Monday, September 8, 2008

Diet & Weight Management

We're familiar with the pattern. It starts with a commitment to weight loss, complete with energetic bouts of exercise and thousands of calories burned. Finally, your weight goals are within reach! But then it's wedding season and you decide to go on maintenance for awhile … just so you can enjoy that cake with a clear conscience. Before you know it, you start to gain weight again and you lose all of those health benefits you worked so hard for in the first place.
if there's one thing everyone agrees on, it's that weight control is a key component of maintaining good health. Where opinions differ is on the question of how to safely control that weight. Terms like “calories,” “metabolism,” and “maintenance,” not to mention the various flavor-of-the-week diet fads that make headlines … it's a lot of information to process.
We've tried to make the topic of weight loss a little easier to understand by providing the latest weight management news, tips, and expert analysis in a clear and concise manner. The decision to take control of your weight is an important one: Make sure you have information you can trust at hand to make the correct choices.

Friday, August 29, 2008

Symptoms :-
The signs and symptoms of a brain tumor vary greatly and depend on the brain tumor's size, location and rate of growth.
General signs and symptoms caused by brain tumors may
include :-
New onset or change in pattern of headaches
Headaches that gradually become more frequent and more severe
Unexplained nausea or vomiting
Vision problems, such as blurred vision, double vision or loss of peripheral vision
Gradual loss of sensation or movement in an arm or a leg
Difficulty with balance
Speech difficulties
Confusion in everyday matters
Personality or behavior changes
Seizures, especially in someone who doesn't have a history of seizures
Hearing problems
Hormonal (endocrine) disorders

Friday, August 22, 2008

Disease

Lack of ease; uneasiness; trouble; vexation; disquiet.
An alteration in the state of the body or of some of its organs, interrupting or disturbing the performance of the vital functions, and causing or threatening pain and weakness; malady; affection; illness; sickness; disorder; -- applied figuratively to the mind, to the moral character and habits, to institutions, the state, etc.
To deprive of ease; to disquiet; to trouble; to distress.
To derange the vital functions of; to afflict with disease or sickness; to disorder; -- used almost exclusively in the participle diseased.

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Why is handwashing important?

Remember Ignaz Semmelweis? Of course you don't. But you're in his debt nonetheless, because it was Dr. Semmelweis who first demonstrated over a hundred years ago that routine handwashing can prevent the spread of disease.
"Dr. Semmelweis worked in a hospital in Vienna whose maternity patients were dying at such an alarming rate that they begged to be sent home," said Julie Gerberding, M.D., director of CDC's Hospital Infections Program. "Most of those dying had been treated by student physicians who worked on cadavers during an anatomy class before beginning their rounds in the maternity ward."
Because the students didn't wash their hands between touching the dead and the living--handwashing was an unrecognized hygienic practice at the time--pathogenic bacteria from the cadavers regularly were transmitted to the mothers via the students' hands.
"The result was a death rate five times higher for mothers who delivered in the hospital than for mothers who delivered at home" said Dr. Gerberding.
In an experiment considered quaint at best by his colleagues, Dr. Semmelweis insisted that his students wash their hands before treating the mothers--and deaths on the maternity ward fell fivefold.
"This was the beginning of infection control," Dr. Gerberding said. "It was really a landmark achievement, not just in healthcare settings, but in public health in general because today the value of handwashing in preventing disease is recognized in the community, in schools, in child care settings, and in eating establishments."
Healthcare specialists generally cite handwashing as the single most effective way to prevent the transmission of disease. "This is one healthcare infection control measure that has successfully spread throughout the community," she said. "Good hygiene in general, and sterilization and disinfection in particular, are other standards that began largely in hospitals and have become widely used elsewhere. And we're always looking for others."
She cited the ongoing 4th Decennial International Conference on Nosocomial and Healthcare-associated Infections in Atlanta as an example of the concerted effort worldwide to prevent and control infections. Sponsored by CDC, the conference has brought together over 2,000 international experts in disease prevention to share information and develop strategies for infection control.
"It's an astonishing amount of knowledge and expertise gathered in a single building," she said. "But for all our expertise and the tremendous advances we've made in technology and new treatments, we constantly remind ourselves of the basic in infection control...wash your hands!"
In the healthcare setting, handwashing can prevent potentially fatal infections from spreading from patient to patient, and from patient to healthcare worker and vice-versa. In the home, it can prevent infectious diseases such as diarrhea and hepatitis A from spreading from family member to family member and, sometimes, throughout a community.
"The basic rule in the hospital is wash your hands between patients," said Dr. Gerberding. "In the home, it's wash them before preparing food, after changing diapers, and after using the bathroom."
Unquestioned today as the most important tool in the healthcare worker's arsenal for preventing infection, handwashing was not readily accepted in Dr. Semmelweis's era. Indeed, his pleas to make handwashing a routine practice throughout the hospital were largely met with derision. Another 50 years would pass before the importance of handwashing as a preventive measure would be widely accepted by the medical profession.
"But it's the standard now," said Dr. Gerberding. "And we can't begin to count the thousands upon thousands of lives that have been saved because of Dr. Semmelweis's discovery." Unrecognized for the most part by the general public, Dr. Semmelweis is firmly entrenched in medical lore as a pioneer who made one of the greatest contributions in the history of public health. In hospitals and homes throughout the world, the simple and inexpensive measure of handwashing continues to serve as a bulwark against disease.
CDC Says "Prevent Contamination" by Hand
CDC cites five common household scenarios in which disease-causing germs can be transmitted by contaminated hands.
Hands to food: germs are transmitted from unclean hands to food, usually by an infected food preparer who didn't handwash after using the toilet. The germs are then passed to those who eat the food.
Infected infant to hands to other children: during diaper changing, germs are passed from an infant with diarrhea to the hands of a parent; if the parent doesn't immediately wash his or her hands before handling another child, the germs that cause diarrhea are passed to the second child.
Food to hands to food: germs are transmitted from raw, uncooked foods, such as chicken, to hands; the germs are then transferred to other foods, such as salad. Cooking the raw food kills the initial germs, but the salad remains contaminated.
Nose, mouth, or eyes to hands to others: germs that cause colds, eye infections, and other illnesses can spread to the hands by sneezing, coughing, or rubbing the eyes and then can be transferred to other family members or friends.
Food to hands to infants: germs from uncooked foods are transferred to hands and then to infants. If a parent handling raw chicken, for example, doesn't wash his or her hands before tending to an infant, they could transfer germs such as salmonella from the food to the infant.
Handwashing can prevent the transfer of germs in all five of these scenarios. CDC recommends vigorous scrubbing with warm, soapy water for at least 15 seconds.

Saturday, August 2, 2008

Simple tips and technics to keep your body fit and healthy

How do you feel to be healthy? Nice! Must be wondering if there is that magic wand, I can become slim, fit and healthy. Nice to think but how to make this a reality? Takes time. Can't happen overnight.
You can follow certain simple and easy technics which will help you be fit and healthy. Have you decided to go for it! then read on.
- Do not make a future plan for your exercise, if you have to do it, just do it now.
- Wake up a bit early, pull your pants up and start walking out. If not like an exercise, just walk out. Go where you like, spend sometime out in the morning. You can opt to buy milk, vegetables, newspaper or whatever... just go out. Slowly increase the speed of your walk.
- Follow the Golden Rule - Breakfast like a KING, Lunch like a Prince and Dinner like a PAUPER. Keep your dinner very light, avoid cheese, butter, curd or any other fat products.
- Breathe in and breathe out deeply whenever your remember. Do simple stretching exercises.
- Last of all... Dont worry.. Be happy. Stress can cause lifestyle diseases. Be away from stress. Life is short, enjoy every moment of it.
Treatment for low back pain: Low back pain is a common issue among computer surfers and bike riders. These are a few simple exercises which will help relieve low back pain. Balance your spine - Stretch: Learn how to sit, stand, move and exercise in a balanced manner to reduce the neck and lower back pain to a great extent. Healthy Habits: Healthy habits that can be followed in daily routine life. These habits will improve blood circulation in the body and also increases the energy levels. Workplace Workouts: Keep yourself fresh and energetic during work hours. These simple and easy methods can be followed for complete relaxation of the entire body. Tips and Technics to Treat your eyes: Most computer users suffer from the problem of tired eyes, dark circles and headaches. Follow these ten tips to avoid them.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

High Blood Pressure?

High Blood Pressure :-

Knowing the risk factors for high blood pressure, or hypertension, is the first step toward making sure your blood pressure is at a healthy level. There are several risk factors for hypertension. Some are within your control and others are simply a matter of genetics.
It does not matter what is causing or may cause you to have high blood pressure. The important point is that if you know you are at risk you can take steps to reduce the risk and keep your blood pressure at a healthy level.We have no control over our genes, our race or our age. These are three risk factors for some people in developing high blood pressure. African Americans are more likely to develop high blood pressure than whites. They also seem to develop it at a younger age and have higher levels.Age is a factor in blood pressure as well. The older you get, the more likely you are to have higher blood pressure. Women usually don't have trouble with hypertension until after menopause, unless they have a parent or other close relative with it. Men will develop hypertension as they age, with the greatest increases beginning between the ages of 35 and 55.
While race, age and genes are not something you can control there are several risk factors for hypertension which you can control. The most important is weight. Obesity leads to higher blood pressure especially in people with a body mass index over 30.0. Contributing to obesity and high blood pressure is also a lack of exercise. If you are inactive, you are more likely to be overweight and therefore develop hypertension.
Our eating and drinking habits greatly impact blood pressure. Consuming too much alcohol or salt on a regular basis also increases blood pressure. Not only overeating, but what you eat will affect blood pressure in a good or bad way.
How much stress you have and how you deal with it can influence blood pressure negatively. It is difficult to know how much stress a person is under, since many people hold it in and may not even feel overly stressed when in reality they are. When there is too much stress, other good habits are often sacrificed to deal with the current situation. For example, during a stressful period you may not get enough sleep or exercise or may substitute good home cooked meals for high sodium fast foods.Any one of these risk factors alone can put blood pressure levels within a dangerous range. When you couple the risk factors with one another, your problem grows exponentially. This means that if you are overweight, inactive and have a family history of hypertension, you are at a much higher risk than someone with only heredity working against them. It would be wise for anyone with the non-controllable risk factors of race, heredity, or age to keep stay physically active, maintain a healthy weight and reduce the amount of alcohol and sodium they consume. It is also important to eat a proper diet that will support a healthy blood pressure. Specific nutrients help reduce blood pressure even in those who are genetically predisposed to hypertension.If You Want To Uncover The Truth About Hypertension And Discover An Alternative Solution To Drugs, I Suggest You Take Just A Few Minutes of Your Time Right Now And Read My Shocking Special.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Tips for a Healthy Life

Be Good to Yourself :-
Health is not merely the absence of disease; it's a lifestyle. Whether it's getting enough sleep, relaxing after a stressful day, or enjoying a hobby, it's important to take time to be good to yourself. Take steps to balance work, home, and play. Pay attention to your health, and make healthy living a part of your life.
Be Safe- Protect Yourself:-
What comes to mind when you think about safety and protecting yourself? Is it fastening seat belts, applying sunscreen, wearing helmets, or having smoke detectors? It's all of these and more. It's everything from washing your hands to watching your relationships. Did you know that men at work die most frequently from motor vehicle incidents, machine-related injuries, homicides, and falls? Take steps to protect yourself and others wherever you are.




Keep a Healthy Weight:-
Obesity is at an all time high in the United States, and the epidemic may be getting worse. Those who are overweight or obese have increased risks for diseases and conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. Eat better, get regular exercise, and see your health care provider about any health concerns to make sure you are on the right track to staying healthy.
Get Moving :-
More than 50 percent of American men and women do not get enough physical activity to provide health benefits. For adults, thirty minutes of moderate physical activity on most, preferably all, days of the week is recommended. It doesn't take a lot of time or money, but it does take commitment. Start slowly, work up to a satisfactory level, and don't overdo it. You can develop one routine, or you can do something different every day. Find fun ways to stay in shape and feel good, such as dancing, gardening, cutting the grass, swimming, walking, or jogging.
Be Smoke-Free:-
Health concerns associated with smoking include cancer and lung disease. Smoking triples the risk of dying from heart disease among those who are middle-aged. Second-hand smoke - smoke that you inhale when others smoke - also affects your health. If you smoke, quit today! Helplines, counseling, medications, and other forms of support are available to help you quit.
Eat Healthy:-
An apple a day keeps the doctor away." There's more truth to this saying than we once thought. What you eat and drink and what you don't eat and drink can definitely make a difference to your health. Eating five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day and less saturated fat can help improve your health and may reduce the risk of cancer and other chronic diseases. Have a balanced diet, and watch how much you eat.