Your Health

Strong relationships can benefit your health

You probably are well aware of the usual suspects and habits that play a big role in promoting your long-term well-being — not smoking, for example, or eating a healthful diet or making sure to get enough sleep. But did you know that having strong relationships and social connections can also have a powerful effect on your physical health?

Everyone has had negative thoughts about his or her body at some point. Male or female, young or old, short or tall, we’ve all felt the occasional insecurities. Society tends to emphasize the number on a scale rather than how we feel. However, a healthy (or unhealthy) weight is unique to every person and can involve many factors.

First, let’s look at a few key components of healthy weight. This trio, when we make them habits, can effect gradual, lasting change:

Slow and dancelike, tai chi is a graceful way to relax, exercise and improve physical balance. To find out more about this Chinese martial art, we spoke to Jan Diepersloot, Bay Area tai chi teacher and author of Masters of Perception (www.warriorsofstillness.com), for a firsthand account of his development as a serious tai chi practitioner.

The annual opening of San Francisco’s Dungeness crab season, usually in the beginning of November, marks the arrival of the holidays and a treasured local tradition 

Looking for new ways to savor the sweet meat of Dungeness crab? For inspiration, we turned to Allen Kuehn, founder of the San Francisco Fish Company at the Ferry Building Marketplace, where the crab breakfast burrito is a top seller. Read on for Kuehn’s tips for making the most of San Francisco’s crab season, which lasts through June.