Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Osteoporosis Not Just A Woman Issue

Although osteoporosis is thought to be a disease of women, it also affects men. Fatal hip fractures in men have osteoporosis as a common factor. The key element to fight osteoporosis is calcium.
From the article:


Ideally, calcium should be obtained exclusively from our diet. The average American diet without dairy products contains anywhere from 600 to 800 mg calcium. One serving of dairy (cup of milk or yogurt or an ounce of cheese) contains 300 mg of calcium. Thus, a healthy diet containing at least two servings of dairy will assure that you receive sufficient calcium to meet your needs.

Dairy is a funny thing when it comes to health. I believe less is more especially when it comes to milk. My daily dairy intake is one yogurt, but occasionally I may have cheese. But milk is either on occasion or none for me. Funny thing is that mammals as a species for the most part never consume milk once they are weaned of their mother's. Milk is overloaded with cholesterol and calcium, and can deliver what can be described as Calcium Overdose. 


The key to calcium absorption is Vitamin D. Calcium the more you know.



Saturday, December 27, 2014

Healthy Habits For 2015

A healthy environment is clean and organized. Follow these easy cleaning tips to simplify your life. Get organized and everything will fall into place.




Mental health should be a priority to overall health. Diet and depression may have a link toward a mental health issue.




There is a high and quick workout to get fit. Doing intense exercises leads to less gym time, but watch out that you don't overdue it and end up not returning to the gym.




Weight Loss Resolutions advice that work with other resolutions.


Smoking is not the only cause of cancer.


As we age, we may fall into habits that can shorten our lives. Things that can shorten your life can still be corrected.


There actually are healthy cereals.







Thursday, December 25, 2014

The Must Resolution

We are now nearing the time of year I dread-the New Years Resolutions. It is now time to see the gym full to capacity until about April. Yes for the most part resolutions go unfulfilled. But more power to those who try and eventually end up sticking to it, like I eventually did. I'm not criticizing as much as stating facts.


It goes without saying that a change of habit may require time. It can't just happen overnight, although there are rare occasions when it does. So if at first you don't succeed, keep trying!




The one resolution that should be adhered to, if it applies to you, is to quit smoking. If you smoke, you should try to quit no matter how many attempts it takes. Whether you start the first of the year, or a month later, don't give up on quitting. Not everything works for everyone. I went cold-turkey and never looked back. It was a health issue for me that made me do it.




To be successful at quitting such a nasty habit, the secret is that you have to want to quit, otherwise nothing will work. I know somebody who was hypnotized, used acupuncture, the patch, pills, etc., and still goes back to smoking.




SmokeFree.gov might sweeten the quit smoking deal by offering incentives such as cash and free treatments.


Don't Stop Trying!

Sunday, December 21, 2014

The Foundation Of Good Health

To think that a healthy lifestyle involves only fitness and nutrition would miss the most important component to our overall health. To stay well we must include our mental health. Life is full of stress and sometimes we need help to cope with it.


If you need professional help, don't hesitate to get it. We are in the most anxiety filled season at the moment. Sometimes joining a support group might help. Here is an online support group that deals with mental health. It is a very informative site on the topic.

Saturday, December 20, 2014

Diet Dilemma

Your healthy nutrition should be determined through trial and error. In other words, one has to experiment with various diets to find what works and what doesn't work. Do I have to keep repeating that I am not a fan of the word "diet"? It seems to imply a temporary solution to lose weight.


What worked for me was eating basically the same foods for a week. If I gained weight, I would eliminate and possibly substitute certain foods. I can then build a menu around the foods that worked.


When it comes to losing weight in a healthy manner it is a combination of diet, exercise and sleep. Since there are a variety of diets you need to experiment by perhaps trying a variety. I tend to go meatless on a variety of days during the week, not just on a Meatless Monday.


Once you find a healthy nutrition program(diet!) that works, you should stick with it while adding variety. The best way for any program to work is to eat small meals every 2 or 3 hour intervals.

Friday, December 19, 2014

Good-Bye Dr. Oz...maybe!

Dr. Mehmet Oz has been under fire lately about whether he is giving wrong advice. If half of what Dr. Oz says is bunk, that would mean that the other half may be accurate. All I can say is that Dr. Oz helped transform my life in a positive way. He has paved the road to my healthy lifestyle, and I have had more success with health, thanks to him, than at any other time of my life.


We can understand that anything on TV is for entertainment only. It's all about the ratings, When it comes to health, you do what works. And what works about Dr. Oz is that you use what works. The main factor of a healthy lifestyle is discipline. When you find what works, you fine tune it and stick to it.


Lately I watch less Dr. Oz and when I do, I take the pearl advice and disregard the rest. I don't always agree with Dr. Oz and most of his shows cater to women only for the most part. But, I often take in a new tidbit that needs to be taken into account.


In conclusion, I may still use his advice, because the bottom line is that he is a real doctor.

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Feeling Longevity

The younger you feel, the longer you may live. This according to a new British study. I would consider anything that can help you live longer a bonus.


It goes without saying that optimism is a part of feeling younger and may be a factor for longevity. So stay young at heart and you may add years to your life.

Monday, December 15, 2014

Time To Take-out Triclosan

I already talked about triclosan here. Well in a new study triclosan causes liver fibrosis and promotes cancerous liver tumors. The value of having triclosan in products such as anti-bacterial soaps, toothpastes and shampoos seems be of no benefit.


The FDA is giving manufacturers until next year to prove that triclosan will do more good than harm. Problem is that if they just remove it from the soap, it will still be out there in other products that come in contact with any part of our bodies.




UPDATE:


Triclosan causes liver fibroses and promotes liver tumors.

Sunday, December 14, 2014

Health Journal 15

One of my biggest peeves about people I see working out at the gym are the guys with a large gut that only do weight and strength trainings. As far as health goes, extra weight is what can do real damage. Your waist circumference should be no more than 40 inches for men and 35 inches for women. It took me awhile to drop from over 40 to 36 inches, but I maintain it through exercise and diet. Go further on this and take the quiz.




PBS has come a long way as far as health shows go. Growing A Greener World is a show that can help you live a greener healthier life. Check it out!




With the resolutions coming up, find out how to break bad habits. It's a start.




Most of us know the conventional symptoms of a heart attack that seem to be for men. The heart attack symptoms are different in women. In the meantime, not all chest pain is a heart attack.




I heard that 50 is the last chance to reverse your lifestyle and become healthier. That remains to be seen, but it does serve as a cutoff point. One thing is for sure, if you want to prevent disabilities while aging, it is important to change to a healthy diet and lifestyle.




Holidays are made for eating and indulging. Learn how to prepare yourself and not get off track. Since many of us may fall, know how to rebound after giving in.


There is a science to walking for exercise. Who knew? It has always come naturally to me so I took it for granted. Here's a beginners guide to walking.


Although what we eat may help us maintain our weight, fat loss foods may not exist. Then again, I guess it depends on what you mean!











Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Time For Resolutions

Don't look now, but New Years and the resolutions are just around the corner. The gym gets full and it becomes an onslaught for those who resolved to exercise and get in shape. Now there is nothing wrong with that, but many are doomed to fail and by April the gym is almost empty again.


A way to succeed is to develop a powerful mindset that will help you stick to and achieve your goals. The important thing is not to quit completely trying to achieve your goal. No matter how many times you fall off the horse, always get back on until it becomes part of your lifestyle.


Here are more secrets to stay fit for life.

Monday, December 8, 2014

Get Things Moving Inside

Fiber is perhaps the most important nutrition element for the maintenance of our body function. That is why we cannot go on a total no-carb diet because fiber is classified as a carbohydrates. Fiber helps anything from the heart to digestion. It also helps in controlling cholesterol.


Get to know your fiber requirement along with more valuable information on fiber.



Sunday, December 7, 2014

Pump Of Life

Needless to say that if your heart stops beating, you're dead. It is truly the pump of life as it circulates blood throughout our bodies. It is the main organ that needs care and maintenance to keep us in top form.


There are seven lifestyle factors that will reduce your chances of heart disease.


-Get active. You should strive to do at least 30 minutes of daily moderate physical activity. A brisk walk, five times per week, can be the minimal.

- Control cholesterol (lower than 200 mg/dL). If you are on medications, be sure you get monitored by your doctor.

- Eat better. I've discussed this often on this blog. The important thing is to cut the fats, salts and sugars and increase fiber, protein and potassium to mention a few.

- Manage blood pressure (lower than 120/80 mm Hg).

- Lose weight (achieve a normal BMI).

- Reduce blood sugar (fasting glucose below 100).

- Stop smoking. This should be number one on a healthy heart list. If you never smoked, don't start.


We should always try to maintain an overall healthy lifestyle and the heart is ground zero to your well being.