At least once a day, someone in my family asks me to search for something on the internet. Even my husband, who doesn’t know a mouse from a thumb drive, has me searching every time he hears or sees something interesting on TV.

Probably the most common searches I’ve done by request are for health questions. I guess we all have a bit of hypochondria, huh?

When it comes to health related searches, I’ve found one of the best places to begin is at Organized Wisdom. This site is powered by real people who guide you to the best online sources for your topic. No more wading through spam links and junk sites just to find those two or three or reputable sources. Organized Wisdom does the sorting for you and presents the best, most authoritative results.

Organized Wisdom covers all sorts of topics from Diabetes and Asthma to Depression and Breast Cancer. Whether you’re looking for general information on Obesity or have specific questions about an eating plan or the alli diet pill, you’ll find honest answers here.

I noticed, too, that Organized Wisdom has some job openings. After you look around the site a little and bookmark it (because you really ought to bookmark the site) take a look at the jobs they’ve listed. Maybe there’s something there for you!

Okay, kids, I’m going to play to my age for this one. You younguns might want to just run along and skip this altogether. For now, at least.

Now that I’m 50 I’ve decided to look into joining AARP.

There, I said it. I admitted that I’m old enough for the old people’s club. And you know, it isn’t so bad. I mean, now that I’m over that initial shock, I can see that there are many benefits to being this age. Being able to join AARP is one of them.

I’m still too young for Medicare but AARP does offer reasonably priced life insurance as well as some nice travel deals. In fact, AARP offers discounts on all kinds of items like the great buys in their Health Essentials Catalog.

Oh, and the one thing that convinced me to join AARP is that my membership is free when my husband joins. That’s two for the price of one. After 50 years, it’s about time good deals started coming my way!

I’ve always been interested in health and beauty. It wasn’t until I discovered mineral makeup, though, that I began to appreciate the world of herbs and holistic medicine. I must say, I was surprised and fascinated by all of the wonderful treasures that nature provides.

One of the most extensive websites for herbal information is Henrietta’s Herbal Homepage. It’s been around for more than a decade – since 1995! Henrietta began by first posting her Medicinal HerbFAQ and later adding her Culinary HerbFAQ. After years of being hosted free of charge, Henrietta has moved the site to her own domain where she also blogs.

Whatever it is you want to know about herbs, alternative or holistic medicine, this is the site to visit first. You’ll find drawings, photos, articles and some excellent and hard-to-find early works, all scanned by Henrietta. This site is so chock full of information that you just have to go there and check it out for yourself.

Now, I know not everyone is searching for the same in depth information that I might be. I use herbs for blending and for soapmaking. But even if you’re just looking for information on a green tea fat burner or using Feverfew for migraines, you’ll find just what you want here. Go ahead, check it out. Just set your timer because you’ll easily spend an entire day reading and learning.

Before we even start here, let me assure you that I am not currently on a weight loss program. I’m not going to bore you with details of my attempts to lose weight. Nope, not going to do it.

What I will tell you about is CalorieLab, a very handy website that lists the nutritional values for lots of foods as well as a huge number of restaurants. I know, there are other sites that do that but this one is very thorough and easy to navigate.

One of my favorite parts of the site is the Calories Burned database. Just enter your own weight, the activity you want (or choose from a group of activities) and click search. You’ll see how many calories you can burn in 15 minutes or an hour of each activity. Just in case you miss you, there’s one group of activities that I found especially interesting. Yes, there’s a breakdown of calories burned during various sex activities. Fun read!

CalorieLab also has a diet review section and some excellent news articles. I didn’t see a listing of weight loss products or exercise equipment but I did find plenty of information about dieting, food and fitness. Before you head out for a meal, be sure to check in to CalorieLab. Whether you’re watching your weight or not, it’s good to know what you’re eating.

With our economy in turmoil and our military still in Iraq, some other important issues have been pushed to the backburner during this political season. One such issue is the problem of illegal drugs and our nation’s drug laws.

This blog isn’t the place to express my opinion about drugs or our laws but I will encourage everyone to learn as much as possible about this issue. One of the best books ever written on the subject is Licit And Illicit Drugs by Edward M. Brecher and the Editors of Consumer Reports Magazine. The book is out of print but has been made available online by the Schaffer Library of Drug Policy.

I do have the hard copy of the book and I’m happy to report that the online version is complete. It’s important to note that Consumers Union accepts no financial assistance from the government or advertisers, making their findings unbiased and trustworthy. The information they provide through this comprehensive report is eyeopening.

Whether you’d like to become better informed about the various types of drugs, from alcohol and marijuana to diet pills, coke and heroin or you’re curious about the history of our drug laws, this book has the answers.

If you get a chance to pick up a copy of the book, don’t pass it up. As I mentioned, it is out of print. But do be sure to bookmark the online version. You just don’t get this kind of information for free every day.

My mom is a retired nurse. Back when I was a kid, it was not at all unusual for my mom to get a phone call in the evening from a friend or relative, needing to pick her brain regarding some unusual medical condition or confusing diagnosis.

With the internet and sites like WebMD, everyone has access to their own family nurse or doctor. And yet, those very technical sites leave something to be desired. That “something” is a Been There story from real people. And that’s just what Keith Schorsch had in mind when he created Trusera.

The site is relatively new, launching just this year. And yet it already boasts thousands of users, people who share their own personal health stories in order to help others.

Just clicking through the site I found two excellent articles on Ayurveda and a timely piece about the elderly, dementia and the right to vote. While these articles may not be written by doctors or other professionals, they are well written and speak from the heart.

After registering at the site, you can tell your own health story, ask a question, browse or build a network of trusted people. You can search for topics from family health insurance to breast cancer to elder care.

Trusera has taken the idea of social networking and combined it with a caring environment to assist those who are dealing with pressing health issues. This is a site that every one of us should check out.

While I was preparing for a trip, searching through my linen closet and medicine chest for small bottles to satisfy the TSA and their 3 oz. “liquid” in a ziplock baggie requirement, I noticed a number of prescription bottles that had been shoved to the back of the closet. I also found a few loose pills that I couldn’t identify as well a bottle of liquid medicine for Kendyll that I had no idea what it was meant to treat.

I suppose if I were the only person in the house it would be easy to remember what each pill was but with so many people of such a wide variety of ages all in one house, there’s no way I could figure out what is what. Certainly, I wouldn’t want to confuse an antibiotic with an OTC like Leptitrex or Excedrin. And yet, I don’t want to toss medications that are still usable, especially with drug prices so high.

While it’s easy to do an internet search on any drug name, either brand or generic, identifying a loose tablet or capsule isn’t so easy. That is, unless you check out RxList.

Just click on the advanced search link and fill out as much information as you can about the pill that you have. Choose shape, color and imprint, then search and look through the results. Both prescription and OTC meds are listed. If you’re not sure which listing is correct, click on one and then find the View Images link to the right of the listing. There, you can see pictures of how the tablet or capsule looks so you can match it up with the unknown pill that you have.

RxList also lets you search for drugs alphabetically and provides both a medical dictionary and a section on diseases. Its most useful feature, though, is the ability to identify loose pills.

Now that I’m approaching the half century mark, I’m even more concerned with my health and fitness. I’ll soon be eligible for AARP membership so I’ve been looking over their site. What a wonderful resource for those interested in staying healthy and active!

AARP’s fitness section covers topics like staying hydrated, Diabetes and Exercise, and even mental attitude. Their tips for following a more active lifestyle are excellent.

I’ve debated whether I should join a fitness club that offers fancy machines like electronic treadmills and ellipticals, or if I should just keep up my daily walks. After reading a little at the AARP site, I’m thinking that I should probably add some weight training, at the very least.

I know that AARP is for those over 50 but the tips and information on the site will benefit any age group. Do check it out!

I’m a Baby Boomer. I’m at the late end of the era, but I’m there. Just a few more months and I’ll be eligible for AARP membership. I used to think of 50 as old but now it just seems like another year. I don’t feel as old as I perceived my mom to be at 50. Is that all perception? Or has 50 really changed over the years?

I’m sure perception plays a part but I also believe that the buying power of the Baby Boomer generation has influenced companies to develop products that appeal to our quest for a long and healthy life. There are new companies popping up every day but the tried and true companies that served my parents and grandparents so well are still in the game, making amazing advances.

I was looking around the Johnson & Johnson website, expecting to find those familiar items like Q-tips, baby shampoo, and Band-Aids. I found those but I also discovered that my favorite sweetner, Splenda, is a J&J product. In fact, I never even realized that my contact lenses come from J&J. No doubt Johnson & Johnson has been at the forefront of healthcare innovation over these past decades.

As with any successful company, J&J has focused on quality products and customer satisfaction. Caring about their community of employees and consumers means different things to each of us. I was especially moved by the personal stories of those whose lives have been improved by J&J products. I know about this first hand. As I type this post, I’m in my mom’s home caring for her as she recovers from knee replacement surgery. When I watched the video of Mark who was bicycling again after hip replacement, I fought back tears. It is this kind of innovation that is giving my mother another chance to live a pain-free life.

I know that the healthcare industry in general gets a lot of criticism in the US; I know it’s a hot topic during this election season. Nevertheless, no one can deny the great strides that private companies like Johnson & Johnson have made in providing treatments and products that improve our quality of life so much that 50 today is more like 30 was in the 1950s. I can’t wait to see and chronicle the advances that are yet to come.

I know most people would rather just walk into a store and buy a cosmetic or toiletry that works for them. And many people simply enjoy the whole buying experience when it comes to beauty products.

And then there are those of us who would rather formulate their own beauty products.

I initially became interested in formulating because everything I used seem to make my face break out. I discovered some really wonderful mineral makeup that helped my skin tremendously. At the same time, I began to experiment with skin care that utilized Essential Oils and a few other simple ingredients. One of my favorite resources for Essential Oil information is the Index of Essential Oils

If you’re looking for information on hair care, sore muscles, acne treatment or even how to mix up a “sensual” blend for romantic evenings, you’ll find just what you want here. The site offers many of these oils for sale but provides information even for those oils they don’t sell.

Please be sure to read all the precautions as well as the benefits of each oil. Yes, they are considered “natural” but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be careful with them. Some are quite potent.

If you’re wondering, my very favorite Essential Oil is Helichrysum. Feel free to send some my way.