Health Ventures
information, news, and tips spanning health arena
Archive for March, 2009
How many of us have back trouble or have had it in the past? Like a bad tooth, our back can give us quite a time of despair, however there are several things we can do to help.
Life can be going great, then all of a sudden we have a situation. Years ago I remember collapsing at home due to a monkey fist knot spasm in my lower back. I ended up on the floor unable to get up. That was surprising because I was in decent shape for my age. After maneuvering around for a while, I somehow got up, but was totally stiff. My wife suggested going to an outpatient clinic nearby. We pulled up to the door, however after getting out of the car, I collapsed on the walkway leading up to the clinic. People were looking out the window gasping at me; like ‘ what happened to that young man. Also it was raining, so that didn’t help any.
Well I managed to get up and inside just before my wife and young kids came in the clinic from parking. After a lengthy wait, the doctor who saw me told me what the problem could be and what to do. She was a great help, although then, in the short term, I wanted a quick fix. Never in my life had I felt so helpless, plus I did not know when or how a lower back attack might strike again!
Tomorrow I will share the health tips that the doctor shared with me. I can say that she helped me greatly and I thankfully have not had trouble since then, by following her advice. Please come back tomorrow for the rest of the story.
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Many people have various pets to help them to have a more enjoyable, active lifestyle. Whil we have several pets we enjoy, having a tank with fish to enjoy really adds to our families overall excitement.
Today we purchased a larger tank plus more colorful rocks and life-like flowing plants. The process took over an hour to set up, plus we needed to wait a while for the water to be suitable for our fish to be put into. So far we have only very unique goldfish, but they are fun to watch. Add a swim through tower and maybe a scuba diver/ treasure chest, and you have a great setup.
Of course these fish are for viewing pleasure, so consider taking a daily omega three supplement for heart health. Plan on taking around 3,000 mg each day, and eat fresh fish two times weekly, if you can. Ask your doctor what will be the best for you to do.
Having a fish tank can be a family favorite. Maybe you will decide on tropical fish, due to the variety and their beautiful colors. Whatever you decide on, everyone in your household will enjoy watching the fish regularly.
The American Health Association recommends eating fish at least two times per week. The Omega 3 fish oil found in fatty fish like tuna and salmon contains fatty acids that benefit the hearts of healthy people. Fish is a better sort of protein than red meat because it is low in saturated fat. In addition to adding fish the diet, doctors, recommend eating tofu, other forms of soybeans, canola, walnut and flaxseed and their oils.
Doctors also recommend that those without Coronary Heart Disease eat a variety of fatty fish at least twice a week. This diet also should include oils and foods rich in alpha-linolenic acid (flaxseed, canola and soybean oils.) Patients suffering from CHD should consume about 1 gram of EPA + DHA per day, preferably from fatty fish. Patients who need to lower triglycerides should ingest 2 to 4 grams of EPA + DHA provided as capsules under a physician’s care. Patients taking more than 3 grams of omega fatty acids from capsules should do so only under a physician’s care. High intakes can cause excessive bleeding in some patients.
Today we will wrap, not Rap, up our session on music. We have only touched the surface of all that music is and does in our lives. Movies are brought to life with music, marching bands are exciting & liven up sports or special events, religious events feature music, and even the birds are singing their songs of the new Spring season. Music is all around us.
Who didn’t want to snap their fingers during the Addams Family song, or whistle during Andy of Mayberry’s tune ? Many times I’ve wanted to play the banjo and strum some bluegrass, or play the organ to Bachs wonderful Toccata and Fugue, or play the guitar like Jimi Hendrix could. Even if we don’t have the desire or talent, like me, to play a musical instrument, we can fully enjoy all levels of music available on CD’s. The music can be chosen for the moment. In the background Mozart is playing now!
Like the Lovin’ Spoonful asked; do you believe in magic? Music can be magic to us, because it can easily alter our mood. Life is full of stress, so our personal health is at stake. Music comes in many flavors, so pick a flavor for the moment. Soothing classical or easy listening piano and guitar help me. Obtain some music for each and every occassion. Healthy living comes from a blend of things we have discussed. Do those things and try incorporating suitable music. Exercise is great with music. Try to plan a small block of time for some health fitness & include some music to spice it up.
As we face each day, we can sing a song, if only in our minds & hearts, and apply the music formula to our lives. Choose something and see the wonders it can do for you too!
We can all agree that music, in one form or another, helps define who we are, plus bring back memories from our past. Our health and wellness most likely was improved from music. Each era, or generation, has had a style(s) of music that was present at that time. Much of it lives on, within us.
The boomer generation was hard to beat. We saw the major birth of rock and roll, plus the surge of awesome soul music. Who can’t remember Motown and the numerous top groups they brought to us? The Temptations, Four Tops, Supremes, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, Smokey and the Miracles, and many others. The Beatles had so many great songs, and were, or still are, many individuals top group ever. The Rolling Stones are like the energizer bunny, because many of us can remember them starting prior to us being teens.
Other groups were coming on the scene like Procol Harum, the Doors, Rod Stewart, the Byrds, Beach Boys, Jefferson Airplane ( prior to Starship), and Neil Diamond. How about Carly Simon, James Taylor, and Elton John. Also groups like the Turtles, Lovin’ Spoonful, Zombies, Guess Who, the Who, Moody Blues, Animals, Byrds, Grass Roots, Deep Purple, Cream, Chicago and Three Dog Night were huge.
As rock increased even a bit more we heard Mountain, Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young, Jethro Tull, Steppinwolf, Alice Cooper, Humble Pie, Led Zeppelin, and many others. On a lighter side, we also listened to Carol King, Peter, Paul, and Mary, Simon and Garfunkel, the Association, the Monkees, Hollies, Mamas & Papas, Billy Joel, or Bob Dylan.
The list goes on, with many groups special to each of us. Whoever comes to your mind, be thankful for them. Let me know of what group was special to you. Take a moment today, even in your car, and play some music from your past to relive for a brief time that special time gone by.
Each decade of our lives most likely are highlighted by music from that era. Many of my wonderful memories can be defined further by the music of that time.
Growing up in the sixties was a marvelous generation, especially if your parents let you purchase and play those type of records. The younger generation reading this may say, ‘records, what are those?’ Albums and forty-fives were the mainstream then, and to be frank, they had much more character than the CD’s of today. Remember four track, eight track, and cassettes: they are mostly gone today, but not yet forgotten, by some of us. The records though were very special and the album covers were a work of art, plus full of interesting information.
My parents generation was awesome also, with the big band era. We brought in rock and roll, but they brought in the terrific sounds of Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller, Guy Lombardo, and Louis Armstrong, plus many others. How about Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, or Ella Fitzgerald and the great singers back then. That was truly a memorable time for many Americans. Since my Dad often played many of those records during my growing up years, I feel that connection too.
Music really helps many of us to relax, unwind, plus remember times from our past. Whenever I need a lift is a good time to play some music. Right now the Turtles are playing in the background. Too bad that it’s not live! We can see and feel how music can be a key to our emotional health. Next blog we’ll go over some of the boomer generation groups that helped define who many of us are today. Various music is available through Amazon.com.
Many times when I hear a song from the past, I can think back to where I was and rehash that moment. Some songs may produce bad memories, but hopefully most of your memories that tie in with music are good ones. Music can definitely help us have a much more enjoyable, happy, healthy lifestyle.
Making health fitness fun can help us succeed in accomplishing our goal of continued personal health. When we enjoy the exercise we do, it makes it much easier to keep on doing it.
My pastor loves to play tennis, golf, or take walks, so he faithfully does these regularly. He would admit that he feels much better plus has more energy due to keeping physically active to some extent. One drawback some may experience is that their appetite may increase, however drink more water and seek to eat healthier stuff. Keep some variety of trail mix or another health snack close at hand. Stay away from the vending machine.
For families, there are numerous sports or activities you can do together. Some of these are volleyball, badmitten, biking, crochet, bocce, hikes, softball, flag football, frisbee, and so on. Individually you could also bike, run/ jog, hike, or get together with another and play tennis, squash/ racketball, catch, or other sports. There is also swimming, basketball, lacrosse, plus numerous other sports to choose from. Just pick the ones you enjoy, then build that into your daily plans.
Many have such a full day, that time is at a premium. Try to mix in a form of exercise that can be included, like walking: maybe walk around your place of work, or that neighborhood, to clear your mind and regroup. Just twenty minutes will do it! Make the time. Something is better than nothing.
Again, try to incorporate exercise into your daily routine. Healthy eating, getting the needed sleep, and developing a suitable exercise regime, are all important keys to health and wellness.
Since time does really fly by the older we get, making heart healthy diet choices matters greatly. Eating the right foods and making time for some daily exercise must be a priority. A healthy balanced life needs to be something we do by choice.
Many forms of exercise exist, but let’s look at some of those briefly. Walking and weight lifting are two we spoke about yesterday. Try to walk at least ten to fifteen minutes at first daily , then build up to a half hour or so. Even with weights, start small and also gradually increase. Don’t overdo it or start off with more than you should. The old saying, ” Rome wasn’t built in a day” applies to exercise also: take the time needed to build up to walking further or lifting more weight. Exercise equipment, like a home gym, usually comes with directions and recommended exercises at different fitness levels.
Another form of exercise to choose is doing some calisthenics, like push ups, sit ups/ crunches, squats, jumping jacks, jumping rope, leg lifts, or running in place. Focus on improving your overall health plus also those areas you want to tone up. Crunches, for instance, will tone up your abdominal muscles while push ups will help your pectoral muscles. Try to get your heart rate up and sustained for a period of time, maybe at least twenty minutes. Take a break occassionally and don’t overdo it. Seek some guidance from a fitness expert/ personal trainer or ask your doctor for direction.
Tomorrow we will rap up this segment, so check back for the conclusion. Until then, keep at it and remember that health fitness is important for each of us.
What exercise can we each do to improve and maintain healthy living? We must incorporate some form of exercise into our day to day schedules that benefits our own personal health. Developing an exercise plan is a good start.
Try to pick something that you will stick with for the long term. Walking is my favorite because it is always there to do plus for most of us, all we need are a good pair of shoes to walk in. Weight lifting can be an easy choice too, with a good piece of equipment for home or the office, a gym to go to, or just buy some dumbbells to lift. Get a plan online or ask someone how to start. Your health fitness depends on taking action.
Seeking to get in shape, lose some excess weight, build some muscle tone, increase our stamina, and feel great, does take some effort on our part. Just do it each day in one form or another. The benefits that come to you will be well worth the effort you put into it. Just one day at a time; don’t stress yourself with thinking too far out. Develop a plan on paper or just in your mind, then do it. Everybody is busy and has the same hours you do. Carve out a small chunk for exercise.
Tomorrow we will look into this a bit further. Spring is upon us. Spring up and do some personal health activities today.
What do we think of when we hear about fat content in foods? Fear may hit us especially if we aren’t informed eaters. Fat is a vital nutrient we need in our daily diet. We don’t have to go fat free; anyway those foods usually have many more calories. Fats help our body systems work better when we don’t overdo them.
The four fats are Saturated , Trans , Monounsaturated , and Polyunsaturated. all fats have 9 calories per gram, however there are differences we need to know about. Also fat in foods can give your body energy. Let’s briefly look at each one.
Saturated Fats can cause health problems like heart disease plus increase our bad, LDL, cholesterol. Foods that include palm or coconut oil are saturated. Saturated Fats are fats that contain mostly saturated fatty acids. These are found mainly in animal fats. Bacon, sausage, cookies, cakes, pastries, chocolate, and some cheeses usually have saturated fats.
Trans Fats many times have a disguised name, partially hydrogenated oils, . These are not essential fats and should typically be avoided. By consuming this type of fat you increase your chances of heart disease and stroke, as well as your LDL cholesterol and decreasing your good, HDL, cholesterol. Donuts, hard margerine, fried foods, and many snack foods top their list.
Monounsaturated Fats are better than the previous two. Fish, peanut butter,nuts, seeds, avacado, plus olive-canola-soybean or fish oil are included on their list. Foods with this fat may help lower your bad cholesterol. Consider taking omega 3 fish oil daily for heart health.
Polyunsaturated Fats are also on the good list. These fats too help lower bad cholesterol plus help protect against cardiovascular disease. Oils like corn , soy , regular safflower or sunflower , are normally polyunsaturated. Some foods include grain products, fish, and seafood.
The American Heart Association says to limit our total fat intake to around 25-35% of our daily calorie intake. Try to stick primarily with the mono and poly fats where possible. Limit saturated fat to less than 7% of your total calories and trans fat to 1% or less. Go to American Hearts website for more info. and for a guage of what calories/ day is best for you. Being informed is important to each of us in living a healthy, vibrant life.
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