Health

With a cable network to manage, a school in Africa to run, and shows to host, Oprah Winfrey might just be one of the busiest women in the world. And as Winfrey's health and fitness adviser, Bob Greene is definitely used to guiding busy professionals. Greene says one of the biggest excuses people often give is the "lack of time." Here are some steps to living a healthier lifestyle even if your plate is full:

• Prioritize and identify. "Prioritize what is most important in your life, and identify where you spend your time and energy. They should sync up! Before doing so, you might want to list all the things that are more important than your health and well being. When put this way, most people have a tough time justifying not having enough time to work out."
• Reduce time spent on other activities. "Systematically look at the time that is spent in activities that don't lead to your specific goals or benefit your life in a meaningful way. Most people do spend some time in these activities and benefit from whittling them down to the bare minimum."
• Build activity into your current schedule. "If you live close enough to work, walk or bike. Even shopping for groceries can be aerobic if done quickly enough, and getting it done faster saves more time! Take the stairs, park farther from your destination, wear a pedometer, these are all effective techniques to get more activity efficiently."
• Practice eating healthy."While it probably does take more time to plan and prepare healthy meals, once you get your recipes and ingredients down pat, it does get easier and more efficient. There are a slew of new healthy cookbooks that have 10- and even five-minute meals. Acquire a repertoire of these recipes and cookbooks. Also, collect menus (from both take out and dine-in restaurants) so you know where to go and what to order ahead of time."
• Get friends involved. "Partner with other health-conscious friends to share making dinner (or lunch) for each other. Each person can take a night where they are fully responsible for the entire meal. This not only saves time in preparation, you combine healthy dining with spending time with people in a social setting. Bonus because it's with people with similar goals of maximizing their own well-being."

Want more health advice from the wellness expert? Here's your chance to win a trip to Maui and meet Oprah and Bob Greene for a hike and to lunch at her farm.

Photo courtesy of of O, the Oprah Magazine

If you've been buying generic medicine at a major convenience store, you might want to explore other options.

A recent Consumer Reports survey revealed people can pay up to 447 percent or $749 more on generic medicine at the highest-priced pharmacy, compared to the lowest. Costco had the cheapest prices, while CVS, Rite Aid, and Target had the most expensive prices for generic drugs.

The reason why generic drugs are priced so low in Costco is that the discount chain relies on the lower prices to attract customers who will shop for other goods, while stores like CVS and Rite Aid depend on the pharmacy as their main source of income, Stephen W. Schondelmeyer, Ph.D., Pharm.D., a professor of pharmacy economics at the University of Minnesota, tells Consumer Reports.

Read on for the breakdown of the lowest- to highest-priced stores.

Has the word “energy” disappeared from your vocabulary? Whether you have infants, toddlers, or school-age children, keeping up with the kids on limited sleep can be seriously exhausting. To kiss that constantly drained feeling goodbye, give these six energy-boosting strategies recommended by Circle of Moms members a whirl.

Keep reading.

When a baby's silky, smooth skin develops red, dry, itchy patches, the culprit is often eczema. Commonly appearing around 2 to 6 months of age, eczema (or atopic dermatitis) affects some 20 percent of infants and young children. If your baby is itchy and irritated, these six trusty eczema treatments from Circle of Moms members are sure to help soothe his skin.

1. Avoid Topical Irritants

Many babies have skin allergies to the perfumes, dyes, and chemicals in common household products like soaps, laundry detergents, fabric softeners, and bubble baths. As Heidi F. advises, switching to hypoallergenic, fragrance-free products can help relieve eczema: "For soap, we use Dove for sensitive skin — anything that I put on their skin is fragrance free. I even found Mr. Bubbles for sensitive skin, which makes bath time fun for them. Another thing that I was told by their doctor was to wash their laundry with fragrance-free detergent and fabric softener. This has all seemed to help minimize flare-ups and itching."

Keep reading to see more tips.

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Celebrating birthdays at school just got a little less fun for kids in Australia. New guidelines issued Tuesday by the country's National Health and Medical Research Council say that children can no longer blow out the candles on cakes at school because doing so spreads too many germs.

Related: The Most Germy Place in Schools? It's Not What You Think

"We introduced new national standards to lift the quality of child care across Australia because we believe parents deserve peace of mind when they drop their child off they are receiving quality care to a high standard," Australia's Minister for Early Childhood and Child Care, Kate Elliss, explained in a statement. "All services across the country will be assessed and rated against new National Quality Standard which will ensure that services are meeting basic requirements including children's health, safety and wellbeing."

Read on to find out what parents think about this new birthday tradition.

Living chemical-free seems like a luxury — after all, those organic products tend to be pricier. But is it worth the cost? Beth Greer, an environmental health consultant and the author of Super Natural Home, warns that the chemicals can "act as endocrine disruptors — substances that interfere with our natural hormones." This may lead to the worsening of conditions like allergies and asthma and other symptoms like fatigue, nausea, and headaches. Prolonged exposure may even lead to more devastating health problems.

For those who are resolving to start living a more chemical-free life this year, Greer has some budget-friendly tips on how to make the change:

• Switch it up. "Start with the foods and products you use most often and switch out just one in each category. For example, if you drink milk, switch to organic milk (without pesticides and growth hormones); switch just one lipstick to a natural one; choose a natural deodorant."
• Try the farmers market. "Because eating organic is so important, try shopping at farmers markets. You can find some great deals there, especially just before it closes. I've seen broccoli for $1 per lb, for example. Farmers don't want to have to bring unsold food back to their farm. Or try planting your own garden, which is very economical and fun."
• DIY it. "Make your own products you use in your home. Now, this isn't as hard as it sounds. For example, I use baking soda as a deodorant. I fill up a salt shaker, shake some in the palm of my hand, and apply on my armpits. It works really well, is inexpensive, and nontoxic."
• Make your own nontoxic natural cleaning products. "Try vinegar, baking soda, and hydrogen peroxide. You can find recipes in my book Super Natural Home."
• Remove your shoes at the front door. "Shoes track in lead, pesticides, and other pollutants, which contaminate our carpets and floors. Stuff we track in from the outside can turn our home into a toxic place, especially for pets and young children who spend more time on the floor."

Read on for more tips.

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"I credit my mom with modeling the right behaviors," Angela Lemond, Registered Dietitian and Spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, tells Shine. "She cooked a healthy meal every night and that was our only option." Lemond, who specializes in pediatric and family nutrition, says the research is clear that parental behavior and modeling has a significant impact on childhood obesity.

Related: Childhood Obesity and Bullying Top Health Concerns for Voters

"Parents have the responsibility for providing food, meal planning, and eliminating distractions at the table," says Lemond. "The responsibility of the child is to eat or not to eat." She is concerned that today's parents are "letting kids dictate what food is being served." She sympathizes with parents' desire to nourish their children, but points out that this often means that they are exclusively serving meals of "chicken nuggets or mac and cheese" to picky eaters which are high in fat and calories and low on nutrition. She points out that a generation ago, "You ate what you were served or waited until the next meal."

Gallery: The worst summer foods for kids

On the other hand, Lemond says her mom "didn't force feed. Nutritionists don't advocate the clean plate club," a rule that can thwart children from developing a natural sense of when they are still hungry and when they are actually full.

Another important factor in helping kids to learn to enjoy nutritious choices is exposing them to a variety of foods—and not giving up if they say they don't like something new. "Even though parents want their kids to eat healthy," explains Lemond, "They have a misconception that if kids reject it once, it should be taken off the meal plan."

WATCH: Kids Jump Rope to Combat Obesity

According to the Centers for Disease Control, the rate of childhood obesity has tripled over the past 30 years. Overweight children are at a higher risk of developing chronic illnesses like diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and cancer. They are also prone to low self-esteem and stigmatization by their peers.

Related: What Is in a Hot Dog?

Current research shows that there are many habits that parents can adopt—starting at pregnancy—that will help prevent kids from becoming overweight.

• Maternal Body Mass Index (BMI) has an impact on baby's birth weight which may, in turn, predict adult overweight. Maintain a healthy weight before and during pregnancy. If you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, discuss what an appropriate weight gain is for your body size and frame with your doctor.
• Breastfeeding women should eat a variety of fruits and vegetables. Babies who are exposed to certain flavors through nursing are less picky when they are weaned.
• Let your baby wean itself with age-appropriate finger foods. Some research shows that babies who are spoon fed purees tend to be more overweight and prefer sugary tastes than babies who help feed them selves.
• Is your toddler picky? Don't give up. It may take as many as 15 exposures to get a toddler to try a new food.
• Turn off the TV. A recent study by the University of Montreal showed that for every extra hour per week watched by 2-4 year-olds, waist size increased and athletic ability (as indicated by explosive muscle power) decreased.
• Eat together. From toddlers to teens, the research shows that children are healthier when they regularly sit down and eat meals with their families.
• Lose weight yourself. A 2012 study by the University of California shows reports that the number one factor in the success of an obese or overweight child's ability to attain a healthy weight is parental weight loss.
• Engage in some sort of physical activity. Kids who say their parents are sedentary are 50% more likely to be medically unfit themselves.

To learn more strategies, visit the Academy's website for families, Kids Eat Right. They provide a wealth of information on children's nutrition from birth to the teen years.

— Sarah B. Weir
Copyright © 2012 Yahoo Inc.

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