The Social Side Of Giving For Health

Involving family, friends  and loved ones in health decisions may be more important than you think.

This post has placed an emphasis on giving for health to communicate the social side of managing one's health at home.

Giving for health is important to both the giver and person needing help.

There are many good reasons why giving for health is important.  Firstly, when you give for health, those who give get involved in health decisions that could affect them.

Because persons are connected, their health is also connected.

Other reasons for giving could be:
-For support and encouragement
-To prevent the breakdown of a relationships when lifestyle changes are necessary
-For success in accomplishing  better health outcomes
-For financial support because of related financial needs
-For an improvement in the person's wellbeing.
-For better recovery from illness
-To protect health
- To preserve family life affected by illness

Family and friends can a be a source of health information when they give gifts of health. 
Family and friends can also be a source for health awareness. Family and friends can foster feelings of wellbeing and instill hope instead of despair.

In one study researchers found that patients recovering from a heart attack had poorer quality of life, more likely to suffer from angina and be depressed if their level of support was low.
Read about this study.

Both individuals and their support network can contribute to healthier outcomes. Individuals can do so by asking for their health's sake; family and friends can contribute by giving and supporting in times of  health needs.

Giving for health can be done in many ways, for example by giving:

• Products that promote health and wellbeing 
• Devices and equipment for self care.
• Medical coverage or payment for medical intervention.
• Support not abandonment 
• Encouragement, not redicule
• Help with lifestyle changes
• Monetary help
• Giving for health research
• Giving gifts of health instead of another

An example of a time when  giving is especially valuable is with smoking cessation. Smoking is a major cause of diseases and premature deaths. It is not easy to quit especially without  help.

If a friend's or family's life is already physically challenge, quitting can save it. Help from family and friends makes quitting easier.

Researchers have found that alcohol consumption behaviour within one's social network can affect their own alcohol consmption behaviour. They found that the behaviours of family and friends were significantly associated with a person's drinking.


These are times when giving for health can be especially helpful.

• To improve the person's quality of life
• Elder care
• During temporary ill-health
• For smoking cessation help
• When lifestyle changes are necessary
• Surviving mental illness
• Assistance with daily living at home
• When weight loss is crucial
• To support cancer other health research

Giving for health can be done for special occasions such as anniversaries, birthdays and Christmas but one can give each and every day.

Remember when you give for health, your gifts can last all year round and all lifelong, remember family and friends with health needs.

Walking To Prevent Heart Disease

Every year the World Heart Federation hosts World Heart Day on September 29. This year the organization joined forces with BUPA, a leader in health care, to organize a world walking event.

 If you are a walker, walk for a healthy lifestyle,or use a pedometer, there is an opportunity for you to donate your walking distances to prevent heart disease.

If regular exercise is not yet part of your lifestyle, it is a good time to start by walking and participating in a healthy cause.

The World Heart Federation has teamed up with BUPA to host the Ground Miles Challenge. This is a global event in which the world is invited to walk for the release of funds  for the prevention of heart disease. The funds will be released by BUPA for the protection of children from heart disease and early death.

The aim is to get the world waking 5 million miles by the end of 2013, once it has been accomplished BUPA will release funds to prevent heart disease in children.

These are ways to get involved:
1-By downloading a free App from BUPA
   Download here.

2-Signing up with the World Heart Federation to record your miles manually.
   Sign up here.

For more information on the challenge Click Here.

Every year 1.35 million babies are born with congenital heart disease; while rheumatic heart disease is a leading problem among children. You can help to release the funds for protecting children from heart disease when you participate. It costs nothing to get involved, just walk , count your miles and submit the totals.

Anit-Depressants May Not Help With Autism

A clinical trials report done in 2010 found anti-depressants not to be effective in treating autism.

Although anti-depressants are used to treat the disorder, according to a clinical trials report, there is no evidence to support their usefulness.

Autism is an autism spectrum disorder-ASD), characterized by difficulties with communication and social and developmental problems.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors(SSRI) are antidepressants commonly used to help with the symptoms.

Researchers reviewed the findings of a study done on celexa with six other clinical trials and found there were differences between the use of SSRI's and a placebo.

For the largest study 149 children were given either a placebo or an SSRI medication for three months. One third of the children in each group showed improvement in repetitive behaviour.

Read more about this report.

Due to the side effects of SSRI's,  experts are advising against recommending them for children with autism.

Some Alcohol May Be Good For The Health

If you consume alcohol or if you love  to have a glass of wine or beer , you could be boosting your bone health.

According to a study consuming a glass or two of beer or wine a day may have health benefits. The study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 

 For the study researchers studied 1,182 men; 1,289 menopausal women, 248 post-menopausal women.

Result: 

1- Men who had one or two drinks per day had denser bones than those who did not.

 2- Women who drank more than two glasses per day had greater bone mineral density that those who drank less.

Read More on the study.

Caution has to  be used when consuming alcohol on a regular basis especially in the presence of other habits such as smoking and use of drugs. There are several risk factors for non-communicable diseases and harmful use of alcohol is one of them. Non-communicable diseases are: cancers, heart disease. heart attacks, strokes. COPD and other respiratory diseases.

Autism Linked To Environmental Factors

According to a report done on autism, environmental factors may contribute to autism.

 For the study researchers focused on the environmental factors that babies and fetuses are exposed to.  They argued that the increase in autism cases in California could not be explained by changes in doctors' diagnoses.

For example:
In 1990 there were 205 new cases of autism; 6.2 of  every10,000 children born were autistic.
In 2006, there were 3,000 new cases and 42.5 of every 10,000 were autistic.
Medical experts suspected changes in diagnoses or migration tom the state.

They analyzed 17 years of state data that tracks developmental disability. They also used birth records and census bureau data to calculate the rate of autism and diagnosis.

The result:
Migration to the state of California had no effect.
Changes in how and when doctors diagnose the disorder and when officials file reports can explain less than half of the cases.


Read Report