1. Go for a walk even when the weather is really cold – your body has to work overtime to get warm and you may burn up to 50% more calories than you would on the same walk in summer! But remember, go a little slower until you get warm and keep up the hydration. 2. If you find it hard to get motivated to exercise in winter…just think of spring and how much harder it is to get back into shape rather than maintain your fitness throughout the winter. 3. Be aware of tendonitis and stress fracture if you don’t exercise in winter and expect to pick up where you left off after a whole winter with no exercise. 4. Instead of picking up a cup of hot chocolate to keep yourself warm, try a herbal beverage. 5. Gain an interest in indoor sports as opposed to cycling and jogging outdoors. Don’t forget that swimming at an indoor pool is an option for a great cardio workout! 6. The cold air and indoor heaters can dry out your skin. Make sure you drink at least 8 glasses of water each day and use moisturizers throughout winter. 7. Buy some indoor plants to soften up the dry atmosphere caused through heating. Indoor plants give off moisture and oxygen and the colours will brighten up a dull day outside. 8. Caught a cold or flu? If the infection is above the neck (nose, throat) you could be OK to complete a low intensity workout. However, if you have symptoms that are worse than an average cold (chest congestion, muscle aches), exercise will only make you worse and delay your recovery. Rest is the best medicine. 9. Wear the right clothes when exercising in winter. Polypropylene is the perfect fabric to wear underneath a tracksuit, which will provide great insulation but minimise moisture loss. Gore-Tex is a fabric used widely for providing protection from the rain and wind. 10. Feel like sitting on the couch with a video and snacking on a cold, wet day? Reach for a protein bar or packet of soy nuts instead of high energy, high fat snacks.
Tag-Archive for ◊ health ◊
So you’ve made the resolution that THIS is the year you’re going to lose weight and get in the best shape of your life. You’re not going to settle for second best – you’re going to achieve that dream body you’ve always wanted. Great news – this is actually the best time to make that commitment. Why? Because you can take advantage of the powerful momentum and energy a New Year brings to achieve your weight loss dreams. But there’s nothing worse than committing to lose weight, only to get lost among the 5 gazillion diets out there. It can get confusing – you may end up wasting a lot of money and effort. You may end up wondering which diet is really the BEST diet for you. You may even end up feeling so frustrated that you give up on your dream of becoming slim and healthy. But it doesn’t have to be that way. In order to have rapid weight loss success, you have to find the best diet for you (a.k.a. the diet that will speed you towards your dream body at lightning pace). There are millions of diets – but only a few that are best for you and your lifestyle. The best diet for you will have the 3 key features listed below. Choose your diet with these 3 key features in mind and you’re already halfway to your weight loss dreams. #1 Proven Success Rate Are there before and after pictures of people who have lost weight with that particular diet? Are there customer testimonials? Have there been independent studies done on the diet’s success rate? The diet you choose doesn’t have to have all three of these but try to find at least some kind of proven success rate before choosing that particular program. Finding a diet with a proven success rate not only lets you know that the diet works but it also helps give you the confidence that the diet will work FOR YOU. Confidence is one of the most underrated factors in a successful weight loss program. If you’ve tried and failed with diets before you especially need that extra boost of confidence to carry you through the more difficult times in the diet. By reminding yourself that this diet has been proven to work – you’ll be able to keep going and reach your weight loss goals. A related feature that gets extra points is if the diet has been recommended by an expert or a physician. Again this boosts your confidence that the diet is safe and effective. #2 Affordable. Losing weight should not cost you thousands of dollars (unless we’re talking about surgery here and that’s an entirely different article). The best diet will be affordable for the average person. If the diet costs too much, be very suspicious and look elsewhere. There are too many shady diets out there and as a consumer, it pays to be cautious. I’ll give you an example of what I mean: A close friend of mine went to a well-known weight loss clinic in our area and was told she had to pay the yearly fees up front (around $1000 NOT including food). They also told her she had to buy their food in bulk (like $500 for a year’s worth of chocolate). When the chocolate gave her heart palpitations and she had to take it back, they told her it was non-refundable. She was out the money for the chocolate. Plus, she feels she can’t leave the program because she’s paid the yearly fees (which, you guessed it, are also non-refundable). She unfortunately made the mistake of ignoring her instincts and paying way too much money for a diet program. If you notice you’re being asked for hefty fees right out of the gate, warning lights should be flashing in your mind. Now on the other hand, the best diet WILL cost you something. It actually is better if you put some cash on the table for your diet program. Why? Because when we invest in something we’re more likely to stick with it. When we invest in something we are more likely to follow through and get the results we want. For example I did a liver detox several months ago. I’m not really into liver detoxing but I read an article and figured I’d try it. The detox kit cost me a whopping $50 and when I opened the instructions they told me I had to give up junk food for two weeks. In any other universe I would have laughed and simply forgotten about detoxing my liver. But because I’d shelled out $50, I was invested – I decided that I hopefully wouldn’t starve from lack of junk food over two weeks and suffered through it. If I’d gotten the detox kit for free there’s no way I would have followed those instructions. But because I was invested, I followed through and now have a healthier liver thanking me for it. So when searching for the best diet, putting out some money on yourself and your dreams of a better body is actually a healthy thing. Just keep in mind that you shouldn’t have to spend thousands of dollars on it. #3 Compatible with Your Tastes and Lifestyle This is THE most crucial step however it’s the one where most people go wrong. When choosing a diet, they simply pick one and go, without considering if it is compatible with their tastes and lifestyle. For example, if you hate feeling deprived or empty you might want to choose a program that lets you eat many times during the day so you don’t feel hungry. If you get bored easily you want a diet program that gives you tremendous variety and flexibility. If you don’t do a lot of cooking or food preparation, you’ll want to look at a program where the food is pre-made for you. Diets are like cars – there are hundreds of different models out there, each with their own unique features. And they can get you where you want to go. But your personality might gel better with certain features than others. Dieting is hard enough. Don’t make it harder on yourself by choosing a diet not compatible with who you are. Setting yourself up for success will also guarantee that you’ll stick it out until you reach your goal. And one other thing, the best diet will be one that you can get excited about. Choose a diet that you enjoy, that you believe in, that may actually be – gulp – fun. Emotional excitement will fade in time, yes. But it can give you enough of an emotional push to get you over the initial hump. By that time your first few pounds will have come off and will serve as your continuing motivation. So those are 3 key considerations when looking for the best diet. Keep them in mind and you will progress in leaps and bounds towards your dream body. Remember, planning now may seem boring – but it’s the key to your future weight loss success.
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There is a steady need in today’s society to have everything we want straight away; this includes people wanting an easy way to quit smoking. The old method of going cold turkey and relying on will power just seems to be too hard when there are so many other ways to quit. The fact is that it is hard to quit smoking no matter which method you choose to use. There are many reasons to quit smoking, some are obvious and some are not so obvious. Apart from the health benefits for you and your friends and family who may be breathing in your second hand. The list of nasty diseases believed to be caused by smoking has been grown over the last few years to include abdominal aortic aneurysm, acute myeloid leukemia, cervical cancer, kidney cancer, cataract, pneumonia, pancreatic cancer, stomach cancer, throat cancer and many more, just to name a few. There are also the financial benefits that you will notice when you quit smoking. Just get a calculator out and work out how much it has cost you over the last year to slowly poison yourself. You will be surprised at how much money you could have saved. Money that could have been spent on something else you might still be enjoying today instead of having nothing to show for it apart from a nasty cough. Getting the support you may need to quit smoking has become much easier over the last few years because of the increased awareness of a health conscious society. Governments are also supporting this by banning smoking in more and more areas. There are also more and more quit smoking products available to buy including nicotine patches and gum. These nicotine replacement products are designed to give your body the fix it needs without you having to put a cigarette in your mouth, this is the hardest part to give up for some people. Many people smoke when they are bored or simply for something to do so finding a new hobby or something to keep you occupied can help. Whatever you decide to do, just ensure you find something enjoyable to do to fill in the gaps at the times you would have previously lit up a cigarette. Hanging around with non smokers is also a good idea as there will be no temptation. Once you quit smoking for a few days you will begin to notice how much other smokers smell, you may also notice foods start to have more taste to them. Remember there is no easy way to quit smoking but it makes great sense, both health wise and financially.
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There is nothing as hard to hear than to hear your doctor tell you that you have cancer. Years ago, that six letter word, cancer, implied that there wasn’t very much hope for you and there were not many cancer treatment options available. Today, there are many more cancer treatment options available and hope of beating it are everywhere. There have been many role models such as Lance Armstrong showing us that cancer can be treated and that survival is possible. They show us that survivors can lead successful and fulfilling lives. If they can do it then there is more than just hope for you. Cancer treatment can be individually tailored to each person’s unique situation. Of cours each person is different and the treatment plan will also vary. Treatments may include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, nutrition, spiritual support, naturopathic treatment as well as encouraging mind and body alternatives. The hope of surgery is to try to remove the cancer. A surgical cancer treatment will try to remove as much of the tumor as possible. It is the one of the oldest treatments for cancer. A surgical procedure may also be done to help access the progress of the cancer and the type of cancer. Radiation is done in a hospital and is yet another cancer treatment option that is available. A targeted radiation beam will try to destroy the cancer cells. Chemotherapy is another cancer treatment that is available. Many times, it is used together with surgery to try to kill off any remaining cancer cells. Chemo stands for chemicals. Chemotherapy involves taking drugs. Many times, the drugs are very strong and will make the person taking chemotherapy ill. There are also many alternative cancer treatments that can be used together with the traditional cancer treatments. Most importantly, practising healthy nutrition can help your body stay strong during a fight against cancer. More than ever, it is an excellent tool to help you help your body become stronger. Some medical studies have been done that suggest proper spiritual support can also benefit the person fighting cancer. I heard a story of one particular man who, when he found he had cancer and only a limited time to live refused to just lay down and laughed himself back to health by continuously watching comedies. The important point was that he refused to give up. Hope that you can win the battle is a very strong weapon in the fight against cancer. Spiritual support can help you strengthen your hope in a better, victorious future while in the fight against cancer. Naturopathic treatment will try to use the healing power of nature and to strengthen the body’s natural defenses. Perhaps you may include herbs or natural supplements as part of your cancer treatment plan. Your cancer treatment plan will most likely contain many elements. Your doctor will help you to chart your course and combine the cancer treatments that will benefit you the most. Cancer treatment options continue to grow. Today, there is more hope than ever for a successful recovery from cancer. I would also like to stress here again that a positive outlook and attitude has been found to be especially beneficial.
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Underarm sweating is also known as axillary hyperhidrosis in medical terminology and is a medical condition, which is described as a condition involving dripping of sweat in the armpits, with a constant odor. This odor is usually resistant to all types of deodorants. Underarm sweating is a type of primary hyperhidrosis, which can be present in a person in singular form, or may be in conjunction with any or all other types of hyperhidrosis—this may include hands, feet, and face as affected areas. Underarm sweating is one of the most troublesome forms of hyperhidrosis, as it produces odor, which makes working in a social sector a real task for the patients. It is believed that the sympathetic nervous system of the person over-stimulates the sweat glands, which cause underarm sweating. Though, almost all people have underarm sweating while doing some heavy physical work and exercise, but axillary hyperhidrosis occurs even in normal conditions. However, under stress and anxiety, this condition may increase considerably. The problem of underarm sweating generally begins in the adolescence years; however, there are reported cases of children suffering from this problem. The severity of the problem increases in children, as they spend much of their time with friends in schools, playgrounds, and other areas. Their friends tease them and crack taunts, which can hurt the feeling of a child and can make a permanent impression on his or her mind—this may further lead to withdrawal effects and social phobias in the later stages of the life. Proper attention should be taken by parents in order to make their children come out of this problem and not have social insecurity about their future, which can hamper the overall personality of the child. Usually parents tend to deny this sort of thing, and sometimes they refer it to as a cosmetic problem, when actually this is a medical problem and should be dealt accordingly. Symptoms of underarm sweating As it is already pointed out that this is one of the most troublesome conditions in hyperhidrosis, the symptoms of underarm sweating are most prominent. Sweat in armpits will make rings in the clothes of the person and will leave stains that can be very clearly seen. Underarm sweating also has odor, which is resistant to deodorants and cannot be controlled thus. If underarm sweating is present with other types of hyperhidrosis, then night sweating and hot flashes can also be associated with this condition. Though sweating is normal to the human body, excessive sweating is the direct symptom of any kind of hyperhidrosis. Underarm sweating and social sector It is an irony of the fact that underarm sweating poses more social problems than the medical problems for the person suffering from it. People suffering from underarm sweating face severe social and psychological problems while interacting with people and working in conditions where many people are working in closed conditions. Sometimes the effect of these problems overwhelms the person completely and it becomes extremely hard for the person to fit in its own environment. The career plans also suffer, as the person is short of confidence and faces self-esteem problems. However, psychological advice and counseling can help greatly in order to bring out the person from this mental trauma. Players and persons who work in factories and manufacturing companies will also have to look for some treatments and other alternatives in order to keep themselves focused in the work. Underarm sweating and clothes Underarm sweating cause great embarrassment due to soaked clothing. Some patients use various strategies in order to keep their underarm sweat under control like using pads, shields, absorbent tissues, and frequent clothing changes, which helps in minimizing the severity of the odor arising of sweat, and thus allowing to work comfortably. It is noticed that many people suffer emotional anxiety due to this problem apart from the occupational problems that they have to face. The choice of clothes gets reduced for a person who has excessive underarm sweating. Silk and nylon are not preferred for sweat and light colors are also avoided. This leaves fewer choices and also increases the effort that you will have to put in selecting your clothes. Women feel this problem, as silk is one of the most wanted fabric among women! Diagnosis of underarm sweating Hyperhidrosis and excessive sweating in general is believed to be a hereditary problem and proper diagnosis of this problem is pretty much necessary to reduce the impact of this problem. As it is known that sweating is necessary for human body, the approach to diagnosis for underarm sweating starts with the assessment of the excessiveness of the sweat amount. There are different methods for assessment of severity of sweating, which are known as practical, qualitative, and quantitative methods. During the evaluation of a patient with underarm sweating, it is sometimes necessary to assess the rate of sweat production and the effects of the problem on the patient’s quality of life. The problems faced by the person and the impairment of abilities due to underarm sweating also serve as a valuable guide for proper diagnosis of this problem. In general cases, a sweat stain around the shoulders of around 5 cm in diameter is believed to be normal, but it is falls in 5-10 cm, then mild axillary hyperhidrosis can be expected. Sweat stains of 10-20 cm are associated with moderate axillary hyperhidrosis, while stains over 20 cm are related to severe form of axillary hyperhidrosis. The quantitative method to diagnose underarm sweating is known as gravimetric measurement, which can also be done on the palm. However, it is more limited to clinical measurements and may not be used in general diagnosis. The treatment of underarm sweating depends greatly upon the proper diagnosis of the problem. It should be made clear that the hyperhidrosis is not secondary in nature, which is totally different from primary hyperhidrosis, and is caused by some other problems. The treatment for secondary hyperhidrosis, then, should be focused on the specific disease, which is causing excessive sweating. Treatment of underarm sweating Antiperspirants are used for paltry treatment of underarm sweating, which is not a comprehensive treatment and have few results. Some other medications are also prescribed, but they still have not complete impact on the problem. Surgical treatments are looked upon as the complete solutions, but very obviously, like any other surgical treatments, they are associated with multiple side effects—sometimes more severe than the original problem itself! Compensatory sweating is one of the most common side effects of surgical treatment for underarm sweating, while scars and slow healing of wounds are also associated with it. After going surgical treatment for underarm sweating, other parts of the body start sweating. This sometimes also includes night hyperhidrosis or sleep hyperhidrosis, which involves excessive sweating during night or sleep—the person wakes up totally drenched in the sweat! Sometimes other microbial problems and skin problems also arise due to scars and slow healing of wounds. In some cases it is also noticed that scars sometimes reappear after once fading after the surgery, which is annoying for the patient, who has already suffered much! Surgical treatments are, clearly, not a panacea for underarm sweating or any types of hyperhidrosis.
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Millions of Americans suffer from the pain and disability of carpal tunnel syndrome. Most do not know that conservative measures provide relief in the majority of cases. Almost all people with the pain, numbness and weakness in the hands and wrists can be helped with manual medicine. The osteopath evaluates the nerves, blood vessels, and muscles first for any abnormality. Next is a structural exam to check for decreased range of motion of the wrist and hand. This is almost always abnormal. By opening up the canal where the median nerve and blood vessel travels, more oxygen can get to the tissue. Stretching the ligament that crosses transversely at the wrist also releases the joint and decreases pain and swelling. This is all part of osteopathic manipulative therapy. The D.O. may also check lab work for hypothyroidism or autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis. If you have a job involving repetitive motion or a large amount of computer work he/she will look at your mechanics and make suggestions. Less stress and better positioning of the wrist increases its strength and flexibility. A nutritional approach has shown 50 mg. of B6 to be effective in some cases. Of course traditional methods of splints, anti-inflammatory medicines, and exercises are also used. Surgery and further testing of the nerves and muscles may be necessary if you do not improve with conservative measures. Shrinking of the muscles of the thumb or coldness of the tips of the fingers are serious findings. References: 1. Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, January 1993; 93:92. 2. Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, August 1994; 94:647.