Walk for Better Life!

Physical activity does not have to be vigorous or done for long periods in order to improve your health. A 2007 study of inactive women found that even a low level of exercise – around 75 mins per week – improved participants’ fitness levels significantly, when compared to a non-exercising group.

Walking is a suitable physical activity for most people. Regular walking can help you lose body fat, maintain a healthy weight, improve your fitness and reduce your risk of developing conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and some cancers.

Walking is low impact, requires minimal equipment, can be done at any time of day and can be performed at your own pace. You can get out and walk without worrying about some of the risks associated with other more vigorous forms of exercise. It’s also a great form of physical activity for people who are overweight, elderly or those who haven’t exercised in a long time.

Benefits of walking

You carry your own body weight when you walk. This is sometimes called ‘weight bearing’ exercise. Some of the benefits include:

• Increased cardiovascular and pulmonary (heart and lung) fitness
• Reduced risk of heart disease and stroke
• Improved management of conditions such as hypertension (high blood pressure), high cholesterol, joint and muscular pain or stiffness, and diabetes
• Stronger bones and improved balance
• Increased muscle strength and endurance
• Reduced body fat.
See here for more on walking.

Walk for 30 minutes a day
To get the health benefits, try to walk for at least 30 minutes as briskly as you can most days of the week. ‘Brisk’ means that you can still talk but not sing, and you may be puffing slightly. Moderate activities such as walking pose little health risk but, if you have a medical condition, check with your doctor before starting any new exercise program of physical activity. 

Physical activity built into a daily lifestyle plan is also one of the most effective ways to assist with weight loss and keep weight off once it’s lost. Some suggestions to build walking into your daily routine include:

• Try taking the stairs instead of the lift (for at least part of the way).
• Get off public transport one stop earlier and walk to work or home.
• Do housework like vacuuming.
• Walk (don’t drive) to the local shops.
• Walk the dog (or your neighbour’s dog).

Make walking a pleasure
Some suggestions to help make regular walking a pleasurable form of physical activity include:

• Wear loose, comfortable clothing.
New Balance 993 H&L Running Shoe
• Protect yourself from the sun with clothes, sunglasses, a hat and sun block.
• Wear waterproof clothing to avoid getting wet if it rains.
• Drink plenty of fluids before and after your walk. If you are taking a long walk, take water with you.
• Vary your walking routes so you can enjoy the change in scenery.
• Walk with a friend and combine physical activity with socialising.
• Join a local walking club.
• If you have a medical condition or any health concerns, check with your doctor before you start any type of physical activity program. 

Things to remember

• Aim to walk for 30 minutes a day or more on most days of the week.
• If you can’t manage 30 minutes a day, remember ‘even a little is good, but more is better’.
• Movement for health and fitness should be carried out most days of the week.
• Plan to cover a set distance each day, regardless of the speed or time taken.

B is for Breast Cancer Prevention

Heart-helping, brain- and immune-system boosting vitamin B6 can now add another job to its already impressive resume: breast cancer fighter. New research suggests that simply getting your share of this nutrient could cut your risk of breast cancer, a lot.

Double-Duty Cancer Fighting
A study of Taiwanese women found that B vitamins in general and vitamin B6 in particular can reduce breast cancer risk. Higher vitamin B6 intakes were specifically associated with a much lower risk of developing ER-negative breast tumors. How does B6 do it? Researchers say it plays a pivotal role in preventing DNA damage and guarding against genetic mutations -- processes that up the risk of cancer. It also blocks the blood supply to tumor cells so they fail to grow and spread. Now that's a b-eautiful thing. 

Bananas have close to half a milligram of B6 each (you need less than 4 milligrams). Sure, a plain banana makes a nice quick snack. You can try this therapy for cancer cure.

8 Glasses a Day Keeps Fat Away

Incredible as it may seem, water is quite possibly the single most important catalyst in losing weight and keeping it off. Although most of us take for granted, water may be the only true "magic potion" for permanent weight loss. 

Water supresses the appetite naturally and helps the body metabolize stored fat. Studies have shown that a decrease in water intake will cause fat deposits to increase, while an increase in water intake can actually reduce fat deposits. 

Here's why: The kidneys can't function properly without enough water. When they don't work to capacity, some of their load is dumped onto the liver. One of the liver's primary functions is to metabolize stored fat into usable energy for the body. But if the liver has to do some of the kidney's work it can't operate at full throttle. As a result, it metabolizes less fat more fat remains stored in the body and weight loss stops. 

Drinking enough water is the best treatment for fluid retention. When the body gets less water,it perceives this as a threat to survival and begins to hold on to every drop. Water is stored in extracellular spaces (outside the cell). This shows up as swollen feet, legs and hands. 

Diuretics offer a temporary solution at best. They force out stored water along with some essential nutrients. Again, the body perceives a treat and will replace the lost water at the first opportunity. Thus, the condition quickly returns. 

The best way to overcome the problem of water retention is to give your body what it needs -- plenty of water. Only then will stored water be released. If you have a constant problem with water retention, excess salt may be to blame. Your body will tolerate sodium only in a certain concentration. The more salt you eat the more water your system retains to dilute it.

But getting rid of unneeded salt is easy -- just drink more water. As it's forced through the kidneys it takes away excess sodium.

The overweight person needs more water than a thin one. Larger people have larger metabolic loads. Since we know that water is the key to fat metabolism, it follows that the over weight person needs more water.

Water helps to maintain proper muscle tone by giving muscles their natural ability to contract and by preventing dehydration. It also helps to prevent the sagging skin that usually follows weigh loss -- shrinking cells are buoyed by water which plumps the skin and leaves it clear, healthy and resilient.

Water helps rid the body of waste. During weight loss, the body has a lot more waste to get rid of -- all that metabolized fat must be shed. Again, adequate water helps flush out the waste.

Water can help relieve constipation. When the body gets too little water, it siphons what it needs from internal sources. The colon is one primary source. Result? Constipation. But when a person drinks enough water, normal bowel function usually returns.

So far, we've discovered some remarkable truths about water and weight loss:

• The body will not function properly without enough water and can't metabolize stored fat efficiently.
  
• Retained water shows up as excess weight.
  
• To get rid of excess water you must drink more water.
  
• Drinking water is essential to weight loss.

How much water is enough? On the average, a person should drink eight 8-ounce glasses every day. That's about 2 quarts. However, the overweight person needs one additional glass for every 25 pounds of excess weight. The amount you drink also should be increased if you exercise briskly or if the weather is hot and dry.

Morning: 1 quart consumed over a 30-minute period.
Noon: 1 quart consumed over a 30-minute period.
Evening: 1 quart consumed between five and six o'clock.

When the body gets the water it needs to function optimally, it's fluids are perfectly balanced. When this happens, you have reached the "breakthrough point." What does this mean?

• Endocrine-gland function improves.
  
• Fluid retention is alleviated as stored water is lost.
  
• More fat is used as fuel because the liver is free to metabolize stored fat.
  
• Natural thirst returns.
  
• There is a loss of hunger almost over night.

If you stop drinking enough water, your body fluids will be thrown out of balance again, and you may experience fluid retention, unexplained weight gain and loss of thirst. To remedy the situation you'll have to go back and force another "breakthrough." 

 

Stroke

STROKE: Remember The 1st Three Letters... S.T.R ...
My friend sent this to me a...nd encouraged me to post it and spread the word. I agree. If everyone can remember something this simple, we could save some folks.

STROKE IDENTIFICATION:
During a party, a friend stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone that she was fine and just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes. (They offered to call ambulance)

They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food - while she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening. Ingrid's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital - (at 6:00pm, Ingrid passed away.)
She had suffered a stroke at the party. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today.

Some don't die. They end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead. It only takes a minute to read this...

STROKE IDENTIFICATION:

A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke...totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.

RECOGNIZING A STROKE

Remember the '3' steps, STR . Read and Learn!
Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster.
The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.
Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:

S * Ask the individual to SMILE...
T * = TALK. Ask the person to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently) (eg 'It is sunny out today').
R * Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.

If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call the ambulance and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

NOTE: Another 'sign' of a stroke is
1. Ask the person to 'stick' out their tongue.
2. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other that is also an indication of a stroke.

3 Cool Ways to Revive Tired Eyes

Eyes can look swollen from allergies, too much partying, too much computer time, too much (or too little) sleep, or loose under-eye skin caused by heredity or aging. Whatever the cause of puffed-up peepers, here's how to deflate them fast. Just head for the kitchen and . . .

Slice a cucumber. Dermatologists aren't sure what's behind the anti-inflammatory effects of cucumbers, but here's a possible explanation: The veggies contain a combo of mild natural acids that reduce water retention. Some beauty pros say cucumbers work best when they're cold, which makes sense: Because cukes are 90% water, chilled slices are like delicate mini ice packs.

Reach for the peas. Any bag of frozen food will do, but frozen baby peas have a way of fitting into the nooks and crannies around your eyes. Put a soft cloth around the plastic package to protect your skin from the frigid surface, then chill out for 5 to 15 minutes while the cold shrinks the swelling.

Make a milk bath. Milk is a natural soother if eyes are irritated as well as puffy. "Just don't use skim milk, since it doesn't contain fat, one of milk's most soothing components," says New York dermatologist Amy Wechsler, MD. Other ingredients in milk that calm swollen skin: protein, amino acids, lactic acid, and vitamins A and D. Pour milk into a bowl of ice so it gets really cold, saturate a clean washcloth, and apply to eyes for up to 15 minutes. Soak and reapply when the cloth loses its cool.

The Fastest Way to Relieve Lower-Back Pain

When our patients have lower-back pain, the last thing most of 'em want to do is get a move on. But here's the thing: That's often the first thing you should do -- well, the second. The first is to see your doc and make sure it's okay. Once you get a go-ahead, get moving.

Lower-back pain is practically as common as the cold. During any given 3-month period, about one in four Americans are wincing from it. Usually it’s due to muscle pulls and swelling, which presses on nerves. Activity decreases inflammation and swelling, as long as you don't overdo it. While most lower-back pain improves by itself within a month, who wants to go through a month of wincing?

Swimming and gentle yoga often help, but here's something that's simpler and quicker: Put one foot in front of the other. Yep, turns out that our favorite activity -- walking -- can ease lower-back pain in as little as 7 days. Even if you walk very short distances (picking up the mail, stopping by the neighbor's house, going to the copier), just doing normal activities helps you recover and feel better faster. Why?

• Moving pumps fluid out of your muscles (fluid's what causes the swelling, or edema) and helps prevent you from getting trapped in a downward spiral of inactivity, stiffness, pain, and depression.
• Focusing on helping yourself, rather than on how much it hurts, is good medicine all by itself. Never underestimate the pain-easing power of positive thinking. We YOU Docs don't.

6 Foods to Keep Your Mind Young

Generally, what's harmful to your heart also is also harmful to your brain. Make no mistake about it: While fried potato skins are busting your buttons, there's also a portion that gets shuttled up through your arteries to your gray matter.

Saturated fats, for example, clog arteries that lead to your brain, putting you at risk of stroke, while omega-3 fatty acids -- the good fats found in fish -- are helpful for your brain because they help keep your arteries clear. They also alter your neurotransmitters and reduce depression.

These are the best foods to keep your brain and your RealAge young: