Handling Your Weight Loss Efforts During The Holidays

If you are planning your holiday meals and activities and weight loss is on your list, there are some actions that can help you succeed.

1- Control hunger by drinking water before meals, it is an effective way to aid a weight loss diet.

According to a research report, those who drink 2 glasses of water before meals lose more weight  than those on a calorie reduce diet only. The difference is  about 4 1/2 pounds. To make use of this finding, drink two glasses of water before breakfast, lunch and dinner.

2-Here are some weight loss tips that can be added to your physical exercise and diet plans. It is from an article in the USNews& World Report.

They are not to replace exercise or diet but to compliment them, six are mentioned:

• Hot soup
• Don't eat heavily just before bed
• Live like a city dweller
• Try a dash of chilli pepper
• Weigh yourself once daily
• Limit caloric beverages

Read how to incorporate them in your daily routine.

3- Remember to ask for gifts of health, gifts that would make it easy to start a weight loss initiative in the New Year.


4- Make realistic New Year resolutions, example set a goal to lose 5-10% of your body weight, this way you wouldn't be too hard on yourself.

5- Calculate your body mass index(BMI) for your weight health status before you start on a weight loss program.

6- Join a FREE weight loss program here.
 

Another Good Reason to Exercise Regularly

 When the flu season is here many of us head to the doctor's office for the good old  flu shot.  A flu shot is recommended for all, especially for children and the elderly.

A study found that exercise and mediation can also prevent colds and flus.

According to researchers those who involve themselves in regular meditation or exercise regularly have fewer colds and flus than those who participate in neither.

The study involved 149 participants.

In a randomized trail they were split into three groups:
1-Those who participated in mindless meditation
2-Those who had regular moderate-intensity exercise
3-A control group that did neither.


Group 1 had 257 days of the cold or flu

Group 2 had 241 days

The control group had 453 days.

The study ran from September 2009 to May 2010.

Read about the report in the spec.com.
TheSpec - Meditation, exercise may help limit cold, flu, study...

Both meditation and regular exercise are effective in controlling blood pressure and in the prevention of cardiovascular disease.

It is not surprising that they have a positive effect on the immune system.

Study Linked Education to Prevention Of Alzheimer's

Education and healthy living have been linked to the prevention of Alzheimer's,

A study done at the University of California found that a factor with a big impact on alzheimer's disease is low education.

Researchers believe that education even at a young age can contribute to development of the brain, giving the person the brain power that can be carried on into old age.

According to the study, in the USA the health risk factor with the greatest impact is physical inactivity. This could be because of the sedentary lifestyle, as 1/3 of the population is sedentary.

The study used a mathematical model to estimate the impact of seven risk factors for the disease, they are:
1-Smoking
2-Depression
3-Low education
4-Diabetes
5-Too little exercise
6-Obesity
7-Hypertension

Smoking had the second greatest impact in the USA, followed by hypertension.

The result of this study points to education and a healthy lifestyle as preventative measures against the disease.

Education can be a foundation for learning healthy habits from a young age, this can be carried on to developing healthy lifestyles throughout adulthood.

Education can also help the person to appreciate healthy living.

It is never too late to learn and eliminate these seven health risks factors. According to the report reducing them by 25 % would mean 3 million less cases of alzheimer's worldwide.

For more on Consumer Health Education, Click Here.

Care Giving To Individuals With COPD

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic lung disease. Persons living with it are often too disabled and are unable to take control of their health. This requires care-givers to assist with decision making and Self-Care.

Care-givers can improve the quality of life of the loved one by assisting with their receiving treatment.

Care givers can contribute by being knowledgeable, by:

• Knowing the risk factors for the disease is a first step.
• Knowing what medications the love one is taking.
• Knowing when to call a doctor
• Knowing what health professionals are available

COPD is a non-communicable disease the risk factors are, smoking, indoor and outdoor air pollution, overweight and unhealthy eating. Once a diagnosis is made, support and encouragement to eliminate these risk factors will go a long way  to aid recovery.

Care givers care can be a substitute for self-care by:
-Giving support and encouragement during difficult times.
-Giving support and encouragement to change unhealthy habits
-Involving the love one in his own care
-Encouraging his independence whenever possible
-Assisting with transportation and mobilizing
-Help with keeping appointments

This is an excellent article on how care givers can help with treatment, it covers the health care team, visits to the doctor, common treatments and when to call a doctor.

Click to read the article on how care-givers can help with treatment.


COPD is a chronic disease,  prevention is better that cure and more effective in not having the disease. Self Care at home before symptoms of the disease develop is a preventative action.


After developing COPD, Self Care at home will improve quality of life of the individual and prevent worsening of the disease.


For details about how we can all Self Care and be our first health insurance, Click Here

Alcohol Use Links to Smoking

Are you a smoker trying to quit?
Here is a tip:Stay away from alcohol if you want to succeed.

A health study has linked smoking cessation with the use of alcohol.   According to the study alcohol may be used as a coping mechanism rather than the cause of a problem.

The study was done to examine the relationship between the urge to smoke and alcohol use by adults trying to quit. Women were chosen because it is believed that it is more difficult for them to quit that men.

The participants were 302 female ages 18-70, they were all trying to quit. They kept a record describing their urges to smoke and they completed assessments when they felt the urge to smoke.

Result
The participants reported:

1. A stronger, higher urge to smoke on the days that the drank alcohol and that the urge began before they drank
2. On the day that they woke up with stronger urges to smoke, alcohol was more likely to be consumed

The researchers believe that  the alcohol consumption was a result of the urge to smoke and used as a coping mechanism.
Click here to read more on this.

Based on the result of these findings alternative coping strategies could be beneficial in any smoking cessation.

Quitting the smoking habit isn't easy and many people return to it before giving up completely.

Want to quit? TRY this free program. It is an eProgram that educates and motivates.
Click Here