A shipshape body
Cruises aren’t just about lounging around and stuffing your face anymore. Today luxury liners compete to offer the best in fitness and nutrition, reports a feature in the July issue of Shape.
Here are the four cruise ships that win the magazine’s top fitness rating:
– Costa Concordia: The wellness and fitness center covers two decks, and you can even book a cabin inside the Samsara Spa (costacruises.com).
– Cunard Queen Mary 2: The luxury liner hosts a ship-worthy version of the prestigious Canyon Ranch SpaClub, and its fitness center is loaded with strength and cardio equipment (cunard.com).
– Disney Magic: The Vista Spa and fitness center boasts pilates rooms, cycling classes and loaner iPods (disneycruise.com).
– Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas: Besides a massive 12,000-square-foot gym, this ship has an ice-skating rink, a boxing ring and a FlowRider surfing simulator (freedomofthe seas.com).
Signs of oral cancer
When actress Blythe Danner’s husband, Bruce Paltrow, grew increasingly hoarse, neither he nor his wife realized it was a symptom of oral cancer. He died from it because they didn’t recognize the problem until it had progressed too far.
Detected early, however, oral cancer has a high cure rate, Danner says in the July 11 issue of Women’s Day. She is reaching out to educate others about this disease, which is diagnosed in about 40,000 Americans annually and kills more than 7,000.
Symptoms to watch for:
– Sore throat or lingering mouth pain.
– Trouble or pain with swallowing.
– Prolonged hoarseness.
– Ear pain.
– Unhealed sore or lump.
– Blocked sinuses that won’t clear.
For more information, visit oralcancerfoundation.org.
Alzheimer’s help
If your loved one is among the estimated 4 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease, the July issue of the Mayo Clinic Health Letter recommends the following resources:
– Family Caregiver Alliance. Visit caregiver.org or call 800-445-8106.
– National Institute on Aging’s Alzheimer’s Disease Education and Referral Center. Visit www.nia.nih.gov and click on the Alzheimer’s information link, or call 800-438-4380.
– “Mayo Clinic Guide to Alzheimer’s Disease.” For a copy of this book, call 877-647-6397, or order it at bookstore.mayoclinic .com.
