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According to the ASPCA, raisins and grapes may be toxic to some dogs and can lead to kidney failure and even death.

A list of hazardous toys that have been recalled by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission.

When traveling, carry enough of all your medications in your carry-on bags. Make sure you have enough of each drug to last the entire trip and a few extra doses in case your return trip is delayed.

A recent study published in the Wisconsin Medical Journal reports that women who take vacations at least twice yearly report greater marital satisfaction, sleep better and are less likely to suffer from depression and tension. (Vacations improve mental health among rural women. Chikani, V., Reding, D., Gunderson, P., McCarty, C.A., The Wisconsin Rural Women's Health Study, WMJ. 2005 Aug;104(6):20-3.)

Even moderate amounts of physical exercise can prevent heart disease and increase life expectancy. (Franco, O.H., de Laet, C., Peeters, A., Jonker, J., Mackenbach, J., Nusselder, W. Effects of physical activity on life expectancy with cardiovascular disease. Arch Intern Med. 2005 Nov 14;165(20):2355-60.)

To prevent gaining weight over the holidays, don’t go to a holiday party hungry. Treat yourself to a drink, dessert or chocolate, but watch your portion. Moderation allows you to sample a variety of holiday treats without putting on too much weight.

Smoking Facts:

• Within 20 minutes after you smoke that last cigarette, your heart rate drops.
• 2 weeks to 3 months after quitting, your heart attack risk begins to drop and your lung function begins to improve.
• After 1 to 9 months, your coughing and shortness of breath decreases.
• Your added risk of coronary heart disease is half of that of a smoker after a year and after 5 to 15 years, your stroke risk is half that of a smoker.
• 10 years after quitting, your lung cancer death rate is half of that of a smoker’s and your risk of other cancers decrease.
• After 15 smoke-free years, your risk of coronary heart disease returns to that of a nonsmoker.

Enter the acronym ICE (In Case of Emergency) into your cell phone or PDA and list the name and number of the person you would want to be contacted in case of an emergency and you are unable to communicate.