Keeping Healthy In A HighTech Age

Technoloy and healthcare are advancing in the same direction to keep you motivated about your health.

For example:With an android phone or an iphone one has a pedometer at his finger tips. Using your Iphone or android, a pedometer apps can add grahics and charts to help you track your distances steps taken.

Using your mobile, behaviour modification is available, by receiving text messages one can change their behaviour for a healthier lifestyle.

This is epeciallly effective for smoking cessation, weight loss, unhealthy eating and lack of motivation to exercise.

There are several health apps available including apps that count calories,calculate body mass index and record your diet and activity.

Many of them are available as Facebook apps that can be shared with friends.

Read more about these new high tech health tools.

TheSpec - Plug in, work out

If you want to spend little or no money, you can do-it-yourself and develop your own health toolkit or weight loss plan. These require a subscription to receive instructions.

The Weight Loss Plan

The Personal Toolkit.

Insect Stings Can Be Deadly

Protect yourself from insect stings and mosquitoe bites when travelling or going away this summer; it is advisable especially if you are travelling to areas where they are common.

More than 1/2 million people go to emergency departments each year due to insect stings; a small number die.

Malaria is a disease caused by mosquitoe bites, 30,000 international travellers fall ill every year due to it.

Recommendations

For those persons who have known allergies to insect stings the following are key recommendations.

-Consider an allergy shots

-Avoid all stinging insects including bumblebees.

-Be aware of factors that increase the chances of a serious reaction

The symptoms of a severe allergic reaction are:

-Tightness in the chest

-Swelling of the nose, lips, tongue and throat

-Dizziness and fainting -Loss of consciousness -Hives -Itching and swelling in areas other than the site

Malaria is a serious disease caused by mosquitoes bites, The World Health Organization has an action plan to eliminate it by 2015.

If you are travelling to a tropical country, take precautions to protect yourself.

The symptoms of malaria are: fever, vomiting and headache. These are guidelines for international travellers: Click here.

Recognizing A Brain Attack

The Chances of surviving a brain attack are greater if the time between the onset and the start of treatment is minimal.

Here are symptoms for you to recognize a stroke, knowing them could reduce the likelihood of the person being severely disabled, knowing them can ensure early start of treatment.

They are:

-Confusion and trouble speaking -Difficulty moving -Severe headache -Numbness of one side of the body -Weakness of the face, an arm or a leg -Visions and perceptions problems

If anyone you know is experiencing these symptoms, get them to see a health professional for treatment immediately.

Read about these symptoms in more detail/

Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD's)

Non-communicable diseases(NCD's)have become a 21st century health challenge.

Whereas diseases such as HIV, malaria,tuberculosis and the H1N1 virus have been given global attention, they have gone un-noticed.

The World Health Organization (WHO)and the United Nation Secretary General called for urgent action to solve the NCD's catastrophe.

Watch this video.

United nations Highlights threat of Non-communicable diseases.

The major NCD's take 67% of the global deaths, they are:

-Cancer -Diabetes -Cardiovascular diseases -Respiratory diseases

By taking action to reduce one or more of these risk factors you are playing a role in solving this catastrophe while promoting your health.

The risk factors are: smoking, physical inactivity, unhealthy eating,obesity and air pollution.

Making a resolution to reduce or eliminate one of them is a way to prevent illness and premature deaths due to NCD's.

To take an active role start with our tutorial on Health Risk Factors, the program is self-directed.

You may also join the program through Facebook by becoming a Fan.

Join Here.

Tips For Staying Fit While flying

If you are flying and are 30,000 miles up, there are things to consider to keep your health and fitness level in check.

A trip of 5 or more hours could result in several hours of sedentary time.

With limited space to move and change positions this could mean added risks to health and wellbeing.

Here are some tips on how to maintain a keep fit llifestyle while flying. I want to share them with you.

They include tips on: 1-Making most of your time in line 2-Working out before you board 3-Staying hydrated 4-Doing some research 5-Moving about in your Cabin

Click this link for details on how to use the tips. TheSpec - Tips for staying fit at 30,000 feet