6 Ways to Help Yourself Reach a Healthy Weight - US News and World Report

Do you need help in achieveing your weight loss goals? This article from the UsNews&World Has 6 tips to help those who are working towards achieving a healthy weight. 6 Ways to Help Yourself Reach a Healthy Weight - US News and World Report

Smoking Cessation Facts and Help

Nicotine is the killer drug in the cigarettes and cigars that people smoke. When you smoke the nicotine affects the brain making you temporarily calm and more alert; you actually get a mood boost. When the effects wear off, the cravings to be calm and alert return and you go for another cigarette for another boost. These personal benefits make it difficult to quit. Smoking however is bad for health because it is a #1 cause of various cancers, cardiovascular disease, respiratory diseases and more. It suppresses your immune system. Smoking is a leading cause of premature death.

Smoking is a modifiable risk factor that can be stopped.

There are many things one can do to quit and stay quit.

While you are a smoker:

Think about the reasons why you smoke and write them down.

Try alternate ways to keep calm and alert.

Get sufficient sleep: instead of staying up with a cigarette, hit the pillow for sleep.

Have some free time? Go for physical activity such as walking, running and cycling. Don't remain inactive too long.

Purchase a good exercise/fitness equipment for home use.

Cut out habits that seem to accompany your smoking routine, for example: A certain a past time that triggers the urge to smoke. Hang out with people you know that don't smoke.

When you are ready to quit :

• Set a date to do so
• Tell your spouse or friends and ask for their support
• Talk to a health professional and ask for help
• Join a no smoking program online
• Check out the resources available in your local community
• Hang out with non smoking colleagues or peers
• You can go cold turkey
• Try nicotine replacement therapy
• Do a test run

Weight Control

Many people report weight gain after quitting, this can make it even more difficult to stay quit. There is a way to manage weight gain when you quit.

• Start a simple weight control plan for yourself if you are overweight
• Avoid quick fix weight loss products and services
• Concentrate on controlling calories and increasing your physical activity
• Remember you are quitting

For help with quitting and weight control, there is consumer health education program that will help you. You need to subscribe for it. Subscribe Here

If quitting is still difficult , try a behaviour change program, many of them are available online.

Parents can be an example to protect children from second hand smoke.

Support cancer prevention on World Health Day.

Participate in World No Tobacco Day Event

Take the Driven To Quit Challenge . If you live in Ontario , Canada and are a smoker you can register for this yearly event .

This is a free smoking cessation website that uses hypnosis:http://www.nosmokingagain.com/

Taking a Test Run

There are actions you can take to put your quitting to the test

1. Delay your first cigarette of the day
2. Cut down on the number of cigarettes that day
3. Cancel a habit or past time that gives you the urge to smoke

Folic Acid Supplement Not Linked To Childhood Asthma

Although there have been previous reports connecting folic acid supplements used in pregnancy and child hood asthma, according to a Dutch study there is no link between the two. Researchers in the Netherlands studied 2,834 pregnant women, some were on folic acid supplements. They followed their children's health and collected data on eczema and wheezing using questionaires, at these time after delivery.

• Three months
• Seven months
• Twelve months
• Twenty four months
• Four- five years
• Six to seven years

At 6-7 years the children were assessed for asthma. Almost 7% of children developed asthma whether their mothers took folic acid supplements or not. Lung function and allergic reactions were also similar among those whose mothers took folic acid and those whose mothers did not. According to the report, the study did not confirm an association between folic acid supplements used in pregnancy and asthma in the child.

A Report On Non-Communicable Diseases

In 2008 36 million people died from non-communicable diseases, that is about 63% of the 57 million global deaths. The United Nations Secretary General declared in a recent report that while diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis have been given much attention globally non-communicable diseseas such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer have gone un-noticed. The Secretary called for urgent action to start in order to solve what he has seen as a 21st century health challenge. The risk factors, physical inactivity, obesity, tobacco use and unhealthy diet are responsible for this global epidemic. Other factors such as the aging population, the negative impact of urbanization and the globalization of trade and marketing also play a role in the increasing magnitude of these diseases. Read the report Thanks to consumer and patient health education programs people can learn to reduce or eliminate the risk factors that cause them. This health education blog is a good place to start, and to take responsibility for protecting your health from these diseases.