Women and Stress

Women plays the role as the caregivers at home yet at the same time, mothers may also play the role of the breadwinner of the family. Because of these women are more prone to experience stress and fatigue.Women may experience "chronic" fatigue. This eventually leads to premature aging, compromised immune function and increased possibility of disease. 

Symptoms of a chronic fatigue includes: feelings of exhaustion, feeling rundowns or overwhelmed, joint pains, depressed mood, loss of energy or "blah-ness", lightheadedness, dependence on caffeine,  poor short term memory, confusion and irritability. 

Fatigue can be caused by several things. It may include lack of sleep, emotions and stress, lack of proper nutrition, nutritional deficiencies dehydration or inactivity. TI can also be caused by infection, thyroid problems, pre-menstrual syndrome, or even menopause.

What can you do if you experience chronic fatigue? Seek help and get some tests. It will also help if you establish a good sleeping habit.  Eat proper diet. Drink lots of water and more importantly RELAX.

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What Tai-Chi Can Do For You

There are several Chinese martial arts that focuses on physical well-being. Tai-Chi is an ancient Chinese martial arts that aims to improve felixibility and balance. It was first used by monks to enhance their concentration. 

This martial arts involves slow and gentle movements with grace and accuracy. Tai chi aims to enhance strength and coordination and at the same time improving inner peace. This exercise is ideal for elderly people. Even the disabled can do tai-chi while in a sitting position. 

Tai chi can help you enhance your stamina, improve your breathing, helps you achieve better balance, enhance your posture. It also reduce the stiffness in your joints, increase your energy level and helps relieves stress.

According to myoptumhealth.com, "the most effective plan to prevent falls among older adults is activity that improves strength, movement and flexibility. Tai chi may help to achieve these goals. In one study, older people taking part in a 15-week tai chi program reduced their risk of falling by almost half. After the course, many were no longer afraid of falling."

Resolution for 2009: Better Health

2009 is just around the corner.

This is the time of the year where we set our resolutions for the upcoming year. Hopefully you will include health related resolutions for 2009.

Here are some ideas:

• - Avoid smoking—the leading cause of preventable risk
• - Achieve and maintain a healthy body weight
  - Don’t drink and drive
  - Exercise regularly at an appropriate level
  - Consume alcohol only in moderation
  - Get regular preventive health care and checkups
  - Protect yourself against sexually-transmitted diseases
  - Check “alternative” practices with your doctor
  - Use seat belts on every trip
  - Keep your teeth and gums in good condition
  - Install and maintain a smoke detector in your home
  
  May you have a healthier 2009!
  
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Sugar Cravings Explained

Holidays are here and sugar is everywhere, and because of that it is indeed very difficult to resist sugar cravings. The truth is, once we start with sugar, it seems impossible to stop.

Sweets provides instant energy. It is also a very emotional food. It can remind us of our childhood or even a past relationship. Parents often use it to reward their children whenever they do something good.

Research has determined that our brains “reward” us by releasing serotonin and beta-endorphins (mood-enhancing hormones) when we eat sugar or other refined carbohydrates that are easily converted to glucose (the simplest sugar). In other words, sugar affects our brain in a very similar way to drugs.

Possible reason for sugar cravings:
* Stress - stressful situation increases cortisol levels, which increases our hunger.
* Hormonal fluctuations - women who experience pre-menstrual syndrome craves for sweets.
* Excess of Acid - forming foods
* Intestinal Yeast or systemic candidiasis - Yeast thrives on sugar. If your intestinal (and vaginal) bacteria are out of balance, they are less likely to keep yeasts like Candida in check.

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High Protein Meals Help Overweight Burn Fat

New study shows that high-protein meals may help obese people burn more fat.

According to a recent Australian study, obese men and women burned more post-meal fat when they ate a high-protein breakfast and lunch than when they had lower-protein meals. According to Dr. Marijka Batterham of the University of Wollongong in New South Wales, "Our research suggests that people with higher body fat burn fat better after a high-protein meal than people with lower levels of body fat,". This may be because protein is better in suppressing appetite than fat or carbohydrates.

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Tips on Staying Energized

Here are ways to get back on productive groove!

1. Listen to relaxing music - listen to classical music. Harmony of the instruments relaxes your mind.

2. Deal with job burnout - relax and give yourself a break. Schedule a vacation to avoid work burnout.

3. Get some sun - National Institutes of Health recommends getting 10-15 minutes of sun every day. This will help you improve your mood and energy.

4. Work during your energy peaks - schedule non-thinking tasks during your "low-energy" time. Schedule work during your peak hours to be more productive.

5. Power nap! - rest for a few minutes and energize. 20 minute nap enhances alertness and concentration, elevates mood and sharpens motor skills. You can drink a coffee before you nap. The effect of the caffeine will take effect when u wake up.


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Heart Burn or Heart Attack? Know the Difference

Holidays are the season of festivities and great food. With overeating people often experience heartburn. Amazingly (and alarmingly), the symptoms of a severe heartburn can be strikingly similar to the symptoms of a heart attack That is why it is important to know the signs and be able to differentiate heart attack from having a heart burn.

Here are some symptoms that indicate heart attack according to Dr Nick Zenarosa, emergency medicine physician on the medical staff at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas:

- Breaking into a cold sweat

- Pain moving from the chest into the jaw, shoulder or arms

- Increased pain when you exert yourself

- Rapid onset of fatigue

- Shortness of breath

- Turning pale

- Slow or no response of symptoms to antacids

- Nausea and possible vomiting

If you are experiencing any of the signs mentioned above it is better to go to a nearby Emergency Room or hospital for medical assistance. With heart attack, time is very crucial. It is important that clot-busting drugs and other artery opening treatments are started right away for greater chances of survival

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Tips on Reducing Frequency of Migraine Attacks

With a very busy world and with hectic schedules, migraine headaches have become very common. Migraine is a very painful kind of headache that occurs on one side of the head. It is at times accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and changes in vision. It can be aggravated by exposure with light.

There is a 4:1 ratio among women and men who suffers from migraine. It is mostly women who get affected. However, for most of the affected women, migraine disappears during pregnancy.

"The typical migraine headache is one-sided and pulsating, lasting 4 to 72 hours. Accompanying complaints are nausea and vomiting, and a heightened sensitivity to bright lights (photophobia) and noise (hyperacusis). Approximately one third of people who experience migraines get a preceding aura, in which a patient may sense a strange light or unpleasant smell. ….Other symptoms of the aura phase can include auditory or olfactory hallucinations, temporary dysphasia, vertigo, tingling or numbness of the face and extremities, and hypersensitivity to touch. "

Here are some tips on how to reduce the frequency and severity of migraine according to chinese medicine:

1. Eat natural foods such as fruits, vegetables, organic meat. Avoid processed foods.
2. Avoid "fire inducing" foods such as alcohol, soda, and processed foods
3. Meditate daily to 20-30 minutes per day to calm the mind.
4. Practice deep abdominal breathing several times per day.
5. Use acupuncture and acupressure points to help balance chi flow
6. Drink more water

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Cell Phone Application To Track Fitness

As technology grows and develops, more and more cell phone applications are now available for downloads, offering a variety of features.

Researchers at the University of Washington together with Intel, created newest applications to track workouts and green transportation. These applications aim to change people's behavior and lifestyle for the better. They are called UbiFit and UbiGreen.

Researchers conducted a 3-month experiment among UbiFit users. Results show that uBitFit users managed to keep up with their workout routines despite the slack-off season. According to Science daily, "Current versions of UbiFit and UbiGreen use an external sensing device (the Intel Mobile Sensing Platform) clipped to the user's waist. The device includes an accelerometer to sense the user's movement. The programs could run on phones with built-in accelerometers, such as the iPhone and the new Android G1, with no need for external equipment, Landay said. UbiGreen also relies on changing cell phone tower signals to determine whether a person is taking a trip."

According to Consolvo, a researcher at Intel Research, "This background display proved motivational. Participants using the UbiFit background screen maintained their workout activity through the holiday months, while people using a version of UbiFit without the display let their workouts slide."

This is technology at its finest!

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Natural Ways To Enhance Sex Drive In Women

Instead of thinking of buying medications to boost your sex drive, why not try this natural ways to enhance your sex drive:

Avoid Stress, chill out and relax - too much stress decreases testosterone.

Exercise - Spend more time with aerobic exercise to improve blood flow to sex organs and boost your mood. This helps increase your testosterone levels

Have fun with your partners - engaging in new activities together as a couple helps fuel sex drive. Could be a night out with other couples, or a weekend getaway.

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Survival Guide for Holidays

Its holiday season once again, and during this time of the year, most people gain extra weight due to holiday festivities and meals. Here are some tips on how to survive holidays:

* Avoid buffet tables, candies and snacks.
* Keep a low-calorie drink in your hand or substitute with low calorie snacks
* Eat a bowl of broth-based soup before heading out the door to fill you up before the meal
* Grab a smaller plate to avoid loading tons of calories.
* Create a list of things that make you feel good that doesn't include food.
* Fill your fridge with healthy snacks instead of candies and chocolates.
* Don't go to a party with an empty stomach.


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What Your Leg Pain Might Be Telling You

Do you experience leg pain when climbing up the stairs? Do your legs hurt more frequently?
Your leg pain might be telling something...

You could be suffering from peripheral vascular disease (PVD), a disease of the blood vessels outside of the heart and brain. It happens when plaque buildup in the inner lining of artery walls causing narrowing of the blood vessels.

According to Thomas Livingston, MD, a radiologist at Baylor All Saints Medical Center, This can be caused by smoking, high amount of certain fats in the blood, hypertension and diabetes.

Symptoms include numbness, aching or heaviness in leg muscles, pain, and leg cramps. However 50% of the patients inflicted with PVD don't have symptoms.

PVD can be treated. Patient should change his / her lifestyle, quit smoking, work on lowering blood pressure and regular exercise, medications or surgery.


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Weight Loss and Post Workout Snack

If weight loss is one of your goals, you should not eat right after working out.

According to Barry S. Braun, director of the Energy Metabolism Laboratory at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, "If people are going to go out and exercise to benefit their health, they should not be eating back the calories immediately upon finishing, or within a couple of hours of finishing. In order to maintain the benefits, you need to be in this calorie deficit."

Researchers conducted an experiment to see the outcome of post workout snack to weight loss, and found out that exercise increased the insulin efficiency by 40% for those who did not eat afterwards. However, that was completely wiped out to those who had a high-carb drink afterwards.


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Steps on How to Prevent Lower Back Pains

Here are some recommendations on how to prevent lower back pain:

Increase Strength - do regular exercises that involves the whole body specifically the stomach, back, and pelvis.

Pay attention to posture - avoid sitting for long periods of time. Get up every 15 - 30 minutes and move around or stretch to increase mobility.

Use proper lifting mechanics - stand with a wide stance and slight bent at your hips and knees when lifting. Do not arch or bend. Avoid carrying objects on only one side of your body.

Stand Straight - heads up, shoulders straight, chest forward and stomach in. Avoid the same position for too long.

Get a good sleep - avoid using a sag mattress. Try to sleep in a postion that allows you to maintain the natural curve in your back.

According to Darell Barnes, a certified athletic trainer, “The human body is an incredible machine that adapts to the stresses we give it every day.”

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Tips on How to Avoid Weight Gain This Holiday

Most of us are prone to gain more weight during the holidays.

Here are some tips from Dr. Andrew Weil on how to avoid weight gain during the holidays:

Choose Fiber Rich Fruits and Veggies - try to stay away from foods that have high fat saturation and sodium.

Be aware of what you eat - be aware when you are eating and control yourself to stop when you are already full.

Don't starve yourself to justify eating more at dinner - this is more tempting to overindulge later in the day

Concentrate on portion control and planning - Do not put in more than you can consume. Choose only those that you love to eat. Eat slowly and enjoy the food.

Get Up from the table when you're done to avoid nibbling.


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Do You Have Diabetes?

Diabetes have become one of the most common diseases of modern times. The estimated number or people with diabetes worldwide today is 246 million!

Here are some common symptoms of diabetes:

You're always thirsty and hungry - excessive thirst and urination is a sign of diabetes. You may also be hungry even after a meal.

Vision Problems - blurred vision is a sign of diabetes. It can also contribute to cataracts and glaucoma.

Feel Tired and Moody - the endocrine system has trouble burning glucose this affects our stress levels. Increased fatigue, obesity, high blood pressure. This eventually causes irritability, mood swings, or depression.

Slow healing wounds - people with diabetes may take a longer time for even a simple wound to get better. This is because the blood supply isn't as good and immune cells do not function properly.


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Reduce Stress - Time Management

Most of us feel overwhelmed by our seemingly endless to-do lists and our hectic schedules. We sometimes feel 24 hours isn't enough for us to finish all our tasks and duties.

Time management is difficult to accomplish but it's do-able.

Here are some tips on how to manage your time:

Plan each day . Create a schedule. Write a To-Do List and Organise it according to urgency and importance.

Determine your priorities.

Delegate tasks. See the things that you can easily delegate to a housemate, colleague.

10 Minute Rule - Work on dreaded tasks for 10 minutes each day. Once a task is started, you may be able to finish it.

Evaluate how you spend your time. Create a diary, look for patterns on how you spend your time. See what's eating too much of your time and analyze whether you can minimize it.

How Emotion Affects Our Health

Most of us know that only physical activities, genes and lifestyle affects our health. What many people still don't know is that our emotional experiences also affect our health.

One research called the ACE Study was conducted to find the link between emotions and adult health. Researchers found out that this study “…documents the conversion of traumatic emotional experiences in childhood into organic disease later in life.”

According to Marcelle Pick, OB/GYN NP, "The truth is that all emotional experience affects our health, whether positive or negative, and whether it occurs in the past or the present. But negative experiences appear to have more lasting health effects, perhaps because we don’t deal with them."

Stress triggers the adrenals to produce cortisol and adrenaline. High levels of cortisol have destructive effects on the body such as hypertension, high cholesterol, weight gain.

Unresolved emotional issues affect systemic inflammation and contribute to diseases such as cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer's. Emotions also affect certain organs. Type A personalities, for example, have much greater risks of heart disease.

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High Fat Diet and Memory Loss

Two new studies have been conducted that link high-fat diet with memory loss and Alzheimer's disease.

A group of researchers from Baycrest Health Center in Toronto conducted a research with humans who have Type 2 Diabetes. Results show that participants who were given high-fat diet performed 25% worse than the controlled group.

Another groupd of researchers from Medical University of South California and Arizona Statue University conducted a similar research on rats. Results show that the rats who had high-saturated fat group also performed worse than those who had eaten soybean oil.


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Risks of Drinking Alcohol Before Age 15

We are all aware that alcoholic beverages are dangerous for our health. We may have been educated already of the risks of taking in alcoholic drinks. Now a recent study has shown that drinking alcoholic beverages before age 15 even puts higher risk of developing alcohol problems.

According to Deborah Dawson, author and a staff scientist at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism said in a news release from the institute, "The key finding of this study was that people who started drinking before age 15 and to a lesser extent those who started drinking at agest 15 - 17 were more likely to become alcohol dependent as adults than people who waited until 18 or older to start drinking,"

Researchers believe that this would likely develop into frequent heavy drinking even at a very early age. They analyzed the results of a study conducted to 22,000 US drinkers of 18 years and above.

It is very, very important for parents to be involved in order to prevent early drinking to avoid developing AUD's (alcohol use disorder).



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Guide on How to Avoid Alzheimer's disease

According to Alzheimer's Association's 2008 Facts and Figures, one person develops Alzheimer's disease every 71 seconds. It is also the 6th leading cause of death in the United States. This is an alarming fact. It is important for us to know the steps on how to avoid Alzheimer's. So, read on.

Some of the physical symptoms of Alzheimer's include impaired judgment, difficulty in speaking, swallowing or walking, changes in behavior, disorientation and confusion.

To prevent Alzheimer's disease, it is important that we upgrade our lifestyles. This includes avoiding cigarette smoking, alcohol, and doing regular exercise. This will not only keep us physically fit but also mentally as well.

Eat more fruits and veggies. It is recommended by Alzheimer's Association that we eat the recommended amount of folate to lower the risk of developing the disease.

"A lifetime of intellectual curiosity and mental stimulation" may help to promote brain health, according to the Alzheimer's Association. In fact, numerous studies suggest that stimulating your brain as you age can ward off dementia and cognitive decline. Activities such as going to the movies, playing cards and visiting friends are fun yet brain stimulating.

Avoid Head Injuries. It is important to always take precautions such as seat belt or helmets while driving or riding a car or a motorcycle.

It is also important to avoid psychological distress such as worrying, insecurities and nervousness). Adults who suffer from depression have higher possibilities of developing the disease.


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