Tips for Getting Your Steps In By walking with friends, family, even your co-workers, you can catch up, and enjoy the physical benefits at the same time. Did you know that walking briskly for 2 hours and 30 minutes each week--easily broken up into five 30-minute walks--can actually get you the physical activity you need to help you stay healthy and prevent disease? There are many ways to incorporate more walking into your busy life that only require small changes to everyday activities.

5 Straightforward Ways to Cut Sugar From Your Diet The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) finds that as of 2000, Americans are consuming over 150 pounds of sugar each year. The American Heart Association recommends only six teaspoons of added sugar per day for women and nine teaspoons of added sugar per day for men. Very easily, Americans can far exceed this recommendation when eating breakfast. One 12-ounce glass of orange juice contains over eight teaspoons of sugar.

Have you checked out www.QCTrails.org yet? Warm, sunny days are here, and it's the perfect time to log-in and set up your free user-friendly, interactive, and mobile responsive account that serves as a resource to highlight multi-purpose trails, parks, and side-paths in our community. The website can be used in real-time to track your physical activity and share with friends through social media. The Quad City Health Initiative and Bi-State Regional Commission developed QCTrails.org as a resource as part of Be Healthy QC to provide helpful information on using trails and staying healthy through physical activity.

5 Surprising Facts About High Blood Pressure What you don't know about high blood pressure could hurt you. High blood pressure affects one in three Americans, yet many people with the condition don't know they have it. Uncontrolled high blood pressure raises the risk for heart disease and stroke, which are leading causes of death in the United States. Fortunately, high blood pressure is treatable and preventable. To lower your risk, get your blood pressure checked regularly and take action to control your blood pressure if it is too high.