Drinking water is something we all should do, regardless of whether or not we are already in perfect health. Water is beneficial to our health in so many way. For one, it contains no extra ingredients which can have an adverse affect on our physical well being: no sugars, no preservatives, no extracts and no carbonation. Water is nature’s life giving mana and it is one of the elements that truly makes life, and health, better. But is there a way to make water better? (more…)
While it is true that our bodies always require maintenance and general upkeep, when proceeding towards certain milestones it behooves us to pay closer and more specific attention to our health. Such is especially true at the age of 50. This is by no means meant to suggest that 50 should be thought of in terms of the stereotypical misnomer of “old.” Quite to the contrary, 50 should be thought of as more of a precursor and opportunity.
At the age of 50 most Americans are not necessarily in the “danger zone.” However, preventive measures and assessment of one’s health can help abate possible problems that may arise before they ever do. Let’s face it, health at 50 is very important and it is important to pay attention to certain tips that may help you live, not only a longer, but a higher quality, life. Here are a few health tips for both the sexes to help ensure that your health and wellness stay at their pinnacle performance.
MEN
Daily Steps to Good Health
Ø Stay “Smoke-Free”
Ø Physical Activity is key (Try to start slow and work up to at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day.)
Ø Maintain a healthy diet (Focus on fruits and vegetables, lean meats and fish, whole grains, and fat free milks.)
Ø Stay at a healthy weight (Here, it’s all about calorie balance.)
Ø Alcohol Consumption in moderation (It has been proven that a glass of wine a day can be healthy. However, as with all things, moderation and regulation are key as even too much of a good thing can be bad.)
Preventive Measures
Ø Aspirin (Taking Aspirin regularly reduces the risk of heart disease.)
Ø Immunizations (Get your flu shot every year! It does more than just fight the flu.)
Screening: What And When
Ø Abdominal Aortic AneurysmàIf between the ages of 65-75
Ø Colorectal CanceràAt anytime, this test is important so it should not be shirked
Ø DepressionàIf you go for a period of about 2 weeks feeling down or experience lack of enthusiasm or drive in that time
Ø DiabetesàIf you have high blood pressure you should get screened for diabetes
Ø High CholesterolàGet your blood pressure checked every two years but for reference purposes high blood pressure is right around 140/90 or higher.
Ø HIVàFor anything short of celibacy (and maybe even then) regular testing to ensure that you do not have HIV will ensure your physical health and quell any anxiety that the unknown may bring to your mind.
Ø ObesityàYou can calculate your BMI (Body Mass Index) and see if you are at your target healthy weight by using a BMI calculator found online, or you can simply ask your doctor.
Ø STD testingàAgain, if your are sexually active, getting regular testing ensures your health and the health of others are accounted for and protected at all times
WOMEN
For you ladies the process and suggestions remain the same as for the gentlemen in most respects, except for a few minor additions in the following categories.
Preventive Drugs
Ø Breast Cancer Drugs (If breast cancer has appeared in your immediate family seek a physicians advice on whether or not such drugs may be in your best interests to take.)
Ø Estrogen Use For Menopause (Hormone Replacement Therapy.)
Preventive Screening
Ø Breast Cancer (Have a mammogram every 1 to 2 years.)
Ø Cervical Cancer (A Pap smear every 1 to 3 years is recommended.)
Ø Osteoprosis (To combat bone thinning, have a bone density test doen at age 65. Further testing in subsequent intervals of every 2 years may be required.)
It is important to take care of your health and by following these guidelines, and other suggestions found on such websites as that of “The Agency For Healthcare Research And Quality” you can lead a happier and more energetic life. Take care of your mind. Take care of your body. Take care of your life, and be fabulous at 50.
Winter S.A.D.ness: The Real Story Behind The Cold Weather Blues
November 1st, 2010 | Posted by in Uncategorized - (1 Comments)
For millions of Americans each year, the winter months usher in a season of melancholia and depression that lasts winter-long. Depression rates during the winter season are staggering and for this cold quarter of the year Americans experience a veritable epidemic of sadness. The average person looking to avoid pathologizing this occurrence may chalk it up to being lonely during the holidays. Others think of it just as the dreariness of the cold bringing them down. However, studies have shown that this state of depression during the winter months has less to do with simply “feeling down” and more to do with an actual medical condition.
The official diagnosis of this condition is called, appropriately enough, “S.A.D.,” or “Seasonal Affective Disorder.” Dr. Keith Ablow, the Fox News Psychiatrist, has stated, SAD is an under-diagnosed condition that is responsible for a tremendous amount of psychological distress, but also a big price-tag in terms of decreased productivity of folks who think they’re just ‘down,’ but are really fighting a real psychiatric disorder. People who have always ‘hated’ the holidays or who ‘can’t stand’ February should start to wonder whether that’s them speaking or an illness speaking for them.”
And the astonishing, although completely logical, explanation for this condition has nothing to do with the cold at all. Indulge, if you will, the notion that, in some respects, human beings are like plants. Here, the relevant correlation for the purposes of parsing out the cause of S.A.D. is that humans, like plants, thrive on sunlight. During the winter months it is not the pervading sense of cold that causes the sense of depression, but the lack of sunlight.
To that end, Dr. Ablow has treated various patients suffering from S.A.D. without the use of a pill or any other medication. The prescription is…Sunlight! Dr. Ablow has prescribed the use of special high intensity lights that you can put on your desk at home or work and use to simply absorb the rejuvenating rays that the lamp emits. These lights are widely available, from companies such as LiteBook and Northern Light Technologies.
However, for those who may possess a sensitivity to light that makes the use of this novel treatment impractical, there is still hope. There are medications available that may be prescribed by a doctor to combat depression. And, for an organic supplement to these prescription drugs, Vitamin D has also been recognized in certain medical circles as helping combat feelings of depression.
Your health and well-being are among the most vital aspects of your life to foster and nourish. If you or someone you know suffers from S.A.D. this treatment may prove to be a crucial aid in helping to combat the effects of seasonal depression. It may be worth trying this winter season. We can all stand to shine a little light on our lives from time to time.
I’m going to start this week off with a little video of OMG Facts from a couple of years ago, then get into the new personal development jive.
Pretty interesting. Make’s me think of that Ferris Beuller line.. “Life moves pretty fast. You don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” Let’s make that life the best we possibly can, right? Moving on… Lots to cover this week, so let’s get to it!
Over at the home of Personal Development blogger extroirdinare Steve Pavlina, Steve addresses how to “create your vision”
When you write down your goals, your primary aim is to create a new vision for what you desire to experience next in life, so that you can begin to make that vision a reality
So what do you do when you sit down to write a vision for your life, and you’re coming up with a lot of blanks that you just aren’t sure about?
Guess.
Steve also recently penned a book called “Personal Development for Smart People” Which I highly recommend.
The experts from Ask Dan and Jennifer, answer the question “Is your single behavior ruining a potential relationship”
Being single is all about freedom: freedom to dress how you want, do what you want, clean when you want, and so on. You don’t have a girlfriend who insists you cut your hair or take the garbage out before your apartment starts to smell. You don’t have a boyfriend who wants to see you wearing something nicer than sweatpants or makes you want to keep your legs clean-shaven. You don’t have a significant other who stops you from making a fool of yourself in public.
On PickTheBrain, we learn 5 Ways to slay the un-motivation demon.
You could be making attempts to get out there and do what you’re setting out to do. And even begin to get results here or there. But your surroundings, circumstances, and negative or lazy forces around you constantly hold you back. They pull you back to where you started. And you get discouraged or convince yourself you can’t do it.
That’s the un-motivation demon at work.
Dumb Little Man teaches us “how to shape your lifestyle to improve your fitness” in 3 simple morsels
Fitness, in the past, has not been a big part of my life and I imagine that’s true for many people reading this. I want that to change.
I don’t like running out of breath, aching after minimal movement and not being able to do the things I want to do just because I’m not physically prepared for them. For the longest time I felt this was just who I was. I was the computer geek, someone who wasn’t built for sports or to be fit and healthy.’
One of our favorites, The Positivity Blog has a great collection of quotes which help turn failure into success:
Failure can be quite the problem. And the fear of it can be paralyzing.
So what can you do to motivate yourself to take a chance, to overcome possible failure and to use it to your advantage?
Here are a few timeless words of advice.
Finally at MensHealth.com, we learn how to “Burn Fat In a Hurry”
Researchers at Australia’s University of New South Wales found that intervals burn three times as much fat as running twice as long at a moderately hard, steady pace. Use this interval program from the University of Oklahoma Department of Health & Exercise Science this winter to turbocharge your body’s fat-burning system.
Over at eMaxHealth.com they discussed the problem that many people have with completing New Year’s Resolutions:
Richard Wiseman, a psychologist at the University of Hertfordshire, led a team of investigators who have come up with an answer to this age-old question. The research team surveyed about 700 people and asked them to describe their strategies for achieving their New Year’s resolutions. The most common goals told to the researchers were losing weight, quitting smoking, or beginning a better relationship.
A total of 78 percent of the participants did not meet their goals, and the researchers found that many of the individuals had focused on the downside of not achieving their goals. This included suppressing their cravings for food and/or nicotine, relying solely on willpower, adopting a role model, or fantasizing about being successful.
Luckily for us, we’re in 2010 and we have such useful tools as eHow, this video offers a solution to this problem:
What to Do If New Year’s Resolutions Fail — powered by eHow.com
There are many blogs on the internet which are merely portals to sell some product or service. The Adonis Lifestyle is attempting to push a book, however this blog has a lot more to offer than pushy pitches. This blog features regular posts about health, physical fitness, and even social strategy for men. The blog also features a regular podcast which creates a much more dynamic experience for users.
Blog creator John Barban explains his intentions for the blog in the about section:
I’m John Barban, along with Brad Howard and Brad Pilon we are here to give you up to date no BS information on exercise, nutrition, and lifestyle tips for the modern man (if you’re reading this, then that means YOU).
I guess you could say we’re part mythbusters, part lifestyle coach, part nutritionists and part exercise coach.
The e-book “Fit and Sexed” discusses 10 superfoods that will help you lead a healthy life. In this post we’ll list them and let you know why.
Quinoa = is a species of goosefoot grown primarily as a pseudo-cereal crop. Although technically neither a grain nor a cereal, it is generally considered to be a grain crop. Quinoa comes from the Andean region of South America, where it has been an important food for 6,000 years. Quinoa has come to be highly appreciated for its nutritional value, and the United Nations has classified it as a supercrop for its very high protein content (13%). Unlike wheat or rice (which are low in lysine), quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete foodstuff. This means it takes less quinoa protein to meet one’s needs than wheat protein. Although technically a seed, quinoa is considered a whole grain and a good source of dietary fiber. Quinoa also contains omega-3 fatty acids, which provide benefit to the heart. Quinoa is a good source of phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten free and considered easy to digest.
Olive Oil = 40% of the worlds olive oil comes from Spain. Many Italian olive oils are bottled in Italy, but bought from Spain. It decreases LDL, the bad guy cholesterol and increases HDL, the good guy cholesterol. Recently there is some speculation that a compound in Olive Oil is the same as Ibuprofen which is an anti inflammatory. Ibuprofen thins the blood and can aide in heart attacks, strokes, cancers and Alzheimer. Olive Oil is not only a great food , but great for your skin.
Lentils = A sample in India and is eaten twice a day there. Lentils are high in protein, B Vitamins, Folate and cholesterol lowering fiber. It has twice the iron of other legumes. It is also speculated to has anti oxidant qualities.
Wheatgrass juice and green juices = Wheatgrass is a young plant of the genus Agropyron, a relative of wheat. Fresh leaf buds of this plant can be crushed to create a juice or dried to make a powder; the unprocessed plant contains high levels of cellulose which makes it indigestible. It possesses chlorophyll, amino acids, minerals, vitamins, and enzymes. The chlorophyll molecule is similar in structure to hemoglobin, leading some to believe that wheatgrass helps blood flow, digestion and general detoxification of the body. These claims have neither been proven nor disproven.
Vegetables = is a culinary term. Its definition has no scientific value, and is somehow arbitrary and subjective.
Any part of a herbaceous plant that humans eat whole or in part is a vegetable, except for culinary fruits and arguably grains, nuts, herbs, and spices. Also, mushrooms are commonly considered vegetables, despite belonging to a different biological kingdom, namely fungi (which used to be classified as plants).
Vegetables include leaf vegetables (for example lettuce), stem vegetables (asparagus), root vegetables (carrot), flower vegetables (broccoli), bulbs (garlic) and botanical fruits such as cucumbers, squashes, pumpkins, avocados, capsicums, as well as botanical pulses such as green beans, and fleshy, immature seeds such as those of peas or beans.
Since “vegetable” is not a botanical term, there is no contradiction in a plant part being a fruit botanically while still being considered a vegetable (see diagram).
In general, vegetables are thought of as being savoury, and not sweet (with some exceptions, such as rhubarb and pumpkin).
Fruits = In botany, a fruit is the ripened ovary-together with seeds-of a flowering plant. With most fruits pollination is a vital part of fruit culture, and the lack of knowledge of pollinators and pollenizers can contribute to poor crops or poor quality crops. Pollination is an important step in the reproduction of seed plants: the transfer of pollen grains (male gametes) to the plant carpel, the structure that contains the ovule (female gamete).
Almonds = Almonds are a rich source of Vitamin E, containing 24 mg per 100 grammes [1]. They are also rich in monounsaturated fat, one of the two “good” fats responsible for lowering LDL cholesterol.
Flax seeds = Alpha-linolenic acid is one of the two essential fatty acids that humans require. The other is Linoleic acid. They are called “essential” because they can not be produced by the human body. Essential fatty acids should not be confused with essential oils which are not required by the human body. Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is a polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acid. Omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fatty acids found in oil from oily fish and vegetable sources such as the seeds of chia, perilla, flax, walnuts, purslane, lingonberry, seabuckthorn, and hemp. Omega-3 fatty acids are classified as essential because they cannot be synthesized in the body; they must be obtained from food.
Important omega-3 fatty acids in human nutrition are: α-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
Brown Rice = Whole grains are believed to be nutritionally superior to refined grains, richer in dietary fiber, antioxidants, protein (and in particular the amino acid lysine), dietary minerals (including magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, and selenium), and vitamins (including niacin, vitamin B6, and vitamin E). Manufacturers are sometimes required by law to fortify refined grain products to make up for the loss of vitamins and minerals.
The greater amount of dietary fibre, as much as four times that found in refined grains, is likely the most important benefit, as it has been shown to reduce the incidence of some forms of cancer, digestive system diseases, coronary heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Some of these protective effects occur because carbohydrates from whole grains are digested and enter the bloodstream more slowly (as measured by the glycemic index).
Whole grains are often more expensive than refined grains because their higher oil content is susceptible to rancidification, complicating processing, storage, and transport.
Root Vegetables = are underground plant parts used as vegetables. They are called root vegetables for lack of a better generic term, but include both true roots such as tuberous roots and taproots, as well as non-roots such as tubers, rhizomes, corms, and bulbs. Several types contain both taproot and hypocotyl tissue, and it may be difficult to distinguish the two.
Want to do Christmas stress free this year?
December 8th, 2009 | Posted by in Uncategorized - (0 Comments)Are you tired of the hassle that is the hustle and bustle of the holidays? One of our favorite blogs, Dumb Little Man, has compiled a list of things that you can do to have a much more peaceful December.
Christmas is traditionally a time of year when we enjoy ourselves, we let our hair down and are a little more relaxed. At least that’s the way it’s meant to be. For a lot of people however, it’s a stressful time of year. There’s the shopping to do, there’s the list of cards for all the family; god forbid we don’t send Aunt Betty a card, there’s the dinner to buy, there’s work to do, there’s family to contact, there’s a hundred and one things to do.
In a recent post called “100 Ways To A Stress Free Christmas” DLM blogger Steven Aitchison noted such suggestions as Stocking up on Chocolates as “emergency gifts” and tiring out your pets before the family arrives for your big holiday shindig.
Click here to read the entire list
We’re very excited to talk about an upcoming fundraiser event that our friend Michael Jascz is running for The Relationship Foundation at Atmananda Yoga Studios (324 Lafayette St, NYC). The event is going to be held on Thursday November 19th, 7:30-10:30. and is $20 to enter ($15 for students with ID) Admission includes open wine bar, hors d’oeuvours, and music.
More information about the event after the jump: (more…)
Karen Bell teaches you how to Overcome Worry
October 27th, 2009 | Posted by in Uncategorized - (0 Comments)
Meet Karen Bell, an intuitive writer, spiritual life coach, and musician from Ontario, Canada. By “Vloging” , Tweeting inspirational quotes and sayings, and posting to her blog, Bell is helping people around the globe who have been lucky enough to find her.
Below is Karen’s latest VLog about Overcoming Worry.
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