Healthy Lifestyle Alternatives

Archive for February, 2010

HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

Minimal Investment for a Healthy Lifestyle

With all that is in the news about health care reform and insurance rates increasing it is very depressing to hear. The economy is at an all time low. Many people have no jobs. Our bank accounts are decreasing. Bills are not getting paid. So many people are homeless. Nature is wreaking havoc all over the nation. It is no wonder there are so many angry people out in the world right now.

We really need to look out for ourselves and what is in our best interest. Only we know what we can and cannot do. Physically, mentally and financially. We cannot wait around for the government to take care of things for us.

Taking care of our own health is one step we can make toward our part of this crisis. Make a goal to live a healthy lifestyle and stick to it. How many illnesses do you hear about that say one type of prevention is living healthy? You can decrease your chances of heart disease, obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes; lung disease and even some types of cancer can be prevented and treated with some healthy lifestyle choices. By making the choice to live a healthy lifestyle you can reduce your health care costs by having less doctor’s visits, less illness and injuries and less pharmacy expenses. A healthy lifestyle also increases longevity.

For someone who is over weight or obese just losing 10% of their body weight will significantly reduce the risk of heart disease and other obesity – related illnesses. Not only will loosing weight increase the chances of being healthy physically but also mentally it will increase self-esteem and self-image.

Healthy Lifestyle

Exercise has been proven to help lose weight, build strength, increase energy, lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of diabetes and reduce the waywe handle stress. Also an exercise program has been shown to significantly reduce LDL cholesterol and other risk factors beyond what’s provided by drug therapy.

Eating healthy and exercising will also give more strength and stamina. When the body muscles are healthy and strong it decreases the risks of falls and fractures. Research shows that cardiovascular activity strengthens the heart and weight bearing exercises like walking and strength training can reduce the onset or even prevent osteoporosis.

Overall we need to do our part to decrease how much we personally are spending on health care by taking the step to live a healthy lifestyle and reduce the risks of illnesses related to an unhealthy lifestyle.

Start by learning how to EAT RIGHT TO FEEL GREAT.

Or find a MEAL PLAN FOR YOU.

A Healthy Lifestyle is only a few steps away.

A healthy lifestyle with sleep

Tom Smith for more article by Tom click here.

Even though people spend a third of their lives asleep, they often do not know how important it really is. Sleep is vital not only for mental well being but for health. This makes understanding sleep and knowing how to sleep well so important.

Everyone sleeps differently and needs different amounts of sleep, but it has common functions for everyone. Sleep offers our bodies a way to rejuvenate. It also is very important for our minds and appears to offer a way for them to process information picked up during the day and organize memories. This process has been compared to something akin to a defragmenting a hard drive on a computer.

Lack of sleep can cause lose of motor skills, diseases, hallucinations, irritability, anxiety and various other negative feelings and aliments. In extreme causes, it has been known to cause death. Death from overwork is thought to be closely tied to lack of sleep.

With all the problems lack of sleep can cause, people need to make sure they are getting the sleep they need. While making the time to sleep obviously comes first, people can make their sleep time more restful and efficient through their lifestyles and approach to sleep.

One way to do this is to keep a regular schedule and go to bed at the same time every day. By doing so, it is easier to go to sleep, and sleep is more restful. Of course, it is not always possible to control one’s schedule, and people like later schedules on weekends, but sleep and health will improve by following the same schedule as closely as possible.

Sleep is frequently disrupted when people have to get up to go to the restroom. This is of course unavoidable at times, but it can be limited by avoiding too many liquids in the evening. Also, in spite of being a sedative, alcohol disrupts sleep and makes trips to the bathroom more frequent.

Exercise is good for sleep. Aerobic exercise such as running during the daytime is best. At least 20 to 30 minutes of exercise three of four times a week is recommended. Exercise helps sleep by enabling the body to transition between sleep cycles more frequently and smoothly.

While there is controversy as to if calories consumed at night cause more weight gain, there can be no doubt that eating at night is not good for health and sleep. Besides heartburn and other negative effect too much food at night can cause during sleep, forcing the body to digest food at night when it should be resting and recovering from the day adversely affects health and sleep. It is best to avoid major meals for two hours or more before bedtime and to refrain from snacks.

Television and computer screens have been shown to inhibit the production of natural sleep hormones like melatonin and should be avoided at bedtime.

There are a lot of distractions in the modern world, but sleep is still vital to a health lifestyle. Regardless of what steps one takes to ensure a good nights sleep, always keep its importance in mind.

For information on modern alarm clocks that make waking up as pleasant as possible, see Bose Alarm Clockto find out about sleep and alarm clock features.

A healthy lifestyle is only a few steps away.

Taking care of your skin is very important to a healthy lifestyle.

You might be surprised to find out the skin is the largest organ in your body. No matter how you think of it, your skin is very important. It covers and protects everything inside your body. Without skin, people’s muscles, bones, and organs would be hanging out all over the place. Skin holds everything together. It also:

• protects our bodies
• helps keep our bodies at just the right temperature
• allows us to have the sense of touch

Skincancer.org

Melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer. In its advanced state, it can cause serious illness and even death. Fortunately, melanoma rarely strikes without warning. Learn how to identify melanoma, how it spreads and what treatments are available.

Healthy Lifestyle

Melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer. However, if it is recognized and treated early, it is nearly 100 percent curable. But if it is not, the cancer can advance and spread to other parts of the body, where it becomes hard to treat and can be fatal. While it is not the most common of the skin cancers, it causes the most deaths. The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2008, there will be 8,420 fatalities in the U.S., 5,400 in men and 3,020 in women. The number of new cases of invasive melanoma is estimated at 62,480; of these, 34,950 will be in men and 27,350 in women.

Melanoma is a malignant tumor that originates in melanocytes, the cells which produce the pigment melanin that colors our skin, hair, and eyes. The majority of melanomas are black or brown. However, some melanomas are skin-colored, pink, red, purple, blue or white.

Am I at Risk?

Everyone is at some risk for melanoma, but increased risk depends on several factors: sun exposure, number of moles on the skin, skin type and family history (genetics).

We are all at risk for melanoma. However, some people are more at risk than others. Heredity plays a major role. If your mother, father, siblings, or children (first-degree relatives) have had a melanoma, you are part of a melanoma-prone family. Each person with a first-degree relative diagnosed with melanoma has a 50 percent greater chance of developing the disease than members of the general public who do not have a family history of the disease. If the cancer occurred in a grandmother, grandfather, aunt, uncle, niece, or nephew (second-degree relatives), there is still an increase in risk compared to the general population, though it is not as great.

Warning Signs: The ABCDEs of Melanoma

Moles, brown spots and growths on the skin are usually harmless — but not always. Anyone who has more than 100 moles is at greater risk for melanoma. The first signs can appear in one or more atypical moles. That’s why it’s so important to get to know your skin very well and to recognize any changes in the moles on your body. Look for the ABCDEs of melanoma, and if you see one or more, make an appointment with a physician immediately.

To see pictures of moles to compare visit skincancer.org

Melanoma Prevention

The main cause of melanoma is too much exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays.

The best way to prevent melanoma is to reduce the amount of time you spend in the sun—especially at certain times of the day—and to make sure that you are well protected when you are in the sun. Use sunscreen whenever in the sun and reduce your tanning time. Use sunless tanning lotions to get the tan you want.

Healthy Lifestyle

You can also do a skin self-exam every 6 to 8 weeks. This helps ensure that you find suspicious moles early and have them checked promptly by your doctor.

Childhood is an especially important time for sun protection.

Protecting the skin during the first 18 years of life can reduce the risk of some types of skin cancer by up to 78%. Learn more about protecting children from the sun.

A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE is only a few steps away.

By Martin Boyd

Becoming a work at home business owner means you will need to make priority choices about many things – especially when it comes to time management. One of the easiest things to do is to fall into a routine where you take care of your family, the business, your home and forget about yourself. Just because suddenly you feel you need every waking moment (and some sleeping ones) to keep your “to do” list under control, you can’t ignore your body or you’ll find that your energy levels will start to decrease and you won’t be able to put as much effort into getting your work at home business off the ground as you thought you would be able to.

There are three main areas of a healthy lifestyle that are easy to ignore when first getting started in the work at home business arena, namely nutrition, exercise and sleep. They are also the three main healthy living issues that need to be balanced in order to keep your body functioning properly, and ignoring any (or worse, all) of them will have a negative effect on your health. The problem is that they all take time out of what is going to be an already over-filled day so you need to find someway to incorporate them into what you’re doing so that you eliminate the need to find extra time to fit them in.

The first thing you need for a healthy lifestyle is to learn what your body needs in order to function at its optimum. What does it need by way of nutrition, how much sleep does it need to keep you sharp, and what exercise is recommended for someone of your age and fitness ability? One way of helping with nutrition is to buy plenty of healthy snacks, such as fruit and raw vegetable sticks (such as celery and carrots). Plan your meals a week in advance so that you know each day what you need to do for preparation for the next day’s menu – and stick to it. Schedule your day so that there are three things that are rigid – meal preparation time, 15-30 minutes of exercise (even if that’s a power walk to the store for an errand or to the school to pick up children), and a fixed bed time that is set in stone – regardless what deadlines and TV specials appear on your horizon!

By scheduling these three things into your work at home business life from the very beginning, you won’t get used to the fast food, 3 am bedtime and zero exercise – and consequently zero energy – circle that many work at home business people initially find themselves in. Once your new lifestyle of caring for family, home, business and self becomes second nature, you won’t need to actually write these things in your day planner – but until that time, make sure that every week you conscientiously make the effort to write them down at set times, and that you make sure that you “turn up” for each of the appointments on the scheduled time.

As a work at home business owner, the last thing you need to be is sick. Ensure that you don’t threaten your health by ignoring the basic essential components your body needs to function well. Remember that if you threaten your body’s immunity and capacity to cope with daily living – you are also threatening your ability to build and run a successful work at home business!

NEW ONLINE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE is only a few steps away.

To follow up on the 21 days to a healthy lifestyle, I understand that it can be tough to keep your goals daily. I struggle as well. I made the goal to exercise for 15 minutes a day. I thought 15 minutes a day I can try and do that. But life happens and sometimes your goals get set aside. The main thing is don’t get discouraged. Pick it back up when you can. Hang in there. I try to fit in exercise in my daily routines. Visit a previous article Unmotivated to Exercise for some tips. I also found this article below that has some good tips for just squeezing in what you can.  I like the fidget tip.

7 Easy Ways to Lose Weight Without Starving or Breaking a Sweat

By Liz Vaccariello, Editor-in-Chief, Prevention

Weight loss requires two things: burning calories through exercise and cutting them through smart food choices and portion control. In theory, you could create a calorie deficit by spending hours at the gym, but that’s not realistic-or much fun. And who wants to live on lettuce leaves? Instead, try these seven everyday moves to drop pounds effortlessly.

1. Fidget
James Levine, MD, of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, has spent a decade studying the role that everyday movement, or NEAT (nonexercise activity thermogenesis), plays in metabolism. His discovery: People who tap their feet,prefer standing to sitting, and generally move around a lot burn up to 350 more calories a day than those who sit still. That adds up to nearly 37 pounds a year!

2. Keep most meals under 400 calories
Study after study recommends spacing out your meals at regular intervals and keeping them all about the same size. Eating meals at regular intervals has been linked to greater calorie burning after eating, better response to insulin, and lower fasting blood cholesterol levels. When you eat regular meals throughout the day, you’re less likely to become ravenous and overeat.

3. Take yourself off cruise control
Increase the intensity of your everyday tasks, from vacuuming to walking the dog, recommends Douglas Brooks, an exercise physiologist and personal trainer in Northern California. “Turn on some music, add in some vigorous bursts, and enjoy the movement,” he says.

4. Drink 8 glasses of water per day
Water is not just a thirst quencher–it may speed the body’s metabolism. Researchers in Germany found that drinking two 8-ounce glasses of cold water increased their subjects’ metabolic rate by 30%, and the effect persisted for 90 minutes. One-third of the boost came from the body’s efforts to warm the water, but the rest was due to the work the body did to absorb it. “When drinking water, no calories are ingested but calories are used, unlike when drinking sodas, where additional calories are ingested and possibly stored,” explains the lead researcher, Michael Boschmann, MD, of University Medicine Berlin. Increasing water consumption to eight glasses per day may help you lose about 8 pounds in a year, he says, so try drinking a glass before meals and snacks and before consuming sweetened drinks or juices.

5. Step it up–and down
Climbing stairs is a great leg strengthener, because you’re lifting your body weight against gravity. In addition to taking the stairs at every opportunity, try stepping up and down on the curb while you’re waiting for the bus or filling your gas tank, says Brooks.

6. Use grocery bags as dumbbells
Letting someone else load your groceries or carry your suitcase is an opportunity missed for strengthening and calorie burning, says certified coach Beth Rothenberg, who teaches a class for fitness professionals at UCLA. “Carry your groceries, balanced with a bag in each hand, even if you have to make several trips,” she says. “And pack two smaller suitcases instead of one big one, so you can carry them yourself.”

7. Eat 4 g of fiber at every meal
A high-fiber diet can lower your caloric intake without making you feel deprived. In a Tufts University study, women who ate 13 g of fiber or less per day were five times as likely to be overweight as those who ate more fiber. Experts see a number of mechanisms through which fiber promotes weight loss: It may slow down eating because it requires more chewing, speed the passage of food through the digestive tract, and boost satiety hormones. To get 25 g of fiber a day, make sure you eat six meals or snacks, each of which contains about 4 g of fiber. For to-go snacks, buy fruit; it’s handier than vegetables, so it’s an easy way to up your fiber intake. One large apple has just as much fiber (5 g) as a cup of raw broccoli.

A Healthy Lifestyle is only a few steps away.

STRIP THE FAT

By Steven Aitchison

Research shows that it takes 21 days to develop a habit. That’s 21 days of going to the gym every day or exercising in some way every day, 21 days to meditation, 21 days to eat healthily, 21 days doing, 21 days to create a healthy lifestyle, 21 days of anything. When you want to start a habit, don’t tell yourself you are doing it for life, tell yourself (your conscious brain) that you are going to try it for 21 days. For example if you want to start the habit of meditating tell your conscious self that you are trying it for 21 days. Now, when you have completed this for 21 days your conscious mind has the choice of stopping it or carrying on, or so it thinks. Your neural pathways have formed already and you will more than likely continue with your new habit, you will have seen the benefits along the way your unconscious will want to continue if it has been beneficial.
This can also work when trying to break a habit, however research has shown that the neural pathways to any habit could be lifelong and a cue or a trigger can cause us to start back up an old habit, like smoking.
This is not a bad thing; we just have to be aware of our thoughts when we have given up a habit such as smoking. When starting or breaking any habit we tend to tell our conscious mind we are going to change and it’s for life. Your conscious mind will just say is that right? I’m in charge here, I’ll decide’ so there will be a battle between your two sides of your conscious mind.If you tell your mind you want to try something for 21 days it won’t be so unwilling to co-operate. This might sound a little strange when I say talking to your conscious’ as it is your conscious talking to your conscious. We all know we have conversations with ourselves, should I go to the pub should I not, should I go to the gym should I not. There are a hundred conversations we have with ourselves everyday.
When we want to start something or give up something, smoking for example, you might normally say to yourself right that’s it I’m giving up for good’. Immediately your brain kicks in and says no smoking for life, and then it starts to think of all the situations it likes a good cigarette in; first thing in the morning with a cup of coffee, going out for a drink at night, at work when you’re a bit stressed, just after sex etc. Your brain thinks ‘lack of’ instead of the benefits of. It can’t really think as clearly about the benefits because it hasn’t yet had the benefits of giving up smoking but it knows the supposed pleasures that smoking brings.

So what healthy lifestyle habits can we start for 21 days?

Give up sweets for 21 days
Meditate for 21 days
Go for a walk for 21 days
Eat more vegetables for 21 days

Healthy Lifestyle in 21 days

Great ebook on Creating a healthy and happy life.