some suggestions for tiny changes that might lead toward better health.

1. Drink one less soda a day.

2. Get more sleep by going to bed 15 minutes earlier each night for a week.

3. Take the stairs instead of the elevator.

4. Set aside 10 minutes each day to relax, rest and/or dream.

5. Eat a salad each day.

6. Drink at least one 8-oz glass of water each day.

7. Get your stretches in by bending (carefully) as you clean the house.

8. When the weather warms up, plant some flowers or vegetables. Name them abundance. When you care for them, take the time to enjoy the outdoors and all your blessings.

That’s eight little things we can do for health. If you have ideas, send them this way.

Mention mental health and many us think about the ailments like depression or schizophrenia, dis-eases that are obvious. But what about the stress of living with the thought of violence? I’m musing over this issue because I read Need some joy” from the blog Ephphatha. The writing touched me so much, I’ve added the blog to the blog roll.

Our community talks about violence as a moral failing, or as evidence of a deteriorating family. Or we look at economics and poverty. They’re all causes. But what does the thought of violence do to us? How does the, dare I say it, the inevitability of violence weigh on the shoulders of us, young and old?

Proponents of conventional medicine doesn’t know whether meditation works, or what it does for the body. But the National Institutes of Health is willing to admit that something happens when a person has a regular meditation practice.

So they’re looking into the possible health benefits of meditation. That might mean years of studies. If you don’t want to wait, you can go to the website for the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. The center is a branch of the NIH that conducts research in approaches to health care that are “outside the realm of conventional medicine,” according to its website.

The site’s page on meditation won’t teach you how to meditate. But you will find information on mediation as a type of mind-body medicine. And you’ll get a listing of conditions that others have treated with meditative practice.

At this time, in this country, you can’t talk about health without talking about money – that is, money for health insurance. It’s a topic I’m familiar with. As a freelancer – no, I’m not a full-time employee of BET – I carry all the costs of my health insurance.

Finding an affordable policy was difficult. I was turned down because I have a thyroid imbalance, even though I haven’t had a flare-up since 1990. I can’t imagine what someone with diabetes, high blood pressure or a heart condition – all ailments that affect our community -  must go through.

Getting a full-time job wouldn’t necessarily solve the problem. Many folks work for employers that either don’t offer health insurance, or require employees pay for a big part of it. So people do without, with disastrous consequences.

Michelle Singletary, the personal finance columnist for the Washington Post, has written a sobering article on the growing number of people without health care coverage. Those lucky enough to have a policy aren’t unaffected. As Singletary points out, the rising cost of health premiums is turning a necessity into a luxury.

Folks are taking action, though.  The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation will launch its sixth annual “Cover the Uninsured” week on April 27 through May 3. Its seven days of activities and events designed to draw attention to the health care insurance crisis.

For more information, go to www.covertheunisured.org You can sign up for email updates, or click on a link to see activities in your area.

A study conducted by a researcher from the Centers for Disease Control contains shocking news: one in four teenage girls has a sexually transmitted disease.

Gasping for air? Well, sit down. When it comes to African American girls, the situation is worse. Nearly half of African-American girls ages 14 to 19 had one of four diseases: chlamydia, human papillomavirus, genital herpes or trichomoniasis.

Chlamydia, the nation’s most common STD, can cause pelvic inflammatory disease which can lead to pain, infertility and ectopic pregnancy. Human papillomavirus can cause genital warts and cervical cancer. Herpes means a life of sporadic, painful episodes. Trichomoniasis is caused by parasites and produces a heavy, foul-smelling discharge.

I don’t apologize if the preceding paragraphs are too blunt or explicit. The occurrence of STDs among our young women means it’s time for tough, truthful talk about sex. Abstinence-only programs aren’t working. Our young people are sexually active, and it’s time our community dealt with it.

Does that mean I condone sex between teenagers? No. But sex is one thing; an STD is a whole, ‘nother other. And the rates of HIV/AIDS among African-American women should show us that our community needs to leave the platitudes behind and get wise about female sexuality.

We need to tell our young people the truth: intimacy is nothing to play with – not for boys or girls, not for men or women. If you’re sexually active, use a condom – for health’s sake.

I’m not finished with this. Watch for posts listing the symptoms of the four diseases listed above, treatments for them, and links to more information.

I’m starting an occasional series of postings called “exercise hints.” These are tips on ways to get more exercise while doing your daily tasks.

The federal government recommends at least 30 minutes of “moderate intensity” aerobic exercise 3 to 5 times a week, with muscle-strengthening exercises 2 to 3 times weekly. Oh, don’t forget to stretch daily.

These suggestions alone won’t fulfill that quota, but they will add minutes to your regimen. More importantly, they’ll make you aware of the need of regular exercise.

My first tip comes from a secretary at a local elementary school, here in Cleveland. Several times a day, she bounces up from her chair, to run down the stairs and open the front door for visitors. Whenever she has to leave her office, she picks up a pair of two-pound weights.

“It strengthens my arms, ” she explained.

I’m planning on trying variation: I’m going to strap on one-pound wrist weights when I clean up the house. I’ll keep track, but the aim is to wear the weights for 30 minutes while mopping, dusting, etc.

Try this, and let me know whether it works for you. And if you have any tips of your own, post them to the comment section.

As we get older, the brain begins to lose cells, blood flow to the brain stops, and neurons or nerves that transmit information become less efficient. The process starts when we’re in our 20s, but we notice it more when we in our 40s and older. So it’s normal to walk into a room and forget why you came.

In Alzheimer’s however, parts of the brain begins to die. Later, protein in the brain develops clumps, – called plaques – and knots – called tangles. Researchers believe the plaques and tangles kill nerves the brain needs to transmit information. This is an abnormal development that can’t be cured, so far.

But that doesn’t mean that Alzheimer’s can’t be treated. It can. Learning the symptoms of Alzheimer’s can result in early diagnosis and treatment.  Here are a few things to watch out for:

Having trouble doing simple tasks: Are you or your loved one unable to use the telephone, or wash dishes? Do you get confused, or have trouble remembering the steps?

Having trouble communicating: When you or your loved one talks, are you forgetting simple words? Or are you using words in ways others can’t understand?

Losing track of time and place: Do you or your loved one forget how to get from one familiar place to another?

For more symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, go to the website of the Alzheimer’s Association.

I can’t say this often enough: if you suspect that you or a loved one have Alzheimer’s, go to a doctor. Other conditions can cause the symptoms I’ve mentioned above. In many cases, treatment can cure the dementia, or forgetfulness.

My best friend and I had a talk today, and of course it started with politics. She lives in Texas. I live in Ohio and we were discussing the chances of the Democratic candidates. But the political turned personal when she recalled about a campaign she’d mounted while in college.

This was in the 70s, when being “the first black (fill in the blank)” meant taking a risk. Her candidacy was groundbreaking, and her phone rang with calls threatening assaults, or worse.

“Of course, this was when we were strong black women,” she said. “I never told anyone.”

Our conversation veered into other topics. I’d forgotten about the chat until I read the interview with Terrie Williams that was posted on theroot.com.

Williams has written “Black Pain: It Just Looks Like We’re Not Hurting”. The books takes a hard look at depression in the African-American community.

As I read the interview, I thought about my friend swallowing taunts and insults because she thought she needed to be a strong black woman. I thought the frustration I’ve felt over being “there” for everyone, while wondering who would be “there” for me.

I thought about women who have held together families, churches and entire communities. I’d always taken for granted that they’d weathered the strain. Now, I wonder, what was the cost?

No, I haven’t read Williams book – yet. When I do, you’ll see some discussion in this blog. But don’t wait on me: check out Williams for yourself.