Question: I'm a busy person and I don't have time to go to the gym every day. I've heard of functional training, but I'm not really sure what it is. What is it? Help me out! Answer from Frank LaCoco, personal trainer at Five Seasons Family Sports Club in Burr Ridge: Remember Mr. Miyagi's wax-on, wax-off exercises in The Karate Kid? That's functional training in action. These multi-muscle, multi-joint, balance-oriented movements mirror everyday actions and strengthen your muscles without machines. Getting up out of your chair at the office can translate into a squat, while carrying groceries …

Reader question: I have been a vegetarian for the past 10 years. Recently I have started putting on weight, and I can't figure out why. I know that happens as you get older, but does this mean I should change my diet? I don't really have time in my schedule to work out more than I already do. Answer: You are not alone in this frustration. People all over our country are struggling with weight gain. While there are medical conditions which may lead to weight gain (thyroid and hormonal imbalances), the main reason is caloric imbalance—that we eat more calories than we need. Over time this will …

Reader question: I have been having serious headaches since I started my new job, which requires a lot of data entry. Some people tell me it's stress-related. Others say that it could be eye strain, but my aunt had astroke when she was my age. I don't want to take any risks with my health,but my health insurance doesn't kick in for another month. Rather than going to both an eye doctor and neurologist, is there one doctor I can go that will be able to tell me what's wrong with me?Answer: Headaches are the most difficult symptom to diagnose and cure since a myriad of conditions can cause …

Reader question: How do I get kids to eat healthy? Chef Valcour: It's important for kids to eat their veggies, but veggies have the worst repuation with kids. [The trick for me] is changing the recipes. For example ... zucchini ... that's one vegetable kids don’t care for. So I’ll make a zucchini bread. Recently I made a zucchini honey bread with a class. With veggies, stir-frys work really well with kids, and if I ‘m introducing new veggies like eggplant, I'll do something like eggplant zucchini mozzarella, and they will try it, because it looks really cool. *Editor's Note: Next week, Chef …

Do you have a question for one of our experts? Email sabrina@patch.com. Female Reader's question: I have a slight burning sensation when I urinate, but I've been to the doctor, who says I don't have an infection. All my tests have come back negative, and I'm not sure what else to try. Any advice? Dr. Karen Deighan: I would make sure that there is not a vaginal or vulvar infection that is being aggravated by urination. This can be investigated by an exam with a Gynecologist. It is also possible that a new product (soap, detergent, etc) could have cause an irritation and I would investigate …

Got a question for one of our experts? Email sabrina@patch.com or click here to post it to the site. Reader question: "I'm a single mom who is working two jobs to supportmy kids. Because of my life situation right now, I only sleep three hours anight. A friend of mine who is in nursing school said this could lead topermanent brain damage. Is that true? Dr. Sunita Kumar, Loyola Center for Health: Sleep deprivation, i.e., sleeping less than 7-8 hours at night, has been associated with multiple adverse effects including increased risk for hypertension, depression and heart disease. It can also …

Reader question: What are the most important medical symptoms a woman shouldn't ignore? Dr. Heidi Renner, Loyola Center for Health, Burr Ridge: Many of the key symptoms which should not be ignored are not specific to women alone. Women, however, can have different presentations for common medical illnesses such as heart attack, stroke, etc. Complaints which warrant further evaluation by a physican, and which should not be ignored by a patient, are as follows: 1. Chest pain—whether it be chest pain associated with activity, pressure in the chest, new onset indigestion, jaw pain or arm pain—all…

Got a question for one of our experts? Email sabrina@patch.com or click here to post it to the site. Reader Question:  I do a lot of driving for work.  Lately the back of my right leg has been hurting, and I’m feeling it the most behind my knee cap.  Could this be a form of carpal tunnel syndrome?  What can I do to fix it?Dr. Harold Rees: Pain in the back of the knee and leg can have many causes, some related to the knee and others related to other parts of the body.  Pain shooting down the leg from the hip to the foot is likely related to sciatica, which is caused by pinched nerves in the …

Got a question for one of our experts? Email sabrina@patch.com or click here to post it to the site. Reader question: What would cause my white gold earrings to start turning green? How do I get them to shine the way they did when they were new? Bella Cosa Jewelers: There are a few things that can cause this type of chemical reaction. Most often it is dirt, or possibly something in your shampoo or perfume. Chemicals can actually get into gold. What we recommend is taking it to a local jeweler for a cleaning and then getting it plated with rhodium. That's something we do here, and it's not an …

Got a question for one of our experts? Email sabrina@patch.com or click here to post it to the site. Reader question: How much running will I have to do to get fit? Jim Karas: None. Hugh Jackman, who has been a client for a decade, doesn't do an ounce of [straight] cardiovascular exercise. Running should never be used when someone uses the word "exercise" ... You have to boost your metabolism, and that only comes from strength training. *Celebrity trainer Jim Karas opened a fitness facility in the area this month. It is located at 350 East Ogden Avenue in Westmont. Don't want to miss out on …

Got a question for one of our experts? Email sabrina@patch.com or click here to post it to the site. Reader question: How can I lose weight for summer? Matt Makowski: It's not what you put on your bar, it what's you put on your fork. You can burn 1,000 calories a day, and not lose weight if you're not conscious about your diet. Mary Licko: Eat lean meat, vegetables and fruit that is low in sugar. Nuts are good, olive oil, avocado and drink plenty of water. It helps you feel full and stay hydrated. That will help curb cravings ... Strength training will for sure help with weight loss. Don't …

Reader question: I started having pain in my shoulder one day, but I didn't injure it or anything. Now I can only lift my arm so far and am having trouble picking up heavy objects. Is this serious? Should I see a doctor? Dr. Pietro Tonino: You probably strained your rotator cuff. It's not uncommon for this to happen without any injury. You should see your family doctor who can prescribe physical therapy. You won't need a specialist unless there's no improvement with physcial therapy. If PT doesn't work, a visit to the orthopedic doctor may be needed. We use injections similar to cortisone, …

Reader question: If I quit my job, can I still collect unemployment? Christopher Lyons: No, unless you can prove that the employer created an unreasonable situation that made you quit.    Under Section 601 of the Illinois Unemployment Insurance Act, an individual who voluntarily quits his or her job without good cause attributable to the employer is ineligible to collect unemployment benefits.  “Good cause” generally means circumstances that produce real pressure to quit and would compel a reasonable person to leave the job; usually this requires a substantial change in the job that renders …

Got a question for one of our experts? Email sabrina@patch.com or click here to post it to the site. Reader question: I want to go into business for myself, but am not sure where to start. Should I file as a corporation? An LLC? What's the difference, and what else do I need to consider? Rita Farrell:  First and foremost you should have a good business plan in place before proceeding so that you will be able to understand and anticipate the problems that can occur with a new business as well as the opportunities for growth. The Small Business Administration offers free small business advice …

Reader question: I just bought a new condo, and I would like to redo the bathroom. How much should I expect to pay, and could I save money by doing some of the work myself? Patrick Coveny: This depends on whether you want to gut the bathroom and start over, or do a superficial remodelling and just replace countertops, toilets and fixtures—that's a very simple re-do. [For a superficial remodel,] a handyman could do it; some of it can be done yourself. For a gut job, a starting point would be $15,000 to $20,000. It's all labor, and a huge portion of that expense is plumbing. You're asking …

Reader question: I heard that you can make $300,000 a year teaching yoga. How is that possible? What would I need to do to become a yoga instructor? Violet Smith: The only way to do that is to become an author and an international teacher. You would need a lot of education, a lot of background and be able to teach something new and different—like Mr. Bikram did (the man who came up with hot yoga.) Bikram was his first name. Yoga poses can not be copywritten, but what Bikram did was put a few poses together and put his name on it. Mr. Pilates (last name) did the same thing. In the 40s, he …