Health-advise

Don’t Smoke - One of the main reasons why people decide not to give up smoking, and sadly, the reason why some people take it up is the effect smoking supposedly has on weight gain or loss. It is true that smoking has been associated with an increase in metabolism it is a drug!! However it is a dangerous, addictive drug and surely the tiny effect it has on your metabolism is outweighed by the huge risk of dying from lung cancer.

Drink More Water - You can live three weeks without food, However you can only live for three days without fluid, just think 3 days and its all over, one could suggest that water is fairly important! Your body is anywhere between 60 and 70 percent fluid. The fluid in your body is responsible for helping to keep every system of your body in good working order, including all of your metabolic processes. De-hydrate and everything slows down. The fluid in your body will also ensure that you can move well and be active. If you start to dehydrate, your body’s ability to do basic activities will slow down and your ability to exercise effectively or even enjoy exercise will be reduced. You will feel tired, lethargic and will probably get a headache.

Eat A Variety Of Foods - For protection from the majority of illnesses such as heart disease and cancer you need a variety of foods that deliver that mix of nutrients and minerals. Aim to eat different colored fruits and vegetables. Try to eat a different food each month. Eat an apple a day as the apple pectin cleanses the body’s digestive system by removing toxins and therefore preventing degenerative health problems such as cancer.

Relax For 20 Minutes a Day - Relaxing for at least 20 minutes a day will go a long way to reduce blood pressure and your reactions to stress. Sit or lie somewhere comfortable, Breathe slowly in and out of the nostrils breathing deeply into your abdomen. Say HAM as you inhale and SA as you exhale. These suggestions are charged with positive energy and will help you control your emotions. Try once a day for fantastic results.

Floss Every Day - Flossing your teeth every day is the best way to prevent gum disease and protect your heart. Gum disease, which is left untreated, can lead to inflammatory reactions in the body that can trigger heart disease and stroke.

Drink More Tea - Try drinking more tea instead of coffee to help protect your body from damaging effects of free radicals. Tea is a rich source of antioxidants that play a big role in protecting against some cancers and cardiovascular disease.

Get Active - Aerobic activity not only burns calories but also increases your metabolism and can keep it elevated for several hours after a workout. You don’t need to spend hours each day on the treadmill or bike to reap the benefits. Exercising aerobically for as little as 20 minutes, three to five days a week will make a big difference. Extra movement throughout the day is also essential, take the stairs instead of the lift, lose the remote and move at every opportunity you can.

Get More Sleep - Lack of sleep changes your hormone levels and capacity to metabolize carbohydrates so less sleep = slower metabolism. Studies have revealed that deep sleep causes cell repair and cell growth, which will speed up the metabolism and burn calories. So aim to get at least eight hours sleep a night.

Eat More Protein - Protein stimulates the major brain chemical dopamine which keeps us alert, try chicken or tuna salads for lunch. Go for complex carbohydrates rather than white flour and sugar, as they will provide a sustained energy source as opposed to a quick hit. Another reason to leave simple carbohydrate out of the diet is that they have a negative effect on your skin and how it ages. The more sugar that is in the body the more you force a chemical reaction causing sugars to attach to proteins and this is very detrimental to your skin.

Posted on May 16th, 2009 by admin
Filed under: Health & Fitness | No Comments »

Swine influenza (also called swine flu, hog flu, and pig flu) refers to influenza caused by those strains of influenza virus that usually infect pigs and are called swine influenza virus (SIV).[1] Swine influenza is common in pigs in the midwestern United States (and occasionally in other states), Mexico, Canada, South America, Europe (including the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Italy), Kenya, Mainland China, Taiwan, Japan and other parts of eastern Asia.

Transmission of SIV from pigs to humans is not common. When it results in human influenza, it is called zoonotic swine flu. People who work with pigs, especially people with intense exposures, are at risk of catching swine flu. However, only about fifty such transmissions have been recorded since the mid-20th Century, when identification of influenza subtypes became possible. (Importantly, eating pork does not pose a risk of infection.) Rarely, these strains of swine flu can pass from human to human. In humans, the symptoms of swine flu are similar to those of influenza and of influenza-like illness in general, namely chills, fever, sore throat, muscle pains, severe headache, coughing, weakness and general discomfort.

The 2009 flu outbreak in humans that is widely known as “swine flu” is due to a new strain of influenza A virus subtype H1N1 that was produced by reassortment from one strain of human influenza virus, one strain of avian influenza virus, and two separate strains of SIV. The origin of this new strain is unknown, and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) reports that this strain has not been isolated in pigs

Symptoms:-

Sudden fever or a sudden cough.

Other symptoms may include:

- headache
- tiredness
- chills
- aching muscles
- limb or joint pain
- diarrhoea or stomach upset
- sore throat
- runny nose
- sneezing
- loss of appetite

If the flu becomes pandemic, potentially, everyone is at risk because few people, if any at all, will have immunity (resistance) to it.

If you have any of these symptoms but a flu pandemic has not been announced, you could have seasonal flu.

If you feel unwell:

If you have flu-like symptoms and have recently travelled to Mexico, stay at home and contact either your GP or NHS Direct on 0845 4647.

Before calling NHS Direct you can check your symptoms with this NHS online tool.

Posted on May 2nd, 2009 by admin
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While you may not be able to solve the biggest stressors in your life, you can do something about many of the smaller stressors that “nickel and dime you to death.” Here are some proven stress reducers you can implement in daily life to help:

1. Get up 15 minutes earlier each morning. That gives you a little more time to eat something, run back to get something you forgot, or enjoy a cup of coffee before heading out the door. If you drive to work, a 15 or 20 minute head start may decrease some of the traffic you face, and make the commute less stressful.
2. Prepare for mishaps. Make an extra copy of your house key and bury it in your neighbors’ yard; make a second copy of your car key and tape it under your coworker’s desk. Both may allow you to get home and inside the house if you loose your keys. If you do have to use them, pat yourself on the back for being smart.
3. Don’t do something if you will have to lie about it afterwards. While this may seem obvious, the nagging guilt we feel often wears us down or makes us anxious about getting caught… Sure, it may be more time consuming to fax your resume to new job sites from Kinko’s, but you don’t have to worry about being caught.
4. Do something healthy for yourself. That could mean taking the stairs once a day instead of the elevator, picking one day a week to have a salad for lunch, or eating fresh fruit instead of a candy bar. What’s the overall effect on your health? Maybe not much, but small steps lead to bigger ones, and doing something simple for your body is the best way to start.
5. Write it down. There is an old Chinese proverb that goes, “The palest ink is better than the most retentive memory.” All those “Seven Secrets” tips are based on writing things down. Write down goals, errands, chores, due dates for projects and library books… Instead of just a “To Do” list, keep a “Have Done” list too. Move things over to that list after having completed them. At the end of the day, review how productive you were.
6. Do something special on a whim. Buy flowers for your partner unexpectedly. Sneak a small greeting card that says “I love you” into your child’s lunch box. Bring donuts, bagels, or muffins to the office for others one morning. You get the picture. Someone else’s smile and “Thanks” can sometimes make a bad day better.
7. Be willing to forgive others. Allowing others the right to make a mistake goes a long way toward forgiving yourself for mistakes. Assume that others are doing the best they can. Mark Twain once said, “Never attribute to malice what can easily be attributed to stupidity.” This goes a long way toward doing the best you can as well.
8. Don’t eat lunch at your desk. Get away to somewhere quiet or different if only for a 15 or 20 minute break.
9. Delegate new jobs. Say no to avoid additional responsibilities. Simplify. Put your best effort into a task, and ask yourself, “Is it really that important?” before you decide to do it over. Learn to ignore others’ criticism sometimes.
10. Get up and stretch periodically. Twist side to side and bend front to back. Roll your head around to stretch your neck a bit. Trade shoulder rubs with a coworker. If you used to smoke, but have stopped, get up and take a break anyway when you feel the need to smoke. A quick trip to the water cooler, to a coworker’s desk, or to the restroom doesn’t provide the nicotine a cigarette used to, but it does give you the break and moment’s respite a cigarette did.

Posted on March 20th, 2009 by admin
Filed under: Reduce Stress | No Comments »